Conversation: 246-005
Prev: 246-004 Next: 246-007Start Date: Wednesday, April 7, 1971 3:55 PM
End Date: Wednesday, April 7, 1971 5:15 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Wood, Ken; [Unknown person(s)]; Woods, Rose Mary; Ehrlichman, John D.; Ziegler, Ronald L.; Bull, Stephen B.; Shultz, George P.; Kissinger, Henry A.Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:08:12
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:29:54
NARA Description:
On April 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ken Wood, unknown person(s), Rose Mary Woods, John D. Ehrlichman, Ronald L. Ziegler, Stephen B. Bull, George P. Shultz, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:55 am to 12:15 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 246-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 246-5
Date: April 7, 1971
Time: 10:55 am - 12:15 am
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and Ken Wood
Weather
Wood left at an unknown time before 10:59 am
Sergeant Karl Taylor
-Older son Karl (“Skipper”) Taylor, Jr.
-Family
[Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 10:59
am]
[Conversation No. 246-5A]
Congressional Medal of Honor
-Sergeant Taylor
-Sons “Skipper” and Kevin Taylor
Taylor’s son
[End of telephone conversation]
Lieutenant William L Calley, Jr.
-Prosecutor, Captain Aubrey M. Daniel, III
-President’s possible conversation with John D. Ehrlichman
-Robert A. Taft, Jr.’s press conference April 7, 1971
-President’s responsibilities regarding final review
-Stanley R. Resor
-Haldeman’s possible call to Melvin R. Laird
-Tenure in office
-Prosecutor
-White House comments
-Ehrlichman
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Ehrlichman
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-New York Times, Washington Post
-Prosecutor
-Calley case
-Review
-President’s call to Ehrlichman’s secretary
News stories
-Ziegler
-White House handling
[Rose Mary Woods talked with the President between 10:59 am and 11:00 am]
[Conversation No. 246-5B]
President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Changes
-Unknown man
[End of telephone conversation]
Revenue sharing
[The President talked with Ehrlichman between 11:01 am and 11:07 am]
[Conversation No. 246-5C]
Calley
-Prosecutor’s letter
-President’s conversation with Haldeman
-Resor’s tenure in office
-Inaccuracies
-Prosecutor
-Robert Goralski
-President’s review
-Ziegler
-Background
Woods entered at 11:05 am
-Ziegler
-President’s review
-Robert B. Semple, Jr., Christian Science Monitor, Wall Street Journal
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Press coverage
-White House comments
-Ziegler
-Ehrlichman’s possible briefing
-George Herman
[End of telephone conversation]
Conv. No. 246-5 (cont.)
President’s forthcoming Vietnam speech April 7, 1971
-Changes
-Distribution of copies
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Ziegler
-Woods’ forthcoming conversation with Kissinger
Ziegler entered at 11:15 am
-Changes
Weather
Woods left at 11:16 am
President’s forthcoming speech, April 7, 1971
-Length
-Text
-Kissinger
-Distribution
Ziegler’s forthcoming press briefing
-President’s schedule
-William P. Rogers, Laird
-Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
-Kissinger
-Bipartisan meeting
-Congressional leaders
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Schedule
-Senate Whips
-Messages to President
-President’s conversations
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-President’s forthcoming speech
-Possible statements
-South Vietnam
Calley
-President’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-President’s policy
-Judicial process Conv. No. 246-5 (cont.)
-Appeal
-Prosecutor’s letter
-President’s policy
-Review
-Ehrlichman’s press briefing
-Ziegler’s forthcoming press briefing
-Prosecutor
-Possible White House comments
Ziegler left at 11:25 am
Ziegler
-Handling of press
-Ehrlichman
Calley
-Judicial process
-Possible White House involvement
-Daniel
President’s forthcoming Vietnam speech April 7, 1971
-Television
-Camera work
[Pause]
Calley
-Taft’s forthcoming press conference
-Haldeman’s forthcoming call to Laird
-Resor’s tenure in office
Resor
-My Lai Massacre
-President’s schedule
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
[Pause]
President’s forthcoming Vietnam speech April 7, 1971
-Preparation
-Final copy
-Kissinger
-Patrick J. Buchanan Conv. No. 246-5 (cont.)
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s style
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-William L. Safire
-Thomas Jefferson
-Kissinger
-Editing
-Draft
-Winston Lord
Clark MacGregor
-Kissinger’s views
-Bryce N. Harlow
-William E. Timmons
-Role with administration
-Gerald R. Ford
-Peter H. Dominick
-Southern strategy
-Kissinger’s views
-Conversation with White House staff members
White House staff views
-Cambodia and Laos
-President’s church attendance
-Vietnam
George Meany
-Attitude
Staff
Vietnam
-Negotiations
-North Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-President’s policy
-Ehrlichman’s comments April 7, 1971
-President’s forthcoming speech
-Troop withdrawals
-George D. Aiken
-Laird
-President’s policy
Conv. No. 246-5 (cont.)
White House staff
-Review
-Peter G. Peterson
-Ehrlichman
-President’s policies
-Opposition
-Kissinger
-George P. Shultz
-Draftees
Pending legislation
-Education bill
-Possible veto
President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Phone calls to President
-Cabinet
-Kissinger, Woods, Haldeman, and Charles W. Colson
-John B. Connally
-Preparation
-Kissinger’s forthcoming backgrounder
-President’s efforts
-Consultation with Cabinet
-Laird
-Rogers
-Moorer
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:25 am
President’s schedule
-Shultz, Ehrlichman
Bull left at an unknown time before 11:49 am
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
National economy
-Stock market
President’s schedule
-Franco Maria Malfatti
-Council on International Economic Policy
-European Economic Community
-Connally Conv. No. 246-5 (cont.)
National economy
-Stock market
-Economic indicators
-Automobile sales
-Views of Haldeman’s friend from J. Walter Thompson Co.
-Sears, Roebuck & Co.
-Industrial production
-Construction
-Retail sales
President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Possible effect
-War weariness
Shultz and Ehrlichman entered at 11:49 am
President’s schedule
The President and Haldeman left at 11:49 am
[Pause]
[Unintelligible]
The President entered at an unknown time after 11:49 am
Congress
Pending legislation
-Education bill
-Possible veto
-Cost
-William D. Hathaway
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Possible amendment
-Possible White House response
-Military pay
-House vote
-Cost
-Education bill
-Possible veto
Conv. No. 246-5 (cont.)
Kissinger entered at an unknown time after 11:50 am
President’s schedule
-Laird, Rogers, Kissinger
-Talking points
-Vietnam withdrawal
Kissinger left at an unknown time before 12:15 pm
Pending legislation
-Education bill
-Possible veto
-Military pay
-Transportation
-Urban renewal
-Revenue sharing
-Possible veto
-Budget
-President’s program
National economy
-Status
-Stock market
-Economic indicators
-Automobile sales
-Department store sales
-Home furnishings
-New York
-Southern California
-Stock market
-People’s actions
-Confidence
-Business magazines
-Washington Post, Washington Star, New York Times
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Stock market
-Administration’s economic policies
-Business writers
-Staff, Time, Life
-Southern California
-Status
-Federal Reserve
-Federal budget Conv. No. 246-5 (cont.)
-Steadiness
-Public confidence
Pending legislation
-Education bill
-Effect on budget
-Possible veto
-Instruction for Ford
-Education lobby
-Possible veto
-Elliot L. Richardson’s forthcoming speech
-Instructions for Ford
-Possible motion to re-commit
-Tactics
-Hathaway’s amendment
-Provisions
-President’s policies
-Authorization
-Levels
-Possible amendments
J. Edgar Hoover
-Tenure in office
-Alger Hiss case
-Tom C. Clark, Harry S Truman
-Taps on President’s phone
-Surveillance of Congressmen
-[Thomas] Hale Boggs
-Charges
-Compared with Joseph McCarthy
McCarthy
-Allegations regarding State Department
-Communists
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
Hoover
-Boggs
-Health
-Possible Congressional hearing
-Ehrlichman’s possible conversation with John N. Mitchell
-Possible hearings
Conv. No. 246-5 (cont.)
Boggs
-Carl B. Albert’s conversation with MacGregor, April 6, 1971
-Health
-Wife
-President’s conversation with Lyndon B. Johnson
-Relationship with Wilbur D. Mills
Pending legislation
-Education bill
-Possible veto
-Military pay
Ehrlichman and Shultz left at 12:15 pm