{"conversationCode":"019-118","tapeNumber":19,"conversationNumber":118,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-019-118","startDateTime":"1972-01-26T21:23:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-01-26T21:24:00.000Z","startDate":"26-Jan-1972","startTime":"4:23 PM","endDate":"26-Jan-1972","endTime":"4:24 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Romney, George W.; Shultz, George P.;","description":"On January 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, George W. Romney, and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 4:23 pm to 4:24 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-118 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":3,"chronRelease":"Third Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"28-Feb-2002","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 19-118\n\nDate: January 26, 1972\nTime: 4:23 pm - 4:24 pm\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with George W. Romney.\n\n[See Conversation No. 318-7A]\n\n     The President's speech, January 25, 1972, on Vietnam\n          -Romney's comments\n\nThe President asked an unknown person [George P. Shultz?] to enter the room.\n\n     Vietnam\n          -Negotiations\n              -Secrecy","filename":["019-118.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Romney, George W.","Shultz, George P."],"prevCode":"019-117","nextCode":"019-119","transcript":[{"start":2.83,"end":5.29,"text":"Secretary Romney, Mr. President."},{"start":5.33,"end":5.78,"text":"Mr. President."},{"start":5.8,"end":11.38,"text":"George, I just wanted to call you to tell you that I greatly appreciated your comments with regard to my speech last night."},{"start":11.44,"end":13.19,"text":"They were relayed to me this morning."},{"start":13.79,"end":20.32,"text":"Well, I think you have a very positive peace program, and I was delighted that you revealed all these secret discussions."},{"start":20.36,"end":24.8,"text":"Of course, I knew nothing about them, but it was very reassuring to me, and I'm sure it is to the nation."},{"start":25.02,"end":26.44,"text":"Well, we've been—come on in."},{"start":27.39,"end":29.55,"text":"We've been, you know, of course, working on these things."},{"start":30.14,"end":34.14,"text":"We had to keep them private for reasons that you're well aware."},{"start":34.38,"end":34.68,"text":"Sure."},{"start":35.02,"end":40.71,"text":"But it just shows that what all these fellows have been talking about, we've been doing, and we were about three jumps ahead of them."},{"start":40.73,"end":41.47,"text":"Exactly right."},{"start":41.49,"end":44.01,"text":"And now we're on a darn good wicket, and we're going to stick right on it."},{"start":44.73,"end":45.59,"text":"I was just delighted."},{"start":45.63,"end":50.96,"text":"Even though the North Vietnamese, of course, will say no the first time, we'll keep at it, and eventually they're going to have to take the deal."},{"start":51.1,"end":51.72,"text":"That's right."},{"start":52.17,"end":59.62,"text":"Well, I was greatly encouraged, and I'm sure the country is, and I certainly think it strengthens your whole effort tremendously, Mr. President."},{"start":59.7,"end":60.38,"text":"Thank you, George."},{"start":60.74,"end":61.41,"text":"Good to talk with you."},{"start":61.75,"end":62.49,"text":"Thank you."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon initiated this call to thank Secretary of Housing and Urban Development George Romney for his supportive reaction to the President's recent televised speech regarding Vietnam. Romney expressed his approval of Nixon’s decision to disclose previously secret peace negotiations, noting that the transparency provided national reassurance. The conversation concluded with Nixon affirming his commitment to the diplomatic strategy despite anticipated initial rejections from the North Vietnamese.","topics":["Vietnam War","Peace negotiations","Public diplomacy","Nixon administration","Diplomatic secrecy"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T01:45:52.352Z"},"topicSlugs":["vietnam-war","peace-negotiations","public-diplomacy","nixon-administration","diplomatic-secrecy"],"audioDurationSec":63,"audioFiles":[{"file":"019-118.mp3","bytes":1515937,"durationSec":63.11,"bitrate":192160,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:24.938Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/019-118.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-118","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/19/conversation-019-118","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}