Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 021-050
Date: Monday, March 13, 1972 at 11:16 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Noyes, Croby S.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/021-050

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] I don't have anything of earth-shaking importance enough for your column, but I thought you'd be interested to know that most of your readers would be more interested in this, I'm afraid, than what I say on international affairs or you say in your column.
[0:19] I noticed the Star had an editorial about our pandas.
[0:22] Yes.
[0:23] And I think you would be interested to know that I just told Ziegler at the morning briefing, so that it could make the afternoon edition of the Star, that Mrs. Nixon and I decided that the pandas should go to the
[0:36] Oh, that's very good news indeed.
[0:38] I think you should know, too, that we've, as you can imagine, the requests from over the country, that San Diego has a Splendid Zoo, St. Louis, New York, Chicago, and the rest.
[0:48] But we, basically, this is the place for them from the standpoint, first, it's a national zoo rather than a local one.
[0:57] And this was the key thing, the reason we were waiting on it.
[1:01] The key thing is climate.
[1:03] The panda, of course, we want to be sure they don't come over and die.
[1:07] And we find that the Washington climate is somewhat more mild than their usual habitat.
[1:12] But nevertheless, cold enough, we think, for what they are.
[1:17] So in any event, you're going to get the pandas.
[1:21] We're going to get both of them.
[1:23] Oh, yes.
[1:24] Now, as a matter of fact, let me tell you an interesting thing about that you must know.
[1:29] You can only use it on your own.
[1:30] But I was just talking to Rob Haldeman, who talked to his Chinese hosts, and
[1:36] This question of mating is very interesting.
[1:38] This is a male and a female.
[1:42] The problem, however, with pandas is that they don't know how to mate.
[1:46] The only way they learn how is to watch other pandas mate, you see.
[1:50] And so they're keeping them there a little while.
[1:52] These are younger ones to sort of learn, you know, how it's done.
[1:57] Now, if they don't learn it, they'll get over here and nothing will happen.
[2:00] So I just thought you should have your best reporter out there to see whether these pandas have learned.
[2:07] So now that I've given you the story of pandas, let me let you get back to your more serious questions.
[2:12] How soon are they arriving, sir?
[2:14] April 1st.
[2:15] When we think about April 1st, I just asked Ziegler, and, you know, everything is shrouded in mystery even when the pandas arrive.