Conversation: 268-005
Prev: 268-004 Next: 268-006Start Date: 2-Aug-1971 3:01 PM
End Date: 2-Aug-1971 6:17 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Mitchell, John N.; Higby, Lawrence M.; White House operator; Nunn, Lee R.; Connally, John B.; Sanchez, Manolo; [Unknown person(s)]; Rogers, William P.;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:42:56
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 04:23:22
NARA Description:
On August 2, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John N. Mitchell, Lawrence M. Higby, White House operator, Lee R. Nunn, John B. Connally, Manolo Sanchez, unknown person(s), and William P. Rogers met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:01 pm to 6:17 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 268-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 268-5
Date: August 2, 1971
Time: 3:01 pm - 6:17 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
President's schedule
-John N. Mitchell
US foreign relations
-People's Republic of China [PRC] visit
-Ronald W. Reagan's statement
-Wire report
-Endorsement
-Vietnam
-Prisoner’s of War [POWs]
-Reaction of California conservatives
-H. L. (“Bill”) Richardson
-John Birch Society
-Reagan’s conservatism
-Walter Henson
-Revenue sharing
-Anticommunism
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
Mitchell entered at 3:03 pm.
-Reagan’s view
-Reaction of California conservatives
-Richardson
-Henson
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 20m 30s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
**********************************************************************
Lawrence M. Higby entered at 3:26 pm.
Lockheed vote
-Results
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Evaluation
-House vote
-John B. Connally
-George P. Shultz
-President's telephone calls
-Barry M. Goldwater
-George D. Aiken
-Carl T. Curtis
-Goldwater
Speech in Colorado
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
Higby left at 3:27 pm.
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 4m 38s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
**********************************************************************
Personnel
-Wage and price freeze
-Robert H. Finch
-Peter G. Peterson
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Reports
-John R. Brown, III
-Role with administration
-Counsellor to the President
-Possible trips
-Latin America
-Political value
-Office of Emergency Preparedness [OEP]
-Role with administration
-Cabinet
-George W. Romney
-John A. Volpe
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Interior or Agriculture Departments
-Undersecretary of State
-William P. Rogers
-John N. Irwin, II
-Flanigan
-Steel strike
-Negotiations
-Disclosure
-Possible trips
-Europe
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Latin America
-Restrictions on President's travel
-Latin America
-Possible riots
-Finch
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 14m 2s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
**********************************************************************
Personnel
-Secretary of Agriculture
-Clifford M. Hardin
-Conversation with Rogers
-Possible resignation from Cabinet
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Privacy]
[Duration: 1m 14s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
**********************************************************************
-Hardin's possible departure
-Farm bill
-Replacement
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-President's conversation with Connally
-American Farm Bureau Federation [AFBF]
-Cattlemen
-Dairymen
-John A. Love
-Colorado
-Henry L. Bellmon
-Bryce N. Harlow
-US Senate
-Sales qualities
-Love
-Louie B. Nunn
-Lee R. Nunn
-Harry S. Dent
The President talked with the White House operator at 3:57 pm.
[Conversation No. 268-5A]
Call to Dent
[End of telephone conversation]
Mitchell’s conversation with Louie Nunn
-John Sherman Cooper
-Nunn
-Possible service to President
-Lexington, Kentucky law firm
Personnel
-Secretary of Agriculture
-Louie Nunn
-Political qualities
-Hardin
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:57 pm and
3:59 pm.
[Conversation No. 268-5B]
Call to Lee Nunn
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
[End of telephone conversation]
Lockheed vote
-J. Caleb Boggs
-William V. Roth
-Aiken
-Bellmon
-Curtis
-Aiken
-Results
-Curtis
-Aiken
Personnel
-Secretary of Agriculture
-Nunn
-Type of background needed
The President talked with Lee Nunn between 3:59 pm and 4:00 pm.
[Conversation No. 268-5C]
Louie Nunn
-Farming background
-Knowledge of farming
[End of telephone conversation]
Personnel
-Secretary of Agriculture
-Nunn
-Background
-[Forename unknown] Rogers' possible talk with Hardin
-Nunn
-Possible action
-Resignation
-Timing
-Hardin
-Political position
-South
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Compared to Romney, Volpe
-Congress, speech making
-Instruction for Mitchell
-Connally
-Harlow
-Connally
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 17s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
**********************************************************************
Personnel
-Ambassador to Great Britain
-Possible Change
-[Walter H. Annenberg]
-Possible return from London
-Campaign
-Reagan
-Annenberg
-Campaign contribution
-Amount
-Editorials
-Influence
-Timing
-Political aspect
-Timing
-California politics
-Reagan
-Ambassadorship
-Edwin Reinecke
-Governorship
-Finch
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Senate
-1972 election
-Reagan
-Senate
-Reinecke
-Reagan
-Finch
-1972 election
-Annenberg
-Staff
-Reagan
Higby entered at 4:10 pm.
Connally's arrival
Highly left at 4:12 pm.
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 14s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
**********************************************************************
Connally entered at 4:15 pm.
Lockheed vote
-Outcome
-Curtis, Aiken, Bellmon, Lloyd M. Bentsen, Karl E. Mundt, [Boggs, Roth],
Robert C. Byrd, Harry F. Byrd, Jr., Howard W. Cannon, Clifford P, Case,
Marlow Cook, John Sherman Cooper, Norris Cotton [?]
-Alan Cranston, Robert J. Dole, Allen J. Ellender, Paul J. Fannin, David H.
Gambrell, Barry M. Goldwater, Robert Griffin
-Peter H. Dominick, Hugh Scott, Charles H. Percy, Edward J. Gurney, Ernest F.
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
Hollings, Roman L. Hruska, Hubert H. Humphrey, Jacob K. Javits, Daniel
K. Inouye, Clinton P. Anderson,
-Charles McC. Mathias, Jr., Thomas J. McIntyre, Lee Metcalf, Jack Miller
-Frank E. Moss, Joseph M. Montoya, Edmund S. Muskie, Robert W. Packwood
-James B. Pearson, Winston L. Prouty, William B. Saxbe, Richard S.
Schweiker, Ted Stevens, Margaret Chase Smith, Stevens
-Robert A. Taft, Jr., Harrison A. Williams, John G. Tower, John V. Tunney,
Lowell P. Weicker
-Milton Young, William B. Spong, Jr., Byrd
-Analysis
-Liberals
-Conservatives
-Trans World Airlines [TWA]
-United Airlines
-American Airlines
-McDonnell-Douglas
-United Auto Workers [UAW]
-Machinists Union
-Opponents
-Republican leadership in Senate
-President's efforts to get support
-Reaction to opponents
-Fannin
-Hruska
-Curtis
Personnel
-Possible Secretary of Agriculture
-Mitchell
-Candidates
-Political qualities
-AFBF
-Love
-Possible candidacy
-Louie Nunn
-Background
-Appeal to farmers
-Connally's reaction
-Appearance
-Administrative abilities
-J. Philip Campbell
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-As politician
-Tenure as governor
-Compared to Hardin
-President’s qualities
-Political qualities
-Anecdote
-Highways
-Possible problems
-Press
-Another governor in Cabinet
-Compared to other governors
-Indiana
-Ohio
-Richard B. Ogilvie
-Robert D. Ray
-Image in agriculture
-Position with kennels and horse racers
-Quarterhouse Association
-American National Academy
-AFBF
-Horseracing as sport
-Support for President by racing fans
-George A. Smathers
-Kentucky
-Tobacco, peanuts, cotton
-Ties to Southeast
-Geographic position as border state
-Crop
-Influence in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee
-Political image with horseracing or breeding states
-Mountain states
-Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico, Utah
-Texas, Oklahoma
-Oil business contacts
-Ashland Oil
-Rogers
-Hardin
-Mitchell’s forthcoming call
-Timing of possible appointment
-Kentucky gubernatorial election
-Hardin
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Campbell
-Nunn
-Kentucky
-Geographic position
-Civil rights
-Agriculture
-Agriculture
-Strengths
-Dairy industry
-Hardin
Economy
-Connally's talk with Shultz
-Future
-President’s possible talk
-Wall Street
-International monetary crisis
-Deutsche mark
-Dollar deficit
-Balance of trade
-Business problems
-Investment
-Competitiveness
-Worker motivation
-Dollar
-Overvaluation
-Inflation
-Labor
-Competitiveness
-Need for tax credit
-Investment
-Business and labor
-Need for import control
-Investment concerns
-Erosion of confidence in economic leadership by administration
-Economists, writers
-Retail sales
-Stockmarket
-Figure
-Unemployment
-Inflation
-Steel
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-US business
-International monetary crisis
-US foreign assets
-Erosion
-Press
-Gold reserves
-Level
-US obligation to convert currency
-Germany, France, Japan, Great Britain
-Need for action
-Timing
-1972 election
-Losses
-The Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Great Britain, France
-Forthcoming International Monetary Fund [IMF] meeting
-Timing
-Possible US actions
-Closing gold window
-IMF
-Floating the dollar
-Fixed parity
-Dutch guilder
-Deutsche mark
-Italian lira
-French franc
-Pound sterling
-Japanese yen
-Stabilizing international monetary situation
-Devaluation of dollar
-Automobile tax repeal
-Excise tax cost
-Impact on economy
-Retail automobile prices
-Japan
-Employment
-Investment tax credit
-Cost to the Government
-Stress on action
-10% import tax
-Inflation
-Wage and price freeze
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Inflation
-Duration
-Defer House Resolution [H R] 1
-Opposition to federal employee pay increase
-Suspension of comparability
-Revenue-sharing
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Budget
-Need to control international situation
-Suspension of currency convertibility
-Negotiations
-Timing
-Fixed rate
-Wage and price freeze
-Import taxes
-Inflation
-Voluntary nature
-Sanctions
-Duration
-Excise tax on automobiles
-Import taxes
-Import level
-Investment tax credit
-Automobile tax repeal
-Advantages to the President
-Fiscal responsibility
-Republican philosophy
-Sound dollar
-Wage and price freezes
-Conservatives
-Investment tax credit
-Timing
-Tax package
-Depreciation
-Reaction
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Leonard Woodcock
-Shultz's reaction
-Import taxes
-Inflation
-Wage and price freeze
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Enforcement
-Bureaucratic structure for implementation
-Office of Management and Budget [OMB]
-Treasury Department
-Connally
-Economic spokesman
-OMB
-Personnel
-Impact of action
-President’s awareness of problems
-President’s coverage to anticipate and action
-International trade
-Japanese, British, French
-Revaluation
-US dollar
-Revaluation
-Domestic
-Investment tax credit
-Automobile buyers
-President’s constituency
-Conservatives, business people
-Economic stimulus
-Import tax
-Investment tax credit
-Possible press stories
-Criticism
-Wage and price controls
-Connally’s television appearance
-Timing
-Connally’s talk with Shultz
-Meeting with the President
-Congressional session
-House
-Shultz
-Meeting
-International situation
-September 1971
-August 1971
-Wall Street
-Steel price increase
-Earlier versus later
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Effect on new car prices
-Forthcoming meeting
-President, Connally, Shultz
-Paul W. McCracken, Peter G. Peterson, Paul A. Volcker, John A. Scali
-Peterson
-Effect of proposed action
-Export rebate
-Investment tax credit
-General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade [GATT]
-Connally's unknown business friend in Houston, Texas
-Steel purchase
-France
-Credit
President’s schedule
-Forthcoming meeting
-Connally’s schedule
-Shultz schedule
- McCracken, Arthur F. Burns, Peterson
-Peterson
-Background
-Press
-Shultz
-Burns
Economy
-Wage and Price Board
-Wage and price freeze
-Tax evasion
-Compared to other countries
-US business
-Consumer Price Index [CPI]
-Wages
-Longshoremen
-Construction
-Shultz
-Unions
-Wage and Price Board
-Duration
-Conservatives
-Rent control
18
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Republicans
-1946 election
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-1952 election
-Communism, crime, control, Korea
-Controls compared with freeze
-Conservatives
-Milton Friedman
-Family assistance
-Inflation
-Forthcoming meeting
-Shultz
-Connally's schedule
Connally left at 5:25 pm.
Connally
-Response to criticism
-Sensitivity
-Boldness
Economy
-Possible wage and price controls
-Consumer spending
-Automobiles
-Possible price drop
-Recent retail sales
-Shultz
-Consumer spending
-Need for action
-Public reaction
-Duration of controls
-Six months
President's schedule
-Forthcoming meeting
-[Shultz and Connally
-Peterson
-Press
-Unknown person
-Forthcoming action on economy
19
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Burns
-Federal Reserve Board [FRB]
Economy
-Proposed US action
-Possible effects
President's schedule
-Possible press conference
-Cancellation
-Need to study economic proposals
-Questions
-People's Republic of China [PRC], Pakistan
-Timing
-Need to study economic proposals
Economy
-Proposed US action
-Wage and price freeze
-Shultz and Connally
-Possible psychological effects
-Floating the dollar
-US business
-Analogy to PRC opening
-International monetary crisis
-Wall Street
-Consumers
-McCracken
-HR 1 [welfare reform]
-Work requirements
-Reaction to bill
-Senate
-Conservatives
-Blacks
Presidents’ schedule
-Press conference
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 5:25 pm.
20
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 49s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
**********************************************************************
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:49 pm.
Busing
-Austin, Texas case
-Shultz
-Louisiana
-View
-Polls
-Blacks
-Mitchell's possible action
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Appeal
-Court decree
-Minimum busing
-Legislative action
-Proposed amendment
-The President's talk with John D. Ehrlichman
-Congress
-School aid
-Amendment
-Effect of court action
-Warren E. Burger
Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 5:25 pm.
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
21
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 15s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
**********************************************************************
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:49 pm.
Busing
-Supreme Court opinion
-Mitchell's talk with Burger
-Racial balance
Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 5:25 pm and 5:49 pm.
[Conversation No. 268-5D]
Stock market
-Report on activity
[End of telephone conversation]
Stock market
-Report on activity
-President's reaction
Busing
-Proposed Constitutional amendment
-Republican platform, 1972
-Possible Congressional action
-Nelson A. Rockefeller, Jacob K. Javits, Lowell P. Wiecker, Jr., Edward
W. Brooke, Hugh Scott
-Timing
-Democratic opponent
-Possible support
-Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Ohio
-Effect
-Elementary and high school children
22
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Louisiana
-Quality of schools
-Effects of busing
-Louisiana
-Compared to Washington, DC schools
-Administration policy
-Possible Constitutional amendment
-School aid
-Problem
-Court orders
-Timing
-Forthcoming presidential election
-Edmund S. Muskie, Hubert H. Humphrey and Edward M.
Kennedy
-Possible ramifications
-Disturbances
Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 5:25 pm and 5:49 pm.
[See Conversation No. 268-5E ]
Connally
-Meeting with the President
-Timing
[End of telephone conversation]
Revenue-sharing
Busing
-Social issue
-Inter-racial experiences
PRC
-US policy
Economy
-Possible criticism
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:25 pm and
5:49 pm.
23
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
[Conversation No. 268-5F]
Call to William P. Rogers
[End of telephone conversation]
Economy
-Japan
-Textiles
-US equipment
-Profits
-Automobiles, radios, electronics
The President talked with Rogers between 5:49 pm and 5:57 pm.
[Conversation No. 268-5G]
Conference
President's schedule
-Steel prices
-Busing discussion
Lockheed vote
-President's call to Barry Goldwater, Aiken
-Dominick, James L. Buckley, Gerald R. Ford
PRC announcement
-Peking
-Reaction
-Peking
-Press
-Statement
-Television program
-Simulation
Lockheed Amendment
-Outcome of vote
Pakistan
24
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Possible action
-United Nations [UN]
-India
-Kenneth B. Keating
-Press reaction
-Vietnam
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Biafra
-India
-Possible action by India
-US response
-Indian Ambassador
-Aid
-Congress
Rogers' health
[End of telephone conversation]
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
[National Security]
[Duration: 25s ]
INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
**********************************************************************
Economy
-Shultz
-Connally
-Wage and price policy
-Possible action
-Volcker's recommendations
25
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-International bank
-Gold
-Connally
Spiro T. Agnew
-Foreign trip
-Press reaction
-Rogers
-Bryce N. Harlow's participation
Appointment
-[Forename unknown] Neal vote
-Judgeship
Agnew
-Advisory role
-PRC
-Welfare
-Forthcoming presidential election
-Relations with Ehrlichman
-White House appearances
-Intergovernmental Relations Office
-Clarence D. Ward
-PRC
-Peking
-Kissinger
-Taiwan
-Rogers
-Camp David
-Cabinet
-President's reaction to trip
-As advisor
-Ehrlichman
-Credibility
-Forthcoming election
-Republican right
-W. Clement Stone
-Internecine warfare
-Secret Service
-Staff
-Media
26
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)
-Status quo
-Colorado convention
-Vote
-Cabinet
-Senate
-Lockheed vote
-Agnew's role
-President’s role as Vice President
-Eisenhower
-Curtis, Fannin, Goldwater
-Contact with governors
-Ronald W. Reagan
-As advisor
-Ehrlichman
-Issues
-School desegregation
-Connally
-Instructions for Haldeman
-Staff
-John A. Scali story
-Victor Gold
-Williamsburg
-Associated Press [AP]
-Herbert G. Klein
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Newsweek magazine
-Nature of Vice President's trip
-Press
President's schedule
-Forthcoming meeting
Agnew
-Role
-Press
Cabinet
-Romney
-Volpe
Haldeman and Mitchell left at 6:17 pm.
27
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 268-5 (cont.)