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Conversation: 827-007

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Start Date: 20-Dec-1972 10:20 AM

End Date: 20-Dec-1972 11:20 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Ziegler, Ronald L.Monzon, Zosimo T.

Recording Device: Oval Office

827-007.mp3

NARA Description:

On December 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Zosimo T. Monzon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:20 am and 11:20 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 827-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 827-7

Date: December 20, 1972
Time: 10:20 am – unknown before 11:20 am
Location: Oval Office
                                                        -4-

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                              Tape Subject Log
                                                (rev. July-08)

                                                                             Conversation No. 827-7 (cont’d)


The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 38s            ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 10:21 am.

        The President’s schedule
             -Henry A. Kissinger’s schedule
                   -Budget briefing
             -Ziegler’s schedule
                   -Trip to Florida
                          -Duration
                          -Return
                                -Timing
                                      -Christmas
             -Kissinger’s press relations
                   -George Sherman
                          -[Washington Star] article
                   -Telephone calls
             -Trip to Florida
                   -Duration
                          -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                   -Christmas
                   -Mrs. Nixon’s schedule
                                               -5-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. July-08)

                                                          Conversation No. 827-7 (cont’d)

                       -California
                              -Rose Bowl
                 -Return to Washington, DC
                       -Timing
                              -Christmas
                              -Camp David
                              -Christmas
           -New Year’s Day
           -Mrs. Nixon’s schedule
                 -Christmas
           -California
           -Trip to Florida
                 -Return
           -California
                 -Mrs. Nixon’s schedule
                       -Rose Parade
                 -1973 Inauguration
                 -Budget messages
                 -State of the Union address
           -Trip to Florida
                 -1973 Inauguration


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

      Press relations
            -The President’s health
                   -James C. Hagerty
                         -Dwight David Eisenhower
                              -Heart attack
                   -Briefing
                         -Annual physical exam
                         -Questions from the press
                   -The President’s previous experience
                         -Congressman

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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                                      -6-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. July-08)

                                                       Conversation No. 827-7 (cont’d)



Press relations
      -The President’s forthcoming meeting with Saul Pett
             -Tour
                   -[Oval Office]
                   -Executive Office Building [EOB], Lincoln Sitting Room, Oval Office
                         -Photograph opportunity
                               -Associated Press [AP]
                                     -Helen Thomas
                                          -Washington Post
      -Life
             -Photograph opportunity, July 25, 1972
                   -Duration
                   -Quality
             -Cessation of publication
      -Thomas

Vietnam negotiations
     -Breakdown
          -State Department briefing
                 -William H. Sullivan
                        -William P. Rogers’s conversation with Haldeman
                              -Tone
                              -Kissinger’s conversation with Rogers
                                    -John A. Scali
          -Kissinger’s relationship with the President
                 -Settlement agreement, October 26, 1972
                        -Kissinger’s “peace is at hand” statement
                 -Differences
                        -Diplomatic circles
                              -Europe
                        -Victor Zorzas’s article
                        -Kissinger’s October 26, 1972 briefing compared to December
                         16, 1972 briefing
                              -References to the President
                              -Tone
                                    -Peace
                        -Record
                           -7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                   Tape Subject Log
                     (rev. July-08)

                                             Conversation No. 827-7 (cont’d)

                   -“Peace is at hand”
                         -The President’s view
                         -The President’s address, “Look to the Future,”
                           November 2, 1972
                   -Cables, December 4-13, 1972
                         -The President’s possible television [TV] appearance
                         -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s and Vice President Spiro
                           T. Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
      -Kissinger’s motives
             -Rogers
             -The President’s possible TV appearance
      -Settlement agreement
             -Prisoners of War [POWs]
             -US bombing north of the 20th Parallel
                   -Hanoi
      -Settlement agreement, October 26, 1972
      -Differences
             -Kissinger’s October 26, 1972 briefing compared to Kissinger’s
              December 16, 1972 briefing
                   -References to the President
                   -Demilitarized Zone [DMZ]
                         -Marvin L. Kalb
                                -Conversations with Kissinger
                         -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston’s and Joseph C. Kraft’s
                          articles
                                -Paris
                                -South Vietnam’s strategy
-State Department briefing
      -Sullivan
             -DMZ
                   -South Vietnam
             -North Vietnam
             -Rogers
             -Location
             -Rogers
                   -Relationship with Kissinger
                   -Conversation with Haldeman
                         -The President
                   -Conversation with Ziegler
                                               -8-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. July-08)

                                                                 Conversation No. 827-7 (cont’d)

                                            -Kissinger’s relationship with the President
                                                  -Settlement agreement
                                                  -Differences
                                                         -Instructions for Kissinger
                                            -North Vietnam
                                                  -Settlement agreement
                                                         -South Vietnam
                                                         -DMZ
                                                         -POWs
                                                                 -Return
                                                                       -Timing
                                                                       -Conditions
                                                                             -Civilians prisoners in
                                                                              South Vietnam
                                                                 -Kissinger’s statements
                              -Kissinger’s motives
                                     -Ziegler’s possible briefing
                                     -Rogers
                                     -Responsibility
                  -Kissinger’s relationship with the President
                        -Kissinger’s motives
                              -The President’s possible TV appearance
                                     -US bombing north of 20th Parallel
                        -Press relations
                              -Reston
                                     -Paris
                              -Le Monde
                        -Continuation of talks
                        -South Vietnam
                  -State Department briefing
                        -Sullivan
                              -North Vietnam
                                     -Ziegler’s conversations with Rogers, Sullivan, Kissinger
                                     -US conditions
                                            -Number
                              -Kissinger

Zosimo T. Monson entered at an unknown time after 10:21 am.
                                               -9-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. July-08)

                                                               Conversation No. 827-7 (cont’d)

       Refreshment
            -Coffee

Monson left at an unknown time before 10:44 am.

       Vietnam negotiations
            -Ziegler’s briefing compared to Kissinger’s briefing
                  -Points
                  -Personality
                        -John D. Ehrlichman’s briefings
            -Ziegler’s conversation with Rogers
                  -Sullivan briefing
                        -Tone
                        -Administration unity
                        -North Vietnam’s intransigence
                               -DMZ
                               -POWs
                        -Administration unity
                        -Kissinger
                  -Timing

       Press relations
             -Ziegler’s briefing
                    -Gen. Walter R. Tkach
                    -Announcements
                          -Holidays
                    -[Anne L. Armstrong]
                          -Office location
                                -White House
                                      -West Wing

Ziegler left and Monson entered at 10:44 am.

       Monson’s schedule
           -Vacation
                 -Departure
                       -Timing
                 -Duration
                                            -10-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. July-08)

                                                             Conversation No. 827-7 (cont’d)

Monson left at an unknown time before 11:04 am.

       Vietnam negotiations
            -Sullivan briefing
                  -Rogers
                        -Relationship with Kissinger
                        -The President
                               -Kissinger
                               -Conversation with Ziegler
            -US bombing north of 20th Parallel
                  -Press relations
                        -The President’s reading
                               -The President’s health
                                     -Dilation of eyes
                               -New York Times
                        -Tone
                               -Kissinger’s view
                               -Future
                                     -US losses
                                     -Civilian casualties
                  -US losses
                        -B-52s
                        -Navy ship
                               -Personnel
                        -Significance
                               -People compared to airplanes
                               -B-52s
                                     -Kissinger’s view compared to Haldeman’s view
                                     -Air Force
                                     -B-1 bomber
                        -Inevitability
                  -Determination
                  -Press relations
                        -Tone
                  -Congressional relations
                        -Recess
                        -Reconvention
                  -Public relations [PR]
                        -Charles W. Colson
                                  -11-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. July-08)

                                                    Conversation No. 827-7 (cont’d)

                   -Meeting with the President
             -Statements
-Press relations
      -Martin Z. Agronsky
             -The President’s viewing
                   -Winston S. Churchill
                   -WTOP
                   -Breakdown in talks
             -Opposition to the administration
      -Tone
      -PR
      -1972 election
      -Haig’s trip to Saigon
      -Paris
      -Kissinger
             -Recent articles
                   -Self-image
                   -Zorza
                          -October 26, 1972 briefing
                                -References to the President
                                       -1972 election
             -Briefings
                   -Congressional relations
                          -Colson
                   -The President’s schedule
                          -1973 Inauguration
                          -Press conferences
                   -Intellectuals
                   -PR
                   -Ziegler
                          -US bombing north of 20th Parallel
                                -Clarifications
                                -Justification
                                       -North Vietnam’s buildup
                                             -Resumption of talks
-PR
      -Resumption of talks
             -North Vietnam’s response
                   -Timing
                                      -12-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. July-08)

                                                           Conversation No. 827-7 (cont’d)

                             -Kissinger’s view
          -Timing
                -Holidays
                      -Christmas, New Year’s Day
                -1973 Inauguration
                      -Congressional relations
          -The President’s possible TV appearance
                -Kissinger’s view
                      -Previous TV appearances
     -US bombing north of 20th Parallel
          -US losses
                -B-52s
                      -POWs
                      -Missing in action [MIAs]
                      -Military and news reports
                            -Timing

Kissinger’s press relations
      -Zorza’s article
      -Briefings
            -First term
            -Rogers
      -Interview with Oriana Fallaci
            -Kissinger’s conversation with the President
            -Haig’s view

Rose Mary Woods
     -Mood
          -White House social affairs
               -Invitations
                     -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                            -Christmas decorations
                     -Reception for surrogates and campaign workers
                     -Cabinet dinner
                            -Robert J. Brown
                            -Leonard Garment
                            -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
                            -William L. Safire
                            -Patrick J. Buchanan
                                             -13-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. July-08)

                                                               Conversation No. 827-7 (cont’d)

                                     -Charles W. Colson
                               -Private affairs
                                     -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                               -Relations between White House staff and Committee to Re-elect
                                the President [CRP]


*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

       [Dwight] David Eisenhower, II
            -Harry S. Dent
            -Congressional race
            -Timing

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************


Ziegler entered at 11:04 am.

       Vietnam negotiations
            -Sullivan briefing
                  -Ziegler’s recent conversation with Rogers
                        -North Vietnam
                               -South Vietnam
                                     -Blame
                                          -Reston’s and Kraft’s articles
                        -End of war
                        -Support

Ziegler left at 11:05 am.

       The President’s schedule
            -Meeting with Productivity Commission
                  -The President’s health
                         -Dilation of eyes
                  -Duration
            -George P. Shultz
                                             -14-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. July-08)

                                                         Conversation No. 827-7 (cont’d)

                  -Ehrlichman
                  -Work habits
                        -Meetings
                             -Professors
                                   -Pace
                                          -Kissinger
                  -Quadriad meetings
                  -Herbert Stein, Arthur F. Burns
             -Meeting with Productivity Commission
                  -Duration
                  -The President’s health
                        -Dilation of eyes

Haldeman left at an unknown time before 11:20 am.