Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-050
Nixon phone call with Kendall on Diplomatic Appointments and Argentina
Friday, December 24, 1971 · 9:22 PM–9:30 PM ET · White House Telephone · 7 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Pepsi executive Donald Kendall discuss the potential appointment of George S. Moore as the U.S. Ambassador to Argentina, agreeing that a strong business figure with Spanish-language skills is needed to protect U.S. interests in the region. Kendall also provides an update on his recent trade negotiations in Moscow regarding Pepsi's expansion into the Soviet market, noting that Nixon's upcoming diplomatic overtures to China have created a favorable environment for these discussions. The two conclude by reviewing Pepsi's sales performance and coordinating further briefings on the results of Kendall’s international business dealings.
- Diplomatic Appointments
- Argentina
- Pepsi
- USSR Trade
- Foreign Policy
- George S. Moore
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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Mr. Dan Kendall, sir.
Also, I thought you should know that I just talked to Pete Feinigan earlier today.
He told me about your suggestion to George Moore.
We're going to offer him that ambassadorship in Argentina, if he'll take it.
Well, I think if he gets the word that you want him to do it, I mean, of course, he'll probably do it.
Well, I'll tell you what.
I'm going to have Pete hit him.
And then if he doesn't indicate that he...
You know, if he indicates anything, I'll have Pete give you a ring and ask you to call him, too, see?
And then, of course, I'll call him if he's in any way receptive.
He would be ideal.
You see, we need a very strong man there, and he's a banker, he knows Spanish, he has great prestige, and he's got great dignity, and he'd just be perfect for the job.
Oh, I think he would be.
You know, the only better guy for it would be you, but I need you here.
Now, that's the truth.
Well, I need the money that I'm making, too.
Oh, you don't need the money.
No, but we need you, my guy.
I don't know anybody else to furnish me the golf balls.
So tell him to keep his spirit up.
I certainly will, and it was very nice of you to call, and I certainly appreciate it.
If there's anything I can do on the Morse situation, I certainly will.
Yeah, well, we'll see.
He may have a personal problem, but Pete's going to feel him out, and then we're going to look at what we've had over the weekend.
Did Maury tell you about my negotiations in Moscow?
Not yet.
That's very good.
Maury told me that he had put the...
that he raised the subject, you know, with him.
Apparently he had some talks about the thing himself.
Well, actually, Maury and I talked for a few years together when we got into the discussion on this, and I had a meeting with him that morning, and then spent the afternoon with the college guys.
Great, great.
And I think we're going to work a deal on our... We'll get their vibes, and we'll get Pepsi in, and we'll have a happy turn to...
Well, just don't have me drink the damn vodka.
You can sell it to other people.
No, it'll be a great deal.
Well, I'll keep it in mind, you know.
It might be a chance.
I don't know what they're going to set up at this point, but by April we should know.
No, I'm serious.
I would love to make that trip again.
All right.
I'd rather make that one than the China one.
Yeah.
Well, you wouldn't get to do much in China anyway.
Yeah.
Well, anyway.
It's very interesting.
I told Mari that when you got back from your whirlwind visit, I think it would be very good if...
If we could get Jack Towers and maybe Bob Binkersall and Maury and I to sit down and have a few minutes with you and tell you what we found out in our discussions over there, because we all had negotiations, I think you'd be very interested in the results.
Good, good will.
It's all a result of what you've done in China.
It just turns the whole thing around.
It's not unbelievable.
Well, we just hope that it continues along that line later on.
The Russians, of course, played a pretty hard game in some places in the world.
But we can work something out here that'll help.
Sure.
Well, that's just fine.
We'll keep them guessing.
Sure have.
Beautiful job.
Well, Don, give my best to Ben.
Great year for you.
Congratulations.
Thank God you're there.
We just keep the economy going.
How have your sales been?
I hope they're good.
Really, we're going to end up 10% ahead this year.
We just completed our forecast for next year.
As a matter of fact, when Pete called me, the one thing we're concerned about in our forecast next year is our decision.
because we've got such a tremendous investment.
If that thing turns around, it won't.
I think if we get a good, strong ambassador, we can... You think George could do it, don't you?
I do, and I don't...
The guy you've got is wonderful, but he's great for the full-time people.
I know what you mean.
Well, remember, you told me that before.
I think George has got enough control, he's got enough prestige to do what he needs to do.
But if we can get him, we're going to do it.
If we don't, we're going to get another business type down there.
That's what I think we need.
I gave Pete a second name on it.
I think he has to speak Spanish, though.
That's the problem.
Yes, well, the second, Jack Duncan, who is a W.R. Gray.
Yeah.
He would put it at one point for Meyer's job.
Mm-hmm.
Well, we'll...
Pick Meyer's and get nine more, which we better be getting.
Good.
Okay, Don.
We'll take a...
All right, John.
Goodbye.
NARA Description
On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Donald McI. Kendall talked on the telephone from 9:22 pm to 9:30 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-050 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 17-50
Date: December 24, 1971
Time: 9:22 pm - 9:30 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Donald McI. Kendall.
**********************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/21/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[017-050-w001]
[Duration: 28s]
Donald McI. Kendall’s gift to the President
-Koala
-Display
**********************************************************************
George S. Moore
-Ambassadorship
-Argentina
-Peter Flanigan
-Call to Kendall
-President’s forthcoming call to Flanigan
Moore
-Skills and abilities
-Kendall
-Money
-Golf balls
**********************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/21/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[017-050-w003]
[Duration: 29s]
Convention
-Money
-Timing
Christmas plans
-Kids
-Christmas Eve
-Augustine Etworth
**********************************************************************
**********************************************************************
[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-00812. Segment declassified on 10/11/2017 & 12/08/17. Archivist: JD]
[National Security]
[017-050-w004]
[Duration: 23s]
Salvador Allende
-The President’s opinion
-Future
-Credit
-United States support
**********************************************************************
Flanigan
Moore
Kendall's negotiations with Moscow
-Maurice H. Stans
-Aleksei N. Kosygin
-Nikolay V. Patolichev
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] vodka
-Pepsi
-Kosygin
-Stans
-Monopoly
-Vodka
President's USSR Summit
-Kendall
-Possible invitation
-April
President's People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
Stans
Jack Powers
Robert S. Ingersoll
Negotiations with USSR
-Kendall
Foreign policy
-USSR influence in the world
Kendall's negotiations with USSR
-PRC
President's best to Kendall's wife
Pepsi sales
-Forecast for next year
-Flanigan’s phone call
-Concern about Argentina
-Moore
-Present Ambassador
-Potential Ambassadors
-Businessman
-Flanigan
-Speaks Spanish
-Importance
-Jack Duncan
-[First name unknown] Myers [sp?]
-JobAlso recorded on December 25, 1971
- 017-044 9:09 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John A. ("Jack") Mulcahy talked on the telephone from 9:09 pm to 9:10 pm.
- 017-045 9:10 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:10 pm and 9:14 pm.
- 017-046 9:14 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover talked on the telephone from 9:14 pm to 9:17 pm.
- 017-047 9:17 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:17 pm and 9:19 pm.
- 017-048 9:19 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, McIntyre Faries, and Geralyne Faries talked on the telephone from 9:19 pm to 9:20 pm.
- 017-049 9:20 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:20 pm and 9:22 pm.
- 017-051 9:32 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Hobart D. Lewis talked on the telephone from 9:32 pm to 9:35 pm.
- 017-052 9:35 PM · 6 min — Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Ann Davis talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:35 pm and 11:17 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 017-050, December 25, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-050 (accessed October 12, 2026).