Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 13 › Conversation 013-121

Nixon phone call with Colson on Maritime unions and Grain shipments

Thursday, November 4, 1971 · 3:47 PM–3:52 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation013-121 on Tape 13 (tape position 04:00:23–04:00:38)StartThursday, November 4, 1971 at 3:47 PMEndThursday, November 4, 1971 at 3:52 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 013-121 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss a breakthrough with maritime unions that allows for the shipment of grain to the Soviet Union, a feat they note previous administrations failed to accomplish. Colson reports that the deal is set for a public announcement, contingent on final coordination with the Soviet embassy. The President directs Colson to involve Henry Kissinger to ensure the process remains on schedule, noting the significant positive impact this development is expected to have on the American farm belt.

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Mr. President.
Yeah.
Mr. Coulson.
Yeah.
There you are.
Okay.
Hello.
Yes, sir, Mr. President.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What's new today?
Well, I...
I think we got some good news.
We got a call that the labor unions on the maritime side have bought our deal, and it looks like the corn will ship next week if the Russians stick to their end of the bargain, but we have...
It really is a rather historic thing, because both Kennedy and Johnson tried this.
They were boycotted by the unions who wouldn't handle a cargo, and they never were able to ship anything.
When and how can we get it out, Chuck?
Well, I've got everybody working on it right now, Mr. President.
If the Russian embassy agrees...
And Peterson has been working on this.
We'll be able to announce it tomorrow.
We want to announce it tomorrow because the unions have asked us to so that they're... Well, now, rather than Peterson, may I just respectfully suggest
that uh get kissinger to shove him if there's any problem oh yes indeed he knows about it no he doesn't have a call into him uh yeah and i just haven't talked to me it just happened within the last hour i'll have him call you all right that'd be great he uh it if nothing goes wrong it won't go wrong now from the union side but if nothing goes wrong on the deal yeah uh basically with the russians or continental grain it's going to be a big jolt in the farm belt we've got everybody out there good alerted to speed

NARA Description

On November 4, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 3:47 pm to 3:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 013-121 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 013-121

Date: November 4, 1971
Time: 3:47 pm - 3:52 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 300-16]

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 02/11/2019.
Segment will remain closed.]
[Personal Returnable]
[013-121-w001]
[Duration: 1s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

     President's schedule
           -Indira Gandhi

     National economy
          -Grain shipments to Soviet Union
                -Maritime unions
                      -Agreement
                      -John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
                -Peter G. Peterson's contacts with Soviet Embassy
                -Public announcement
                      -Timing
                -Colson's forthcoming conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
                -Continental Grain Company
                -Effect in Farm Belt
                -Public relations actions

     Frank Stanton
          -Conversation with Colson
                -Daniel L. Schorr report

     National economy
          -Wholesale prices
                -Colson's conversations with John W. Chancellor and Howard K. Smith
          -Stock market
                -Volume
                -Chase Manhattan's lowering of prime rate
                -Wholesale prices
                      -Schorr story
                -November 5th unemployment statistics
                      -Chancellor, Smith
          -Grain shipments to Soviet Union
                -Kissinger's forthcoming call to Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
                -Soviets' comments to Secretary of Agriculture
          -Pay Board
                -Colson's forthcoming meeting with Clark Mollenhoff
                      -James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

Also recorded on November 4, 1971

  • 300-016 3:47 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:47 pm to 3:52 pm.
  • 300-017 3:52 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:52 pm and 3:55 pm.
  • 614-009 3:55 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 4:02 pm.
  • 614-010 3:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 4:02 pm.
  • 614-011 3:55 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 4:02 pm.
  • 013-122 4:02 PM · 1 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr., White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, Kofi A. Busia, and Peter G. Peterson talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:02 pm and 4:39 pm.
  • 614-012 4:02 PM · 47 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Kofi A. Busia, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:02 pm to 4:48 pm.
  • 614-013 4:48 PM · 31 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:48 pm and 4:50 pm.

All 58 conversations from November 4, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 013-121, November 4, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/013-121 (accessed October 12, 2026).