Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 253-022
Date: Wednesday, May 26, 1971 at 3:35 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Price, Raymond K., Jr.; Andrews, John K., Jr.; [Unknown person(s)]; Ziegler, Ronald L.; Butterfield, Alexander P.
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/253-022

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:03] Let me just, I marked this up in ways that you can probably figure out with what I have in mind.
[0:13] Let me say a couple things with regard to the timeout.
[0:19] They'll be standing up.
[0:21] This crowd is a standing crowd.
[0:25] They're used to standing.
[0:32] my job, my dream, so I had to predict in terms of the actual amount of love that I was going to get out of this.
[0:43] And call that the most you perhaps can.
[0:47] Secondly, as a driven response, excellent, John, the point is that I want to shift in terms of most of the appearances now
[1:02] The ship was suddenly given away away from Vietnam and the United States and what was going on with the ship, like, three press conferences came around, and there was a closure, et cetera, et cetera.
[1:09] I understand that.
[1:10] The people are upset.
[1:11] They're trying to lift their sights and let them see beyond.
[1:13] In other words, we've got to talk about what's America going to be in Vietnam.
[1:31] I mean, a rather long background.
[1:34] Well, typically.
[1:35] Well, at the moment, it's our most difficult
[2:04] in which we have a certain answer.
[2:05] Let me argue about when, let me argue about how.
[2:11] Some of you, and some of you are successful, that if I were certain about Russia, about the Mideast, or about China as I were about Vietnam, Vietnam, see.
[2:25] So you're not going to put that in the speech, but that is the point that I think everybody's got to start trying to understand.
[2:29] So therefore, if you've got to understand, well, there's no debate about being anonymous and actually have a deadline, should we do a little burger, should we or should we not, and this and that and the other.
[2:41] This is an issue that is moot.
[2:43] We're going to see a pure weaver on the path.
[2:47] It's going to be ended in a way that the spirituality of other aggressions of this type and therefore make the city more peaceful than the world.
[2:55] That's what I believe.
[2:58] Now, I think therefore that they, and what I've done, I've gone through and marked this up in a way that I think is very true.
[3:14] I've educated those places where I think it's useful, where it fits into your draft, where I say, okay, it's hard to be included.
[3:28] It's gotta make it all belong.
[3:32] But here's the way I can begin to do it.
[3:38] I think a rather neat way to get into it might be, a lot of us here, I would say, you know, three pages and some of you have had to do it, and I started, and I started over again, but you could figure it out in less than a day or so.
[3:55] There are 3,400 men here today.
[3:58] Well, I am one that very few of you will be called officers.
[4:05] and the 20 out of the 730 graduating.
[4:07] And it is my hope, and this of course is the direction of our policy, that the great majority of you will not be called upon to serve at any point.
[4:32] Now, what then is your purpose?
[4:36] It is less hazardous, but more difficult to serve in peace than in war.
[4:43] Now, that may be worded differently.
[4:44] Eisenhower used to say, well, service, and he ought to know, that service in peacetime is more difficult than in war time.
[4:51] Now, I suppose if you look at Vietnam, and this is referring to World War II and World War I, it wasn't always important, but
[5:05] But basically, in peacetime, without going into the difference between that, my wife would want to know if you could say that.
[5:15] And I don't worry.
[5:17] I just sort of pick up the fact that your service could mean
[5:38] Then, basically I started going with the idea that
[6:03] We understand that we are, and all actually we are concerned about.
[6:13] And this is the top of our concern.
[6:17] But let us understand that this war, we are ending.
[6:22] And we're ending in a way which will contribute to lasting peace.
[6:31] but don't dwell on it.
[6:35] Say it and then don't dwell on it.
[6:37] Don't dwell on it.
[6:39] You take a look at the business that I dwell on.
[6:42] Sort of read through that.
[6:47] And then perhaps pick it up there.
[6:54] And then you sort of take one round.
[6:58] Oh, it's coming another way.
[7:01] Another way, I'm just throwing my duty on her.
[7:08] Now, our duty is concerned, there's no question.
[7:19] I am convinced that your service will be more important.
[7:25] Your service will be more important.
[7:30] And we live in the beginning.
[7:35] Here we are.
[7:40] And briefly you go in.
[7:59] And I heard that the Chinese, the normal Chinese, the European development, you know, the United
[8:25] An indispensable factor, if there is to be a chance for peace in the world,
[8:55] Our goal is American strength.
[8:59] And, let's go back to the other page here.
[9:02] And, that, whether we, whether we have the American will to maintain adequate strength until there's a future reduction in oil,
[9:24] I have, I had there a fairly good quote in my, which I worked on, where I said that a unilateral, when we talk about limitation, limitation of a person, we are interested in that, but not as an end in itself.
[9:52] We talk about an end limitation of arms because it serves the end of contributing to a more peaceful world, right?
[9:57] Who the hell cares?
[9:59] We have all sorts of nuclear things floating around unless they threaten the peace of the world.
[10:05] So, now, a mutual limitation or a reduction of arms, a mutual limitation of arms, serves the cause.
[10:18] A unilateral limitation of arms,
[10:22] and that's true not only of america versus america because if they don't maintain it
[10:50] So, but anyway, I'm not suggesting you get into all this, but I'm suggesting just the velocity.
[11:09] So before we could work on this, read that.
[11:11] I did a lot of this, about 45 to 50 minutes of it, and a lot of it was wrong, because it would take a little of my time, because I tried to put it on here.
[11:20] So the Chinese, the Greeks, and the Saudis, and our military strength, and our military strength, and our moral strength, and our moral strength, and our moral strength, and all that stuff.
[11:48] an indispensable factor.
[11:50] The indispensable factor, or maybe go stronger than the indispensable factor.
[12:07] And as far as that, maintaining that in search of strength is going to require the other
[12:18] the best of you in terms of your honor.
[12:22] As far as recognition is concerned, recognition, as far as honor in terms of public recognition is concerned, you will not get what you deserve.
[12:35] But the country of this country will be in your hands.
[12:41] People you will never know
[12:46] I'd like to get into the theme.
[12:57] Be proud of your country.
[13:02] Be proud of the uniform.
[13:05] And I cover this in all of my interviews.
[13:11] We can yak all we want about America, but in this century, America has never agreed to a conflict.
[13:18] It has never gone to war for territory or conflict.
[13:22] Not if we're at war with Korea or Vietnam.
[13:25] And if America withdraws, if it turns away from its responsibility, the world will be infinitely less safe and more
[13:42] And I use this in this program.
[13:45] They talk about those who talk about the American power, those who talk about the American power in the world, want us to release.
[13:54] They limit it, but in fact we'll turn it to ourselves.
[14:03] The nation and the world, they would like to have to have this in our record.
[14:12] at this time.
[14:14] Here I travel to 70 countries.
[14:15] I talk to leaders in 70 countries.
[14:17] I have yet to find a leader prior to the conversation, the most intimate prior to the conversation, who feared that the power of the United States would ever be used to break the peace as far as he was concerned.
[14:33] My question is this kind of takeaway.
[14:36] Many of us must be proud of this strength
[14:39] And if we, when we talk about wouldn't it be great if America would just, well, the point is that if you could conceive of a world in which America was weak, when America not only didn't have the strength, but the will to obtain it, and were necessary to use it, it would be a much, it would be a very dangerous world at this time.
[15:08] Who else is the polar couple?
[15:09] We don't go into that because we're going to be a long way from home.
[15:13] So what can you do to preface the group with these kind of things?
[15:22] Then your whole lines, which in all of this, of course, you've got as much of this about be proud, instill pride in your people and so forth.
[15:36] Another way you might want to get at some of this is to, if you have a challenge in a way that is to be done in a more recent area, which is greater than combat, there you risk your life to take through your obedience and courage to be strong when you do not want to use your strength, courage, courage, and faith.
[16:08] and the diplomatic front, the political front, you know, to see those who have died in a war, where they will not, they will not obey.
[16:28] If we fail, you will pay the sacrifice.
[16:34] You will have to pay a price for risking your lives.
[16:41] If you fail, we cannot succeed.
[16:45] But that's about the kind of thing I'd like to get in.
[16:48] Now, a lot of this, for example, all of your stuff about whether the people of the United States of America are going to be rich or not, or whether we as a nation need women as chariots,
[17:02] I don't think you can say you're confident.
[17:35] We're not sure they will.
[17:39] And then the idea that day after day, there's a slow sign.
[17:41] This is somewhat overstated.
[17:45] I don't want to create euphoric .
[17:48] We do see evidence as to whether it's all .
[17:54] Perhaps we can't say.
[18:02] I, uh, those are just some random thoughts.
[18:12] Let me perhaps try this.
[18:31] We cannot see it because it's an underrated issue.
[18:32] We started regarding it before it.
[19:31] At the same time.
[20:03] I have that presence.
[20:05] Maybe we can discuss the presence in an argument.
[20:40] arms control, limitation of arms, reduction of arms,
[21:04] are not ends in themselves.
[21:06] Their only means to win it, the reduction of the nature of war, and that unilateral reduction.
[21:16] Reduction which is not mutual increases the nature of war, whereas mutual reduction could be the same.
[21:26] That key point, that could be a .
[21:29] Then come on, now, then it comes in .
[21:33] It's really an honor coming to serve you both.
[21:34] I think maybe just going back to Augustine, it's harder in peacetime than in war time.
[21:36] And God knows that's probably going to be true.
[21:37] It doesn't seem to be a problem at all.
[21:38] In peacetime, it's over, you know, it's over a little while.
[21:39] I think it's really important to take this
[22:04] Now, nevertheless, and as far as, therefore, as far as honor is concerned, public recognition then, as far as your country or your country, I'm going to make this responsible.
[22:08] I'm going to meet it in terms of the space of the fact that the Army, the Army, I can take a bad breath.
[22:34] It has been that the actions of the few have been allowed to smear the proud tradition of the great, the magnificent military tradition.
[22:53] And let's not kill ourselves about that.
[22:56] It's true.
[22:57] And here you are.
[22:59] You must live.
[23:02] because there are new problems.
[23:03] There's no peacetime harm that was ever had before.
[23:04] Crimes, murders, insubordination, they never had that in peacetime.
[23:06] And Dan Little, in insubordination, was used as a shooter, and now they give him a medal for it on television.
[23:10] And then you go on to having to go through that,
[23:39] I think that's about the way it is.
[23:41] I'm not going to sort it out.
[23:44] I just want to take a crack at it.
[23:48] All right.
[23:49] You can see the thrust.
[23:50] Right?
[23:51] Okay.
[23:51] Thanks a lot.
[23:53] I'll just give you this.
[23:55] Well, what place is that?
[24:11] What's that?
[24:14] What's that?
[24:17] Oh, yeah, come on in.
[24:22] Are they here?
[24:23] Are they here?
[24:25] Or are they from the other office?
[24:28] No, I want to get a picture of them.
[24:35] Well, we just wanted to ask you a question.
[24:43] I can take a quick scan to see where it is.
[25:12] Yeah, right.
[25:13] You really?
[25:13] No, no, no.
[25:15] You've got the hard job.
[25:17] I thought we were going to meet at the other office.
[25:21] As a matter of fact, I'm going to be trying to settle this up with Patricia right now.
[25:31] Thank you, Mr. President.
[25:34] Good luck.
[26:01] Yes, sir.
[26:31] I just wanted to know if you want to come over to the press lady's shower for nutrition and take out the ladies tonight at 745.
[26:41] I really thought you would at least be aware that you were invited.
[26:45] I don't know if you want to go ahead and stay on for that.
[26:53] I don't like it.
[26:55] They're all here, sir.
[26:56] Yeah, I hope so.
[26:58] here would be to say that the president spent the day
[27:21] of those killed and asked me to say, and I would go, would not issue a statement like that, but I would quote what you told me.
[27:29] Yes, sir, I've talked to this as a result of that.
[27:32] But I would quote what you told me and refer to your November directive to the Attorney General, where you called for the FBI to intervene, and he's agreed from that.
[27:42] I'll make a point that the Slater case will do that at least today, sir.
[27:48] How about the idea, as I was saying, that the president feels that we should set up a national scholarship of children?
[27:59] I don't know if we are going to actually apply it.
[28:03] Don't say it now.
[28:05] Let's get at it.
[28:05] We'll probably say it at a later time.
[28:08] Because I think we ought to do that.
[28:19] Now, do you want me to take this meeting for a miss?
[28:24] Yes, sir.
[28:26] This is Andrew.
[28:27] Well, this is a policeman.
[28:28] Policeman and, uh, regrettably, a policeman and a policeman being a priority issue.
[28:40] You can get that right in there.