Conversation: 309-001
Prev: 308-013 Next: 309-002Start Date: 24-Dec-1971 12:00 PM
End Date: 24-Dec-1971 1:37 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.; Kissinger, Henry A.;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:01:27
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:31:27
NARA Description:
On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:00 pm to 1:37 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 309-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 309-1
Date: December 24, 1971
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:37 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.
Yeoman Charles E. Radford incident
-Robert O. Welander
-Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Talk with David R. Young, Jr.
-Concern over quality of evidence
-Ehrlichman
-Meeting with Henry A. Kissinger and Haig
-Tape of Welander interview
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Kissinger and Haig
-Satisfaction with Moorer
-Backchannels
-Kissinger monologue to Ehrlichman
-Timing
-William P. Rogers
-Moorer’s possible replacement
-Praise for Moorer
-R. C. (“Hugh”) Robinson interview
-Haig
-Melvin R. Laird
-Previous conversation with the President
-John F. Kennedy administration
-Lyndon B. Johnson administration
-Time on Appropriations Committee
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 12s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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Radford incident
-Moorer
-Kissinger
-Haig
-Kissinger
-Reactions
-State Department
-Leaks
-Kissinger
-Rogers
-John F. Kennedy
-Pakistan
-Kissinger’s style
-Rogers
-Relationship with the President
-India-Pakistan War
-Situation compared to Cuba by State Department
-Secretary of State
-Joseph F. Kraft
-Kissinger
-Conflict with Rogers
Rogers's press conference
-Bombing of North Vietnam
Kissinger entered at 12:15 pm.
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
Ehrlichman
-Water Quality Bill [?]
-Discussed at a later date
Radford incident
-Moorer
-[Unintelligible]
-Briefcases
-Haig
-John N. Mitchell
-Moorer
-Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS] Liaison Office
-Background
-David [?] Ginsberg
-Laird
-Haig
-Robinson
-Interrogation
-Ehrlichman
-President’s displeasure with Radford incident
-Amount of time
-JCS
-National Security Council [NSC]
-McGeorge Bundy
-Source
-Use information
-Moorer resignation
-Decision
-Potential risks
-Laird
-[Unintelligible]
-US public opinion
-Complexity of Radford incident
-Difficult to understand
-Wall Street Journal editorial
-Leaks within government
-Moorer
-Survival of military establishment
-Future for Radford
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
***********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Privacy]
[Duration: 5s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
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-Pentagon
-Documents
-Jack N. Anderson
-Unknown name
-Briefcase
-Moorer resignation
-Consideration
-Transfer of Radford
-Under surveillance
-Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI]
-Mitchell
-Talk with Ehrlichman
-Anderson
-Press coverage of Radford incident
-Concern
-Surveillance of Radford
-Length of time
-Moorer
-Proposed talk with Kissinger
-[Unintelligible]
-President’s instructions to Ehrlichman
-John B. Connally's knowledge
-Spiro T. Agnew's knowledge
-Kissinger, Haig and Young
-JCS
-Laird
-Mitchell
-President’s instructions
-Informing Laird
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
-JCS
-White House staff
-Secretaries
-Unknown person
-Laird’s General Counsel
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Robert C. Mardian
-Anderson
-Laird
-Effect on administration
-Effect on the military
-Potential damage
-Ehrlichman's call to Mitchell
-Laird's talk with Mitchell
-Laird
-Moorer
-Kissinger’s attitude
-[Unintelligible]
-JCS
-Johnson Administration
-Historical significance
-Haig
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
Kissinger's schedule
-Timing
PRC and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] trips
Foreign policy
-Vietnam
-North Vietnamese
-Actions
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope
-Negotiations
-Release of POWs
Busing (school cases)
-Justice and State Departments
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
-Solicitor General
-Mitchell
-Erwin N. Griswold
-President’s forthcoming call to Griswold
Kissinger's schedule
-New York
The President's schedule
-Photo opportunities
-Phone calls
-Number
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Privacy]
[Duration: 1m 18s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
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Kissinger left at 12:45 pm.
-Criticism of Kissinger
-Kissinger’s place in history
-Role in foreign policy
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Relations with Moorer
-Suggested future cooperation
-John A. Scali
-Work relationship
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
[Privacy]
[Duration: 7s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
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-Kissinger's relationship with Rogers
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Rogers
-Tensions with Kissinger
-Differences
-Press conference
-Particular strengths and skill
-State Department
-Praise from the President
-Kissinger's and Rogers's working relationship
Environmental legislation
-Treasury Department
-Connally
-Tax impact
-Ehrlichman to write to Connally
-Need for Connally’s assistance
-Presidential support
-Water Bill
-Progress in the House
-Veto
-Administration strategy
-George P. Shultz
-Budgetary implications
-Potential problems
-Conference committee
-Possible reservations by the President
Real estate taxation legislation
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
-Charles W. Colson, Richard A. Moore and Scali
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Connally
-State of the Union Address
-Ehrlichman's talk with Connally
-McElroy Commission
-Ehrlichman's conversation with [Forename unknown] Walton
-Ehrlichman meeting with William Baroody and other conservatives in education
field
-Timing
-Interest groups
-John W. Byrnes
-Colson
-Real estate tax
-Neil H. McElroy
-Commission
-Real estate taxes
-Legislative proposal
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 32s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
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Ehrlichman's schedule
-California
-President’s forthcoming meeting with Eisaku Sato
President's State of the Union Message
-To be worked on in California
Value added tax
-Connally's reaction to
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
-Kenneth R. Cole, Jr. [?]
-President’s view
-Trade unions
-President’s instructions
-White House's reaction to
-Elliot L. Richardson’s view
-Connally to speak
-Dick [Surname unknown]
-President's State of the Union Message
-Meeting with Connally
-Apparent difficulties
-Ehrlichman’s schedule
-President's State of the Union Message
-Amount of time to be worked on
Defense budget
-President’s telephone list
-Unknown man
-Laird
-Support for budget
-Shultz
-Laird
-Shultz
-Kissinger
Kissinger and Rogers
-Kissinger
-Value to the administration
-Concerns
-Rogers
-India-Pakistan War
-Kissinger
-Style and demeanor
-Laos
-India-Pakistan War
-Laos
-Effect on public opinion
-Marquis Childs
-Kraft
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-“Kissinger’s world”
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
-Family and personal life
-Style on the job
-Connally
-Compared to other White House staffers
-Family life
-Rogers
-Family life
-Press conference on India-Pakistan War
-News summary
-New York Times
-John F. Kennedy
-Apparent lack of focus
-President's personnel management abilities
-Time magazine
-Previous interview with Ehrlichman
-Shultz’s phone calls
-Kissinger's relations with Laird and Rogers
-Kissinger
-Kissinger's response during crisis
-Style
-Various political and domestic problems
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
-Rogers
-Aspects of the President’s job
-Israel
-Middle East
-Laos
Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope comments on release of POWs
-Haig
-Kissinger
-Reactions
Moorer and incident with Radford
-Welander
-Kissinger
-JCS
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11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
[Privacy]
[Duration: 34s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
**************************************************************************
Kissinger
-Talk with the President
-Talk of leaving the Administration
-Intellectualism
-Potential problems
-President’s view
-Religion
-Universities
-“Liberal intellectualism”
-Scientists
-Universe
-Relationship with President
-President’s justification
President's signing the National Cancer Act of 1971
-News stories
-Newspaper and television
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Audience
-John G. Schmitz[?]
-Individual receiving pen from the President
-E. Kennedy
-President's remarks
-Money
Movie "Brian's Song"
-Channel 2
-American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC] show
-Gale E. Sayers and Brian Piccolo
-Cancer
-Race relations
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
-President's recommendation Ehrlichman and all White House staff see it
-Screening in the White House
-Ehrlichman's role
-Paul Fisher
-Timing
-Ehrlichman’s schedule
Movie "French Connection"
-Police
-Drug traffic
-Compared to unknown movie
-Realism
Kissinger's personality
Public reaction
-India-Pakistan War
-Georges J.R. Pompidou
-International monetary affairs
-Middle East
-US Jewish population
-Media coverage
-India
Indira Gandhi's visit to US
Kissinger and Rogers
-PRC and Soviet trips
-William C. Sullivan
-Sullivan’s remark to Kissinger
-State Department
-Conflict between Kissinger and Rogers
-Rogers's reaction to the PRC trip
-PRC and Soviet trips compared
-Significance
State Department
-Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
-Leaks
-Staff during Democrat administrations
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
Government bureaucracy
-Liberals
-Conservatives
-Jews
Kissinger
-San Clemente
-Ehrlichman's talks with Kissinger
President's relations with his staff
-Socializing
-Kissinger
-Dinners
-Compared to Dwight D. Eisenhower's relations with his staff
-Administration’s effort to promote goodwill
-Praise from the President
***********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Privacy]
[Duration: 37s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
**********************************************************************
F. Donald Nixon
-Ehrlichman’s previous conversation with Donald Nixon
-Christmas plans
-Activities
-European business connections
-Robert L. Vesco
-Investors Overseas Services, Ltd. [IOS]
-Donald Nixon’s boss
-[Forename unknown] Straub
-Meeting with Ehrlichman
-Donald Nixon’s move to Bahamas
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
-Donald Nixon’s appeal
-White House Connection
-Efforts to see the President
-Vesco
-Jail
-Harry L. Sears
-Mitchell
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[Privacy]
[Duration: 26s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
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**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 4m 30s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
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President's schedule
-California
-Florida
-Eisaku Sato
-Upcoming meeting
President's upcoming interview with Dan Rather
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
Radio message
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Story about Vietnam War
-Soldier
Christmas and New Year greetings
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 17s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
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Kissinger
Cole
-Oklahoma [?]
President's State of the Union message
-Raymond K. Price, Jr. and Ehrlichman
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 40s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
**********************************************************************
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 309-1 (cont.)
Ehrlichman left at 1:37 pm.