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Conversation 011-057

TapeTape 11StartTuesday, October 12, 1971 at 10:14 AMEndTuesday, October 12, 1971 at 10:16 AMTape start time01:28:23Tape end time01:30:06ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Shultz, George P.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and George Shultz discuss the need to maintain a unified administration front regarding economic policy following recent statements from John Connally. Nixon expresses concern that members of the Cost of Living Council, specifically George Romney, Maurice Stans, and Arthur Burns, might publicly dissent or criticize the administration's stance. Shultz agrees with the President's suggestion to have Donald Rumsfeld coordinate the message to ensure that business leaders and other officials understand the strategic importance of securing labor's cooperation on wage settlements.

Cost of Living CouncilEconomic PolicyLabor RelationsInternal CommunicationJohn B. Connally
AudioNARA Description

On October 12, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 10:14 am to 10:16 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-057 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 11-57

Date: October 12, 1971
Time: 10:14 am - 10:16 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with George P. Shultz.

[See Conversation No. 288-13]

     Cost of Living Council [COLC]
          -Arthur F. Burns
          -Donald H. Rumsfeld
          -George W. Romney, Maurice H. Stans, and Burns
          -John B. Connally's press conference

     Economy
         -Labor
              -George Meany
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

George, one thing that occurred to me is to keep our own COLC people from privately or publicly yapping around, publicly, except for Arthur Nunn would, but I wonder if maybe Rumsfeld could run this around.
Well, the only ones that I can think of that would be a problem would be Romney, Stans, and Burns.
What do you think?
Just to simply say that this was a statement that
that was developed from Connolly's press conference and the other briefings representing the viewpoint.
Don't you think it's a good idea?
Yes.
Let's have a united front of the thing.
And as far as the business thing is concerned, I'm not so, I mean, I don't, the capitulation thing doesn't stand up, George, unless they have built up an idea that we're going to do something that we never intended to do, but maybe they have.
Is that the point?
In other words, they may have thought that mean he was.
No, I think people are trying to reach conclusions too rapidly without thinking carefully about what is involved.
And I think anyone who really thinks about it would recognize that any time you can get labor to accept
a reasonable degree of responsibility for doing something about high wage settlements.
That's right.
That you have achieved something enormous.
Enormous.
For a while.
For a while.
I agree.
And that's what you've got to, let's get that around to a few people and so that we don't have the business people, you know, whining around.
Okay.
All right, sir.
Bye, George.
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