Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 131 › Conversation 131-036

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Earl Mazo and Soviet Union

Thursday, May 18, 1972 · 11:44 AM–11:45 AM ET · Camp David Study Table · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation131-036 on Tape 131 (tape position 02:21:51–02:22:56)StartThursday, May 18, 1972 at 11:44 AMEndThursday, May 18, 1972 at 11:45 AMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 131-036 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discussed concerns regarding journalist Earl Mazo’s attempts to secure financing for a trip to the Soviet Union. Nixon emphasized that the White House could not justify providing a discounted rate or government funding for the travel, insisting that Mazo must secure independent financing through channels like the Woodrow Wilson Center. Haldeman agreed to coordinate with Communications Director Herbert Klein and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to resolve the logistical and funding issues surrounding the trip.

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Did Rose reach you?
No.
Yeah.
What she called me about is the Mazo problem.
And apparently Herb Klein is in the act, and he's called and talked to her and says he's dying to go and so forth.
And I said, well, it's a pure case that nobody will finance it.
You know, the Reader's Digest can't because you won't write anything.
She says, well, no, the Woodrow Wilson Center for this and that and the other thing will pay its way.
That's fine.
That's what I told her, that if he could... No problem, if he gets his way, pay.
Yeah.
Well...
I'll get it straightened out.
If you can.
Sure.
I mean, I have no objection to his going, but I don't believe we can...
I don't think we can justify, you know, giving him a cut rate.
You can't.
Can you?
No.
You've got a few other cut rates, but you know what I mean?
Within reason, you can maybe trim a little bit.
Oh, yeah, we can help, but we... We can help, but he's... We can't get the...
It's a question of his getting it financed.
Sure.
Sure.
Of course, Klein should have talked to Ziegler about it.
I don't know what the hell.
That's the way to do that.
I'll find out about that.
Yeah, okay, fine.

NARA Description

On May 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:44 am to 11:45 am. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 131-036 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 131-36

Date: May 18, 1972
Time: 11:44 am - 11:45 am
Location: Camp David Study Table
The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

[See also Conversation No. 191-15]

     Earl Mazo
          -Trip to Soviet Union
                -Call from Rose Mary Woods to President
                -Herbert G. Klein
                -Call to Woods
                -Financing
                      -Reader's Digest
                      -Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
                -Discount rate
                -Klein
                      -Ronald L. Ziegler

Also recorded on May 18, 1972

  • 131-034 11:38 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:38 am to 11:42 am.
  • 131-035 11:42 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 11:42 am.
  • 191-014 11:42 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:42 am and 11:44 am.
  • 191-015 11:44 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 11:44 am to 11:45 am.
  • 131-037 11:45 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:45 am and 11:48 am.
  • 191-016 11:45 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:45 am and 11:48 am.
  • 131-038 11:48 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:48 am to 11:50 am.
  • 191-017 11:48 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 11:48 am to 11:50 am.

All 90 conversations from May 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 131-036, May 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/131-036 (accessed October 10, 2026).