Conversation No. 246-7

Date: April 7, 1971
Time: 12:16 pm - 2:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Melvin R. Laird, William P. Rogers, and Henry A. Kissinger

     John D. Ehrlichman and George P. Shultz

     Vietnam
          -Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
               -Conversation with Laird
          -Richard M. Helms
          -National Security Council [NSC]
               -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
               -General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                                   13

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. 9/08)



-Jacob K. Javits
      -Story in Washington Post, April 7, 1971
            -Republicans
      -Withdrawal from Vietnam
-North Vietnamese
-Troop withdrawals
      -Military’s reaction
      -President’s position                               Conv. No. 246-5 (cont.)
-Negotiations
-Timing
      -Kissinger
-John Sherman Cooper’s call to Kissinger, April 6, 1971
      -Troop withdrawal
            -Timing
            -Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Jack R. Miller’s approach
-POWs
      -Negotiations
-Possible Congressional action
      -President’s options
      -Draft bill
            -Status
      -John C. Stennis
      -Withdrawal date
            -Possible effects
            -Discussions
            -Options
      -Laird’s forthcoming testimony
      -Military’s reaction
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-National mood
      -President’s forthcoming speech
-Congress’ role
            -Vietnamization program
      -Troop withdrawals
      -World Wars I & II, Civil War
-Troop withdrawals
      -Rate
      -President’s forthcoming announcement
            -Military operations
            -Message to Ellsworth F. Bunker
                  -General Nguyen Van Thieu
                                           14

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 9/08)



                    -Thieu’s conversation with Bunker
                    -Troop withdrawals
                    -Rate
                    -Thieu
                    -President’s message to Nguyen Cao Ky
                          -NSC
              -Withdrawal rate
                    -Bunker                                          Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
              -Laird’s conversation with Thieu, Bunker, General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
              -Following announcement
              -President’s forthcoming announcement
                    -Official comments
              -North Vietnamese military capability
                    -Laos
                    -Cambodia
                    -United States’ military dispositions
                    -Troop withdrawals

    Latin people


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Privacy]
[Duration: 17s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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    Vietnam
         -Troop withdrawals
               -Military’s reaction
               -President’s policies
               -Cambodia
               -Views of Cooper, Frank F. Church, Javits
         -Moorer’s comments regarding Edmund S. Muskie, Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
         -President’s forthcoming speech
               -Television
                                              15

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



                -Charts

Ronald L. Ziegler and members of the press entered at 12:49 pm

     President’s schedule
          -Latin ambassadors
          -Photo session
                                                                    Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
     President’s forthcoming speech
          -Preparation of speeches

Ziegler and the members of the press left at 12:50 pm

     Time magazine

     Vietnam
          -President’s forthcoming speech
                -Chart
                -John F. Kennedy
                     -US military presence
          -Congress
                -Republicans
                -Democrats
                -Vietnamization
                -Comments
                     -Carl B. Albert
                -Foreign policy making
                -Responsibility
                -Possible actions
                     -Draft bill
                     -Dr. David K. E. Bruce
                     -Negotiations
                     -POWs
                     -President’s responsibility
                -Albert, Charles M. Teague, Gerald R. Ford

     Congress
         -Clark MacGregor’s views
         -Revenue sharing
         -Government reorganization
         -Laird’s forthcoming conversation with Ehrlichman and Shultz
                                             16

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



     Vietnam
          -Troop withdrawals
               -Agreement with President
               -Joint Chiefs of Staff
               -Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr.

Rogers and Laird left at 1:00 pm
                                                                      Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
           -President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
                 -Charts
                       -Additions
                             -Troop withdrawals
                             -Dates
                 -Woods’ revisions
                 -Possible changes
                       -Troop withdrawals
                 -US casualties
                 -Forthcoming enemy activity
                       -Rogers’ views
                 -Possible changes
                 -Kissinger’s forthcoming briefing
                       -Topics
                       -Casualties
                       -Air sorties
                       -Possible press questions
                       -POWs
                       -Laird’s possible reaction
                       -Residual force
                             -Laird’s view
                       -POWs
                             -United States’ policy
           -Possible Congressional action
                 -President’s comments to Laird
                       -President’s responsibilities
                 -Donald H. Rumsfeld’s comments in staff meeting, April 7, 1971
           -Javits
           -Charles H. Percy
                 -Political ambitions
           -Laird, Rogers
                                             17

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



[H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the President between 1:15 pm and 1:16 pm]

[Conversation No. 246-7A]

     President’s schedule

[End of telephone conversation]
                                                                     Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
     Vietnam
          -Support of President’s policies
               -Laird and Rogers
     Rogers
          -Foreign Service


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National Security]
[Duration: 29s ]


     FOREIGN AFFAIRS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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          -Views regarding Vietnam

Haldeman entered at 1:20 pm

     Vietnam
          -President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
                -Changes
                -Preparation
                     -Woods

     MacGregor
                                             18

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



     Rumsfeld
         -Relations with the New York Times and Washington Post
         -Tenure in office
         -Forthcoming trip to Europe with Robert H. Finch
         -Role with administration
         -Comments in staff meeting April 7, 1971
              -Vietnam
                                                                       Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
     Vietnam
          -President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
                -Kissinger’s forthcoming briefings
                      -Robert B. Semple, Jr., Chalmers Roberts, Joseph W. Alsop
     President’s schedule
          -Unknown newsman

     Karl (“Skipper”) Taylor, Jr.
           -Nickname “Skipper”

[Pause]

     Vietnam
          -President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
                -Content
                     -Shirley Taylor, sons Karl and Kevin
                -Possible effect
                     -Laird, Rogers

Kissinger left at 1:30 pm

                -Poll
                -President’s policy
                      -Calley

[Pause]

                      -Opinion Research Corporation [ORC]

[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and
1:30 pm]

[Conversation No. 246-7B]
                                            19

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



     Call to Major General James D. (“Don”) Hughes

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam
          -Polls
                -President’s policy
                      -Calley                                    Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)

[The President talked with Hughes between 1:30 pm and 1:31 pm]

[Conversation No. 246-7C]

     Sergeant Karl Taylor
          -Medal of Honor citation

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam
          -Polls
                -Results
                -Calley
                      -Elmo Roper
                      -Claude Robbins [sp?]
                      -George H. Gallup
                           -Dwight L. Chapin
                -President’s policy
                      -Troop withdrawals
                      -ORC
                      -National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]

[Hughes talked with the President between 1:36 pm and 1:37 pm]

[Conversation No. 246-7D]

     Medal of Honor citation

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam
          -Polls
                -ORC
                                           20

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 9/08)



              -Democratic caucus
              -President’s policy
              -Gallup
                    -Withdrawal issue
                    -Forthcoming demonstrations
        -Forthcoming demonstrations
              -Possible administration response
        -Polls                                                        Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
              -National mood
              -Laos, Cambodia
              -Calley
              -Possible effect of President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
              -Calley
                    -Ehrlichman, Shultz
                    -Son Tay raid
                    -General Douglas MacArthur

Laird
        -Conversation with President
             -Haldeman’s forthcoming conversation with Ehrlichman
        -Stanley R. Resor
             -Tenure in office
             -Possible replacement
                   -Robert F. Froehlke
             -Haldeman’s forthcoming conversation with Laird, April 8, 1971

Vietnam
     -Public opinion on withdrawal
     -President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
           -Kissinger
     -Calley

Revenue sharing
    -President’s conversation with Ehrlichman
          -Congress
    -Program problems
    -Presentations
          -Edwin L. Harper, Shultz
    -Slogans
    -Domestic Council
    -Laird’s possible meeting with Ehrlichman and Shultz
    -Presentation
                                        21

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)




Vietnam
     -Emmett Dedmon’s comment
     -Polls
           -Calley
           -Haldeman’s conversation
                 -[Forename unknown] Derge [sp?]
                 -Haldeman’s conversation with Thomas Veneman Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
           -Calley
           -President’s policy
           -President’s forthcoming speech, April 7, 1971
           -Timing
           -Polls
           -Forthcoming call to unknown pollster
                 -Chapin
                 -Derge
                 -Polls

Revenue sharing
    -Ehrlichman and Shultz
    -Selling administration’s program

Briefings
      -Length
           -Kissinger, Ehrlichman, Shultz
           -Points
           -John B. Connally
           -Paul W. McCracken

Vietnam
     -Polls
           -Disclosure

Rumsfeld
    -Role with administration
    -Finch
    -Comments in staff meeting April 7, 1971

Peter G. Peterson

Vietnam
     -Polls
                                              22

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



                -Possible release
                -Timing
                -President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
                -Effect
                      -Military services
                      -Views of Douglas L. Hallett and Patrick J. Buchanan
                -Lyndon B. Johnson
                -Calley                                                 Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)

     Domestic Council
         -Shultz
         -Public relations
               -Ehrlichman
               -Herbert G. Klein
               -Edward L. Morgan

     Public relations
          -President’s personality
                 -Connally’s views

     Revenue sharing
         -President’s conversation with Laird
               -Ehrlichman, Shultz

     President’s schedule
          -Briefing April 8, 1971
          -Media

Haldeman left at 2:00 pm