Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 13 › Conversation 013-040

Nixon phone call with Whitaker on Ted Gleason and Shipping policy

Friday, October 29, 1971 · 4:55 PM–4:56 PM ET · White House Telephone · 47 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Whitaker, John C.Conversation013-040 on Tape 13 (tape position 01:28:03–01:28:49)StartFriday, October 29, 1971 at 4:55 PMEndFriday, October 29, 1971 at 4:56 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 013-040 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417190295 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with John C. Whitaker regarding ongoing negotiations with labor leader Thomas W. 'Ted' Gleason. The administration sought to strike a deal that would utilize American ships for Venezuelan oil imports in exchange for a 50-50 shipping arrangement for grain exports to the Soviet Union. Nixon emphasized the importance of the effort, noting the potential political benefits for both foreign policy and domestic agricultural legislation.

Audio

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NARA Description

On October 29, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John C. Whitaker talked on the telephone from 4:55 pm to 4:56 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 013-040 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 013-040

Date: October 29, 1971
Time: 4:55 pm - 4:56 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John C. Whitaker.

[See Conversation No. 302-18D]

     Thomas W. ("Ted") Gleason
         -Charles W. Colson
         -Laurence H. Silberman
              -James D. Hodgson
         -Negotiations concerning use of US ships
              -Venezuela, Soviet Union
                    -Oil and grain
              -Colson, [Forename unknown] Lincoln

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Hi, John.
How are you getting along on Teddy Gleason?
We're working it pretty hard.
Colson, and we had Colson and Silberman, the people under Hutch, and he's out of town.
And we're trying to cut a deal, essentially, whereby on our next oil imports out of Venezuela, they'd go on American bottoms in return for getting the 50-50 deal on grain to Russia.
Now, that's complicated, and Colson and Lincoln are working on that right now.
Well, right, but you're pushing it with everything you've got, huh?
Yes, sir.
You know this is a good one.
Yeah, I'm good.
It pays off foreign policy and with the farm bill.
Right.
Fine job.
Okay.
Thanks.

Also recorded on October 29, 1971

  • 013-037 3:20 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:20 pm and 4:10 pm.
  • 302-018 3:20 PM · 1 hr 50 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, White House operator, George P. Shultz, Manolo Sanchez, unknown person(s), and John C. Whitaker met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:20 pm to 5:16 pm.
  • 013-038 4:10 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 4:10 pm to 4:11 pm.
  • 013-039 4:11 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:11 pm and 4:55 pm.
  • 608-001 5:20 PM · 49 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:20 pm to 6:08 pm.
  • 013-041 6:03 PM · 25 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:03 pm and 6:35 pm.
  • 013-042 6:03 PM · 12 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:03 pm and 6:35 pm.
  • 608-002 6:19 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:19 pm to 6:35 pm.

All 64 conversations from October 29, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 013-040, October 29, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417190295). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/013-040 (accessed November 14, 2026).