Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 273 › Conversation 273-052

Nixon & Butterfield on Economic Policy and Speechwriting

Sunday, August 15, 1971 · 7:36 PM–8:55 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 38 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation273-052 on Tape 273 (tape position 05:05:48–05:06:16)StartSunday, August 15, 1971 at 7:36 PMEndSunday, August 15, 1971 at 8:55 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 273-052 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met to refine a speech draft, likely pertaining to the administration's new economic policies announced on the same day. The discussion focused on articulating the rationale behind recent financial interventions and shifting international economic partnerships. The exchange emphasized the necessity of these measures to ensure global stability and frame the transition toward a new era of international cooperation.

Audio

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Position in tape: 05:05:48 – 05:06:16

part C, 1:01:12

273a.mp3
273b.mp3
273c.mp3

NARA Description

On August 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:36 pm and 8:55 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 273-052 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 273-52

Date: August 15, 1971
Time: Unknown between 7:36 pm and 8:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with an unknown person [Alexander P. Butterfield?]

     Instructions
           -Speech draft [?]

The unknown person [Butterfield?] left at an unknown time before 8:55 pm.

Transcript (AI-generated)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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

To help them get on their feet, to protect their freedom, the United States provided $143 billion in foreign aid.
That was the right thing for us to do.
Today, largely with our help, they have regained their vitality and become our strong competitors.
We welcome their success.
But now that other nations are economically strong, the time has come for them to bear their fair share of the service of defending freedom around the world.
The time has come for exchange rates to be set straight, for the major nations to compete as equals.
There is no longer any need for the United States to compete with one hand tied behind your back.
In a range of actions, I have taken and proposed that I, on the job front, on the inflation front, on the monetary front,

Also recorded on August 15, 1971

  • 273-046 7:14 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William L. Safire met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:14 pm to 7:24 pm.
  • 273-047 7:24 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:24 pm and 7:34 pm.
  • 273-048 7:24 PM · 6 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 7:24 pm and 7:34 pm.
  • 273-049 7:34 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William L. Safire met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:34 pm to 7:36 pm.
  • 273-050 7:36 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:36 pm and 8:55 pm.
  • 273-051 7:36 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:36 pm and 8:55 pm.
  • 273-053 7:36 PM · 33 sec — 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 7:36 pm and 8:55 pm.
  • 273-054 7:36 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:36 pm and 8:55 pm.

All 70 conversations from August 15, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 273-052, August 15, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/273-052 (accessed November 2, 2026).