← 011-074011-076 →

Conversation 011-075

TapeTape 11StartTuesday, October 12, 1971 at 10:09 PMEndTuesday, October 12, 1971 at 10:16 PMTape start time01:46:38Tape end time01:53:20ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Kissinger, Henry A.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AudioNARA Description

On October 12, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:09 pm to 10:16 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-075 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 11-75

Date: October 12, 1971
Time: 10:09 pm - 10:16 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See Conversation No. 289-10A]

     US foreign relations
          -US relations with Japan
               -Briefing book
               -The President's schedule
               -Announcement of trip to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                      -Kissinger's trip
               -Michael J. Mansfield
               -Briefings by the Soviets
                      -Kissinger's actions
               -Reaction to US-USSR summit
               -Kissinger's conversation with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
               -Ambassador in Paris
               -Nikita S. Khrushchev's previous visit to Camp David
                      -Trip to Peking
                            -Behavior
                                 -Chou En-lai
          -US relations with People's Republic of China [PRC]
                                            40

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)



              -Cambodia, Laos
              -Cambodia
                  -Norodum Sihanouk
                        -North Korea


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 5s ]


    FOREIGN RELATIONS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

******************************************************************************


              -Chou En-lai
         -Contributions of the State Department to briefing book
              -Kissinger
              -Marshall Green
              -National Security Council [NSC]

    Kissinger's schedule
         -Richard J. Daley
               -George Meany
         -Newsmen
         -The President's supporters
               -Corporation executives
         -Howard Stein
                                               41

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)



                                                                    Conversation No 11-76

Date: October 13, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:53 am and 9:09 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 590-2A]

     Request for call to Charles W. Colson
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.

Hello.
Dr. Kissinger, sir.
Yeah.
Mr. President.
Well, I've read through the book to Japan.
I think it's a very good job.
It's very thorough and so forth.
I've got a few things we can go over on Thursday.
Right, Mr. President.
And I'll read the balance of it tomorrow.
Right, Mr. President.
Yeah.
I think the very delicate problem that we've got is the one of, at this point, is the
one of adequate informing of them of the Soviet thing.
And it seems to me that that damn thing is covered totally.
In other words, you started slipping it in and kept, you know, tightening it up until finally it was done.
That's right.
That's what I thought.
And they they apparently have reacted.
I mean, they continued with their
moving on your trip certainly with some knowledge that it was coming don't you think oh i i think as you can see with increasing knowledge that it was coming you know the point that uh mansfield was making and i think he may have been making it hopefully uh you know it uh that they would get sore at us yeah yeah oh no i and one reason i'm so meticulous about informing them is because i know the russians won't be informing them that's right
and uh and and because i want them to have a stake in in your goodwill yeah because that's something we can always cut off very interesting to see if they react you get to the moscow visit no no announcement and of course they are they've been terrific they haven't leaked the word
Yeah, they haven't leaked, but I mean they haven't, they've known for several days, haven't they?
Oh yeah, they've known since, I told Dupre that only 24 hours, but in fact they've known since Saturday.
Yeah, which of course they would get the moment he went in, wouldn't they?
I mean, the ambassador in Paris would pass it around to them immediately.
Oh yes, immediately.
No question about it.
That's good.
Well, we're right on a high wire or a tight rope or whatever you want to call it.
Well, it's a delicate exercise, but we've pulled it off up to now.
Up to now, that's right, and whatever happens, that's that.
You know, I was interested in one little bit of history where they thought that at Camp David the Russians were even, Khrushchev was even giving it to them then that he brought along some agreement that he wasn't going to
You know, share atomic secrets with them and that sort of thing.
That's right.
That's why we have to be so careful.
They're so damn suspicious, aren't they?
Khrushchev didn't bring a goddamn thing to Camp David.
Absolutely.
Did he?
Not that I know.
No, no.
But, of course, he was, he went to Peking right afterwards and apparently modally offended them by his behavior.
He did?
Yeah.
Khrushchev, true or lie, kept saying to me,
how outrageous his behavior had been.
Crude you mean?
Crude yeah and impolite as if they were just his vassals.
One thing that I do feel that we want we do want to talk about I think there
Awfully tough on the Cambodia-Laotian thing, and I think we've got to be equally tough on our side.
Well, in Cambodia, of course, they have... Well, they got that little Chinook.
But interestingly, they sent Chinook to North Korea.
That's right.
For purposes of getting them to mute their criticisms of the visit, isn't it?
Exactly.
Well, I tell you, they, despite Cho and Lai's worldliness, he is...
In a sense, pretty provincial in some ways, isn't he?
Oh, yeah.
I mean, of course, none of them have been out of their area.
No, no.
And they just live in their suspicions.
That's right.
Yeah.
Well, the book is really quite a job.
It's quite a job.
You say state didn't contribute a hell of a lot.
Mr. President, if you'd like to, I'll send you there.
Don't, don't do it, don't send it.
Just for comparison.
It's really something.
I mean, my people are doing it with two men, and they have thousands over there.
You tell them I was very impressed with it, William.
Well, I'll do that immediately.
What in the name of God, though, is the...
What the Christ are the state people?
They must have this huge staff, don't they?
Is it Marshall Green or what?
Is it the leadership?
You see, Henry, they're bright people.
These are bright people.
God damn it.
And you've got to use bright people.
Well, Mr. President, one of mine is in fact a state guy.
What's he think then?
Well, nobody makes these people work so hard.
It's true, I'm a slave driver.
But on the other hand, it's like Vince Lombardi.
When you're all through with it, you feel you've done something important.
And over there, they don't do it that way.
And over there, they waffle around and give you on the one hand and on the other hand.
And write reams of nothing.
And write reams of stuff that evaporates under your fingers.
Yeah.
Well, your boys have done a fine job here.
When do you leave, tomorrow in the morning?
I'm leaving at 8.30.
I'm going to be briefing all day.
I'm going to sit daily, as I said.
And I'm going to meet a...
Tell him, when you're talking to Daley, not only about some of this, but tell him that, by God, he ought to be sure Meany supports what we're doing, that Meany's out of step with the country.
Right.
He believes that, I'm sure.
He can affect Meany.
And then I'm going to meet with a group of newsmen and then with a group of supporters of yours.
I've got their list.
They're all big corporation executives.
And talk very optimistically about the economy with them.
Right.
I mean, there are big things coming.
We're in a hell of an era, and everybody's just got to...
The guys that understand this are going to really make them in.
They really are.
Oh, I think that's...
I'm going to call Howard Stein if I have a chance.
Yeah, you tell Stein what the hell's the matter with you, boy.
What other good news do you want?
That's right.
Yeah.
Okay, have a good trip.
Thank you, Mr. Fred.
I'll be back tomorrow night.
Bye.
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