Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 52 › Conversation 052-004
Rogers & Peterson on Vietnam War and US-New Zealand relations
Thursday, April 8, 1971 · 12:17 PM–4:30 PM ET · Cabinet Room · 53 sec
AI Summary
Secretary of State William P. Rogers and Peter G. Peterson met to discuss various diplomatic and domestic policy issues, including U.S. relations with Australia and New Zealand, military interests in Singapore, and the status of Vietnam policy. The discussion touched on the political challenges posed by the Vietnam War, including public reaction to the President's speeches, student demonstrations, and the broader generational gap affecting support for the administration. The participants also reviewed scheduling matters and the administrative reorganization of the Cabinet and National Security Council.
- Vietnam War
- US-New Zealand relations
- Student protests
- Singapore
- Foreign policy
- Cabinet reorganization
Audio
This clip was extracted from the full tape recording by Easy Nixon.
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052a.mp3
052b.mp3
052c.mp3
052d.mp3
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch yn fawr.
Diolch yn fawr.
This is the treasury.
NARA Description
On April 8, 1971, William P. Rogers, Peter G. Peterson, and unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 4:30 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 052-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 52-4
Date: April 8, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:17 pm and 4:30 pm
Location: Cabinet Room
William P. Rogers, Peter G. Peterson, and unknown people met
******************************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 04/25/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[052-004-w002]
[Duration: 50s]
General conversation
White House
******************************************************************************
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 12:17 pm
Emil (“Bus”) Mosbacher, Jr. and Prime Minister Sir Keith J. Holyoake of New Zealand
-Arrival
The unknown man and an unknown person left at an unknown time before 4:23 pm
Cabinet
-Reorganization
Unknown man's conversation with Clifford M. Hardin
-Holyoake's meeting with a farmer group
******************************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 04/25/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[052-004-w003]
[Duration: 35s]
General conversation
******************************************************************************
Need for White House “guard” group
-Egalitarian thing
Alexander M. Haig’s [?] comment
-Press
******************************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 04/25/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[052-004-w004]
[Duration: 3m 20s]
Backbone of country
Clifford M. Hardin
US-New Zealand relations
-Special relationship
-Issues
-Complications
******************************************************************************
Henry A. Kissinger and unknown people entered at an unknown time after 12:17 pm
Introductions
Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
Visit to Australia and New Zealand
-Dates
-Timing
******************************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 04/25/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[052-004-w005]
[Duration: 1m 30s]
Henry A. Kissinger
William P. Rogers
Prime Minister Sir Keith J. Holyoake
Tax division
Singapore
******************************************************************************
President's 1969 trip to Asia
-Reception
-Lt. General T. N. J. Suharto
US-Taiwan, People's Republic of China [PRC] relations
-Issue
-Rogers
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 12:17 pm
Schedule
Wash room
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 4:30 pm
National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Richard M. Helms
Furniture in room
-William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird
-John N. Mitchell
-John B. Connally
Health of General Lon Nol [?]
Generation gap
******************************************************************************
[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-013. Segment declassified on 12/22/2017. Archivist: DR]
[National Security]
[052-004-w001]
[Duration: 2m 49s]
Australia and New Zealand
-Singapore
-Australian and New Zealand interests
-Sir Keith J. Holyoake
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
Military space and housing requirements
-Singapore
-Costs
-British occupation
Australian-New Zealand Army Corps [ANZAC]
-William P. Rogers's letter
-Marshall Green
-William P. Rogers’s forthcoming trip to London
-Winthrop G. Brown
-William H. Sullivan
-Event organization
******************************************************************************
Vietnam
-Troop strength
-President's speech
-Text
-Withdrawal date
-Incentives
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Troop strength
-Negotiations
-Supplies
-Withdrawal
-Residual forces
Korea
-Compared to Vietnam
-Security
-Demilitarized Zone [DMZ]
-Confidence
-US troops
Vietnam
-Withdrawal dates
-Strategy
-President's position
-Reaction to President's speech
-Networks
-Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr.
-Support
Cherry Blossom Festival
-Unknown man's conversation with unknown student
Demonstrations
State Department party
Generation gap
-Capitol Hill
Vietnam
-Student feelings
-William P. Rogers's luncheon address in Philadelphia
-Students' questions
-Editors' reaction
-Access to North Vietnam
-Demonstrators
-College students
-Protest groups
-Soldiers
-Draft
-Middle Americans
Townhouse development in Montgomery County
-Unknown developer
-Potomac
-Real estate values
J. P. Morgan and Otto H. Kahn
Rogers, Peterson, and the unknown people left at an unknown time before 4:30 pmAlso recorded on April 8, 1971
- 475-017 10:07 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Peter G. Peterson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:07 am to 10:20 am.
- 052-001 10:40 AM · 1 hr 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the Council on International Economic Policy, including William P. Rogers, John B. Connally, Clifford M. Hardin, Maurice H. Stans, James D. Hodgson, George P. Shultz, Paul W. McCracken, Henry A. Kissinger, Carl J. Gilbert, David M. Kennedy, Rocco C. Siciliano, Deane R. Hinton, Donald A. Webster, C. Fred Bergsten, and Peter G. Peterson, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 10:40 am to 12:17 pm.
- 052-002 12:17 PM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 1:04 pm.
- 052-003 12:17 PM · 49 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and Douglas MacArthur, II met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 3:56 pm.
- 475-018 12:17 PM · 41 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Franco Mario Malfatti, Peter G. Peterson, C. Fred Bergsten, Neil A. Seidenman, David M. Kennedy, William P. Rogers, John B. Connally, Clifford M. Hardin, Maurice H. Stans, James D. Hodgson, George P. Shultz, Paul W. McCracken, Henry A. Kissinger, Carl J. Gilbert, Rocco C. Siciliano, Deane R. Hinton, Donald A. Webster, White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:17 pm to 1:00 pm.
- 475-019 1:00 PM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:00 pm and 1:04 pm.
- 475-020 1:04 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ralph H. Cake, Herbert G. Klein, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:04 pm to 1:11 pm.
- 475-021 1:12 PM · 56 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Bryan Lewis, Jenifer Pine, James Little, Erich Hoffman, Harman Carswell, Susan Horsley, Carol Eags, Amy Gellis, White House photographer, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Gordon C. Strachan, Jack Dempsey, and Mrs. Jack Dempsey met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:12 pm to 2:00 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 052-004, April 8, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/052-004 (accessed October 22, 2026).