Conversation: 661-011
Prev:  661-010 Next: 661-012Start Date: 31-Jan-1972 5:05 PM
End Date: 31-Jan-1972 5:49 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:35:18
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 04:15:53
NARA Description:
On January 31, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:49 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 661-011 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 661-11 Date: January 31, 1972 Time: Unknown between 5:05 pm and 5:49 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. Welfare -Recent meeting with John D. Ehrlichman -Abraham A. Ribicoff -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan Environmental efforts -Russell E. Train -Laurance S. Rockefeller -Conference -Location -San Clemente -Park at Point Reyes -Timing -Point Reyes -Weather in San Francisco The President’s schedule 37 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 661-11 (cont.) -Gridiron Dinner -Election year -Reasons for attendance -Edgar Allan Poe -Donald McI. Kendall -Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis -Charles G. “(Bebe”) Rebozo -Benefits -Piano duet -Remarks -Post-People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip decision -Easter parade -Meeting with William F. (“Billy”) Graham -Breakfast -Haldeman role -Topics -Politics -The President’s forthcoming telephone call to Apollo 15 crew -Astronaut’s schedule -Washington, DC -Tour of communist countries -Yugoslavia, Poland -David R. Scott -James B. Irwin -Alfred M. Worden -Previous telephone call -Good will tour of communist countries -Visit to White House -Promise of dinner -PRC trip -Weekend at Camp David Henry A. Kissinger entered at 5:13 pm. Vietnam negotiations -Public perception -Harry Schwartz of New York Times -Harrison E. Salisbury -New Republic article -View of Nixon strategy -North Vietnamese reaction 38 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 661-11 (cont.) -Publishing of nine points -Variations -US reaction -Ronald L. Ziegler -Comparison of versions -Andre Malraux’s meeting with the president -Gen. Charles A.J.M. de Gaulle -The President’s impression -Publishing of Anti-memoirs (1967) -Malraux’s possible future meeting with the President -Timing -Forthcoming trip to the PRC -Chou En-lai -Mao Tse-tung -Georges J.R. Pompidou -Setting up -Charles Lucet -Public relations -China scholars -Value of meeting the president -Public relations -Benefits -Malraux qualifications -Dinner -Guest list -Kissinger -William P. Rogers -Marshall Green -Lucet -Malraux -Scholarship -Family background -Jewish contacts -Alsace -Timing PRC trip -State Department experts -Papers -Leaks -Rogers’s involvement 39 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 661-11 (cont.) -The President’s meeting with State Department officials -Papers -Green -Papers -Gratitude -Appearance compared to substance -Timing -Value -Progress of papers -Rogers’s role in planning -Exposure to text of PRC meetings -Edited copies -Memoranda -Soviet trip preparations -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin -North Vietnamese meetings text -Proposals -Leaks -Source -Rogers’s view -Progress on papers -Background work -Cancelled meeting -The President’s role -Substance of meetings -Study of written word -Questions -State Department role -The President’s role -Meeting with paper authors -Use of papers -Timing -Reading list Schwartz letter to Kissinger -Jack N. Anderson -View of New York Times of administration -Vietnam -Editorial policy -Response by Kissinger -Schwartz’s visit to Kissinger, January 31, 1972 40 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 661-11 (cont.) -Editorial views -Salisbury -Publication of diverse views Vietnamese negotiations -Reaction by the President’s domestic opponents -Revelations by North Vietnamese -October 11, 1971 plan -The President’s peace proposal speech, January 25, 1972 -Details -Troop withdrawals for Prisoners of war [POWs] -Press conference -Use by Kissinger -Note from the US -Request for meeting -Nine point plan -Ziegler rebuttal -Kissinger rebuttal -Comparison of versions -June 26, 1971 -Kissinger’s rebuttal -October 11 proposal -Withdrawal for POWs -Ceasefire -Michael J. Mansfield view -Liberals -Separation of military and political -Rebuttal -New York Times article -Terence F. Smith -Comparison of the President’s proposals to Lyndon B. Johnson proposal at Manila -Max Frankel -Johnson’s proposal -US withdrawal -Timing -Compared to the President’s proposal -Withdrawal -Timing -Manila formula -Kissinger’s recommendation to the President 41 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 661-11 (cont.) -Timing -Ford’s Theatre -Simultaneous mutual withdrawal -Henry Cabot Lodge -William P. Bundy’s view -Australia -Rebuttal -Frankel -Smith -Error -Stewart J.O. Alsop article -Support for the President -Establishment -Democrats -Katharine L. Graham’s telephone call to Kissinger -Editorial policy -Alsop’s previous telephone call to Graham -Frankel -Possible invitation to PRC -Forthcoming telephone call from Kissinger -Details of proposals -Johnson -Manila formula -Conditions -North Vietnamese withdrawal -Vietcong -Ceasefire -US withdrawal -Lack of deadline -New York Times article -Content -Support for the President -Editorial, January 30, 1972 Malraux dinner -Timing Malraux -Qualifications -Compared to China scholars -The President’s previous meeting in Paris 42 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 661-11 (cont.) -French -Writings -Les Voix Du Silence (1951) -Health -Writings about the Long March Yevgeny Yevtushenko -Possible meeting with the President -Public relations -Relationship with liberals -View of Soviet Union -Dobrynin -Effect on the Chinese -Schedule -New York -Timing National Security Council [NSC] meeting -Attendance -John B. Connally -Timing -Testimony Yevtushenko meeting, February 3, 1972 -White House Conference on Drug Abuse -Athletes -Reception Alsop -Support for the President -The President’s November 3, 1969 speech -Effect on Establishment -Remarks at dinner at W[illiam] Averell Harriman’s residence -Forthcoming article -Possible effect Vietnam negotiations -Democratic reactions -Public relations -October 1970 proposals -North Vietnamese reaction 43 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 661-11 (cont.) -Special circumstances -Democrats’ tactics -Congress -Kissinger’s possible talk with Michael J. Mansfield -Later PRC trip -North Vietnam ‘s reaction to peace proposals -Details of US proposals -William J. Porter -Kissinger’s talk with Alsop -North Vietnam’s reaction to November 20, 1971 meeting proposal -Possible reason -Congress’s shutoff of foreign aid -June, August 1971 offers -North Vietnamese press conference -Tone -Substance -Secrecy -Difference between public and private stances -Media coverage -Kissinger press conference -Ziegler The President’s schedule -Malraux Kissinger left at 5:48 pm. PRC trip -Meeting between the President and State Department experts -Value -Timing -Study of papers Haldeman left at an unknown time before 5:49 pm.