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Conversation: 251-017

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Start Date: 27-Apr-1971 2:25 PM

End Date: 27-Apr-1971 4:40 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Ehrlichman, John D.Morgan, Edward L.Cole, Kenneth R., Jr.Butterfield, Alexander P.Morton, Rogers C. B.Pecora, William T.Whitaker, John C.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:16:41

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:13:19

251a.mp3

251b.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 27, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Edward L. Morgan, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Alexander P. Butterfield, Rogers C. B. Morton, William T. Pecora, and John C. Whitaker met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:25 pm to 4:40 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 251-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 251-17

Date: April 27, 1971
Time: 2:25 pm - 4:40 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

     President’s schedule

     President’s conversation with John B. Connally
          -John A. Volpe
                -Requiring seat belts
                     -Cost
                                          8

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 9/08)



Seat belts
      -Safety of life
      -Popular reaction
      -Accidents
      -Safety council
      -Labor costs
      -Poor people
                                                               Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
Environment
     -Pressure from Congress
     -Enforcement
     -Auto emissions
          -Cost
     -Possible effect of legislation
          -American Motors Corporation, Chrysler Corporation

Volpe
     -President’s conversation with Connally
     -Competence

Clifford M. Hardin
      -Maurice H. Stans
      -Volpe
      -Bryce N. Harlow
      -White House
      -Department of Agriculture
      -John C. Whitaker
      -Farm Bureau

Economic policy
    -Need for one spokesman
         -Council of Economic Advisers [CEA]
         -Disagreement with Connally
         -Paul W. McCracken
         -Staff
         -Connally
         -McCracken and George P. Shultz
         -Marina von N. Whitman
         -Connally and McCracken
         -Interest rates
         -Haldeman’s conversation with Connally
               -Washington Post interview
                                          9

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 9/08)



             -McCracken
             -Whitman’s conversation with Ronald L. Ziegler
             -Economy

President’s schedule
     -School financing meeting
     -Travel
           -California and Florida                            Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
           -Timing

[Forename unknown] Martin

John J. Sparkman

Everett M. Dirksen
     -Age

Demonstrations
    -Strategy
    -Need for firmness
    -District of Columbia police
    -Unknown man

Polls
        -Timing
        -George C. Wallace
        -California

Unemployment
    -Briefing
    -California
    -Midwest, South, Northeast
    -California
          -Airplanes and defense
          -Haldeman and Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
          -Edwin Reinecke
                -Task force on aerospace
                -Space shuttle
                -Weinberger
                -Available talent
                -James G. Fulton
                                           10

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



                -Space program
                     -Fulton

Viet Cong flag burning
     -Mayor of Hartford, Connecticut
     -Instructions for Charles W. Colson
     -Hardhats
     -Possible strategy                                     Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
           -Instigating fights
     -Washington, DC
     -Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
     -Police
     -Instructions for Colson

Tricia Nixon
      -Ziegler
      -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
      -Possible tour of White House
      -Television networks
           -White House weddings
           -Possibilities
      -White House weddings
           -Alice Roosevelt Longworth
                  -Gown
           -Frances (Folsom) Cleveland
                  -Blue Room
           -Ziegler
           -Possible assignment
      -Television networks
           -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] or National Broadcasting Company
                  [NBC]

Mock elections
    -Timing
    -Party nominating conventions
          -John D. Ehrlichman
          -John N. Mitchell
          -Youth conference
          -White House press conferences

Presidential commissions
     -United Nations [UN]
                                             11

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)



                 -Henry A. Kissinger
                 -Public opinion
                 -Location

    Youth conference
        -Elliot L. Richardson
        -Advisors and youth
              -Views on resolutions                            Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)

    Polls
            -Louis Harris
            -Faculty
                 -Radicalism
            -1960 elections
                 -Schools
                 -John F. Kennedy
            -Hubert H. Humphrey
            -Edmund S. Muskie
            -Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
            -Elections
                 -Faculty
            -Harris
            -George H. Gallup
            -Opinion Research Corporation [ORC]

    Demonstrators
        -Russell B. Long
              -Reaction
        -Protection for cabinet
              -Secret Service
              -State Department
                    -[Forename unknown] Young

******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Agency Policy]
[Duration: 43s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

******************************************************************************
                                              12

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)




     Press
             -Support for President

     Networks
         -CBS presentation of Ohio glee club
               -Motivation                                          Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
         -Youth
         -Mrs. Nixon
         -Rio Grande City high school
         -Chamber of Commerce
               -NBC
         -President’s welfare statements at governors’ meeting

     Welfare reform
          -Popular reaction
          -Editorials
          -Unemployment
          -President’s statements
          -Wilbur D. Mills
          -Votes
                -Liberals
                -Conservatives
          -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
          -Leonard Garment
          -Liberals
          -President’s conversations with senators
          -Votes
                -Liberals and conservatives
                -Republicans
                -Conservative Democrats

     Demonstrators
         -Youth

Ehrlichman, Edward L. Morgan, and Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., entered at 3:05 pm

     Automobile safety
         -Procedures
         -Seat belts
         -Air bags
                                         13

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



     -Department of Transportation
           -Volpe
     -President’s meeting with Henry E. Ford, II
     -Ehrlichman’s conversation with Charles D. Baker
           -Peter M. Flanigan
     -Suspension of order by Department of Transportation
           -President’s schedule
           -Timing                                          Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
           -Volpe’s schedule
     -Department of Transportation
           -Authority
           -Safety regulations
           -Automobile Safety Act of 1966
           -Decision-making power
     -Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]

Automobile Safety Act
    -President’s options
    -Volpe
    -Procedures
    -Ralph Nader
          -Possible reaction
    -Volpe’s possible role
    -Air bags
          -Nader
          -Wall Street Journal article
          -Volpe
    -Seat belts
          -Regulations

Regulations
    -Farmers’ union
          -Votes
    -Environment
          -Muskie
    -Air bags
          -Nader
          -Volpe

School desegregation cases
    -Meetings with departments
    -HEW and Justice Departments
                                           14

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 9/08)



               -Procedures
               -Memos for Richardson and Mitchell
          -Numbers
          -Swann case
          -Racial balance
          -Departments
          -Administration’s response
          -Motions                                                Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)

Haldeman left at 3:11 pm

     Supreme Court
          -Ruling on housing cases
                -Garment and Price’s memorandum
                -Neighborhood schools
                -Warren E. Burger
                -March 24, 1971 statement
                -California statute
                      -Provisions
                -Public housing
          -Justices
                -William O. Douglas
                -Burger
                -Harry A. Blackmun
                -Hugo L. Black
                -Thurgood Marshall
          -Low-income housing
          -Lackawanna case
                -People’s elected representatives
                -Cities
                -Racial considerations
                -State councils
          -Blackjack case
                -Missouri
                      -Quasi-public housing corporation
                      -Low-income housing
                      -Zoning
                      -Federal question involved
                           -Grants
                           -Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] and Justice
                                  Department
          -Lackawanna case
                                          15

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



          -District court level
          -Racial discrimination
          -Possible federal involvement
          -HEW and Justice Department
          -Need for court finding
          -Litigation
          -Theory of case
          -Possible federal involvement                         Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
          -Civil rights

Ehrlichman’s draft housing statement
      -George W. Romney and Mitchell
            -Meeting
      -Lackawanna and California cases
      -Recent Supreme Court cases
      -Guidelines for administration’s policies
      -Possible HUD and Justice Department joint statement
      -President’s possible statement

School desegregation cases
    -Administration’s response
    -National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [NAACP] action
    -Rulings
    -Reaction
    -Case

Cancer
    -Elmer H. Bobst
    -President’s possible conversation with Bobst
    -Government organization
          -Possible new federal agency
          -E. M. Kennedy
    -Research
    -National Institute of Health [NIH]
    -Bureaucracy
    -E. M. Kennedy
    -Administration’s policy
          -Search for “Los Alamos” cure for cancer, heart disease
          -Undramatic solutions
    -Cosmetics
          -Efficiency
    -Government organization
                                              16

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



                -Director for institute
                -Richardson’s conversation with Dr. Henry S. Kaplan
                -Direct access to President

     William L. Scott
          -Ehrlichman’s memorandum to Rogers C. B. Morton
          -Salem Church Dam
                -Environmentalists                                    Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
          -Interstate highway


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 18s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

******************************************************************************


     School desegregation
         -President’s conversation with Richardson
         -Court directives
         -Administration’s policy
               -Cooperation with local officials
         -Richardson and Mitchell

     Interest rates
           -Statement by McCracken
           -Connally and McCracken
                 -Shultz
                 -Ehrlichman’s meeting with Connally
                       -Mitchell
                       -Anti-trust

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 3:25 pm

     President’s schedule
          -General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                                             17

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



                  -[Forename unknown] McCord [sp?]
Butterfield left at 3:26 pm

     Bobst
          -Concern
               -President’s possible appointment
               -Candidates
          -Concern                                                 Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
          -Kaplan
          -Need for communication
          -Cancer panels
               -Ralph Yarborough
               -Appointments

Cole and Morgan left at 3:35 pm

     Interest rates
           -Connally’s idea
           -Need for single voice
           -Arthur F. Burns
           -Vietnam
                 -William P. Rogers and Kissinger
           -McCracken’s statement

     School aid bill
         -John C. Stennis amendment
                -Prospects

Morton, William T. Pecora, and Whitaker entered at 3:36 pm

     Greetings

     Micronesia
          -Peace Corps
          -Congress
               -High Commissioner
                    -[Unintelligible name] [William J. Randall?]
               -Peace Corps
                    -Teachers
               -Language problems
               -Native teachers
               -Schools
                                         18

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)




Peace Corps
     -Teacher corps
          -Composition
     -Value
     -Possible abolition
     -Director
          -Joseph H. Blatchford                             Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
     -Demonstrations
          -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
          -Rogers
     -Composition
     -Micronesia

Micronesia
     -Ambassador
           -Edward E. Johnston
                 -High Commissioner of the Peace Corps
                 -Qualifications
     -Status
     -Administration
     -Appropriations
     -Status
     -District administrators
     -Districts
           -”Mariana group”
           -Population
     -Franklin Haydn Williams
           -Need to work with Interior Department
     -Importance

Alaska pipeline
     -Permit
           -Timing
     -Pecora
     -Need for energy
     -Government consolidation
     -Politics
     -Need for Alaskan oil
           -Need to sell program to youth, general public
     -Morton’s initiatives
           -University of Southern California
                                           19

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 9/08)



         -Oil white paper
               -General public
               -Pecora
               -Circulation
         -Case for pipeline
               -Timing
         -Pecora
         -Ashland Oil Co.                                     Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
               -Application
         -Case for pipeline

******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National Security]
[Duration: 8s ]


    FOREIGN AFFAIRS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

******************************************************************************


              -Courts
         -Administration’s white paper
         -Supply side
         -Energy statement
         -Public relations
              -Consistency with energy statement
         -Energy statement
              -Atomic energy
              -”Generation of oil”
              -Breeder reactor
              -Alaska
         -Domestic oil
         -Environmentalists
                                       20

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



Santa Barbara leases
     -Number
     -Funding
     -Elk Hills naval reserve
          -Funds
          -Exploration of Alaskan oil
          -Legislative prospects
                 -Senate Armed Services Committee        Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
          -Melvin R. Laird
          -Need for action
          -Consequences of inaction
                 -Southern California
                       -Los Angeles Times
          -White House support
                 -Armed Services
                       -Laird
          -Congress
                 -Interior committees
                 -Armed Services committees
          -F. Edward Hébert
          -Federal-State cooperation
          -Oil production
          -Environmental protection of islands

San Clemente
     -President’s statement
     -Land for public sale [near Camp Pendleton]
           -Ehrlichman’s press conference
           -Consequences
     -State intentions
     -Administrations intent
     -Recreation
           -Bill Mott
     -Administration’s intent
     -Public statement
     -Mott
     -Value of land
     -National recreational area
     -Laird

Gateway east and gateway west
    -[Parks]
                                  21

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 9/08)



-Development plans
-Budget
-Office of Management and Budget [OMB]
-Budget
      -Land acquisition
            -Figures
      -Ferry
      -Subway                                       Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
-Development
-State control
-New York and New Jersey
-Florida [Everglades]
-Corps of Engineers
-Mitchell
-James L. Buckley
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Ronald W. Reagan
-California
      -Unemployment
-Morton’s possible conversation with Ehrlichman
-OMB
-Administration statements
-Fort Hancock
-Floyd Bennett field
-Jamaica Bay
      -Fish and wildlife
-New York Port Authority
      -Subway and ferry
-[Forename unknown] Mason
-Advantages for President
-OMB
-Area near Presidio
      -Nature conservationists
-[Walter J. Hickel]
-Unknown Florida developer
      -[Edward Baker?]
-Controversy
-Parks
-San Clemente
-Parks
-Money problems
-Costs
                                        22

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 9/08)



     -Development plans
     -Land
     -West coast and East coast development
     -Federal role
     -Land acquisition
            -Fort Hancock
     -Development costs
            -Figures                                      Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
     -Benefits
     -Funds
     -OMB
            -Weinberger
     -Whitaker
     -Defense
     -New York
     -Federal park
     -Land use
            -San Francisco
     -Benefits of plan
     -J. F. Kennedy International Airport
     -New York Parks Department
     -Federal role
            -Great Falls
            -National seashores
     -User fees
     -Weinberger

Desalinization plant
     -Contract
     -California
           -Orange County
     -Budget
           -Figures

Oil shale
      -Denver, Colorado
      -Program

Breeder reactor
     -Location
           -Southern California
           -Study
                                           23

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 9/08)



Oil shale
      -Unknown client of President
            -Debts
      -Location
            -Colorado, Wyoming, Utah
      -Petroleum industry
            -Long-term program
      -Composition                                         Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
            -Sodium bicarbonate
            -Macolite [sp?]
            -Sulphur
      -Geologists
      -By-products
      -Macolite
      -Sodium minerals
      -Uses
      -Development
      -Leasing program
      -Morton
      -Energy needs
      -Energy policy statements
      -Agreement on program
      -Environmental effects
            -Sulphur
      -Macolite
            -Coal
            -Oil shale
            -Aluminum oxide
            -Oil
            -Delay
            -Huntington Hartford
            -Difficulty of access to reserves
            -Investment protection
                  -Leasing plan
            -Morton’s plan
            -Environmental problems
                  -Coyotes

Morton’s schedule
    -Nashua, New Hampshire, Chamber of Commerce
          -Timing
          -Administration’s record
                                         24

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



          -Greg Landry
          -Howard Johnson motel
          -President’s speech writers
                -Patrick J. Buchanan and Price
          -Primaries
                -Florida
                -William Loeb
     -Possible speech in Nashua                              Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
          -Foreign policy
          -Vietnam
          -President’s 1968 campaign
                -Themes
          -Conservative state
          -Welfare
          -Inflation
          -Gateway east and gateway west
          -Town forum
                -Non partisan terms
          -Positive tone
          -Portsmouth Navy Yard
          -Importance of New England
                -New Hampshire
                -Maine
                -Vermont
          -Emphasis on unity
                -Racial, religious, geographic minorities
                -Representation
     -Massachusetts

Government reorganization
    -Congress
    -Department of Natural Resources
    -Agriculture
    -Department of Natural Resources
         -Chet Holifield
         -Breeder reactor

Withholding funds
     -President’s meeting with Long and Wallace F. Bennett
           -Budget problems
           -Debt limits
                -Weinberger
                                        25

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



          -Effect on Congress
                -Ambassadorships for friends
                -Supersonic Transport [SST]
                -Republican leadership
                -Environment
          -OMB
          -Federal budgetary deficit
                -Debt ceiling                             Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
                -Spending limitations
                -Weinberger
          -Fiscal restraint
          -Departments
                -Timing
          -Budget
          -California
          -Housing
                -Romney
          -Spending limitations
          -Lyndon B. Johnson
          -Unknown man’s public relations
                -Activities
          -Congress
                -J. William Fulbright
                -Long
          -Romney
          -Housing
                -Elford A. Cederberg
                -Left-wing Democrats
                -Necessity to talk to Cederberg
                      -Cederberg
                            -Possible role

Withholding funds
     -Johnson
     -Long
     -Johnson
     -OMB
           -Administration’s input
           -William L. Gifford
     -Shultz and Weinberger
     -Weinberger
     -President’s possible conversation with Weinberger
                                             26

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



          -Budget
          -Social Security
          -OMB and the CEA
               -President’s instructions to Ehrlichman

     Hugh Scott
         -Dam
               -Claim of promise to him                            Conv. No. 251-17 (cont.)
         -Political future
         -Dam
               -Environment
               -Whitaker, Bill Shirley, Harlow, and William E. Timmons
               -President’s prior instructions
               -Bureau of Reclamation report
               -Whitaker’s conversation with Scott
               -Consequences
                     -Morton

     [General conversation]

The President, Ehrlichman, Morton, Pecora, and Whitaker left at 4:40 pm