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Conversation 017-038

TapeTape 17StartFriday, December 24, 1971 at 5:40 PMEndFriday, December 24, 1971 at 5:42 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  White House operator;  Stans, Maurice H.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon placed a holiday call to Secretary of Commerce Maurice Stans, who was vacationing with John A. Mulcahy. The discussion primarily served to exchange Christmas greetings, though Nixon briefly addressed geopolitical concerns regarding the Soviet Union. The President praised Stans’s recent trip to the USSR and reaffirmed the administration’s strategic approach to upcoming diplomatic negotiations.

Maurice H. StansChristmasUSSRDiplomacyCold War strategy
AudioNARA Description

On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Maurice H. Stans talked on the telephone from 5:40 pm to 5:42 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-038 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 17-38

Date: December 24, 1971
Time: 5:40 pm - 5:42 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House Operator.

     Call from Maurice H. Stans

The President talked with Stans.

     Christmas greetings

     Stans's location
          -John A. (“Jack”) Mulcahy
                 -Weather
          -Health
          -Mulcahy's location
          -Eisaku Sato
          -Trip to Union of Soviet Socialist Republic [USSR]
          -Cabinet report
                 -Melvin Laird
                 -Negotiations
                 -USSR statements
                 -US strategy
                 -Trip PR

     Kathleen (Carmody) Stans
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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.
Mr. President, Secretary Stan.
Yeah.
Mr. President, sir.
Hello.
Maury, I just called to wish you and Catalina a Merry Christmas.
Are you in Washington?
Isn't that great.
I hope the weather is better there than here.
Good.
Good.
Have you got a little cold?
I can tell, yeah.
Well, that'll knock it out for you.
Yeah, is Mulcahy there?
I see.
Yeah.
I see.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, that's right.
Right.
Good.
Right.
Good.
Good.
Well, then we'll see you in about two weeks.
Well...
Stay out there and have a little rest.
Okay.
After all, you've been to Russia and everything.
You need to recover.
Don't eat any caviar.
Well, that's always their line, and it will continue to be, but we've got our own fish to fry, and we will fry them at the right time, too.
But it's being handled extremely well, and your trip was just right, and now we've got to sell it to them.
Okay, well, give our very best to Kathleen and everybody else.
All right, bye.
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