Nixon White House TapesTape 272 › Conversation 272-004

Nixon & Shultz on International monetary policy and Economic crisis

Monday, August 9, 1971 · 1:48 PM–1:58 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building ·10 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Shultz, George P.;  [Unknown person(s)]Conversation272-004 onTape 272 (tape position 00:10:33–00:20:15)StartMonday, August 9, 1971 at 1:48 PMEndMonday, August 9, 1971 at 1:58 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 272-004 ↗

President Nixon and George P. Shultz met to discuss preparations for a forthcoming meeting, focusing on the current international monetary situation and the potential for a perceived economic crisis. The participants also addressed pending HEW legislation, specifically evaluating the political feasibility of sustaining a potential presidential veto in Congress. Additionally, the President requested a review of retail sales figures to better gauge the national economic outlook before their next high-level consultation.

Download MP3 · 22.3 MB

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) ·JSON data · Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.

Hello.
We've got our meeting tomorrow, all right?
OK. Fine, fine.
OK. That's good.
Incidentally, is there anything I know of some
I see.
Is there anything particularly new in the international front that we can do?
I know Collin did rule that it would go out in Texas.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't know if there will be a crisis, particularly,
Yeah.
I, uh...
I don't want to do exactly what you're going to do.
I don't want to do some of the sort of training for you, or the training for you, or the training for you, or the training for you.
I think they would have to be joined.
You know what I mean?
They'd have it in a crisis.
It's never bad.
They say, I mean, it is a continuing downward trend.
But it's not the crisis that I'm talking about.
I don't think that the voter shock would be a compulsion to .
What's your next story?
Yeah, on the internet.
There's nothing to do.
We know it's dangerous, but .
Yeah, and there are .
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, I think that that's the problem.
Just beyond what we were recommending.
What is it with education?
Yeah.
What about the chance of, uh, what about the chance of sustaining that?
But, uh, when do we have to, uh, consider that?
Yeah.
Well, I'd like to know the chances.
I'd like to know what the chances are of getting a vote.
Either way, if there's a chance of getting a vote.
Yeah.
Oh, there's no waiting in here.
We have to go.
You're watching me.
We're gonna have that fun.
All right, come on.
Come on, come on.
Okay.
Wait, I forgot.
I see.
He, uh... Young.
He is.
Why wouldn't he?
He looks like a boy to me.
I will speak on this very shortly.
We'll look at the arguments tomorrow.
We'll get the retail sales figures in.
Yeah.
Yeah, well, we'll have to look at it tomorrow.
We should have put it in.

On August 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:48 pm to 1:58 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 272-004 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 272-004
Date: August 9, 1971
Time: 1:48 pm - 1:58 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President talked with George P. Shultz.
President's schedule
-Forthcoming meeting
An unknown person entered at an unknown time between 1:48 pm and 1:58 pm.
Unknown activity
The unknown person left at an unknown time between 1:48 pm and 1:58 pm.
Page | 2
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
International monetary situation
-Status
-John B. Connally
-Texas
-Pressure for action
-Perception of crisis
-Paul A. Volcker
Pending legislation
-Possible vetoes
-Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
-Sustaining vote in Congress
-Chance
-Unknown person
-Political support
-Forthcoming meeting
National economy
-Retail sales
-President's schedule
  • 272-001 12:55 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:55 pm and 1:48 pm.
  • 272-002 12:55 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:55 pm and 1:48 pm.
  • 272-003 12:55 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:55 pm and 1:48 pm.
  • 272-005 1:58 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:58 pm and 2:01 pm.
  • 272-006 2:01 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:01 pm to 2:02 pm.
  • 272-007 2:02 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:02 pm and 2:15 pm.
  • 272-008 2:02 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:02 pm and 2:15 pm.
  • 272-009 2:15 PM · 44 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, John B. Connally, Manolo Sanchez, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:15 pm to 2:55 pm.

Conversation 272-004, August 9, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/272-004 (accessed September 18, 2026).