Conversation: 867-040
Prev:  867-039 Next: 867-041Start Date: 2-Mar-1973 5:52 PM
End Date: 2-Mar-1973 6:40 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); [Unknown person(s)]; Bull, Stephen B.; Ziegler, Ronald L.; Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On March 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Stephen B. Bull, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:52 pm to 6:40 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 867-040 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 867-40 Date: March 2, 1973 Time: Unknown between 5:52 pm and 6:40 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. Ambassadors' murders in Sudan -Release of Sirhan Sirhan -Pressure on Jordan -Dangers Terrorism -Origins -Riots -Black Panthers -US condemnation Charles L. Ill -Meeting with the President -Stephen B. Bull -Relations with Roy L. Ash -John W. Warner, Elliot L. Richardson -Firing -White House staff -Frederick C. Malek, Ash An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 5:52 pm. Refreshment The unknown man left at an unknown time before 6:30 pm. Personnel management -Departments - Malek, Ash -White House staff -Discontent in department -65- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) Ambassadorial appointments -Kenneth B. Keating -John D. Lodge -Change of posts -[First name unknown] Reynolds -Robert H. Finch -Conflict of interest -Latin American country -Columbia -Robert C. Hill -Pakistan -Henry A. Kissinger -Philip K. Crowe -John M. Olin's recommendation -Maurice H. Stans -Denmark [Norway] -Retention -State Department -Knowledge of Salmon -Move to Denmark -Norway -Age -Norway, Sweden -[First name unknown] Black [?], [unintelligible name] -Delay -Haldeman's telephone call to Olin -Stans Olin -Background -Spencer Olin -Brother -Residences -Hunting, fishing Ambassadorial appointments -Crowe -Charles A. Meyer -Satisfaction with job -66- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) -Performance in job -Position with Sears Appointees -Desire to stay in Washington -Meyer -New society White House staff -Dinners -Service -Length of time -Governors conference dinner -Delays ***************************************************************** [Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift] -Thelma C. (‘Pat”) Nixon -Julie Nixon Eisenhower -Speed of service [End segment reviewed under deed of gift] ***************************************************************** Swearing-ins -Haldeman’s conversation with Bull -President's attendance -Importance -Head of Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] -President's commitments -William J. Casey -Bradford Cook [SEC] -George Cook -Cabinet-level appointees Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:52 pm. -67- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) Cook's swearing-in -President's commitment -Precedent -Casey Bull left at an unknown time before 6:30 pm. Swearing-ins -President's commitment -Source -Bernard J. (“Bunny”) Lasker Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:52 pm. -Bradford Cook -Rose Mary Woods -Arrangements -President's commitment -President's attendance -Cabinet level -Bradford Cook -Woods -George Cook -Lasker -Attendance -President's attendance Bull left at an unknown time before 6:30 pm. Ambassadors Charles Ill -Meeting with President -Conflict with Ash -Litton industries -Personnel management -Departments, White House -68- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) John W. Warner -Meeting with Carlos C. Villarreal -Mexican-American -US Naval Academy -Navy Department job -Assistant secretary -President’s support -Agency for International Development [AID] -Villarreal’s appearance -Surname James M. Beggs -Mrs. Beggs -Retention by administration -Job performance -Wife -New job at Hughes Aircraft -Electronic Module Corporation -Maryland -Personality -Job performance -Wife -Work for campaign -Dynamism Reorganization “Blood on the floor” -Improvements -Problems -Dismissal compared to transfer, promotion Edwin S. Cohen -Performance Lawrence H. Silberman -Wife -Work for campaign -New job -Judgeship -69- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) -New law firm -Sevetow and Johnson [?] ***************************************************************** [Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift] John B. Connally -Party switch -President’s press conference -Meeting with Jeb S. Magruder -George Christian -Houston -Press agent -Treasury Department -Campaign organization -George Christian -Statements -Dealings with Richard G. Kleindienst -Republican delegates -Discussions with President Republicans -Leadership -President’s opinion -Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends -Dominick V. Daniels [?] -Bryce N. Harlow, Harry S. Dent, Ford, Arends -Work with Congressional Democrats President’s dealings with Congressional Republicans -Democratic crossovers -Problems -Committee seniority -Ford -Harlow -Connally switch -Impact -Establishment -Spiro T. Agnew’s constituency -70- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) -Presidential ambitions [End segment reviewed under deed of gift] ***************************************************************** Ronald L Ziegler entered at 6:30 pm. Murder of ambassadors in Sudan -Plane to pick up bodies -Families -Release of bodies -Delays -Remaining hostages -Jordan -William B Macomber, Jr. -Travel -Presidential plane -Families -Bodies Confirmation of deaths -US statement -Reports -Sudan government -Radio broadcasts -US embassy -Saudi Arabia’s ambassador -Telephone conversation to Sudan’s interior minister Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 6:30 pm and 6:32 pm. [Conversation No. 367-40a] Presidential plane -Transportation for ambassadors’ families, bodies -Macomber Draft statement -71- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) -Condolence, outrage -Delivery -President Ziegler left at 6:32 pm. Foreign service personnel -Deaths -Ambassador, charges d’ affaires, Agency for International Development [AID] official Connally -Intelligence -Dealings with Jews -Connally's statement about Jews Press relations -Ziegler -1972 election -Amount -President's schedule -Number of events President's schedule -Florida -California -Working trip -Florida -Date -Weather -Date -Return -Necessity of trip -California Press relations -Conferences in Oval Office -Waste of time -Conferences -72- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) -Television [TV] -Frequency -Questions -President’s press conference -Questions -Domestic compared to foreign topics -Watergate -L[ouis] Patrick Gray -Number -International and domestic economic issues -Wage-price guidelines -Dollar devaluation -POWs -Vietnam settlement -Cease-fire -Sudan incident -Aid to North Vietnam -Conferences -Frequency -TV -Schedule -California meeting with Nguyen Van Thieu ***************************************************************** [Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift] Connally -Switch to Republican Party -Impact -Compared to Alfred E. Smith -Presidential campaign -Age -Endorsement of Herbert C. Hoover -Impact -Connally’s age -Texas constituency -Marvin Watson Regular Republicans -73- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) -Agnew [End of segment reviewed under deed of gift] ***************************************************************** Agnew -Campaign for president -Desire -Abilities -Performance in office -King compared to prime minister metaphor -Assistance for assignment Capt. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr. -POW -Letter to President -Physical difficulties in captivity -Opinion about US -Softness -Press reception -Live TV POWs -Critics of the war -Unnamed sergeant -Jew -Youth hippie -Exception to rule -Majority -Officers -Stories of adversity -December 1972 bombing of North Vietnam -Reaction -Support for President -Public reaction at home compared with POWs Press relations -Conferences in Oval Office -74- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) -Conferences -TV -Power of medium -POWs -Atmosphere -TV cameras, microphones -Podium -Compared to Oval Office -Established correspondents Attendance at formal social functions -White House Correspondent’s, Gridiron dinners -Haldeman -President -Cabinet -Multiple functions -George P. Shultz, Elliot L. Richardson -Golda Meir state dinner Shultz -Conversation with Connally -Attendance at White House functions -Frequency Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 6:32 pm. Macomber -Flight to Sudan -Aircraft -Size -Return with officials’ bodies -State Department -President’s orders Sudan -Report from US ambassador -Belgian charge d’ affaires -Death of US diplomat -75- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) Ziegler left at an unknown time before 6:40 pm. Deaths of two diplomats -Reasons -President's statement on blackmail -Sirhan Sirhan -President’s statement -Public opinion Press conferences -Frequency Newsweek article -Watergate -Absence of questions -Interview with John N. Mitchell -Background sources News magazines -Impact -Newsweek, Time, U.S. News and World Report article Zielger entered at an unknown time after 6:32 pm. State Department -Flags at half mast -President’s order -All federal agencies -All State Department installations -White House flag, State Department, embassies -President's order -White House flag -Clement E. Conger Ziegler left at an unknown time before 6:40 pm. News magazines -Impact -Washington, DC compared to general populace as readership -76- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-2010) Conversation No. 867-40 (cont’d) -U.S. News and World Reports -John D. Ehrlichman's interview -Readership -Impact -Haldeman's interview -Impact -People compared with programs -Public interest Ezra Solomon -Departure -Meeting with Council of Economic Advisors [CEA] -Breakfast Frank J. Shakespeare’s note to Haldeman -William S. Paley -Contact with White House -Charles W. Colson -Haldeman’s role -William J. Baroody, Jr.’s role Haldeman left at 6:40 pm.