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Conversation: 714-014

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Start Date: 20-Apr-1972 12:30 PM

End Date: 20-Apr-1972 1:07 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Sanchez, ManoloWoods, Rose MaryWhite House operatorCox, Tricia Nixon

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:18:30

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:55:10

714a.mp3

714b.mp3

714c.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Manolo Sanchez, Rose Mary Woods, White House operator, and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:30 pm to 1:07 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 714-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 714-14

Date: April 20, 1972
Time: 12:30 pm - 1:07 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

     Haig’s physical condition

     Message for Henry A. Kissinger
         -Receipt
         -Reply

     Kissinger’s trip to Moscow
          -Possible results
                -Summit
          -The President’s memorandum to Kissinger
          -Problems
                -Purpose
                       -Kissinger’s discussion with Haig
                            -Nguyen Van Thieu
                                              36

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 7/07)



                           -Plenary session
                                -Date
          -Vietnam
               -Soviet participation in settlement
          -Secret meeting
               -Date
          -Announcement
               -De-escalation of bombing
                     -Hanoi area

     Vietnam
          -Bombing of North Vietnam
               -B-52s
               -Fighter-bombers
               -B-52s
                     -Targets
                           -Supply
                                  -Petroleum, Oil, Lubricants [POL]
                           -Surveillance
                     -Start of raids
                           -Frequency
               -Intensity
                     -Weather
          -South Vietnam
               -Southern I Corps and II Corps
                     -Binhdinh Province
               -Hue
               -Area of Vietminh strength
                     -Binhdinh Province

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:30 pm.

     Refreshment

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:56 pm.

     Vietnam
          -South Vietnam
               -Area of North Vietnamese-Viet Cong strength
               -Area of fighting
          -North Vietnam
               -Number of troops in South Vietnam
          -South Vietnam
                                 37

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 7/07)



     -Republic of Korea operations
           -Current fighting
                 -Route 19
                       -Ankhe Pass
                 -Casualties
     -III Corps
     -An Loc
           -Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] battalion
     -North Vietnamese attacks
           -Dou Tien [sp?]
-North Vietnamese offensive
     -Duration
     -South Vietnamese performance
           -21st Division
                 -Commander, Brig. Gen. Nguyen Van Minh
     -An Loc
           -ARVN battalion
                 -Casualties
           -North Vietnamese casualties
                 -Air sorties
                       -B-52 strikes
     -Morale of North Vietnam
     -Tanks
           -Destruction
     -South Vietnamese success
     -Air sorties
           -B-52s
           -Number
           -Gunships
           -South Vietnam
                 -Performance
                 -Losses
                 -Impact on morale
     -Guerrilla action
           -I Corps
     -Ultimate result
     -Press reports
           -Editorials in Washington Star
                 -Smith Hempstone, Jr.
           -Vice President's Spiro T. Agnew’s speech
                 -Language
-Unknown army Lieutenant Colonel
     -Criticism of press
                                38

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                         Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. 7/07)



            -The President's commendation
-Press
      -Treatment
-Agnew’s criticisms in speech
      -J. William Fulbright
            -References to Ho Chi Minh
      -Congress
      -Presidential candidates
            -Edmund S. Muskie, Edward M. Kennedy and Hubert H. Humphrey
                  -Past statements
      -Democratic caucus
            -Resolution
      -Publicity
-Battle reports
      -Misinterpretation
      -Fire bases
      -Observation posts [OPs]
            -Mission
-North Vietnamese offensive
-An Loc
      -Holding
            -Necessity
                  -Bombing
                  -Compared to Verdun
                  -Thieu
-Losses
      -II Corps
            -Towns
            -Retention
                  -Kontum
-North Vietnamese offensive
      -South Vietnamese retreats
            -Resistance
            -Problems
            -Soviets in World War II
            -Germans in World War I against Russians
      -I Corps
            -1st Division commander
                  -Damage to North Vietnam
                        -Casualties
                              -Fire Base Bastogne
      -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
      -Air strikes
                                  39

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. 7/07)



          -Value
                -Psychology
                      -Kissinger in Moscow
                -North Vietnamese supplies
     -Purpose
          -Destruction of pacification and Vietnamization
-Soviets
     -Possible role
     -Pressure on North Vietnam
          -Trade-off
          -Bombing halt
          -Prisoners of war [POW] exchange
          -Effect on 1972 election
-North Vietnamese offensive
     -Blockade
          -Timing
                -1972 election
          -POWs
          -Effectiveness
                -Studies
                      -Circumvention
                           -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                           -Soviets
          -Benefits
     -Counterattacks
          -Effects on North Vietnamese morale
                -Wounded veterans
                -Social problems
                -POW testimony
                -Loss of young men
                -Desertions
                -Lack of training
-Bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong
     -Effect on North Vietnamese morale
          -Effectiveness
                -Compared with 1968 strikes
                      -Bombing halt
                      -Techniques
                      -Target selection
                           -Robert S. McNamara
                           -Restraints
          -B-52s
                -Impact on ground troops
                                             40

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 7/07)



                           -Warning
                -Resolution of House Democrats

     The President's return call

     William P. Rogers
          -Conversation with Haig

Rose Mary Woods entered at 12:56 pm.

                -Rogers's trip to Camp David
                     -Problems
                     -John D. Ehrlichman
                     -H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                     -Kissinger

Haig left at 12:57 pm.

     The President's schedule
          -American Society of Newspaper Editors [ASNE] reception
               -Duration


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m 23s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


     The President’s schedule
          -Tricia Nixon Cox
                -Woods's call

Woods talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:57 and 1:07 pm.

     [Conversation No. 714-14A]
                                             41

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 7/07)




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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 55s ]


[See Conversation No. 23-50; one items has been withdrawn from the conversation.]

Woods conferred with the President.

Woods talked with Tricia Nixon Cox.

[End of telephone conversation]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


     The President's schedule
          -Camp David
               -Helicopter
                      -Time

     Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
          -Woods's call
               -Woods's presence at Camp David

Woods left at 1:07 pm.