Easy NixonAbout

Conversation: 804-001

Prev:  803-022 Next: 804-002

Start Date: 18-Oct-1972 3:21 PM

End Date: 18-Oct-1972 5:43 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Butterfield, Alexander P.Ehrlichman, John D.Bull, Stephen B.Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Woods, Rose Mary[Unknown person(s)]Haig, Alexander M., Jr.White House operatorTimmons, William E.

Recording Device: Oval Office

804-001a.mp3

804-001b.mp3

NARA Description:

On October 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Alexander P. Butterfield, John D. Ehrlichman, Stephen B. Bull, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Rose Mary Woods, unknown person(s), Alexander M. Haig, Jr., White House operator, and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:21 pm to 5:43 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 804-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 803-22/804-1

Date: October 18, 1972
Time: Unknown between 3:23 pm and 5:43 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. This recording began at an unknown time
while the conversation was in progress.

[An unknown portion of this conversation was not recorded while the tape was changed.]

        Vietnam negotiations
            -Nguyen Van Thieu
                -The President’s view

        The President's schedule
            -Camp David
                -Ronald L. Ziegler
                     -Radio talks
                -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
                     -Radio talks
                -John D. Ehrlichman
                     -Work on legislative backlog
                          -Photograph session
                -Timing of October 19, 1972 scheduled departure
            -Radio talks
                -[Philosophy of Government] October 21, 1972
                -Time
                     -Repeat cycle
                -Veterans speech on October 22, 1972
                     -Timing of broadcast
                          -Church service
                          -West
                              -Live audience
                          -News coverage
            -Veterans Day
                -Arlington National Cemetery
                -New York

        Vietnam
                                             2
                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Nov-03)


           -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                -Recent National League of Families meeting
                    -Carol Hanson's endorsement of the President
                         -The President's policy on the return of POWs
                         -Statement regarding George S. McGovern's
                          Vietnam policy


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 19s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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


       The President's schedule
           -News value
               -October 17, 1972
               -Charles W. Colson
               -Cabinet, Cost of Living Council [COLC]
               -Labor leaders
               -Meeting with Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger, George P. Shultz,
               -Herbert Stein
                    -Budget cuts
                         -Spending ceiling legislation
                             -Ehrlichman
                         -Ehrlichman
                             -Judgement
                                 -Colson, Weinberger
                             -Timing of announcements during 1972 campaign
                             period
                                 -Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
                                      -School lunch programs
                                 -Transportation department
                                      -Washington Metro construction
                                 -Impact
                                               3
                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Nov-03)


             -Veterans issues
                 -Bill signing ceremony
                      -John M. O'Neill veterans group
                           -Young labor group
                               -Television [TV] coverage
                           -POW event
             -Press conference
                 -Colson
                 -Frequency
                 -Issues
                      -Watergate
                      -Vietnam
                      -Sarah McClendon, Clark R. Mollenhoff
             -Colson’s meeting recommendations
                 -Elliot L. Richardson, James D. Hodgson, Ehrlichman,
                  Daniel P. (“Pat’) Moynihan, Congressional leaders
                      -Welfare reform
                           -Family Assistance Program [FAP]
                           -Employment
                           -Press briefing
                               -Questions
                                    -1972 election
                               -Announcement
                 -Defense budget
                 -Church attendance in Annapolis, Maryland
                      -US Naval Academy
                 -Price Commission
                      -Donald H. Rumsfeld
                      -Pay Board
             -Church attendance
                 -Gettysburg
                 -October 29, 1972
                 -Ohio
                 -October 22, 1972
                      -Radio speech timing
                           -1972 election
                 -West
                 -William F. (“Billy”) Graham

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 3:47 pm.
                                               4
                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Nov-03)


        Congressional schedule
           -Debt ceiling

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 3:58 pm.

             -Price commission
             -Budget meeting
                  -Weinberger
                  -Ehrlichman's role

        The President's schedule
            -Kentucky
                -Vietnam War
                     -Possible Settlement
                          -Timing
                              -Conversation with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                                   -Thieu
                                   -Henry A. Kissinger’s possible meeting with Le Duc Tho
                                   -Kissinger's Possible Itinerary
                                       -Vientiane, Saigon, Hanoi, Washington, DC
                              -Thieu


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 46s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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


        The President’s schedule

Haldeman talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 3:47 pm and 3:58 pm.

[Conversation No. 803-22/804-1A]

        Request for a meeting with Ehrlichman
                                               5
                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Nov-03)



[End of telephone conversation]

        The President’s schedule

The President left and Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:47 pm.

        The President’s schedule
            -Telephone

Bull left and The President entered at an unknown time after 3:58 pm.

        [Bonsai?] trees
            -Value
                -Haldeman’s possession

The President talked with an unknown person [Haig?] at an unknown time between 3:47 pm and
3:58 pm.

[Conversation No. 803-22/804-1D]

        Request for a meeting

[End of telephone conversation]

        [Bonsai?] trees
            -Value
                -Nellie L. Yates
                     -Trip [to Peoples Republic of China [PRC]?]
                     -Possible gift to the White House

Ehrlichman entered at 3:58 p.m.

        Memorandum
           -Arthur F. Burns
               -Rose Mary Woods

The President talked with Woods at an unknown time between 3:58 pm and 4:01 pm.

[Conversation No. 803-22/804-1B]
                                             6
                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Nov-03)


        Letter from Burns
            -Ehrlichman

[End of telephone conversation]

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 3:58 pm.

        Refreshment

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 4:01 pm.

        The President’s schedule
            -Budget meeting recommendation
                -Stein, Weinberger, Shultz, Ehrlichman
                     -Spending limit
                     -Briefing by Weinberger
                -Proposed cuts
                     -Pre-election period
                -Cabinet meeting
                -News value
                -Meeting at Camp David
                     -William E. Timmons
                     -New York

Woods entered at 4:01 pm.

        Memorandum from Burns
           -Weinberger’s draft

Haig entered and Woods left at 4:02 p.m.

        Foreign Relations
            -US-Soviet Union trade agreement
                -William P. Rogers’s view
                     -State Department
                          -Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT], Shanghai Communique,
                            Berlin agreement
                          -U. Alexis Johnson
            -Vietnam Negotiations
                -Possible settlement
                     -Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting with Thieu
                                              7
                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Nov-03)


                      -Political issues
                          -Coalition government in South Vietnam
                          -Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting with Thieu
                                -State Department
                                -Security issues
                                -North Vietnam
                                -POWs
                                -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
                  -Kissinger's schedule
                      -Thieu
                      -William H. Sullivan
                          -Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Bangkok
                      -Philip C. Habib
                          -Seoul
                                -Park Chung Hee
                                     -Thieu

Haig left at 4:08 p.m.

         The President's schedule
             -Camp David budget meeting
                 -Veto announcement
                 -Revenue sharing signing ceremony
                      -Shultz, Weinberger
                 -Transportation arrangements
                      -Helicopters
             -Philadelphia revenue sharing ceremony trip
                 -Press pool
                      -Ehrlichman
                 -Story
                      -Photograph opportunity
                      -Recent Senate vote override
             -New York
                 -Press relations
             -Legislation vetoes
                 -Announcement
                      -The President's role
                           -Colson
                           -Taxes
                           -Questions
                               -1972 election
                                 8
        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. Nov-03)


                   -Mollenhof
                   -McClendon
                   -Colson's perception
    -Radio statement
        -News value
        -Ehrlichman
-Veterans legislation
    -Colson
    -Arrangements for signing ceremony
        -Young veterans group
             -GI Bill
             -O’Neill
             -Labor group
             -Badges
    -Impact of event
    -New York
    -Photograph opportunity
    -Veterans issue
-Radio speech on education, October 25, 1972
    -Preparation
        -Schedule
             -Butterfield
-Radio speeches
    -Veterans, New Majority topics
        -William L. Safire
-Appalachian trip
    -Airport
        -Ashland, Kentucky
    -Release of statement by the President
        -Rural development, black lung
             -Accomplishments and proposals
    -Robert C. Byrd
        -McGovern
        -Kentucky, West Virginia
    -Auditorium
    -Louie R. Nunn
-New York speech
    -Theme
        -Goals for future
    -John B. Connally's foreign policy speech
        -Broadcast
                                  9
         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. Nov-03)


          -Tone
     -The President's goals for the future
          -[McGovern's] programs
          -World peace, prosperity
     -Press corps
          -Nelson A. Rockfeller’s home
     -Connally broadcast
          -Audience reaction
     -Tone
-Positive nature of the President's appearances
     -Kentucky and Appalachia
          -John Sherman Cooper
              -Support for the President
          -Lucy A. Winchester
     -Stump speeches
          -Press reaction
     -Audiences
          -Fund raising speeches
          -Reading a speech
              -Rallies
              -Radio
-Issues and events
     -Welfare programs meeting
          -Colson
          -Richardson
          -Moynihan
          -Congress
     -Price Commission
          -Rumsfeld briefing
              -Price increases
                   -Consumer Price Index [CPI]
                        -Timing of release
                             -Gross National Product [GNP]
     -Revenue sharing
     -Meeting with young voters for the President
          -Colson
          -East Room
     -Defense budget
          -Defense officials
              -Kissinger
              -Austerity effort in budget matters
                            10
    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                    Tape Subject Log
                      (rev. Nov-03)


        -Vietnam
-Trips
    -Kentucky
         -Film of Connally speech
              -New York
         -Statement on plans for the future
    -News value of events
         -Rallies
         -Georgia, Michigan, Texas remarks
         -New York
              -Fund raiser
         -California
              -Los Angeles
    -Public enthusiasm
         -Kentucky
              -Appalachia
         -Expression of views
              -Peace, world view, economy, goals for America
              -The President’s trip to Independence Hall
-Revenue sharing
    -Price's draft of speech
         -Length
         -Talking points
              -Substance, anecdote, theme
         -TV
         -George Washington on the Constitution
         -The President’s 1970 trip to Philadelphia
              -Philadelphia Orchestra
                   -John K. Andrews, Jr.
         -Winston S. Churchill quote
         -TV coverage
    -Effect of issue
         -General public
         -Mayors, officials
         -Stewart J.O. Alsop
         -Trust in localities compared to Washington, DC
-Water bill
    -Veto
         -House of Representatives
         -Chances for sustaining
              -Colson’s view
                                            11
                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Nov-03)


                             -Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends
                       -Environmentalists
                       -News coverage
               -Trade agreement with the Soviet Union
                   -Lend-Lease agreement
               -The President's trip to Kentucky
                   -Airport
                       -Louisville
                       -Huntington, West Virginia
                             -Possible Air Force base
                             -Portsmouth, Ohio
                             -Ashland, Kentucky
                             -Charleston, West Virginia
                   -Symbolism of the President's visit to West
                    Virginia
                       - Arch A. Moore, Jr.
                   -Charleston, West Virginia

       Al-Fatah
           -Terrorism committee report
                -David R. Young, Jr.
                -1972 election
                    -The President
                -Yitzak Rabin
                -Response
                    -White House
                    -L.[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
                         -Use of Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[National security]
[Duration: 14s ]

       TERRORISM


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
                                            12
                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Nov-03)


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


                              -Authorization by the President
               -Rabin
               -R. Sargent Shriver
               -The President
               -Rabin
                    -Israeli security
                         -Ehrlichman's airplane flight with Abba Eban

       Statements
            -Theme
                -The President's next term
                    -Peace, economy, welfare
                    -Goals
                        -Peace, prosperity, growth

       Congress
          -Adjournment
               -Telephone call to the President
                   -House of Representatives, Senate
               -Possible meeting with the President
                   -Timmons
               -Schedule
          -The President’s view
          -The President as freshman Congressman
               -Daylight savings time
                   -District of Columbia
                        -Debate
                             -Virginia farmers
          -Ehrlichman’s schedule
          -Michael Gravel, John V. Tunney, Frank F. Church, Warren G. (Maggie”)
            Magnuson
          -Charles H. Percy
          -Vote on spending limitation
          -McGovern
          -Edward M. Kennedy
               -Parliamentarian [Floyd M. Riddick]
                   -J. Mark Trice
                                             13
                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Nov-03)


       Inaugural
           -Progress
               -Stands
                    -Seats, framework
           -Routes
           -Brookings Institute
               -Transition planning
                    -Franklin B. Lincoln, Jr.
                        -Telephone call after Democratic National Convention
                    -Placement of people in government agencies

       Brookings Institute
           -Establishment
           -Richard P. Nathan's new job
               -Welfare program
           -Personnel


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 12m 59s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10

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


       Senate
           -Votes on Watergate investigation, spending limit, Water bill
               -Charles McC. Mathias, Jr.
                   -Kennedy
                   -Charles E. Goodell
           -The President's role during campaign
               -Surrogates
                   -Daniel J. Evans
                        -Ehrlichman
           -Watergate
               -Mathias
                                     14
             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                             Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. Nov-03)


            -Kennedy
            -Edward J. Gurney
            -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
    -Mathias
        -Agnew
        -Percy, William B. Saxbe
        -Support
             -Fredrick, Maryland
    -Percy
        -Downstate Illinois
    -Opposition to the President
        -Jacob K. Javits
        -Edward W. Brooke
        -Clifford P. Case
        -Javits
             -Comparison to Percy, Mathias, Hugh Scott
    -Scott
        -Water bill
        -Pennsylvania Association of Industries
        -Re-election as minority leader
             -Breakfast conversation with the President
                 -Fund raising
    -Composition
        -Possible changes in leadership
             -Nunn's election
                 -Scott
             -Robert P. Griffin, Howard H. Baker, Jr., William E.
              Brock, III
             -Baker as possible leader
                 -Scott
             -Gordon L. Allott, Jack R. Miller
             -Leadership qualities
             -Robert J. Dole
                 -[Republican National Committee]
             -Wallace F. Bennett
             -Roman L. Hruska
             -Milton Young
             -Peter H. Dominick
             -Brock

House of Representatives
                                              15
                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Nov-03)


           -Possible change of leadership
               -Ford
                    -Rumsfeld
                    -Grand Rapids
                    -Rumsfeld
               -John J. Rhodes, John B. Anderson
               -Anderson
                    -Scott
                    -Cooperation
                    -Comparison to Ford
                        -John C. Stennis

       Senate
           -Stennis
               -Possible party change
           -Possible change in leadership
               -Margaret C. Smith, Byrd
               -Scott, Hruska
           -Harry F. Byrd
               -Possible change in political affiliation
                    -Bryce N. Harlow

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 44s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11

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


       The press and media
           -MacGregor's Washington Post statement
           -1972 election
           -New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Time
           -TV networks
           -Attitude towards administration
                -White House events
                            16
    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                    Tape Subject Log
                      (rev. Nov-03)


    -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
    -Katharine L. Graham
    -Ziegler
    -New York Times, Washington Post, Time, Life, Newsweek
        -Hugh S. Sidey
-TV networks
    -Business executives
        -William S. Paley, Frank Stanton, Leonard H.
         Goldenson, Robert W. Sarnoff
    -Reporters
        -Daniel L. Schorr
        -George Herman’s conversation with Ehrlichman
             -Schorr
                 -Wife, brother
                      -Campaign activities in support of
                       McGovern
    -The President's East Room press conferences
        -Frank van der Linden
        -Recognition of reporters
             -New York Times
             -Carroll Kilpatrick
             -Robert B. Semple, Jr.
    -TV compared to newspapers
        -Washington Post
             -Compared to Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
        -Washington Post newspaper syndicate
             -Hobart Rowen
                 -Ehrlichman’s attendance at Associated Press [AP] editors
                  meeting
                 -Los Angeles Times
                 -Ehrlichman's letter
                      -Publication and circulation
-New York Times
    -Story on Watergate
        -Donald H. Segretti's telephone calls to White House
             -Dwight L. Chapin, E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
        -Innuendos, implications
             -Double standard
                 -Leaks
                      -Pentagon Papers, National Security
                       Council [NSC] leaks
                                              17
                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Nov-03)


                                       -Pulitzer Prize
                                       -Kissinger
                                       -Daniel Ellsberg
                                           -Washington Post editorial
                                           -Government employment
                                           -Committee to Re-elect the President
                                           -Hunt
                                           -Chapin
                          -Chapin
                               -Purported position and access to the President
                                    -Wiretaps
                                    -Frequency
                 -Reporters
                     -Access to the White House
                          -New York Times, Washington Post
                          -Christmas parties
                     -Reaction of potential big election victory by the
                      President
                          -Philip L. Geyelin
                          -American people
                               -Franklin D. Roosevelt’s election
                                    -Haldeman’s grandfather’s view
                     -Allen S. Drury
                          -Books
                     -Intellectual establishment
                          -John F. Osborne
                          -Washington Post, New York Times

        McGovern
           -Connally's broadcast
               -McGovern's views
                   -Henry A. Wallace era

        The President's schedule
            -Congress
                -Adjournment

Ehrlichman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:28 pm and 5:37
pm.

        Chapin
                                              18
                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Nov-03)



John D. Ehrlichman talked with an unknown staff member in Timmons's office at an unknown
time between 5:28 pm and 5:37 pm.

Haldeman left at 5:28 pm.

Ehrlichman talked with Timmons at an unknown time between 5:28 pm and 5:37 pm.

[Conversation No. 803-22/804-1C]

[See Conversation No. 31-120]

Haldeman entered at 5:32 pm.

[End of telephone conversation]

        Congress
           -Adjournment
                -Highway bill
                    -Highways Conference
                -Javits's reaction to Magnuson amendment on unemployment
                    -“Pins and needles” bill
                           -Tax amendment
                    -Senate passage of debt ceiling bill
                -Ford
                -Javits
                    -Debt ceiling bill
                -The President's schedule
           -Comparison to 1960s, [1947-1960], [1969-1972]

        The President’s schedule
            -Huntington, West Virginia
                -Airport
                     -Charleston, West Virginia
                     -Previous trip during flood
                     -Ashland, Kentucky

        Ehrlichman’s schedule
            -Meeting with Frederic V. Malek
            -Congressional adjournment
                -Status
                                           19
                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Nov-03)


                    -Senate
                    -Javits
                    -Quorum
                    -Debt ceiling bill
             -Weinberger’s staff

Ehrlichman left at 5:37 pm.

        Watergate
           -News stories
                -New York Times
                    -Chapin
                         -Timing of release of stories
                         -Colson’s recommendation
                -Time
                -Dan Rather story
                    -Responsibility
                         -Chapin, Jeb Stuart Magruder
                             -The President, John N. Mitchell, Haldeman
                    -CBS reporters
                         -Rather, Robert Pierpoint, Schorr
                -ABC
                    -Thomas E. Jarriel
                -Access to reporters
                    -Marvin L. Kalb, Schorr, Rather
                    -American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
                         -Coverage
                    -National Broadcasting Company [NBC] coverage during campaign


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 55s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12

*****************************************************************
                                             20
                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Nov-03)



        The President’s schedule
            -Congressional adjournment

Haldeman left at 5:43 pm.