Conversation: 880-018
Prev:  880-017 Next: 880-019Start Date: 15-Mar-1973 4:18 PM
End Date: 15-Mar-1973 5:30 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Sanchez, Manolo; Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On March 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:18 pm to 5:30 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 880-018 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 880-18 Date: March 15, 1973 Time: 4:18 pm-5:30 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. George T. Bell -Death -Personality -Wealth -Cause of death -Cancer -Religion -Christian Scientist -Call to hospital -Company -Sale -Retirement -Work in 1968 campaign -Citizens for Nixon -Work in White House -Personnel office -Charles W. Colson Ralph H. Cake -President's call -Cake's response -State of health Telephone calls -Death -Comments -Preparation 38- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) -Praise of staff -News summaries -Rose Mary Woods President's press conference -Announcement of People's Republic of China [PRC] liaison office -historic significance -Question and answer session -Press responses -Donald H. Segretti case -Watergate -John W. Dean, III's testimony -Eugene V. Risher's question -Dean's testimony -President's handling -Ziegler's responses to questions -President's conversation -Previous mistake -Dwight L. Chapin -Recommendation of Segretti -Ziegler's denial of a story -Veracity -Chapin -Relationship with Segretti -Ziegler's answers to questions Ziegler entered at 4:19 pm. -China announcement -Press questions -Watergate -Dean -Executive privilege -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III -Dr. David K. E. Bruce appointment -Timing -President's handling -Press response to President's appearance -Comparison with John F. Kennedy, Jr., Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson Prisoners of war [POWs] 39- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-18 (cont’d) -Press coverage Gen. John P. Flynn -Public reactions Press relations -North Vietnam -National Broadcasting Company [NBC] -Infiltration -US response -Lead stories -PRC initiative -Bruce -Significance -Lack of press interest -Press conference -Questions on Watergate, Dean -Risher -PRC -Wire service -Clark R. Mollenhoff -Question on PRC liaison -Significance -PRC liaison -Follow-up questions -John T. Downey -Bruce -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] -Taiwan -Meeting with PRC -Ambassadorship Press conferences -Tone -Patrick J. Buchanan -Colson -Importance -Nature of questions -New York Times reporter -[First name unknown] Kenwick [?] -Question for President -President's answer 40- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-18 (cont’d) -Next press conference -Scheduling -State of the Union Address -Television [TV] coverage -State of the Union Address -Timing - Nguyen Van Thieu's visit -Prime time TV coverage -Watergate -Aid to India and Pakistan -Questions -Responses -Watergate -Ervin Hearings -Comments -Maurice H. Stans' civil suit -Comment -President's statements -Stans -Ervin hearings -Watergate -Dean -Segretti -Ziegler's responses -Democrats -Food prices United States Department of Agriculture [USDA] release -Food prices -Virginia H. Knauer -Housewives -Bargain list -Influence on prices -Price controls -Boycott of meat -Limits on purchasing -Knauer -Potential press coverage -POWs -Lack of meat -Health 41- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-18 (cont’d) -Meat -Necessity -Protein Press conference -George P. Shultz -Soviet Jews -Questions -Shultz's trip -Important issues -Lack of interest -Tariffs -USDA -Congress -Stockpiling -Question by Forrest Boyd -Importance -National security -Influence on pricing -Copper, tin stockpiles -Necessity -Frequency -Variation of intervals -Staggered times -Handling of press -Benefits for administration -TV coverage Memorandum on Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon to Ronald L. Ziegler -Book -Copies to Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Tricia Nixon Cox -Mrs. Nixon's activities and offices -Cancer Society -Developmentally disabled children -Chairmanships Henry A. Kissinger entered at 4:45 pm. Congressional relations -Administration's record -Information 42- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-18 (cont’d) -Openness -Dean -Appearance before Congress -Lyndon B. Johnson -Walter W. Jenkins -Private materials -Access -Republicans -Johnson’s staff -Homosexuality -Blackmail -Robert D. (“Bobby”) Baker -Publicity for administration's record -Positive stand President's foreign travel -Latin America -William P. Rogers -Visit -Africa visits -“Police states” -Brazil -Safety -Brasilia -Intelligence analysis -Caracas, Venezuela -Guerrilla activity -Risk of another incident -Brazil -Brazilia -Jamaica -Nicaragua -Latin American summit -Brasilia -Mexican president -Cozumel -Yucatan Peninsula -Island -Press statements -Trips under consideration -Lee Kuan Yew’s visit 43- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-18 (cont’d) -Guilio Andreotti’s visit -Willy Brandt -Visit -Domestic situation -US-Europe relations -Personality -Record as Berlin mayor -John V. Lindsay -New York mayor Georges J. R. Pompidou -Kissinger’s letter -Election -President's response to results -Washington Post reports -Gen. Charles A. J. M. deGaulle -Harry S. Truman -Leftist parties -Splits -Socialists -Communists -Separation of candidates -Plurality -Votes -Majority in assembly Press conference by Ziegler -Watergate -Mansfield amendment on European troop withdrawal -President's opposition -Statement for press -Mutual reductions -Compared with unilateral reductions -Influence on negotiations -Vietnam peace settlement -Democratic partisanship -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield Ziegler left at 4:47 pm. Joseph Simpson Farland 44- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-18 (cont’d) -Appointment as ambassador -Health problems -Heart -Altitude -Treatment -Iran -Greece Ambassadors -Pakistan -Germany -Thomas Vail -Farland -Netherlands -Switzerland -Canada -[First name unknown] Safer [?] -Kissinger's opinion -Judiasm -Farland -Canada -Argentina -Safer [?] -Mexico -[First name unknown] Reynolds -Columbia -Farland -Canada -Vail -Germany -Kissinger’s telephone call -Argentina -Importance -Peronists -Danger Plot against Richard M. Helms -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin’s information -Tehran -Iraq 45- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-18 (cont’d) ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 [NATIONAL SECURITY] [DURATION: 4S] Iran END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 ****************************************************************************** Ambassadors Arms control committee -David Packard -Appointment -John J. McCloy President's meeting with Max M. Fisher -Garment -Sisco -Fisher's support for Middle East post -Experience -Rogers -Work with Israel Haldeman left at 5:05 pm. Agreement on the Prevention of Nuclear War -Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction [MBFR] -Annual report on foreign policy -Kissinger’s staff -Foreign service -Ambassadors -Circulation -Nixon Doctrine -President’s role -Rogers -Kissinger's draft -Great Britain 46- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-18 (cont’d) -Article 1 -Draft -Tediousness -Consultation -Reaction of USSR -Article 4 -Article 5 -Condominium -PRC -Reactions -Article 1 -USSR -Great Britain Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 5:05 pm. Refusal [?] Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:30 pm. Agreement on the Prevention of Nuclear War -Draft language -Use of nuclear weapons -Press coverage -Article 4 -Condominium -PRC -Reactions -Great Britain -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] -Meaning of treaty -Great Britain -Definitions -Counterproposal by USSR -Motives of USSR -Détente -Ban on nuclear weapons -Impact on American pacifists -Trident construction -Administration responses -Provisions of treaty 47- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-18 (cont’d) -Effectiveness -Administration's statements -Elimination of threat -Article 2 -Conditions Haldeman's job -Lack of complaint -Importance -Quality of work Agreement on the Prevention of Nuclear War -Détente -Cost -US efforts -Crisis -Effects -Restraint -Middle East crisis -Vietnam settlement -Europe Effects of détente -Diplomatic setbacks for USSR -Leonid I. Brezhnev -Survival -Middle East -Troop withdrawal -Vietnam War -Bombing of North Vietnam -Europe -Settlement of Berlin -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] -Effects on weapon programs -Intangible feeling of détente -Relationship to US interests -SALT -Domestic support -President’s opponents -PRC-US relations -Military support 48- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-18 (cont’d) -Détente with USSR -USSR as aggressors -Europe and Japan -Weakness -Japan -Dangers -PRC -Aggression PRC -Ambassador to US -Ally to President President's press conference -Press relations -Haldeman -Ziegler -PRC liaison office -Press indifference -News reports -President’s PRC policy -Compared to Watergate -Dean -Historical significance -News reports -Watergate -Food prices -President's comments -Personnel replacement in Vietnam -Need for correction -Issue of legality -Effect on strategic balance -Equipment -Journalists’ calls to Kissinger -George Sherman, Robert C. Toth -North Vietnamese infiltration reports ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7 [NATIONAL SECURITY] 49- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-18 (cont’d) [DURATION: 9S] Communication END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7 ****************************************************************************** Vietnam -Infiltration -US calculation of rates -Laos Press conference responses US relations with USSR -Middle East -Pressure -Peace -USSR-Egyptian relations -US-Egyptian discussions -Hafez Ismail -Brezhnev -Dobrynin -Brezhnev’s message ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8 [NATIONAL SECURITY] [DURATION: 15S] Israeli intelligence END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8 ****************************************************************************** President's press conference -Warning to North Vietnam -Ziegler -Journalists’ calls to Kissinger -Sherman, Toth 50- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) -President’s credibility Vietnam -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer's plans -Air strikes, sorties -Number -B-52s -Ho Chi Minh Trail -Note to North Vietnam -Reply -Dobrynin -PRC -Prisoners of war [POWs] release -Alexander M. Haig, Jr. -Thieu's visit to US -Timing of bombing -Bombing resumption -Risk to peace -POWs -Warnings -US concerns -Replacement personnel -Effect on strategic balance -Cease-fire violations -Infiltration -President's responses at press conference Kissinger's meeting with Dobrynin -Subject of meeting -Message from President -US public opinion Detente -Congressional action on military budget -US military strength -Possible provocations from USSR -Relaxation -President’s image -“Old Cold Warrior” -President's critics -Chemical weapons -SALT 51- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) -PRC -Lack of substance -Negotiations -Future problems -Fragility of peace -Nature of Russian people -Overthrow of communism in USSR -History of Russian expansion -German people -Compared to Russians -Geographic position in Europe -Expansionism 1890-1940 -Unification in 1871 -Past disunity -Prussia -Saxony -Wars on German soil Kissinger's meeting with Dobrynin -Dobrynin's knowledge of US actions -Brezhnev -Harry S. Truman and Franklin D. Roosevelt's relations with Josef V. Stalin -Desire for peace -Diplomacy -Reputation in history -Possible motives -Relaxation of tensions -Splitting Europe from US -Peace -Story of Brezhnev’s father -World War I -World peace -Monument Kissinger left at 5:30 pm.