Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 044-008 Date: Thursday, March 22, 1973 at 1:52 PM Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Rogers, William P. Recording device: White House Telephone Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/044-008 This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative. [0:00] Hello, Mr. President. [0:02] I had a recommendation here. [0:04] I've just signed a letter on it, and I wanted to get your opinion about it on the Canadians for me to write a letter, which I've done to Trudeau, and a recommendation that I call him. [0:16] I wouldn't do both. [0:19] It occurred to me that the letter was the better way to handle it, but I... [0:27] If the call you think is... [0:30] I just hesitate to call this clown and get a turn down. [0:34] You know what I mean? [0:35] I don't mind it from the standpoint of calling him, but what's your feeling about it? [0:39] Well, the only reason I sort of tended to favor a call, but I don't have very strong judgment of you, is that I'm very anxious to be sure that we don't appear to put pressure on him. [0:50] For example, when Sharp was there, he didn't see Bunker. [0:53] I called Sharp and talked to him, and he said, you know, I'll come to... [0:56] I'll meet you in New York. [0:57] And he said, well, I think it's probably better not to because he said, I don't want to appear that the United States is sort of pressuring us. [1:05] The only advantage of a phone call is it wouldn't look as if you're trying to make a record. [1:08] You can get a letter up there on a personal basis. [1:13] What I could do, if you like, is that I could, I think it's just as well to [1:18] Send a letter, and I could give him a call. [1:21] Perhaps I can't do it right now, but I could in about an hour and say, look, I'm just sending a note on a personal basis. [1:26] I'm not going to make it public, but I would appreciate your consideration of it. [1:30] Is that what you'd like? [1:31] Yeah, that'd be fine. [1:33] Now, what's he likely to answer? [1:35] In other words, what am I to... [1:36] I think they're going to go ahead and stay in. [1:39] Yeah. [1:39] I think that it's the... [1:41] I don't want to take a chance. [1:42] It's a courtesy call. [1:43] I'd simply say... [1:45] I'd just say that it's very important for them to stay on, and we don't want to pressure them, but it would be serving the cause of... [1:53] Right. [1:54] Right. [1:54] I wouldn't... [1:54] In fact, I think what you can... [1:56] The thing that they... [1:57] What they've emphasized with me is the fact that everyone wants them to stay in, all nations. [2:02] So you can say that it's not just the United States, all nations. [2:05] And without Canada's leadership, the ICCS isn't going to work. [2:09] And we hope you can, but we understand your problems. [2:13] And if they get off, then what happens, I suppose? [2:17] If they get off, we've got a problem. [2:20] I don't think they will, though. [2:21] We ought to do everything we can to present it. [2:24] Well, I think I could, I mean, he can have a note and I could give him a call, too. [2:28] That'd be fine. [2:29] Yeah, fine. [2:31] All right, I'll do it. [2:32] Well, good luck at your party tonight. [2:33] Oh, yeah. [2:34] Virtually everybody's coming. [2:35] Yeah, it's going to be quite a brawl. [2:38] I was going to make it crack, but I don't want to do it if you'd be embarrassed at all. [2:43] I was going to say that you sent a message to the diplomatic corps and given me very best regards and then say that [2:50] You also sent a letter to the members of Congress, but that I couldn't read it because of executive privilege. [2:55] Good, good. [2:56] Do you think that's all right? [2:57] Sure, that's great. [2:58] That wouldn't make you that way? [2:59] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [3:01] All right, fine, fine. [3:01] Good, good. [3:02] Okay. [3:03] All right, respect. [3:03] Great, anything like that. [3:04] Thank you. [3:05] Bye.