Conversation: 664-006
Prev: 664-005 Next: 664-007Start Date: 2-Feb-1972 9:15 AM
End Date: 2-Feb-1972 10:05 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)];Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:19:57
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:08:56
NARA Description:
On February 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:15 am to 10:05 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 664-006 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 664-6
Date: February 2, 1972
Time: 9:15 am - 10:05 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
-Press relations
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
-Possible invitation
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 664-6 (cont.)
-Effectiveness
-PRC press
-Risks and advantages
-James Birch Society
-Conservatives
-Holmes Alexander
-Chinese
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Buckley
-Communism
-Dress
-Kissinger’s inexperience
-Kissinger’s approach to negotiations
-Chou En-lai
-PRC
-Advance team
-Regimentation of PRC children
-Mao Tse-tung
-View of other visitors
-Yugoslavia
-Romania
-Dress
-Uniforms
-Mao Tse-tung
-Buckley
-Taiwan, Republic of China
-Communiqué
-Kissinger’s impressions
[Funeral of Gregory P. Foster and Rocco Laurie]
-Presidential representative
The President’s schedule
-Press relations
-Robert B. Semple, Jr. article
-Richard A. Moore
-Reporting of the President’s activities on February 1, 1972
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Quality
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-Boy Scouts
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 664-6 (cont.)
-Astronauts
-Football players
-Ziegler
-John B. Connally
-Symbolism
-Liberals
-Possible perception
-Graham
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Boy Scouts
-Astronauts
-University of Nebraska football team
-Republican governors
-Time spent on meetings
-Value
-Typicalness of day
-Prayer breakfast, February 1, 1972
-Content of television and written reports
-Audience reaction
-Public impression
-Amount of time
-Effectiveness
-Connally
-Previous discussions with the President
-Television
-Newspaper
-Content
-Coverage of White House functions
-[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson exhibit
-Smithsonian
-Robert Pierpont coverage
-Ziegler
-Mystique
-Manufacture
-Edith Efron theme
-Governors’ dinner
-Comments
-Nelson Rockefeller
-William G. Milliken
-Linwood Holton
-Integration
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 664-6 (cont.)
-Milliken
-Rockefeller
-The President’s Vietnam peace proposal
-Contact with the President
-Drawbacks
-General feeling
-Benefits
-Reelection
-Businessmen’s dinner
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Connally’s previous discussion
-Speaker comments
-Dwight D. Eisenhower stag dinner
-Donald McI. Kendall
-Maurice H. Stans
-Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
-Value
-President’s opinion
-Businessmen
-Political views
-1968 support
-President’s section
-Business Council
-Lack of support for the President
-Unknown person
-Attendance
-Stacking of guests
-Mike Cole
-President’s role
-Speakers
-Drawbacks
-Possible avoidance of speeches
-Question and answer format
-Control of situation
-Types of questions
-PRC trip, wage and price controls, deficits
-Connally
-Drawbacks
-Benefits of question and answer format
-Control
-Questions for President
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 664-6 (cont.)
-Perception of businessmen
-Use of time
-Receiving line
-Proposed role of the President
-Availability of President
-Haldeman’s view
Weather
-Possible photographs
-Peking
PRC trip
-Technical preparations
-Communications
Press relations
-New York Times article
-Policemen shot
-Credibility of administration
-News summary
-Wall Street Journal
-The President’s Vietnam peace proposal speech, January 25, 1972
-View of staff
-President’s opinion
-Credibility
-Peace initiative
-Support for Administration
-Comparisons to the Lyndon B. Johnson Administration
-Press concerns
Ziegler entered at 9:44 am.
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 664-6 (cont.)
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 34s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
******************************************************************************
President’s schedule
-Pearl M. Bailey visit
-Press room visit
-Benefits
-Heart of the Year Award
Welfare reform
-Reagan role
-Historical position
Legal services
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew role
-Camden, New Jersey
-Fred Speaker’s role
-Former Attorney General of Pennsylvania
-Set back for Agnew
-Leaving legal service
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Affront to Agnew
-Speaker
-Reaction
-Ehrlichman’s previous conversation with Ziegler
-Speaker and legal services
-Agnew’s view
-Possible speech with Agnew
-Speaker
-Agnew’s request
Ireland
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 664-6 (cont.)
-Violence
-Question from press, January 31, 1972
-Ziegler answer
-Effect
-State Department comment
-Timing
Henry A. Kissinger entered at 9:50 am.
Ziegler left at 9:50 am.
William P. Rogers
-Meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Memorandum from Rogers
-Content
-President’s upcoming trip to the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics [USSR]
-Kissinger’s memorandum of conversation
-Kissinger’s concern
-Possible talking points
-Middle East problems
-Dobrynin’s positions
-Joseph J. Sisco
-Leonid I. Brezhnev letter
-Copy
-Spirit of agreement
-Timing
-Alexander P. Haig, Jr.
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Memorandum from President to Rogers
-President’s concerns
-European Security Conference
-President’s position
-Middle East
-Yitzhak Rabin meetings
-Meeting with Gunnar Jarring
-United Nations [UN]
-Meeting with Moshe Dayan
-Dobrynin request
-Egyptians
-Sisco
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 664-6 (cont.)
-Rogers
-Haldeman’s previous conversation with
Rogers
-Tie to President’s reelection
-Moscow visit
-Israel
-Need for no contradictions
-President’s instructions
-Dobrynin
-Joseph M. Luns
-Trade
-European security
-Possible hardline
-Middle East
-Moscow summit
-Results
-Peking and Moscow
-Assessment
-Talking points
-Wording of Rogers memorandum
-Moscow summit
-State Department
-Briefing of the President
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Papers
The President’s schedule
-Andre Malraux
-Kissinger’s previous conversation with an unknown person
Rogers
-Message
Personnel management
-Peter G. Peterson
-Connally
-Testimony on trade
-Milton Viorst article
-Connally
-Azores
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 664-6 (cont.)
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 9:50 pm.
The President’s schedule
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 10:05 pm.
Personnel management
-Peterson
-Memoranda
-Connally
-Party
-Kissinger
-Publicity of news story
-Peter M. Flanigan
-President’s instructions
-Stans
-East-West trade
-Public relations
-Commerce Department
Public relations
-Vietnam
-Wall Street Journal article and editorials
-News summary
-Background of criticism
-Support for the President’s policy
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Unknown person
-Line
-Vietnam strategy
-College student calls
-Haldeman’s children
-University of Minnesota
-University of Los Angeles [UCLA]
-President’s speech, January 25, 1972
-Reaction of students and professors
-Kissinger
-Andrei A. Gromyko role
-Previous visit to the White House
-Hanoi actions
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 664-6 (cont.)
President’s schedule
-Unknown person
-John W. McCormack
-Location
Haldeman and Kissinger left at 10:05 am.