Conversation: 726-004
Prev:  726-003 Next: 726-005Start Date: 19-May-1972 11:45 AM
End Date: 19-May-1972 12:19 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); [Unknown person(s)]; Kissinger, Henry A.; Ziegler, Ronald L.; Ehrlichman, John D.; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:16:13
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:50:12
NARA Description:
On May 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Henry A. Kissinger, Ronald L. Ziegler, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:45 am to 12:19 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 726-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 726-4 21 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-2 (cont.) Date: May 19, 1972 Time: 11:45 am- 12:19 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with Stephen B. Bull and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. President's schedule -3 o'clock meeting -Meeting with Robert C. Byrd -Black lung bill -John D. Ehrlichman -Meeting with George P. Shultz -Meeting with Ehrlichman -Plans -President's absence Bull left at an unknown time before 11:46 am. -Meeting with Shultz -Morale -Personnel -Following John B. Connally’s policies -Amount of time Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 11:46 am. -Length of meeting -Time -Shultz -Time -Ehrlichman -Time -Shultz -Time -Ehrlichman -Meeting on Capitol Hill -Time -Briefing books -Number -Henry A. Kissinger -Shultz -Meeting with President -Time allotted 22 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-4 (cont.) -Appointments Soviet Summit -Robert J. McCloskey call -Briefing -William P. Rogers -Call -Appearance at McCloskey's briefing -Purpose -President's press conference -Time -Rogers's briefing -The President’s view -Kissinger -Talking points -McCloskey -Bilateral discussions -Effect on President's press conference -Purpose -Kissinger briefing -Austria -Date -Content -President's press conference -McCloskey call to Ziegler -Rogers's call to Ziegler -Ziegler's response -Ehrlichman -Shultz -Rogers's press briefing -Ziegler's response -President's press conference An unknown woman entered at an unknown time after 11:46 am. Kissinger -Meeting with President -Location The unknown woman left at an unknown time before 11:55 am. Soviet Summit -Rogers's press briefing 23 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-4 (cont.) -Advantages -Adele (Langston) Rogers -Presence in Poland -Rogers -Visit to Vladimir Lenin's tomb -Described -Knowledge -President's press conference -Press coverage -Rogers's press conference -Press coverage President's visits to George C. Wallace -Press coverage Rogers -The President’s view President's press conference -Purpose Kissinger -Meeting with President -Rogers -Briefing in Austria Soviet Summit -Rogers -Absence -President's press conference -Scope -Briefings by Rogers, Peter G. Peterson, and Earl L. Butz -Rogers -Plenary sessions -Meeting with Leonid I. Brezhnev -Meeting with Andrei A. Gromyko -The President’s view -Vietnam blockade position -Briefings -Science Kissinger -Meeting with President 24 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-4 (cont.) -An unknown woman -Length of meeting Haldeman talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 11:46 am and 11:55 am. [Conversation No. 726-4A] Meeting with President -Location [End of telephone conversation] Soviet Summit -McCloskey -Rogers -Call from Ziegler -Press conference Kissinger entered at 11:55 am. -Calls from Rogers and McCloskey -Reasons -Kissinger briefing in Salzburg -President's press conference -Conflict with Rogers -Rogers's press conference -Reasons -Marvin L. Kalb report -Rebuttal -State Department compared with the White House -Rebuttal -Rogers -Position in National Security Council [NSC] -Talk with Connally -President's press conference -The President’s decision -Relation to Rogers's press briefing -Time -Possible attendees -Rogers -Staff members -Purpose -Attendees 25 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-4 (cont.) -Rogers -Kissinger -White House staff -Kissinger -William L. Safire -Herbert G. Klein -Press office staff Ziegler -Call to Rogers -President's press conference Kissinger -Background briefing in Salzburg President's attitude -Priorities -Conflicts Ziegler left at 11:58 am. Vietnam -Spiro T. Agnew's comments -Target limitations -President's response -Air strikes -Limits -Melvin R. Laird -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. -Abrams -Future as Chief of Staff -Reasons -President's orders -Kissinger’s view -Psychological campaign -Laird's amendments -[David] Kenneth Rush -Laird-Abrams telephone call -President's orders -Air Force comments to Agnew -Call to Adm. John S. McCain, Jr. -President's response to Air Force's work -Rush 26 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-4 (cont.) -Possible call from Haldeman concerning Laird -Soviet trip Kissinger's schedule -A meeting -Postponement -Meeting on Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson Adm. Thomad H. Moorer SALT -Described -Conditions -Gerard C. Smith -Hawks' position -Soviet demand -Weapons freeze Ehrlichman entered at 12:00 pm. Vietnam -Air action -President's orders -Complaints to Agnew -Agnew's position -Additional action in North Vietnam -Propaganda -Failure -Richard M. Helms -Replacement -The President’s view Ziegler entered at 12:01 pm. Soviet Summit -Rogers -An announcement -President's press conference -Clark M. Clifford -Rogers's press briefing President's schedule 27 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-4 (cont.) -Meetings with Ehrlichman and Shultz Soviet Summit -Ziegler's statement to Rogers -Plans -President's press conference -Rogers's press conference -Plans -Statements -President's press conference -Time -Rogers's press conference -Call from Haldeman -Problems -Problems -Vietnam -Impression -President's press conference -Handling -Roger's press conference -Impression -Haldeman call -Ziegler call -Time -Soviet Summit Ziegler left at 12:04 pm. Vietnam -Psychological warfare -Delay -Duration -Timing -Soviet Summit -Leaflets -Hanoi -Other forms of propaganda -Past performance -Kissinger's understanding -Air strikes -Agnew's report on Abrams 28 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-4 (cont.) President's schedule -Briefing books -Last book -Locations -Meeting with George P. Shultz -Authority Vietnam -Psychological warfare -Leaflet drops -Locations -News story -Rebuttal Haldeman and Kissinger left at 12:05 pm. Black lung legislation -President's signing -Cost -Administrative concerns -Robert C. Byrd's suggestion -President's veto -Political damage -Arch A. Moore -Pennsylvania -Ohio -Illinois -Congress -Override -Byrd -Senate and House support - of bill -Support for President -Effect on President's reelection chances -Meeting with President -Time -News story -Date of release -Moore 29 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-4 (cont.) -Moore -President's veto -Call from Ehrlichman -Byrd Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] report -Wallace shooting -Arthur H. Bremer -The President’s view -Political affiliations -Wallace support -Diary -Transcription for President -Mental state -Wallace, McGovern -Motives -Publicity -Money -Political affiliation -Wallace, McGovern Wallace -Meeting with President -Physical condition -Morale -President's visit -Physical condition -Analysis -Effect on Wallace Busing -Ehrlichman's briefing -Constitutional amendment -The President’s memeorandum -Congressional conference report -Congressional action -Time -President response -Legislation -Time -Richard M. Scammon's surveys -Domestic Council -Edwin L. Harper, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Leonard Garment 30 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-4 (cont.) -The President’s view -Political sensitivities -President's position -Freedom of choices -Use of term -Housing, schools -Connotations -Dual school system -Ehrlichman's trip to Michigan -Quote on President's position ********************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4 [Personal Returnable] [Duration: 1m 13s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4 ********************************************************************** -Conference report -New York Times support -President's veto -The President’s view Welfare reform -Elliot L. Richardson -Memorandum to President -Compromise with Abraham A. Ribicoff -President's orders -Ehrlichman's memorandum to Richardson and James D. Hodgson Rebuttal memorandum -President's initials 31 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-4 (cont.) Budget -President's position -House Resolution [HR]1 -Ehrlichman memorandum -President's signature -Effect Shultz -Confirmation -Timing with Richard G. Kleindienst's confirmation -Reason -Order of confirmation -Clark MacGregor Kleindienst -Confirmation -Timing -Swearing-in -Notary public clerk -Shultz -President's role Shultz -President's view -Swearing-in -President's role Revenue sharing -Bill in House of Representatives -Celebration -Connally, Ehrlichman's position -Statement Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT] -Caspar W. Weinberger plan -Political considerations -Funds cutoff -Contracts with agencies -Termination -Method -Rationalization -Method -Possible complaints 32 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-4 (cont.) -Vietnam Gun control -Effect of Wallace shooting -Need for action -"Saturday night specials" -Bremer -Gun control laws in Maryland -Laws -Impact on citizen -Ehrlichman’s view -Impact on criminals -Senate bills -Birch E. Bayh, Jr. Roman L. Hruska -Administration’s position -Press office -Ehrlichman speech -Philadelphia -Impact on citizen -Administration position -Press coverage Soviet trip -Ehrlichman's best wishes -Meeting with Ehrlichman Ehrlichman left at 12:19 pm.