Conversation 252-007

TapeTape 252StartWednesday, April 21, 1971 at 2:54 PMEndWednesday, April 21, 1971 at 3:01 PMTape start time00:14:32Tape end time00:21:01ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Scali, John A.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building

On April 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John A. Scali met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:54 pm to 3:01 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 252-007 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 252-7

Date: April 21, 1971
Time: 2:54 pm - 3:01 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with John A. Scali

[See Conversation No. 42-65]

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

I just talked to Henry a minute, and he will be in touch with you.
Let me just do a little nutshell.
Oh, excuse me, how'd that go?
Nice man.
Oh.
I really fell in love.
When the man came in and talked about how proud he was to work for 43 years to design a good, whatever it is, cost accountant, and I know something about Weldy, I thought, my God, what a man.
And almost anybody else I know would have taken the 50 bucks, too.
He's got better education than most colleges do.
Here's his thing.
It's all agreed.
I was, of course, excited when we were there.
You're going to handle this, but it's going to be required to bring someone.
Now, first of all, let's check with Henry to find out if he's going to do it or not.
I'm not letting you see an athletic team.
It's not an athletic body, it's just an athletic team.
In this case, you cannot allow this athletic team to come in here.
The state would normally not receive the money unless, like, except when I saw, for example, the Remain in Davis Park, you might receive that because you just .
And we cannot allow these people to come over here and have the press descend upon them and make a shantles on them.
So what we're really talking about here is the setup and procedure of it.
If I were in close touch with them,
Or it may be that we've got to find somebody who can.
But the whole point is that we're not the other way around.
Gossip, Bill Gossip.
He's a very able man.
He's married to the daughter of Chief Justice Hsu.
He's a very, you know, world-famous soldier.
And so I suggested to him, you ought to get him down.
The main point being is that we've got, I think the fact that this guy's talking to Gossett is Gossett can be trolling, and Gossett can certainly be one of the
So this is the way we want to handle it.
So you talk to the way it should be in terms of receiving in the event, in the event they want.
And it should be that way naturally.
I will see them.
And I am the only one that should see them because you shouldn't run them around to all other departments to see my money.
And I would do it basically on a strict basis.
We've got to be very careful we don't overdo it.
They're very, very sensitive on this.
We do what they do.
This is exactly the same thing.
So those are the things you've got to work with.
So you sit down and make all your suggestions and so forth.
You'll be in charge of having in mind what the law is, making the state happy.
We want to keep them happy.
We're not trying to make anybody mad.
Cool.
Thank you.
I don't know that we have, perhaps, I don't know that we have any, but the only thing I would say is that even if I happen to be at the Western Commonwealth, that's not a bad deal, too.
It's an enormous impact on the West, California, and so forth.
And now, the real question is, you know, I think there has to be time.
I don't know how to really handle it.
And because this is a special type of visit, we want to be handled well, we might find, for example, somebody that's very
very close to me uh it may be we want you to it may be you're too busy i mean what i mean is you're too let me put it this way it may be that you are too how we say uh too high level i'm not sure but uh but but but but as far as i'm concerned i'm willing i told you that i'm willing to do anything that seems to be your right thing without going overboard and yet doing
to do everything we possibly can, because after all, this is our nation, and now we're gonna get a little credit for it.
Of course, there's interest in this thing, and when they come, it's gonna be fun.
My view is this, I'd have it pretty soon.
I'd have it while they're still thinkin' about it, see what I mean?
Because, no.
Well, also, if you delay it, you may not have it.
Yeah, I think the thing to do is that I kick it off fairly soon, as soon as they can conveniently do it.
We'll arrange, of course, for somebody to create the money.
All right, these fellows are called to the meeting.
I don't agree with the statement of the gentleman already.
So we'll do the same for them, although we don't do it for another agency.
See, what we've got to remember is that this is not like an exchange for the agency.
The exchange is we pay the agency.
like an exchange that ala opera valid usia or whatever it is now this is not exchange of persons this is a different mere drill so that's why you've got to talk to me and see what the technical side of it is and then of course as i said keep your lines in the state fair enough all right
No, it's not this guy, sir.
It's this one.
What's the name of that one?