Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 016-050
Date: Wednesday, December 8, 1971 at 2:15 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); McCormack, John W.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-050
National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/417191349 (NAID 417191349)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.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.
[0:01] Hello, Mr. President.
[0:05] Yes, hello.
[0:05] How are you?
[0:06] Oh, I wanted to call to tell you how deeply touched I am, how grateful I am to you for the, not consideration, but far more beyond the line of duty than Mrs. Nixon attending the funeral services.
[0:25] Well, I tell you, she was just delighted to be able to go
[0:30] And I regret I couldn't come.
[0:33] I had a sort of a little problem that day, you know, with India and Pakistan and all that.
[0:38] But she was just, she wanted to be there to show what the country felt about Mrs. McCormick.
[0:45] Oh, well, of course, this couldn't be...
[0:48] Anything more personal than her being there, other than yourself, see?
[0:53] Well, I think that's what we wanted to convey.
[0:57] Oh, and touching.
[0:58] I want you to know how deeply we appreciate it, how much it was appreciated by everyone, was the comments.
[1:05] Of course, the press gave a tremendous play.
[1:11] It was so touching.
[1:15] Harrod could speak from the great beyond.
[1:18] she'd simply, I know she'd say to me, say thanks to the president for me.
[1:23] Well, we know that, and as I said to you when we called the other day, that the example that you have set and that she set during her life was a fine one for the country, and we just wanted to represent the country as well as ourselves personally.
[1:44] Will you convey to...
[1:46] I sure will.
[1:48] I sure will.
[1:49] And she will... Also, tell her that I'm taking... that if Harriet could speak and greet me on, I'm saying thanks also for her.
[1:58] I certainly will, John.
[2:00] I'll do that.
[2:00] I'll do that.
[2:01] And it was awfully thoughtful of you to call.
[2:04] I'll tell her.
[2:04] Oh, thoughtful.
[2:05] Fine.
[2:06] And you just stand up now.
[2:11] You know, we want to...
[2:14] keep you in the battle trenches.
[2:17] The situation is pretty tense, isn't it?
[2:19] Well, actually, on the India-Pakistan one, there really isn't anything we can do to stop it.
[2:27] India is determined to
[2:29] to rabble it up, and Pakistan has not handled itself too well.
[2:34] And, of course, we don't want to get involved.
[2:36] I mean, we have one more already.
[2:39] Because in back of them are the two big... Russia and China.
[2:44] Right.
[2:46] That's really their area of influence.
[2:49] I said to a friend of mine yesterday,
[2:52] I said, I don't know a thing about it, but I'll let the president take serve notice that we'll help the suffering human beings all we can.
[3:02] That's right.
[3:02] We'll extend our good offices to the extent we can.
[3:06] Right.
[3:07] But I said, I bet he's probably said to both Soviet Union and Russia,
[3:11] little more difficulty with communication.
[3:14] I mean, the Soviet Union, Red China, he said to them both, this is your baby.
[3:19] Right.
[3:20] Well, that's exactly what I said.
[3:22] The way we would, I put it, you could sort of say we'll give millions for humanitarian things, but we're not going to give us
[3:30] given any aid for the war.
[3:33] We're not even India.
[3:34] But China and the Soviet Union could stop it if they want to.
[3:37] Absolutely.
[3:38] Particularly Russia could.
[3:40] See, China has influence on Pakistan.
[3:42] Pakistan would stop it because they're going to lose.
[3:45] Sure.
[3:46] But at the present time, the Indians see a chance to finish off their old enemy.
[3:52] And the Russians are kind of gleeful because they know that Pakistan has been leaning to China.
[3:57] And it's a dirty game.
[3:59] It's truly a dirty game.
[4:00] Well, they may not in the long run know, but right now they can't do anything for a reason that the Indians...
[4:14] This thing came ahead at a time, weather-wise, when those great mountain passes coming down over the Himalaya Mountains are all covered with snow.
[4:24] So the Chinese couldn't move on to India if they wanted to.
[4:27] That's part of the problem.
[4:29] But I would say this.
[4:30] If I were an Indian looking to the future, I would be worried about my northern neighbor because the Chinese will not forget.
[4:37] They will not forget, and I think they can rack up India any time they want to.
[4:43] Oh, yes.
[4:44] Yeah.
[4:45] Well, we just hope it doesn't happen, but we're doing our best to cool it, and the United Nations vote was good.
[4:49] At least it asked both sides to withdraw and put some of the blame on India where it belongs for not withdrawing.
[4:55] Any time you feel John McCormick can help, and I don't want to use the word help, so we can use it.
[5:04] And you know, just a thought, you know the Somoza?
[5:10] Yes, yes.
[5:11] He and I are good friends.
[5:12] Yes, yes.
[5:13] I got to know him through Jim Fitzgerald.
[5:17] You knew Jim years ago, he died.
[5:18] Yeah, yeah.
[5:19] I sent his son to West Point.
[5:21] Yes, yes.
[5:22] And his son and Somoza were roommates.
[5:26] Uh-huh, uh-huh.
[5:26] Now, sometimes there might be as close personal message
[5:30] And nobody could be closer to one another than two fellows who lived together as roommates in the academy.
[5:37] Of course, of course.
[5:38] And he's the president of Nicaragua.
[5:40] And I was thinking about it last night, and I said, well, sometimes, not any official position or anything, but sometimes I said the president might want to send a special message through somebody who is a crew exceedingly close.
[5:57] I'm going to tell it to the president sometime that I met Somoza through Fitzgerald, but Fitzgerald, whom I appointed to nominate at the West Point, was the room, he and Somoza, when he was there, were roommates.
[6:14] I see, yes, yes, yes.
[6:16] Well, I tell you, I sure will have it in mind, because...
[6:19] That place down there, you know, that's always a little bit of a hot box, too.
[6:25] I mean, that's Central America.
[6:27] They're more pro-American than most Americans.
[6:29] Yes.
[6:30] Bet your life.
[6:31] You bet your life.
[6:32] He sure is.
[6:33] He sure is.
[6:33] I saw him going through the line, extending his sympathy.
[6:37] Immediately, I said to myself, sometime I'll tell the president about this.
[6:41] Not for any appointment.
[6:43] I understand.
[6:44] Sometimes it might be just some one-shot special affair.
[6:48] Mission or something.
[6:49] Let me say I appreciate it very much, and certainly we'll have it in mind.
[6:54] I'm sure something's going to come up.
[6:56] Something that is, I hope it does.
[6:59] My deep thanks for Harriet, who can speak to you, her deep thanks.
[7:03] Well, we know we have it both, and we appreciate it, and we'll just look forward to seeing you one of these days, John, down here.
[7:10] Thank you, Mr. President.
[7:11] Bye.
[7:12] Bye.