Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 003-078
Date: Thursday, May 20, 1971 at 8:16 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ball, George W.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-078

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello.
[0:01] Hello.
[0:04] Before you got into your work, I wanted to tell you that I was just talking to McGregor, and I said, you know, that was a very good job.
[0:11] And he said, well...
[0:13] He said, the man that really helped us the most on the Democratic side was George Ball.
[0:18] So I just wanted to express appreciation to you and tell you that while we naturally have our differences on party and other matters, that I really thought this was a really fine demonstration of putting the interests of the
[0:33] country first.
[0:33] Well, it's very kind of you.
[0:36] And I know you worked, from what I heard, very long hours, and I'm sorry we can't pay you what you're worth.
[0:42] Well, this was in a good cause.
[0:43] Right.
[0:44] And they all came true?
[0:46] You remember the ones you talked about all came true?
[0:48] Well, I was very worried for a while yesterday that this Matthias thing was going to get out of hand.
[0:52] Yeah, that was the one.
[0:53] I got that one, and yet
[0:55] It didn't even get as much as Fulbright's, did it?
[0:59] No, that's right.
[1:00] That was a curious thing.
[1:01] If I may, I'd like just to repeat something I told Henry a few minutes ago.
[1:06] Sure.
[1:06] I found on both sides of the house a feeling of isolation, a sense that they had a lot of suspicions that things weren't being done that I know were in fact being done, largely because I think there probably should be a little more
[1:23] private talk, when I say private talk, if Henry or some of the other people who were informed, Bill Rogers, could have a series of small meetings with five or six people, senators at a time, and talk about the substance of what they're doing, for example, in
[1:39] on these questions of negotiation with the Soviets.
[1:46] I know the intellectual work that's been done, I know the complexity of the problem, but I have a feeling up there that nobody pays any attention to it, which is not true.
[1:54] Probably the best thing is to have that done by State, don't you think?
[2:00] I think so, yeah.
[2:02] Bill and Sean Irwin.
[2:05] I do think, actually, that Henry, in spite of this problem of visibility, that they have a great respect for him.
[2:13] He could be very helpful, too.
[2:14] Let me say that on that, just talking in the family, that it is the...
[2:19] international family, there is a great sensitivity in sometimes, you know, in state for anybody at the White House should know how to do it.
[2:27] And we've had that problem, as you know, it was raised in press conferences.
[2:31] But I think I'll have a talk with Bill and just say, look, we can...
[2:35] we can do it because we do want to do it and of course i see lots of individual senators but i can't see them all and what has to happen is that if i have a dozen of them i i see your point exactly it isn't really a matter of giving you know a sales pitch it's just a matter of telling them what's going on so that they have a feeling of being in on the deal that's right that's right knowing that a great deal of serious thoughts are being given and that's right yeah there'll be an announcement today that will be of considerable interest in this general area and
[3:02] I think after you hear it, we'll realize that we are working on a few things.
[3:09] But in any event, I do appreciate your having worked, and I'm most grateful.
[3:14] Thank you.