Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 39 › Conversation 039-115

Nixon phone call with Haig on Cost of Living Council and John T. Dunlop

Wednesday, June 6, 1973 · 4:40 PM–4:44 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsWhite House operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation039-115 on Tape 39StartWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 4:40 PMEndWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 4:44 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 039-115 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinate logistics for a dinner meeting on the Sequoia with Bryce Harlow and John B. Connally, while discussing administrative efficiencies regarding the Cost of Living Council. Nixon directs Haig to consult with John T. Dunlop on strengthening the economic speech, specifically by incorporating trade tariff removals and aggressive measures to address rising food prices. Key policy considerations include the potential implementation of a price freeze on basic agricultural commodities like soybeans to signal resolve to the public.

Audio

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NARA Description

On June 6, 1973, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 4:40 pm to 4:44 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 039-115 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 39-115

Date: June 6, 1973
Time: 4:40 pm - 4:44 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

       Incoming telephone call

Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked with the President.

[See also Conversation No. 443-22]

       President’s schedule
              -Dinner on Sequoia
                      -Bryce N. Harlow
                      -Haig and John B. Connally

       Haig’s schedule
              -Cost of Living Council [COLC] meetings [?]
                     -Attendance
                             -President’s role
                     -John T. Dunlop

       COLC
              -Dunlop
              -Connally’s role
                    -Forthcoming conversation on Sequia
                    -Pierre Rinfret
                                              -95-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                               Conversation No. 39-115 (cont’d)

                      -Need for support

       President’s forthcoming speech on national economy
              -Tariffs
                       -Congressional action
              -Dunlop
                       -Forthcoming meeting with Haig
                              -Food
                                     -Foreign licensing
                                             -Phraseology
                                     -Price freeze
                                             -Soybeans, commodities
                                             -Possible reaction by labor, farmers

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.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

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Yeah.
It's General Haig calling, sir.
Hello, Al.
President.
We got out of the meeting tonight.
Their house is too busy.
Yes, sir.
But they're so delighted that we've invited them, so we've got the best of both worlds.
That's right.
Did you want to move up the... Well, I thought we would leave at 6.
Good.
And I would suggest that I'll ride over with Harlow.
I'd like to chat with him a little.
Good idea.
And suggest that maybe you might swing by and pick up Connolly and take him over.
What do you think of that?
Or have Connolly... Have him send a car and have Connolly go... Fine.
...from the hotel, and then you go directly from here.
Fair enough.
Okay, sir.
Good.
We can...
I was calling you about... Actually, before I learned of the cancellation, I was just calling you.
Do you not become...
Basically, you've got so doggone many things to do.
You've sat through these horrendous sessions that I can handle.
So you have to go to every one.
You understand?
Yes, sir.
Many times it'll be very important.
But I'll let you know when I feel that you should get out of one.
You know what I mean?
Always be on the list.
And I'll call you sometime to say, look, we've done lop or something.
You know what I mean?
We've got other fish to fry here.
Absolutely.
We haven't heard from Dunlop yet, have we?
Well, it's interesting, though, that Connolly will chat about that a little in the boat tonight.
Don't you think that's a good subject?
Yes, sir.
I do.
And I want to get him nailed down and then have him work on Renfray and some of these other wild hares.
I want him on board on this.
No question about that.
He's got to be a supporter throughout the community.
Yeah, yeah.
And we'll consider some other things here.
One thing that they ought to put in that talk that they don't have that they should develop, they ought to put in the removal of tariffs, you know, and they put a list of things for the Congress to do.
It's very thin at the present time.
And the removal of all tariffs, which we sent down previously, but we can get that in there.
And just get ahold of Dunlop and see if you can think of anything else in the food area other than
And I would simply state that we're going to license the stuff abroad.
You know, I'd put it so it's stronger than they must consult before they do it.
Consultation sounds like a nothing.
Oh, yes.
Yes, absolutely.
And I'd think of that, but Dunlop knows the problem.
You see, we want to put some stuff in here that really sings in terms of the food thing.
Okay.
And tell Dunlop I want him to consider if we could freeze any prices in food.
You know what I mean?
Not freeze or—you know what I mean?
Maybe soybeans and some of that junk.
Some of the basic commodities.
Just say that that would be a good signal.
Just throw a freeze on them.
Take the heat from whatever labor's involved there and the farmers, but do it.
All right, you're good.
All right, bye.

Also recorded on June 6, 1973

  • 443-019 4:38 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:38 pm and 4:40 pm.
  • 443-020 4:38 PM · 13 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:38 pm and 4:40 pm.
  • 443-021 4:38 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:38 pm and 4:40 pm.
  • 443-022 4:40 PM · 3 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:40 pm to 4:44 pm.
  • 039-116 4:44 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:44 pm and 4:46 pm.
  • 443-023 4:44 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:44 pm and 4:46 pm.
  • 443-038 4:44 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:44 pm and 4:46 pm.
  • 039-117 4:46 PM · 29 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 4:46 pm.

All 85 conversations from June 6, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 039-115, June 6, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/039-115 (accessed November 2, 2026).