Conversation No. 778-21

Date: September 15, 1972
Time: 11:50 am - 12:13 pm
Location: Oval Office


The President met with Patrick E. Carr, Cooper T. Holt, and William F. Rhatican.

[The White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.]

          Greeting

          Presentation to the President of porcelain eagle
             -New Orleans
                                     25

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. Oct-06)


Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW] Dinner

Telephone call from the President
   -The President's schedule
   -California

Holt's experience
   -1956

Vietnam War
   -VFW support for administration policies
        -Press coverage
   -VFW Support of the President
   -Mining of Haiphong harbor
   -Military progress
        -US casualties
        -Quang Tri
            -North Vietnamese
   -Prisoners of war [POWs]
        -Demand for return
        -US peace proposals
            -The President's position
   -Bombing
   -Mining
   -Return of POWs
   -Importance of 1972 election
        -Effect on negotiations
        -The President's policies
   -Return of Marine POWs
        -Korean POWs
        -Adm. John S. McCain, Jr.'s son
   -US position in war
        -Support of POW families
            -North Vietnamese position
        -Return of prisoners
        -Negotiating stance
            -Presidential evaluation

Foreign policy
   -Henry A. Kissinger's trip to Paris
                                     26

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                            Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. Oct-06)

   -Negotiations
       -The President's re-election
           -Effect on President's policies

Vietnam War
   -North Vietnam
       -Military position
            -US domestic conditions
       -Bombing
   -The President's May 8, 1972 speech
       -Hue
       -Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN]
   -North Vietnamese shortages
       -Food
       -Medical supplies
       -Ammunition
   -Effectiveness of blockade
       -British blockade of World War I
       -Civil War
       -Economic effects
   -German World War II POWs
   -Herbert R. Rainwater
   -POWs' situation
       -Effect on North Vietnamese
       -Administration policy
   -Administration policy
       -Bombing
       -Negotiations
   -North Vietnam
       -Bargaining position
            -Effect of Presidential election
       -Military strategies
            -World War II
                 -German cities
            -Combat casualties
            -South Vietnamese
   -US public opinion
       -Support for the President
            -Bombing
            -Mining
            -Decisive actions
                                   27

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. Oct-06)

            -Negotiations
                -The President's policy
       -Possibility of war
            -Press view
                -Soviet Union
                -World War III
                -Cambodia
                -The People's Republic of China [PRC]
                -Moscow summit
       -Troop support of the President
            -The President's May 8, 1972 decision
                -Carr's visit to Vietnam
   -North Vietnamese
       -Soviet tanks
       -Oil
       -Pipeline to replace barges
       -Effect on negotiations
            -Nationalism
            -Indochina peninsula
            -North Vietnam

North Vietnam
   -Scope of war
       -Cambodia
       -Laos
       -Thailand

Support of VFW
   -Support for mining Haiphong harbor
   -Support of the President in election
   -George S. McGovern and Frank F. Mankiewicz
       -Carr's speech
       -Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
   -VFW convention
       -Minneapolis
       -McGovern
            -Amnesty

Amnesty issue
  -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
  -McGovern
                                             28

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Oct-06)

                 -Advocacy of amnesty
                 -Compared to Abraham Lincoln
                 -Lincoln's strategy
                      -Proclamation of amnesty
                      -Union deserters
                           -Prison term
                           -Carl Sandburg
             -The President's stand
                 -Penalty
                 -Peace Corps
                 -Deserters compared to combat troops
                      -Canada
                 -Ramifications for future
             -Effects of granting amnesty
                 -Volunteer forces
                 -Future wars
                      -Cuba
                      -Canada
                 -Reaction of draftees

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration:    1m 19s  ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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         VFW support for the President

         The President's possible visit to VFW convention
            -New Orleans

         Presentation of gifts
            -Presidential cuff links

Carr, Holt and Rhatican left at 12:13 pm.
                                               29

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Oct-06)