Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 21 › Conversation 021-122

Nixon phone call with Bull on Manea Manescu and Diplomatic translation

Monday, March 20, 1972 · 7:36 PM–7:37 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation021-122 on Tape 21 (tape position 04:19:05–04:20:34)StartMonday, March 20, 1972 at 7:36 PMEndMonday, March 20, 1972 at 7:37 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 021-122 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 646310244 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to reorganize his upcoming schedule to better accommodate time-consuming meetings with Romanian official Manea Manescu. Nixon emphasized that translation requirements necessitate doubling the time allotted for foreign dignitaries, prompting the rescheduling of meetings with Gerard C. Smith and Raymond P. Shafer. These adjustments were intended to prevent scheduling bottlenecks and ensure sufficient time for high-level discussions.

Audio

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Position in tape: 04:19:05 – 04:20:34

part B, 19:03

021a.mp3
021c.mp3

NARA Description

On March 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 7:36 pm to 7:37 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 021-122 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 21-122

Date: March 20, 1972
Time: 7:36 pm - 7:37 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Stephen B. Bull.

     The President’s schedule
          -Timing of meetings
               -Manea Manescu
               -Raymond P. Shafer
               -Gerard C. Smith
               -Manescu
                      -Romania
                      -Translation
                           -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
               -Gerard C. Smith
               -Shafer
               -Manescu
                      -Translation
                           -National Security Council [NSC
               -Smith
               -Shafer

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I think we're a little too tight on the schedule, and I want you to move...
I mean, after Monesco you've got to move the shaper at 5.30 and put the other fellow at 5 o'clock.
You have it there?
I've got it.
Yeah, well, I'll tell you what it is.
It's Smith.
Smith should be at 5, because we'll never finish with the Romanian after translation.
So if you can't do it in 15 minutes, it takes you to tell you that, that he forgot.
And Smith, therefore, he needs a half hour, so you've got to put him at five.
Put Schaefer at 5.30.
Well, put him at 5.30 for that reason.
That may get him for five minutes.
But the main thing is, you can't put Smith at 4.30 after Manescu at 4.15, because Manescu will never get through in 15 minutes.
That's right.
With the translation, you see.
With the translation, always double the time.
Whatever NSC may tell you, double the time.
All right.
Thank you very much.
So, in other words, Smith at 5, Schaefer at 5.30, and then give me a little more time, and I hope it's managed by 6 o'clock.
Okay?
All right.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Yes?
Hello.
Mr. President, I'm Secretary Connolly, returning your call.

Also recorded on March 20, 1972

  • 021-117 5:30 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:30 pm and 5:56 pm.
  • 021-118 5:56 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 5:56 pm.
  • 021-119 5:56 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:56 pm and 7:36 pm.
  • 021-120 5:56 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:56 pm and 7:36 pm.
  • 021-121 5:56 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:56 pm and 7:36 pm.
  • 324-013 6:30 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:30 pm and 6:34 pm.
  • 021-123 7:59 PM · 44 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 7:59 pm to 8:00 pm.
  • 021-134 8:00 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone on an unknown date, sometime between 8:00 pm on March 20, 1972 and 1:03 pm on March 21, 1972.

All 23 conversations from March 20, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 021-122, March 20, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 646310244). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/021-122 (accessed November 2, 2026).