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Conversation: 278-036

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Start Date: 14-Sep-1971 5:39 PM

End Date: 14-Sep-1971 6:35 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Rogers, William P.Kissinger, Henry A.White House operatorRockefeller, Nelson A.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:14:00

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:46:32

278a.mp3

278b.mp3

NARA Description:

On September 14, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, William P. Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, Nelson A. Rockefeller, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:39 pm to 6:35 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 278-036 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 278-36
                                               18

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)




Date: September 14, 1971
Time: 5:39 pm - 6:35 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Donald H. Rumsfeld
         -Furman University

The President talked with William P. Rogers between 5:39 pm and 5:42 pm.

[Conversation No. 278-36A]

[See Conversation No. 9-4]

[End of telephone conversation]

     The President's schedule
          -[Rumsfeld]
               -Furman University invitation
               -Age
          -Southern schools

     Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon’s television broadcast
          -Response
          -Milton Pitts
          -The President's constituents
               -Time magazine
          -Television networks
               -Constituents
               -Howard K. Smith
          -Meeting with Cabinet members and wives
          -The President and Mrs. Nixon
               -Preparations
               -Mrs. Nixon
                     -Receptions at the White House
                     -Handshakes
                     -Television
                                         19

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                                 Conv. No. 278-36 (cont.)


Television appearances
     -1960
           -Reaction to television use
                -Speech preparation
                -Debate with John F. Kennedy
                      -Preparation
                      -Schedule

The President's forthcoming western states trip
     -Libby Dam
     -Kalispell, Montana

Joseph M. Montoya
     -Amendment

Television coverage
     -John B. Connally
     -William P. Rogers
     -Patrick J. Buchanan
     -Handling
     -Range of audience
     -Prime time television
     -Press conference

Forthcoming news events
     -PRC announcement
     -Soviet Union summit announcement
           -Kissinger's October trip
           -Date
     -Phase II economic action
           -Month of October
     -Vietnam
           -Residual force
                 -Announcement
                      -Timing
     -Soviet Union trip, People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
           -March 1972
           -May 1972
           -Report of trip
     -Visit to the PRC
           -Haldeman's meeting with Kissinger
                                       20

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 278-36 (cont.)


                -Ground station
                -Soviet Union visit in 1959
                       -Videotape of Kitchen Debate
                       -Reaction of Russians
          -Public events
                -Outside activities
                -Time
                -News coverage
                -Network coverage in the US
          -Press coverage crew for the President
                -Value
                -Pool coverage
          -Live press coverage
                -Stories of the President in the PRC
                       -Handshakes
                            -Kissinger's opinion
                                  -The President's view
                                       -Soviet Union
                                       -State Department
     -The President's actions on the Soviet trip
          -Popular opinion
          -Nikita S. Khrushchev
          -Alexei N. Kosygin
                -Reactions
          -Kissinger
          -Press coverage in the PRC
                -Tokyo transmissions
                       -Time of broadcast in the US
                       -Johnny Carson's Tonight Show ,     Today Show
          -Kissinger
                -Understanding of television's impact
          -PRC
                -Still photographs
                       -Newspapers, magazines
                            -New York Times
                       - Today Show
                       -Afternoon special
                       -Nightly news
                       -Commentaries

John B. Connally
                                             21

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                     Conv. No. 278-36 (cont.)


           -Return from trip
                -Time
                      -Scheduling of National Security Council [NSC] meeting

     Trip to Florida
           -The President's plans
           -Weather

     The press
          -Question and Answer session [Q&A]
               -Daytime press coverage
          -Press coverage
               -The President's appearances
               -Ohio
               -Illinois
               -Idaho
                     -Effects of press coverage
                     -Results in polls
               -Ohio poll
                     -Results
                     -Effect
               -Canton, Ohio
                     -Effect

Kissinger entered at 6:05 pm.

     Kissinger
                                            22

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                 Conv. No. 278-36 (cont.)


**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 20s ]


     FOREIGN AFFAIRS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

**********************************************************************


     Clifford M. Hardin
           -John N. Mitchell
           -Departure from administration
                -Timing
           -Farm and business groups

Haldeman left at 6:07 pm.


**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 47s ]


     FOREIGN AFFAIRS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

**********************************************************************
                                             23

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 278-36 (cont.)


     NSC
           -Meeting
           -Time
           -Reasons
                -Joseph M. Montoya Amendment on Military Procurement
                     -The President's telephone conversation with Rogers
                     -Funding
                     -Election in South Vietnam
                          -Nguyen Van Thieu

     Vietnam
          -Type of country
          -Amount of money spent
          -Monetary aid
               -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                     -Francis J. Galbraith
                     -Lt. Gen. T. N. J. Suharto
          -Suharto
               -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
          -The President's strategy
               -Bureaucracy
          -Kissinger’s talk with William F. Buckley
               -US Information Agency [USIA]

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and
6:13 pm.

[Conversation No. 278-36b]

[See Conversation No. 9-5]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam
          -State Department
          -Support
                -Members of the NSC
                -Rogers
                     -Residual force
                -Melvin R. Laird
                -Thomas Moorer
                                              24

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                       Conv. No. 278-36 (cont.)


          -NSC Meeting
                -Strategy
                      -Time
          -Paris Peace Talks
                -William J. Porter
                      -Possible action
                -George S. McGovern's trip to Paris, Southeast Asia
                      -Meeting with North Vietnamese
                           -Possible reaction
          -Peace negotiations
                -Porter
                      -Press

The President talked with Nelson A. Rockefeller between 6:13 pm and 6:18 pm.

[Conversation No. 278-36C]

[See Conversation No. 9-6]
[End of telephone conversation]

     Attica Prison riots
           -Rockefeller
                -Kissinger's telephone conversation
                -Comparison to [John] Calvin Coolidge's action against strikers
                -Presidential support
                - Today Show
                -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] news coverage
                -Newsweek
           -Law enforcement
                -Presidential support for governors
                -Test case

The President talked with an unknown person [Haldeman?] at an unknown time between 6:18
pm and 6:35 pm.

[Conversation No. 278-36D]
                                              25

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                     Conv. No. 278-36 (cont.)


     NSC meeting scheduling
         -Connally
              -Return from trip
              -Length of trip

[End of telephone conversation]

     Forthcoming NSC meeting
          -Laird
          -Announcement of meeting
          -Citation of the President's conversation with Kissinger
                -Laird statement

Kissinger talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 6:18 pm and 6:35
pm.

[Conversation No. 278-36E]

[See Conversation No. 9-7]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Forthcoming NSC meeting
          -Strategy
                -[Thieu]
          -Laird

Kissinger talked with Rogers at an unknown time between 6:18 pm and 6:35 pm.

[Conversation No. 278-36F]

[See Conversation No. 9-8; one item has been withdrawn from the conversation]

     NSC meeting

[End of telephone conversation]

     NSC meeting scheduling
         -Rogers
              -Son's forthcoming marriage
         -Connally
                                             26

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 278-36 (cont.)


                -Return from trip
           -Time
           -Location
                -Camp David

     Vietnam
          -South Vietnamese government
               -Possible future
               -Thieu
               -Nguyen Cao Ky
          -Current situation
               -North Vietnamese
               -Cambodia
               -Laos
               -PRC
               -Soviet Union
          -North Vietnam
          -Rogers
          -Referendum
          -Elections

Kissinger left at 6:35 pm.