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Conversation: 662-004

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Start Date: 1-Feb-1972 10:03 AM

End Date: 1-Feb-1972 11:37 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Graham, William F. ("Billy")Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Woods, Rose MaryZiegler, Ronald L.Bull, Stephen B.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:27:51

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:03:44

662a.mp3

662b.mp3

NARA Description:

On February 1, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, William F. ("Billy") Graham, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Rose Mary Woods, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:03 am to 11:37 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 662-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 662-4

Date: February 1, 1972
Time: 10:03 am - 11:37 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with William F. (“Billy”) Graham and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Greetings

     President’s address at prayer breakfast
          -John B. Connally’s health
                -Location
                      -Pittsburgh
          -President’s speaking style
          -Crowd reaction
                -Dr. Arthur A. Fletcher
          -Previous occasions
                -Publicity
                      -White House staff
                            -Herbert G. Klein, Richard A. Moore
                      -Television
                                              3

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                              Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


    Graham’s health
         -President’s call to Graham
               -Timing
               -Quality of call
                    -Virgin Islands


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Privacy]
[Duration: 1m 34s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

******************************************************************************


         -Personal habits of Graham
              -Rest and relaxation
              -Schedule
                    -Speaking schedule

    President’s speaking schedule
         -Preparation
               -1968
               -1060
               -Staff time
                     -1968

    Speeches
         -Interview with Dan Rather, January 2, 1972
         -State of the Union
         -Vietnam peace proposal, January 25, 1972
         -Preparation
               -Florida and California
         -Presentation
               -Appearance
                     -Suggestions from Graham
         -Schedule
                                             4

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


               -Effectiveness
                     -Choices
          -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
          -Speech follow-up
               -Personal appearances
                     -Graham’s preparation
                           -Steps taken
                     -President’s responsibilities
                     -Graham’s advice
                           -Campaign thrust
                                 -Television
                                 -Number
                                 -Campaign stops
                     -Graham letter to President
                           -Great Britain
                           -Involvement in the campaign
                           -Politics
                                 -President’s location
                           -Dignity of President
                     -Public desire
                           -Perception

     President’s integrity
          -Effect of India/Pakistan War
          -Jack N. Anderson papers
          -Contribution to office


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 10m 31s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

******************************************************************************


Rose Mary Woods entered at 10:24 am.
                                             5

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)



     Introductions
           -Today Show appearance

Woods left at 10:25 am.


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 4m 13s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

******************************************************************************


     Media relations
         -Hedley W. Donovan call to Graham
                -Time
                -Lunch invitation
                      -Timing
                      -Henry Luce
         -Media domination by Jews
                -Paul W. Keyes
                      -Discussion
                -Life
                -Newsweek
                -New York Times
                -Washington Post
                -Los Angeles Times
                      -Otis Chandler
                -Networks
                      -Howard K. Smith, American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
                      -David Brinkley, National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
                      -Walter L. Cronkite, Jr., Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                      -Writers
                -Left wing leanings of Jews
                      -Young Jews
                                           6

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/06)
                                                                     Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


             -Israeli Jews compared to US Jews
                   -Golda Meir
                   -Moshe Dayan
                         -Democratic candidates
                         -Meir’s support of the President
                   -Danger to Israel
                         -Fear of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                               -Jordan
                         -Yitzhak Rabin view
             -Spiro T. Agnew
             -Pornography distribution


**************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[Privacy]
[Duration: 1m 32s ]

14
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO.

**************************************************************************


                          -Breaking of stranglehold
        -President’s Jewish support
              -Max M. Fisher
              -Bernard J. (“Bunny”) Lasker
              -Taft Schreiber
              -Hiring practices
                    -Catholics and Quakers compared to Jews
        -Danger
              -Media clean-up
                    -Political timing
                    -Pornography
                    -Anti-American sentiment
              -Television
                    -Movies
              -Time
              -Life
                                            7

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


              -Luce
                   -Promotion of Graham
              -Graham’s problems
                   -Coverage of issues
                        -Possible criticism of the Cabinet
                   -Dwight D. Eisenhower
                        -India situation
                   -John Foster Dulles


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 35s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

******************************************************************************


    Foreign relations
         -President’s remarks at breakfast
               -US situation
                     -Waning influence
                     -Use of power
               -General view of people
                     -Benefits of familiarity
               -USSR-People’s Republic of China [PRC]-US relations
                     -Contrasting goals
                          -Upcoming millennium
                     -Reasons for peace
                     -Hopes for peace
                          -USSR and PRC children
               -US needs
                     -Alert leadership and knowledge of US strength
                          -Vietnam
                                -US role
                                      -Lyndon B. Johnson
                                      -John F. Kennedy
                                            8

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


                                    -Dwight D. Eisenhower
                                        -Korean War
                                    -Counterfactual scenario
                                        -Possible slaughter
                                              -Dean G. Acheson
              -US world strategy
                   -Lack of action
                         -Japan, Germany, and the Middle East
                   -Restraint of aggression
                   -India-Pakistan War
                         -USSR


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 39s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

******************************************************************************


         -Crisis faced by US
               -Surrender compared to settlement
                     -Joseph M. Luns, Director-General of North Atlantic Treaty Organization
                            [NATO]
               -European view of President
                     -Willy Brandt
                            -USSR
                     -British
                            -Common Market
                            -Edward R.G. Heath
                            -Sir Alexander F. (“Alec”) Douglas-Home
                     -France
                     -Italians
                            -Lack of government
               -Ability of US to act
                     -USSR, PRC
                                       9

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)
                                                         Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


          -Defense budget
          -Trips by President
               -1972 election
               -USSR-PRC reaction
                     -Importance of knowledge
          -Stakes

Domestic conditions
    -Crises
          -Economy
    -Intellectuals in US
          -Universities
                -Stanford University
                -Professors
                      -Atheism
    -Popular support for Christian virtues
          -Percentage
          -Regional differences around the US
          -Northeast
                -New York
                -Pennsylvania
          -Midwest
                -Ohio
          -South
          -California
    -Reelection
    -Corrective measures mentioned
    -Press
          -Agnew
          -Edith Efron, The News Twisters (1971)
                -Irving Kristol’s review
          -Efron
                -Samuel J. Ervin Jr. Committee
                -Jewish background
                      -Marriage
                      -Columbia University
    -Media
          -Jewish dominance
                -Television writers
                      -Jack Benny
                -White House Press Corps
                                          10

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


             -Gridiron Club
                  -Richard (“Dick”) Wilson
                  -James J. Kilpatrick, Jr.
             -Jewish journalists
                  -Jerrold L. Schecter
                        -Time magazine
                  -David Craswell
                        -Los Angeles Times
                  -Max Frankel
                        -New York Times
                  -Stanley Karnow
                        -Washington Post
                  -Herbert E. Kaplow
                        -NBC
                  -Dan Rather
                        -CBS
                              -Attendance
                              -President’s upcoming trip to the PRC


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 6s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9

******************************************************************************


                        -Graham’s conservative nature
                             -Compared to the President
                        -Abraham Rosenthal
                             -New York Times
                        -Jewish view of Graham
                             -Friendships
                                   -Israel
                        -Graham’s feelings
             -Reaction to Jewish dominance
                                           11

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


              -Conservatives in media
                   -Speech writers
                   -Religious writers
                         -Trip to PRC
                               -Lack of conservative columnists
                         -William S. White, William F. Buckley, Jr.
                               -Protest in religious magazines
                         -Eugene Kashatsky
                               -Trip to Moscow
              -Religious papers
                   -Bankruptcy
                   -Postal rates
                         -Percentages
                         -For Graham’s mailing
                         -For pornography
                         -Effect on Graham
                               -Possible difficulties
                         -Effect on Christian publications
                               -Christian Century
                               -Christianity Today
                   -Christian Century
                         -Publishing background
                               -Chicago
                               -Joseph Irwin Miller


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 7m 7s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10

******************************************************************************


    Connally
        -Strength
        -Topics discussed with the President
                                            12

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


         -Work load
              -Age
              -Health
         -Schedule
         -Graham talk to Connally
              -Possible consequence of reelection failure
              -Timing
              -President’s schedule
                    -Camp David
              -Key Biscayne visit
                    -Ruth McC. (Bell) Graham, Idanell (Brill) (“Nellie”) Connally
                    -Invitation to Connally from Graham
                    -Graham schedule
                          -William Walker
                    -The President’s schedule
                          -Trip to the PRC
                    -Benefits for Connally
                          -Texas
                          -George A. Smathers
              -Jamaica visit
                    -John Rawlings home
                          -Amenities
                          -Holiday Inn
                          -Possible use by the President
                                -Seclusion


**************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
[Privacy]
[Duration: 19s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15

**************************************************************************


         -Value of Connally to President
              -International monetary situation
                                             13

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


              -New Economic Policy [NEP]
                    -Connally’s importance
                    -John N. Mitchell
              -Politics
                    -Conservatives
                          -PRC trip
              -Connally view of US situation
                    -Personal commitment
                    -Resignation possibility
              -Confidant to President
                    -Ability to make a difference
                    -Staff
                          -Henry A. Kissinger
                    -Cabinet officers
                          -William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird
                                -Difference in viewpoints
                    -Connally values


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 34s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11

******************************************************************************


         -Possible invitation to Connally for vacation
              -Possible call from Graham
              -Graham attendance
                     -Relaxation
              -Logistics
                     -Communication
                     -US Secret Service protection
                     -Graham’s attendance
                     -Mobility
                     -Household help
                                            14

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)




**************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 14s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16

**************************************************************************


    Gifts
            -Grady Wilson
            -Money clips
            -Cuff links
            -Transportation
                 -Graham’s schedule
            -Golf balls
            -Money clips
                 -Presidential seal


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Privacy]
[Duration: 15s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12

******************************************************************************


    Offer of prayers

    Farewells
                                               15

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 10/06)
                                                                 Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


Graham left at 11:14 am.

     President’s schedule
          -Forthcoming meeting with Apollo XV astronauts
                -Time limits
                      -Peter M. Flanigan
                      -Frank Borman
                -Staff members
                -Poland
                      -Visit by President
          -Previous dinners with astronauts at Camp David
          -Cancellation
          -Names
          -Graham meeting
                -Politics

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 11:18 am.

     President’s schedule
          -Kissinger
                -Upcoming meetings
          -University of Nebraska football team
                -Photograph and film requests
                      -Daniel J. Evans, Ronald W. Reagan photo
                -Benefits in Nebraska
                      -National Championship
                -Plaque
                      -Stephen B. Bull
          -Boy Scouts meeting
          -Astronauts
                -Purpose of meetings
          -Political benefits
                -Nebraska photographs
                      -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
                      -Release
          -Nebraska football team meeting
                -President’s instructions
                -Attendance
                      -Photographers
                      -Reporters
          -Boy Scouts
                                                16

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/06)
                                                                 Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


           -Kissinger
                -Television

     PRC trip
         -Reporter accompaniment
              -Boston Globe
              -Buckley
                    -Letter

     Prayer breakfast
          -Publicity by administration personnel
          -President’s remarks
                -Graham
                -Use of notes
                      -4-H

Ziegler left at 11:23 am.

Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:23 am.

     President’s schedule
          -Apollo astronauts
                -Location
          -Kissinger request for time

Bull left at an unknown time before 11:37 am.

           -Meeting with State Department personnel
               -Rogers’s view
                     -Marshall Green
                     -Motives
                           -Kissinger
                     -White House staff
               -Consultations prior to PRC trip
                     -The President’s preparations
               -Kissinger’s view
                     -State Department reports
                           -Lack of reporting
                           -Rogers
               -Press handling
                     -News summaries
                                              17

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                             Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


                     -Visibility of President
                           -Television news
                           -Press conference compared to speeches
                                 -Proposed benefits
                           -State of the Union speech
                                 -Visibility of President
                                       -Advantages
                                       -Dan Rather
                                       -A Day in the Life of the President
                                       -Vietnam speech
               -Speech quality
                     -Raymond K. Price, Jr. role
                     -Material for prayer breakfast
         -Connally
               -Speeches
               -Press conference
         -Difference between Graham and Nixon operations
         -Speeches
               -William L. Safire role
                     -Newsweek
                           -Periscope
               -Moore role
                     -President’s notes
               -Breakfast remarks

    Public relations
         -Phone call story
                -Moore
         -Graham
                -Need for contact
                     -Kissinger
                     -John N. Mitchell
                     -Connally
                     -George W. Romney
                     -John A. Volpe


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
[Personal Returnable]
                                              18

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                              Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


[Duration: 54s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13

******************************************************************************


               -Connally
                     -Tenure
          -Haldeman staff use
               -Patrick J. Buchanan
               -Harry S. Dent
               -PRC trip
          -News summary
               -Tone
               -Kissinger
               -New York Times
               -Washington Post
               -CBS
               -Use
                     -Source of information
          -Jews


**************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 17
[Privacy]
[Duration: 3s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 17

**************************************************************************


               -Media
                   -Earlier protestor [Carol Feraci]
                         -Cynicism
                                             19

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 662-4 (cont.)


Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:23 am.

     President’s schedule
          -Astronaut visit
          -Certificate

Bull and Haldeman left at 11:37 am.