Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 37 › Conversation 037-074

Kissinger & Ziegler on People's Republic of China and Prisoners of War

Friday, March 9, 1973 · 2:46 PM–2:53 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsKissinger, Henry A.; Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation037-074 on Tape 37StartFriday, March 9, 1973 at 2:46 PMEndFriday, March 9, 1973 at 2:53 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 037-074 ↗

AI Summary

Henry Kissinger informs Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler that the People's Republic of China has agreed to release American prisoner John T. Downey on March 12, as well as prisoners Robert J. Flynn and Philip E. Smith on March 15. Kissinger instructs Ziegler to announce the news publicly, framing Downey's release as a result of a direct humanitarian appeal to Chou En-lai regarding the prisoner's mother's illness. The two discuss potential strategies for the President to comment on the development during an upcoming photo opportunity with William Rogers.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hello?

This is your Mr. Ziegler.

Ron?

Go ahead.

Ron, I'm with the President.

We've just had word from the Chinese that they're releasing Downey on the 12th.

Of what?

Of March.

Oh, that's fantastic.

And we would like you to announce it this afternoon.

I will.

And they're also releasing the prisoners Flynn and Smith on the 15th.

Oh, my God.

When you announced the Downey thing, you ought to say that this was on the basis of a direct appeal by the Prime Minister, uh, due to the illness of his mother, President.

Uh-huh.

Okay.

Yeah, suggest to the President, Henry, just listen to me for a moment, would you?

He's due to do a photo opportunity at 3.30, and he'll be sitting out with Rogers, but that doesn't matter.

He could say something about that at the photo opportunity.

What do you think would be better?

I don't know.

I think you should announce it first, and then something more can be said.

Okay, fine.

I'll do it whatever way you want.

I just wanted to give him that ability to say we have just heard or Dr. Kissinger just informed me.

Okay, okay, okay.

I just wanted to raise that.

When you come back over, I'd like to put together the words with you.

I'll wait for your call.

Good.

All right.

NARA Description

On March 9, 1973, Henry A. Kissinger and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:46 pm and 2:53 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 037-074 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 37-74

Date: March 9, 1973
Time: Unknown between 2:46 pm and 2:53 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Henry A. Kissinger talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See Conversation No. 418-5F]
                                               - 48 -

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

       John T. Downey's release
              -Message from People’s Republic of China [PRC]
              -Announcement
              -Release of other prisoners
                     -Lt. Cmdr. Robert J. Flynn
                     -Maj. Philip E. Smith
                     -Ziegler’s reaction
              -Appeal to Cheu En-Lai
                     -Illness of Downey’s mother

       President's schedule
              -William P. Rogers
              -Announcement
                      -Timing
                      -Wording

Also recorded on March 9, 1973

037-070 2:35 PM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 2:46 pm.
037-071 2:35 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and William Downey talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 2:46 pm.
037-072 2:35 PM · 15 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 2:46 pm.
037-073 2:46 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 2:46 pm.
037-075 3:00 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thomas J. Meskill talked on the telephone from 3:00 pm to 3:02 pm.
418-006 3:05 PM · 22 sec — Unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building on an unknown date, sometime between 3:05 pm on March 9, 1973 and 12:46 pm on March 12, 1973.
875-001 3:10 PM · 2 min — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:17 pm.
875-005 3:10 PM · 15 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:17 pm.

All 54 conversations from March 9, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 037-074, March 9, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/037-074 (accessed October 5, 2026).