Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 314 › Conversation 314-016

Nixon & Kissinger on William Safire and Speechwriting

Thursday, January 13, 1972 · 5:25 PM–5:26 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation314-016 on Tape 314 (tape position 02:15:46–02:18:03)StartThursday, January 13, 1972 at 5:25 PMEndThursday, January 13, 1972 at 5:26 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 314-016 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417185621 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss the progress of a draft speech being prepared by William Safire. They evaluate the inclusion of specific diplomatic details, including the August 1971 ceasefire proposal and the two-phase timeline strategy. Kissinger instructs Safire to refine the text's nuances before finalizing the speech's introduction and conclusion.

Audio

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NARA Description

On January 13, 1972, 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 5:25 pm and 5:26 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 314-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 314-016
Date: January 18, 1972
Time: Unknown between 5:23 pm and 5:26 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.
William L. Safire's draft of speech
-Kissinger’s schedule
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Changes
-August 1971 proposal
-Deadlines
-Nine months
-Ceasefire
-Kissinger’s forthcoming talk with Safire
-Safire
-Pace of work
-Introduction and conclusion

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Let me just say one thing.
I thought you'd be pleased to know that Sapphire just did a hell of a good job on this.
I called earlier, and you were in Bob's office, so I went over the thing.
Made my suggestions, and I told him to bring it over and talk to you, and whatever you wanted to add.
But he's just really, really, I think, delighted with what he's done.
He's got all the nuances.
There's a couple of points that he, that I told him to check with you.
He does not have in there the August proposal, which I understand.
Remember, in June, he had offered, he did offer a nine-month one then.
I told him, I thought that was, I told him where to put it.
The other thing that he did not understand, he thinks it's very important, I don't know whether it's true, but remember, when I said to you that our proposal,
link the ceasefire and the deadline.
You said no, not necessarily.
There's a two-phase operation.
Is that correct?
Okay.
You tell him what he can put in.
I just told him that I think the way he's got it is taken right out of your draft.
It sounds that way.
Anyway, he'll bring it around to you.
Yeah.
Well, no, no, there's no hurry, because he's, he's now, he's, he's working on that text now, and, uh, but, but, gee, I'm talking to somebody who's going to work with him.
He's so fast.
You know, I told you at 3 o'clock, I'm going to have to do a few things, and I was going to do a four-minute show.
You'll be pleased.
Particularly, you like the person.
He just marches right in at the conclusion.
It means a lot of work, but he's going to work on a different song right now.
Okay.
Okay.

Also recorded on January 13, 1972

  • 314-007 3:52 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:52 pm and 3:55 pm.
  • 314-008 3:52 PM · 13 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 3:52 pm and 3:55 pm.
  • 314-009 3:55 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and John V. Brennan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:55 pm to 4:15 pm.
  • 314-012 4:12 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 4:12 pm.
  • 314-013 4:15 PM · 42 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William L. Safire, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:15 pm to 5:00 pm.
  • 314-014 5:23 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 5:23 pm.
  • 314-015 5:23 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s)[members of Henry Kissinger's staff] met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:23 pm and 5:25 pm.
  • 314-017 5:26 PM · 42 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond K. Price, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:26 pm to 6:16 pm.

All 48 conversations from January 13, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 314-016, January 13, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417185621). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/314-016 (accessed November 13, 2026).