Conversation: 880-024
Prev:  880-023 Next: 880-025Start Date: 15-Mar-1973 5:36 PM
End Date: 15-Mar-1973 6:24 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Dean, John W., III; Moore, Richard A.; [Unknown person(s)]; Bull, Stephen B.; Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On March 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, John W. Dean, III, Richard A. Moore, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:36 pm to 6:24 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 880-024 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 880-24 Date: March 15, 1973 Time: 5:36 pm-6:24 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with John W. Dean, III and Richard A. Moore. President's press conference -Previous discussion with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler -Announcement of Dr. David K. E. Bruce -People's Republic of China [PRC] liaison -Significance -Importance of PRC ambassador -Democrat 54- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-24 (cont’d) President's press conference -Watergate -Policy topics -Lack of press interest -Dean -Questions on Watergate -Press interest -Donald H. Segretti -Dean -Other questions -Cease-fire -Stockpiles -Past conferences -Dwight D. Eisenhower era -Previous consultation -President's handling of conference -Headlines -Dean -Washington Star -Foreign policy -Associated press [AP] -Court test -Press -Future stories -Hostility to administration -Strategy in the future An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 5:36 pm. Refreshment The unknown man left at an unknown time before 6:24 pm. President's press conference -Ronald L. Ziegler's role -Future comments -Transcripts -Senate responses -Ervin committee -Court test over executive privilege 55- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-24 (cont’d) -President's response [PROCESSING NOTE: WITHDRAWAL NO. 2 HAS BEEN DECLASSIFIED IN FULL] -Vietnam -North Vietnamese infiltration -President’s response -Watergate -Dwight L. Chapin and Herbert W. Kalmbach -President's handling of questions -Defensiveness -Ziegler's statements -Administration's cooperativeness -Alger Hiss case -Difference from Watergate -News story -Henry A. Kissinger -Harry S Truman's order -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] -Dean report -Question -Peter Lisagor and Mary McGrory -Questions for Moore -Hiss and Watergate case -National security issues -Dan Rather's questions -Raw files -Disclosure to Congress in Hiss case -J. Edgar Hoover's policy -Lisagor -Dean report -Questions -President's answers -Information for public -Court test -President's answer -Effectiveness -Press -Proper response -Answers to questions -Courtesy Watergate 56- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-24 (cont’d) -L. Patrick Gray, III -Conversation with Dean -Meeting with Samuel J. Ervin, Jr., and Howard H. Baker, Jr. -FBI reports -Disclosure -Hoover's policy -Raw files -Privacy -White House staff reports -Contents -Validity -Dangers of disclosure -President's policy on disclosure -FBI raw files -Hoover's policy -Gray -Hoover's policy -Instance of disclosure of raw data to congressional committee in 1948 -Internal security investigation -Vote fraud case -Kansas City Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:36 pm. Delivery of letter to Robert C/ (“Bob”) Wilson Bull left at an unknown time before 6:24 pm. Watergate -FBI raw files -Disclosure -American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU] -Truman's order -Newspaper support with exception of Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News -Hiss case -Opposition to President's committee -Press -President's cracking of case -Administration's cooperation with committee 57- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-24 (cont’d) -Press reaction -New York Times, Washington Post -Separation of powers -President's responsibility -Executive privilege -Separation of powers -Statement -Constitutional responsibility -Truman's firing of Gen. Douglas A. MacArthur -Bombing of China -President's support -Justification of position -Ziegler's statement -Gray -Position on raw files disclosure -Executive privilege -Ervin Committee -White House staff testimony -Court test on staff testimony -Chapin, Charles W. Colson -Chapin -Weak points -Kalmbach -Colson -Segretti -Chapin -White House statement -Letter to President -Apology -Explanation -Activities in campaign -Richard (“Dick”) Tuck -Segretti -Pranksterism -Culpability -Hiring of Segretti -Testimony -Pranks -Other duties -Administration's position -Haldeman 58- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-24 (cont’d) -Duties -Statement for Senate -Possibilities -Ervin Committee -White House staff testimony -Television -Chapin -Haldeman -Colson -Edward M. (‘Ted”) Kennedy -Colson -Testimony to Senate -Administration's position -Ties to E. Howard Hunt, Jr. -Chapin -Court tests on testimony -Delays -Advantages to administration -Duration -Supreme Court -President's statement -Separation of powers issue -Advantages -Dean testimony -Court rulings -Dean's privilege as counsel to President -Congressional reluctance -Robert C. Byrd -Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.'s position -Congressional position -Decisions and options -Advantages to administration -Ervin -Knowledge of Constitution -Daniel K. Inouye -White House statement -Press -Treatment of Ziegler -Ziegler's handling -President's statements to Ervin -Ervin committee 59- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-24 (cont’d) -White House statements -Compared to Hiss case -Hearsay -Guilt by association -Senators' questions -Use of rules of court -Hearsay -Ervin's conduct of committee -President's handling of Hiss case -Cooperation with FBI -L. B. Nichols -Hoover -Leaks -FBI -Hollywood Ten -Breaking of case -Robert Stripling -Editorials -Herblock cartoons -Whittaker Chambers -Potential for dramatization in television series -Stripling -Dislike of Drew Pearson and the Left -White House staff -Stripling comparison with Chapin, Colson -Aggressiveness -Hiss case -Cooperation with Stripling -President's age -Attacks on establishment, Congress, State Department -New York Times, Washington Post, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Louisville Courier -Impact -Alger Hiss -Background -Dean G. Acheson -Harvard -Defense fund -McGeorge Bundy -Contribution -Moore's view 60- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-24 (cont’d) -July confrontation of Hiss and Chambers -Testimony -Chambers' dentist [Dr. Hitchcock] -Perjury -Automobile purchase transaction -Intellectuals -Hunger for power -Trial -Pumpkin papers -Moore -Work in President’s campaign in 1950 -Hiss' background -Moore's visits to Georgetown in 1945 -Stories of Hiss's communist leanings -Halperin [sp?] [first name unknown] -President's committee in 1948 -Staff -Stripling -Amount of work -Work with FBI -Cooperation -National security concerns -Information -Disclosure -Espionage -Hoover -Raw files -FBI report -Leak to President's committee -Press -Lisagor -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston -Hatred for President -Ervin committee -Possible subpoenas -Chapin -Republicans -Statements -Administration's cooperation -Extent 61- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. June-10) Conversation No. 880-24 (cont’d) Dean and Moore left at 6:24 pm.