Conversation 140-026

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Mr. Haldeman for you now sir go ahead sir just a note to whoever worked on that legion speech to take the Truman quote don't need to put all of it in but take the Truman quote it can be used high up wherever I strike about the VFW being always I mean the legion always putting Americans America above party or some damn thing I mean just put that in and don't slam anybody else but just say that

it is a great bipartisan tradition i appreciate the support that i have had from the from the american legion i mean from the american legion yeah uh that uh as harry truman said they did or something like that okay but don't put in the business of the briefings and so forth but just you said i mean sure just a nugget sure so i think it'll be the good way to quote it okay yeah let me ask you i was just talking to colson yeah and uh

Their argument on the Ziegler thing is, there is a point here, that you have in this Salinger business of talking with the North Vietnamese a real problem in foreign policy and negotiations.

And his concern and Hague's and Ron's, I guess, I haven't gotten Ron yet, but I'm going to talk to him right now, is that if Ron says no comment today, when he's asked about the thing, it'll look as if something's going on.

well it also it or that we're trying to treat it as insignificant and thus it stops us from later saying that there was a serious mistake yeah and the thought here that they urge is that ron say this is a very serious matter whenever an individual or or this situation when they when when there are when there are when there are

gentlemen, when there are negotiations going on of great sensitivity and of great importance without indicating, I mean I'm not going to indicate how they're going, I'm not going to raise, but when they are going on, when serious negotiations are going on for an individual outside of government to insert himself into this matter is a

can only be said to be detrimental.

Have you got a better word?

That's the line.

It's a very serious matter, and it's something that I'm not going to comment on further, but it could have very serious repercussions.

Yeah.

Why don't you say that they're... Because, gentlemen, as you gentlemen know, without raising false hopes, we have announced, you know, that serious negotiations, serious talks have been taking place

Right?

Yep.

And you see if they can say, see if Hegel agreed to that.

Serious talks have been taking place, both in Paris, Dr. Gisner, and on and on.

Now, I don't raise any hopes of that.

But what we have to recognize is that because the enemy might misinterpret, why don't you put that in?

I think he just says it's serious.

I don't share that that's going to, if you're going to say it, that that's going to, he's going to be driven off that to say, well, why is it serious?

His point was to say simply that because of the possibility of very serious repercussions and then U.S. negotiating positions and so forth, that I am not going to say anything more about it.

at this point but but the position that they want to end up in is that we don't appear to dismiss it lightly that we are worried about it but they won't say anything be sure you indicate the worry a little bit and to lay the foundation for a substance attack on it but you got to lay the now get this uh away from the as again be sure you talk to haig about it rather than this is not a colton operation i want to

got to get him out of this sort of thing right i mean i mean his judgment with regard to how to follow it up is one thing right it's the this is the forward policy judgment of the highest importance okay unfortunately we don't have henry here but hey i'll get alan ron on right now all around and i'd say now look uh why uh why don't we say well because because of the because of the on because ongoing discussions are going on i mean because discussions are going on at the highest levels or something like that

very serious.

This intervention by someone outside of discussions, outside, has very serious, could have very serious repercussions.

I'm not going to comment further on it now, something like that.

I think they've got to say

Anyway, but whatever they want is fine.

They'll work it out.

But be sure you do it not with Olson.

I'm going to get his judgment, but it's a Haig-Sigler decision, and particularly Haig.

Okay.

I don't care for it.

It is true.

You've got to set it up.

I guess he just can't comment on it.

It's a hell of a thing.

Well, it is.

Of course, the point is, I really feel somebody else should take it on.

Well, they will.

They probably are.

Because it's the editorials and so forth.

Jesus Christ.

We'll move that.

We'll move the Congress.

We'll move the Logan Act violations and all that stuff.

But the point of urgent question is...

It's not just serious, Bob, because he did it.

It's serious because of what is going on.

Yeah.

You got the point?

Yes.

And I think that that is the point, to remind them that Kissinger is there.

Right.

We're conducting negotiations.

Then to have this outside intervention could seriously jeopardize

Any possibility of progress in the negotiations, I put it that way.

That sets us up to blame them if it does, too.

That's what I mean.

Could seriously jeopardize.

I would have to say that it could seriously jeopardize because of the situation.

I'm not claiming there is progress or that there will be, but I am saying that discussions are taking place, and I won't go beyond that.

But intervention of this side outside to lob one in like this

uh is uh without uh at a time when the the presidential nominee has declined to be briefed why don't you throw that in okay could seriously jeopardize and uh i won't have anything more to say okay set it up i'd like that perhaps is better than the rest okay yep okay good thank you