Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 300 › Conversation 300-017

Nixon & Kissinger on Grain deal and USSR

Thursday, November 4, 1971 · 3:52 PM–3:55 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation300-017 on Tape 300 (tape position 00:30:43–00:35:12)StartThursday, November 4, 1971 at 3:52 PMEndThursday, November 4, 1971 at 3:55 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 300-017 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417185065 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss finalizing a grain deal with the Soviet Union that has been stalled by shipping labor disputes. Nixon emphasizes the significant political impact the agreement will have on the Corn Belt and instructs Kissinger to coordinate with Charles Colson and the Soviet embassy to resolve the remaining obstacles. The President expresses urgency in securing the agreement, aiming to make a formal announcement by the following day.

Grain deal
USSR
Maritime unions
Charles Colson
Corn Belt
Economic policy

Audio

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NARA Description

On November 4, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:52 pm and 3:55 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 300-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 300-017

Date: November 4, 1971
Time: Unknown between 3:52 pm and 3:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
          -Grain deal
               -Charles W. Colson's agreement with Maritime unions
                     -Lyndon B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy
               -Peter G. Peterson's contacts
                     -USSR embassy
               -Kissinger's possible call to Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
                     -Call to Colson
               -Effect
                     -Corn belt
               -Forthcoming announcement

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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off of the records on one thing it would be very helpful uh colson was able to work out with american unions that they will ship that client which is a tremendous achievement both johnson and kennedy asked you know what i mean uh the half american models and the jobs well my point is it will be shipped at the break and the russians said that's their only hang-up

Now they've got Peterson.

Peterson is talking to the Russian embassy about it.

I want you to call the brain and say this is terribly important to us.

We've done some things for them.

And this is great.

Can you do that?

Or you don't want to?

Is there any reason not to?

Let me suggest this.

Get close to Colquitt.

You know exactly what to say to him.

But I can tell you, Henry, if we can get that break, you're going to have an enormous effect on the Corn Belt.

An enormous effect.

You know what I mean?

Because they want to buy the corn, and they've said they will, and the deal is just hanging there.

We want to announce it tomorrow if we can.

Before the unions run off, see?

Well, I think the only reason that we might is that it's something that the Russians have already offered, you see.

Okay, I'll call.

Be right back.

Also recorded on November 4, 1971

013-121 3:47 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 3:47 pm to 3:52 pm.
300-016 3:47 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:47 pm to 3:52 pm.
614-009 3:55 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 4:02 pm.
614-010 3:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 4:02 pm.
614-011 3:55 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 4:02 pm.
013-122 4:02 PM · 1 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr., White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, Kofi A. Busia, and Peter G. Peterson talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:02 pm and 4:39 pm.
614-012 4:02 PM · 47 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Kofi A. Busia, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:02 pm to 4:48 pm.
614-013 4:48 PM · 31 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:48 pm and 4:50 pm.

All 74 conversations from November 4, 1971 →

Nixon & Haldeman on US-Soviet Relations and Economic Policy November 5, 1971 · 1 hr 18 min
Nixon phone call with Colson on 1972 Presidential Campaign and Media Strategy September 10, 1972 · 10 min
Nixon, Haldeman & Bull on 1972 election and grain deal September 19, 1972 · 15 min
Nixon, Haldeman & Bull on Camp David and U.S.-Soviet Relations October 2, 1972 · 22 min
Kissinger & Zumwalt on Strategic Arms Limitation Talks October 2, 1972 · 2 min
Nixon phone call with Gleason on 1972 Presidential Election November 14, 1972 · 2 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 300-017, November 4, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417185065). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/300-017 (accessed November 14, 2026).