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Conversation: 691-007

Prev:  691-006 Next: 691-008

Start Date: 21-Mar-1972 5:48 PM

End Date: 21-Mar-1972 7:00 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Shafer, Raymond P.Ehrlichman, John D.Krogh, Egil ("Bud"), Jr.[Unknown person(s)]White House photographerBull, Stephen B.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:32:36

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:46:00

691a.mp3

691b.mp3

NARA Description:

On March 21, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Raymond P. Shafer, John D. Ehrlichman, Egil ("Bud") Krogh, Jr., unknown person(s), White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:48 pm to 7:00 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 691-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 691-7

Date: March 21, 1972
Time: 5:48 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Raymond P. Shafer, John D. Ehrlichman and Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.

     Greetings

     The President’s schedule
          -Arms control
          -[Nihat Erim, Manea Manescu]

     Shafer’s report
          -Vietnam
          -Copies
          -Marijuana

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 5:48 pm.
                                               14

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                        Conv. No. 691-7 (cont.)

     Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 6:21 pm.

     Marijuana
          -Schools of thought
                -Users and non-users of marijuana
                      -Objectivity
          -President’s Commission on Marijuana report
                -Research
                -Harold E. Hughes
                -Jacob K. Javits
                -Tim Lee Carter
                -Paul G. Rogers
                -Mitchell Ware

The White House photographer entered and left at an unknown time after 5:48 pm.

              -Legalization
              -Discouragement policy
                    -Youth
              -Differences from other drugs
                    -Heroin
                    -Cocaine
                    -Amphetamines
                    -Barbituates
                    -Hallucinogens
                    -Volatile solvents
              -Symbolism
              -User
                    -Education and discouragement
                          -Responsibility
                                -Family
                                -Church
                                -Medical profession
                                -Police
                                      -Efforts to arrest drug dealers
          -Commission news conference
              -Commission's report presented to the President
                    -The President’s approval
                    -Ehrlichman
                    -Dr. Jerome H. Jaffe
                                 15

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. 10/06)
                                                          Conv. No. 691-7 (cont.)

-Members of the Commission
     -Dr. Dana L. Farnsworth
     -Maurice H. Seevers
           -Southern Methodist University [SMU]
     -Charles O. Galvin
     -John A. Howard
           -Rockford College
     -Congressional members
           -Javits
           -Hughes
-Legalization
     -Alcohol model
-Shafer’s public statements
     -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Penalties
-Decriminalization of possession
-Supply
-Children
     -Arrest and prosecution
-Penalties
     -Spain and Greece
           -Family and Church
     -India
     -Morocco
           -Hashish
-Press
-Legalization
     -Shafer’s previous appearance on CBS
           -Comparison to Prohibition
                 -Decriminalization of possession
-Commission report
     -Javits
     -Ware
     -Howard
     -John F. Cooney
     -Legalization
     -Proposals
           -Review
           -Scientific studies
                 -Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
                 -American Bar Association [ABA]
                 -American Medical Association [AMA]
                                                 16

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 691-7 (cont.)

                           -Potential harm
               -Penalties for drug dealers
               -Heroin
                     -Physical addiction
                     -Compared to marijuana
                           -1937 statute
                                 -Myths
                           -Youth
                           -Jerry Rubin
                                 -Crime
                                       -Myth
               -Shafer’s view
               -Private personal possession
               -Public
                     -Criminal act
               -Influence of marijuana
                     -Compared to alcohol
          -Effect on nation
          -Youth
               -Experience
          -Compared to hashish
               -India and Malaysia
                     -Cooking
                           -Marijuana
          -Forthcoming press conference
               -Shafer
                     -Opposition to legalization of marijuana
                     -Commission report
                           -The President

Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:48 pm.

     The President's schedule

Bull left at an unknown time before 6:21 pm.

     Marijuana
          -Press conference
               -Commission report
                     -Legalization of marijuana
                     -Recommendations
                     -The President’s position
                                                 17

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 691-7 (cont.)

                    -Submission of report
          -Democratic presidential candidates
              -George S. McGovern
              -Edmund S. Muskie
              -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
              -George C. Wallace
              -John V. Lindsay
              -McGovern
              -Humphrey
                    -Busing issue
                          -Change in position
                    -Muskie
                    -Segregation
                    -Elderly


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 9m 6s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


     Presidential gifts
          -Paperweight

     Soviet trip

     Shafer's
          -Forthcoming talk with Ehrlichman
          -Future meeting with the President

     Marijuana Commission
          -Report
               -The President's endorsement

Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:48 pm.
                                                18

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                          Tape Subject Log
                                            (rev. 10/06)
                                                                         Conv. No. 691-7 (cont.)



     Shafer’s schedule
          -Secretary

Shafer, Krogh and Bull left at 6:21 pm.

     International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
           -Document
                -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
                      -J. Edgar Hoover
                      -Examination
                      -ITT experts
                      -The President's forthcoming talk with Hoover
                      -Ehrlichman's forthcoming call to Hoover
                            -Cooperation
                            -Ehrlichman's possible meeting with Hoover
                            -Examination of ITT document
                                  -ITT experts
                                        -Possession of the FBI
                                             -L. Patrick Gray, III
                            -The President's note to Hoover
                            -Use of telephone
                            -Jack N. Anderson

     Shafer [?]

     The President’s schedule
          -[Erim]

     [No conversation]

     Dorothy Kirsten
          -State Dinners
                -Dwight D. Eisenhower

     [No conversation]

     The President's schedule
          -Church services [?]
                                             19

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)
                                                              Conv. No. 691-7 (cont.)

    State dinner
          -Guest lists

    [No conversation]

    World War I
        -Turkey
             -Gallippoli
                   -Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
                   -Winston S. Churchill
                   -Allies
                         -Erim's statement

    Shafer Commission
         -Report
              -Ehrlichman’s view
                    -Carter
                    -Howard
              -Legalization of the use of marijuana
                    -Public compared to private use
                    -Ehrlichman and Krogh
                          -Shafer
              -The President's forthcoming press conference
              -Legalization issue
                    -Youth
                          -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Privacy]
[Duration: 2s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

**********************************************************************
                                       20

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 691-7 (cont.)

                     -Ehrlichman's children
          -Use of marijuana
               -Ehrlichman's speech before the Harvard Club
                     -Question from youth
                           -Legalization
                                -The President
                                -Drug users compared to non users
                                -Applause
               -Compared to alcohol
                     -The President
                           -The People's Republic of China [PRC]
                     -Happy compared to unhappy people
                     -Addiction
                           -Cure
          -Legalization issue
               -Jaffe
               -Krogh
               -Jaffe
                     -ABA
                           -Edward Bennett Williams
                                -Heroin maintenance
                     -Krogh
                           -Talk with Ehrlichman
               -The President
               -The report
                     -Evidence
                           -Scientific

Ehrlichman’s schedule

Busing
     -Humphrey's view
         -Change
         -The President's television address, March 16, 1972

Humphrey
    -Change in positions
         -Press reaction
         -Vietnam
         -War
         -Crime
         -Civil rights
                                        21

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                           Conv. No. 691-7 (cont.)

           -Welfare
                 -Florida
     -Plan for elderly Jews

The President's busing speech
     -Edward M. Kennedy's view
           -Staff
           -Equal educational opportunity
           -Blacks
                 -Liberals
                       -Compassion
     -The President's previous statement, March 24, 1970
     -Blacks
     -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
     -Minority businesses
     -Television
     -Children
     -Liberals
     -The President’s previous trip to New York City
           -Interaction with black government employees
     -James E. Cheek
           -President of Howard University
           -Letter to the President
     -As issue
     -Constitutionality
           -Congress
                 -Remedy compared to right
                       -Desegregation
                       -Legislation
     -Administration blacks
     -Efforts with editorial boards and television
           -Harry S. Dent
           -Edward L. Morgan
           -Kenneth W. Clawson
           -South
           -Texas
     -News summary
           -Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin
     -South
           -Opposition
     -Denver
     -Indianapolis
                                          22

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 10/06)
                                                                   Conv. No. 691-7 (cont.)

      -Intervention by the Justice Department
            -Richard G. Kleindienst
                  -Talk with Ehrlichman
                       -Michigan
                       -Nashville
                       -Texas
                              -Morgan
                                    -Justice Department position
      -Legislation
            -Moratorium
                  -Conference committee
            -Constitutional amendment
                  -Strom Thurmond
                  -Possibility of passage

ITT
      -J. Edgar Hoover
      -Talk with Ehrlichman
            -Anderson
      -Document (Dita D. Beard memorandum)
            -Gray
                  -James O. Eastland
                  -Tests conducted in New York
                       -Questioning
                  -Colson
                  -Decision
                  -Public statement
            -FBI experts
            -White House strategy
      -Hearings
            -Beard testimony
            -Denver
            -Eastland
                  -Edward .M. Kennedy's witnesses
            -Mike J. Mansfield
      -Beard memorandum
            -Authenticity
      -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew comments
            -Life magazine story
                  -Press coverage
                  -Kleindienst comments
                       -Justice Department
                                               23

                              NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/06)
                                                                   Conv. No. 691-7 (cont.)

                                  -Clifford Irving
                                  -Look magazine
           -Life magazine
           -Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
           -Postal subsidy
                 -Life magazine
                 -Peter M. Flanigan's views
                 -Esquire

     Pay Board
          -George Meany
          -George P. Shultz
               -Meany
                     -Democrat
               -Public members
               -Meany's resignation
                     -Effect on Phase II
          -Food prices
          -Longshoremen strike
          -Labor representatives
          -Wage and price controls
               -The President’s August 15, 1971 statement
          -Economy
          -Food prices
               -Consumer Price Index [CPI]
               -Dock strike
                     -Duration
                     -Effect on economy
                     -Congress
                          -Legislation
                          -Herbert Stein

     The President’s forthcoming state dinner for Erim

Ehrlichman left at 7:00 pm.
                                             24

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)