Conversation 325-001

TapeTape 325StartTuesday, March 14, 1972 at 4:55 PMEndTuesday, March 14, 1972 at 5:52 PMTape start time00:00:20Tape end time00:34:30ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  [Unknown person(s)];  Haig, Alexander M., Jr.;  Ehrlichman, John D.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building

On March 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:52 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 325-001 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 325-1

Date: March 14, 1972
Time: Unknown after 4:55 pm until 5:52 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
[Recording begins while the conversation is in progress]

     Press conference

     Media relations
         -Ronald L. Ziegler
         -Charles W. Colson
         -Herbert G. Klein
         -Kenneth W. Clawson
         -Colson
         -Staff
                -The President’s view
         -The President’s role
                -Dwight D. Eisenhower

     Financial contributions
          -Richard G. Kleindienst
          -Ziegler’s press conference
                -$400,000.00
                      -Republican National Committee [RNC]
                      -President’s knowledge
                      -Ziegler
                      -White House
          -Blair House dinners
                -John B. Connally
                -Companies and industries
                      -Business
                      -Anti-Trust
                      -F. Donald Nixon
                            -Trans World Airlines [TWA]
          -Democrats
                -Hubert H. Humphrey

     The People’s Republic of China [PRC]
          -Material for speakers
                -Taiwan, Republic of China
                      -World reaction
          -Patrick J. Buchanan

     Foreign trade
          -Soviets-Peter M. Flanigan
                      -Involvement
                -Henry A. Kissinger
                      -Forthcoming meeting with Flanigan
                -Politics
                -Kissinger
                      -Possible meeting with Flanigan and the President
                           -State Department
                -Flanigan compared with Kissinger
                -Forthcoming meeting between Flanigan and Kissinger

The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:52
pm.

[Conversation No. 325-1A]

[See Conversation No. 21-71]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Foreign trade
          -Kissinger’s concerns
                -Peter G. Peterson
                -Earl L. Butz
                -Flanigan

An unknown person talked with the President at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:52
pm.

[Conversation No. 325-1B]

[See Conversation 21-72]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Administrations
         -The President’s view
         -Lyndon B. Johnson
         -John F. Kennedy

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr. at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:52
pm.

[Conversation No. 325-1C]

     Foreign trade
          -The President’s previous conversation with Haldeman
                -Flanigan
                -Kissinger
                      -Butz
                      -Peterson
          -State Department
          -Politics and economics
          -Flanigan
          -Kissinger
          -Peterson
          -Butz

[End of telephone conversation]

          -Kissinger
          -Flanigan and Peterson
          -White House
          -Kissinger
          -Peterson
          -Butz
          -Flanigan

     Flanigan
          -The President’s view
               -Businessmen
                     -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
                     -Donald McI. Kendall
                     -Jack Drown
          -Colson

          -Democrats
              -Edmund S. Muskie

The President talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:52 pm.

[Conversation No. 325-1D]

     The President’s forthcoming speech on busing
          -Camp David
          -Possible staff meeting
          -News stories
               -Flanigan
               -International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
          -Helicopter
          -Writers
               -William L. Safire
               -Raymond K. Price, Jr.

[End of telephone conversation]

     The President’s schedule
          -Camp David
          -Meeting
               -Republicans
               -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
               -Interruption
          -Unknown woman
               -Letter
                      -Baseball

     The PRC trip
          -George H. Gallup poll
               -Awareness of the American public
                    -Percentage

     The President’s schedule
          -Republican National Convention
          -California
          -Democrats
                -National Convention
          -Congress

         -Republican Convention
              -Miami
                   -Television
         -Press
              -The President’s view
         -Congress
              -Recess
         -Vacation
         -San Clemente

    Ziegler
         -Press briefings
              -Frequency

    The President’s schedule
         -Republican National Convention
              -Washington

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 8m 17s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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

    San Francisco
         -Connally
              -Historic buildings
                   -1906 earthquake
                   -General Services Administration [GSA]
                         -U.S. Mint
                               -Mary T. Brooks
                                    -Computer center
                                    -Museum
                               -Connally

                                       -Restoration of the original furniture
                                  -The President’s possible announcement
                                       -Haldeman’s view
                                             -Gateway West Park

     The President’s schedule
          -Camp David
               -Timing
                      -Forthcoming staff meeting
                           -Helipad

Haldeman talked with an unknown [Ehrlichman?] person at an unknown time between 4:55 pm
and 5:52 pm.

[Conversation No. 325-1E]

     Camp David
         -Forthcoming staff meeting
         -Timing of the President’s trip
         -Safire
         -Price
         -Edward L. Morgan
         -Ehrlichman [?]
         -Secretaries
               -Rose Mary Woods

[End of telephone conversation]

     Forthcoming staff meeting at Camp David

     Historic building in San Francisco

Haldeman left at 5:52 pm.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

I want to thank God for this.
And I want to thank God on the coast.
Supposedly, we were on a quam on the coast.
What the hell would we do without it?
We wouldn't be able to do it.
We wouldn't be able to do it.
All right, we see.
All right, I have some reservations on Boston, at least.
I wouldn't stand by it.
You've got to like the fight.
That's the coastal thing.
You love to fight people.
We don't have many that we don't like to fight.
We're basically a decent, irresponsible... Just keep the job done.
Right.
Frankly, it's my nature to accept the time.
I'm just trying to decide...
I have a question.
And third, for Christ's sake, I knew about a goddamn thing.
I trust everybody around here knows.
I didn't know about it, but I read about it.
And I had the slightest idea that they were out there financing a goddamn convention.
They didn't care.
And Ziegler's already said that.
He said that last week.
That's what I learned.
But I knew it was wrong.
The record should have passed.
You said it.
Well, I'm going home now.
Well, I'm going home now.
Reason why?
Reason why?
Reason why?
Reason why?
Reason why?
Reason why?
Yeah, 150 gold to oil people and black-tie static headers.
Can you imagine what they'd do to us if they didn't take business in?
If they didn't take business in.
If they didn't take business in.
If they didn't take business in.
If they didn't take business in.
If they didn't take business in.
If they didn't take business in.
If they didn't take business in.
If they didn't take business in.
You said we got to talk to you at the dinner.
You said you didn't spend all the dollars for one thing, for their own interests.
You know, like I'm discussing.
I think we can add that across the board event.
On the board, you had a job partner who said, what about that?
On the fair line, I don't know which one.
I think we've come out of the question.
How many TWA was that?
We're aware of that.
Thank you very much.
World reaction stuff.
Uh, I keep trying to see somebody, uh, go back and show you a mistake and have them be canned and be that somebody that's on the board of the trip.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think it is a good idea to revise it and revise it.
You've got to have it all figured.
Keep writing on the issue.
Just one question, John, is, uh,
the whole business of the scenario of Soviet trade on the planet was concerned about, but I don't want the planet to get in that.
See, that's a parcel of how the department's plan is and the department's argument.
And we ought to somehow get it spelled out, this Henry, and sort of, you know, basically walk some of it out.
But that's a good heard on.
He's trying to pull his ends from getting it.
Well, I'll have to keep talking to him.
That's the last thing.
I'm not going to talk to people.
Again, this is not one of those things where people are not going to do something.
It has nothing to do with trade with people.
It has to do with politics.
That's what the whole trade is about.
He will talk to Henry.
How do you want to talk to him?
No, he thought maybe you and he and Henry had a...
Well, just so it's understood, it's like having Henry talking over it, and I'll come in and bless him.
Henry knows exactly what we're up to here.
He should tell him everything about it.
Let's stay on stage.
Let's stay on stage.
It's hard for me to have a meeting with him until I get there.
I'll get it screwed down tight, and I'll be glad to meet him.
But there is a blessing on it.
I'll tell him to come down and find it.
He's just concerned that nobody's riding heard of him.
I guess it's just waltzing around.
I'm sure everybody's on the same track and ending up where everybody wants to end and not to .
And then I'll get upset that everybody doesn't know what's going on.
I get you.
All right.
I get you.
I get you.
I get you.
I get you.
I get you.
I get you.
He says that he thinks that people really think they should be going to Peterson.
Well, maybe they should be.
He's just not sure that they really know where they're supposed to be.
That's fine if they are.
You can see out of their eyes if you want to.
Exactly right.
I thought it was above 80.
I don't know if it's too great.
Hello?
Yeah.
If he is free...
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
You know?
Yeah.
Oh, gosh.
You're just a terrible person to be.
That isn't true.
He's got to make some Johnson people struggle.
So, uh, it can't be stolen.
Hey.
Now, I've been talking to Bob Haldeman about a problem that's finding a new way, and that is to be sure that we've got this trade thing under 110.
I had a problem with Henry, and pretty much
You see what I mean?
We've got Butts working on the thing.
We've got Peterson working on the thing.
I have kind of gotten from the way it's going.
The point is that I would think that we would follow through and check to see whether when I get back,
And I don't want too many cooks in the brawl.
And of course, you've got to state how we're behaving now.
It is true.
But I've got to go about our issues, political, not economic here.
The economic was not to be a byproduct.
Do you know whether that's going to impact on the resilience of all the countries?
That's a long question.
What is it?
Well, Henry would do that, and we're planning on it, but we'll be sure that the, you know, we just need to tighten it on Henry, and we'll be planning on it, and we'll be working with the police, and we'll see what it means.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Hmm.
He's got these guys like Peterson under control.
He's got a cousin under control.
He's got a lot of important money.
No, but he does.
No, he does.
No, he's got a lot of money.
No, but he's got a job, too.
He's got a job, too.
Sure, they all talk.
That's right.
Totally loyal.
That's great.
I know him.
The irony of the attack on Flanagan is that if there's anybody in the White House that is persona non grata with a hell of a lot of businessmen, it's Peter Flanagan.
That's the funny thing.
He is the son of a bitch.
Said no to him.
There's no way I don't want to talk to you, Mr. Mayor.
Am I wrong?
Sure.
No.
Sure.
Remember, I reported to you with Rodney, and everybody was saying, Flanagan is a hell of a lot of businessmen.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And he is what he says a lot of the business people do.
Yeah.
Yeah.
John Kendall, the rest of them.
Jack Brown, I'm going to read the others.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I'm going to read the others.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I agree.
Sure.
We've got to get out of it.
And also, the right of the Democratic .
They had .
They worked positively, too, as one of them .
Must be .
Of course, yes.
I did.
He's coming.
He's coming along.
Yeah, yeah.
He's a little bit jam-packed.
He's going to show up.
He's going to make you kill him.
You get, you get such a, you get such a, I don't know how to say it, two or three people, you know, there's, you know, there's barrages and, you know, there's sort of this, you know, planning, you know, IT and all that crap.
And right now there's one big story, and that's ours.
And we're going to play it.
And we're going to do, you know, what I might do, I'm going to do it.
You know, we're going to do it.
That's an idea.
Can I see a bad idea?
OK, here's something you can't say, but it's a word that's going on.
There.
There we go.
I think 1030 is the discussion number.
Agreed.
He had his best time, and he had his best, and he had his worst one, I think that's what it was.
And that's just one of the reasons why they can't interrupt the meeting.
They were like, for the one I was going to comment earlier on.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Gallup on the China thing had a 98% awareness, which is the highest awareness that Gallup has ever had in any event since they've been told.
It's one thing we can hope for, and it's another thing we can hope for.
I figure that from the first day of July on,
In fact, you ought to check to see when the platform is going to start streaming.
And that will tell you something, no matter what our schedule ought to be.
My own feeling is that we should do nothing during the period of that intervention.
We've got to show the truth.
And now, I'm going to tell you a story.
You ought to stay out there for a while.
It's nice to have her a couple weeks, you know, through their convention in Mississippi, too.
And then we'll hold on to the government business.
Our Congress was wrong.
The convention was there.
The convention was on the end.
I mean, the convention was on the very top.
And it's on the TV.
And I just thank you for getting out of Washington.
It's not a bad idea to force the press out of here.
That weekend, the fourth of July weekend, it starts in the foot of July.
I think we should leave right then.
Don't plan to try to do anything.
I have a few others.
Or you could take a vacation, let's face it.
Well, it would be a hell of a lot to do.
I mean, that's a good time to go to the beach.
It really is.
And what they make for this.
Yeah.
Comment or nothing.
I'd like to say the president is working in his western land.
We always have stuff we can give them along.
I think we don't have to make any money out of it.
We just need some pieces to keep them.
Keep them cool.
Oh, I just picked the right time today.
Now they have to take it easy.
It's one of their reasons.
Yeah.
Just think if you run away for a day, twice a day, you're going to lose your money.
Yeah.
Do you agree with me?
It's a much better operation.
Why give them two shots?
It's not a bargain, Chris.
Hello?
I'm just trying to report, if you want me to watch it.
I'll tell you what the county came up with in San Francisco.
We came in here today, someone had turned this down.
The old San Francisco man, one building survived the earthquake in 06.
Great old antique building in 08.
Has been publishing various things.
PSA is going to turn it back over to the man.
And Mary Brooks is going to take it and use it for their computer center.
And they're going to take part of it and set it up as a museum.
And Tom has got some of the old furniture from the original San Francisco man in the lab.
He's going to put it back in there.
He said, you know, I was reporting up to the president.
I didn't want to tell him.
Not for you to go to, but just for us.
And you can go to if you want to do it.
But that's an announcement in San Francisco that you have resorted them in and make it back into part of the museum.
I didn't have a home.
Because that city is so narcissistic about justice.
It's so, it's history now.
We've got, we've got that.
We've got that Gateway West apartment.
We can do any time we want to.
We can.
Or, we've been holding that for, you know, to pop into at some point.
We've got some good ideas.
I don't think that I, frankly, can put it together that we can't take it tonight.
It's 6 o'clock now and the stalls are $300.
You probably can't.
If you want to go up, go on up, and then join either of you tonight.
It's easier for them to go in and go up in the morning and get organized tonight.
Yeah, of course.
Yeah, see you later.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay, but obviously it would be better to go tomorrow.
Okay.
They've got a lot of work to do.
Right.
Get up there and work on them up there.
I really think for them to go up there will help them around.
They're scared.
They have a lot of work to worry about.
I don't know.