Conversation: 325-010
Prev: 325-009 Next: 325-011Start Date: Thursday, March 23, 1972 3:19 PM
End Date: Thursday, March 23, 1972 5:45 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Ehrlichman, John D.; Ziegler, Ronald L.; [Unknown person(s)]; Woods, Rose Mary; White House operator; Safire, William L.; Butterfield, Alexander P.Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:56:32
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:09:49
NARA Description:
On March 23, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Ronald L. Ziegler, unknown person(s), Rose Mary Woods, White House operator, William L. Safire, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:19 am to 12:45 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 325-010 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 325-10
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-8 (cont.)
Date: March 23, 1972
Time: 10:19 am - 12:45 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with John D. Ehrlichman and H. R. Haldeman.
Possible pipeline project
-Rogers C.B. Morton
-Edmonton
-Seattle
-Chicago
-Tankers
-Possible consortium
-Canada
-U.S. Government
-Private companies
-Disposition of pipeline
-Wilson Basin
Busing
-Congress
-Staff meeting
-Emmanuel Celler
-Albert H. Quie
-Jacob K. Javits
-Edward L. Morgan
-Clark MacGregor
-House Judiciary Committee
-Celler
-William M. McCulloch
-Legislation
-Congressional support
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Celler
-Editorial work
-South
-West
-Border states
-Kentucky
-Tennessee
-Michigan
-Ohio
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-Intervention
-Meetings
-Morgan, Richard G. Kleindienst and Justice Department personnel
-New stories
-Frequency
-Michigan
-Tennessee
-Cabinet
-Information packets
-Questions and answers
-The President’s statement
-Fact sheet
-The President’s Instructions
-Briefing outline of the administration’s position
-Short speeches
-Appearances on talk show
-Fact sheet
-Congress
-News summary
-Editorial comments
-The President’s view
-Haldeman’s view
-The President’s view
-Herbert G. Klein
-Los Angeles Times
-Des Moines Free Register
-Detroit Free Press
-Miami Herald
-Editorial writers
-Ehrlichman’s view
-The President’s view
News summaries
-George C. Wallace
-The President’s moral leadership
-Detroit Free Press
-Los Angeles Times
-The President’s view
-Race relations
-Blacks
-The President’s moral leadership
-Press conference
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-News coverage
-Extremists
-The President’s view
-Politics
-Negroes
-Money
-Unknown person
-Letter to the President
-Strom Thurmond
-Robert P. Griffin
-Constitutional issue
-Robert H. Bork’s forthcoming article
-American Enterprise Institute [AEI]
-Justice Department
-Congress
-Bork’s article
-The President’s view
-Congress
-Newspapers
-The President’s schedule
-Supreme Court dinner
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Earl Warren
-The President’s view
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Symbolism
-Relationship of executive branch with the Supreme Court
-Possible toast
-Fred Graham
-The President’s view
-Possible article
-American Bar Association [ABA] Journal
-Harvard Law Review, Duke Law Review
-Effectiveness of dinner
-The President’s view
-California
-Stanford Law School
-Dinner
-William H. Rehnquist
-The President’s possible attendance
-Effectiveness of dinners compared to articles
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-US News and World Report
-Radio statements
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Executive branch compared to the courts
-Radio statements
-War powers
-Congress
-Courts
-“Law of the Land”
-Constitution
-Editorial writers
-Supreme Court
-Congress
-Possible statement
-Price
-Leonard Garment
-[First Name Unknown] McClellan [sp?] and [First Name Unknown] Stone [?]
-Richard M. Helms
The President’s schedule
-State Department
-Meeting
-Time
-Press conference
Social functions
-Dinners
-Supreme Court
-Warren E. Burger
-The President’s view
-Wives
-Labor leaders
-Social leaders
-Breakfasts
-Cocktail parties
-Evenings at the White House
-Church services
-Tours
-Second floor
-Rose Garden
-Oval Office
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Press
-Betty Beale
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Readership
-Haldeman’s view
-Toasts
-Notes
-State dinners
-East Wing
-Ronald L. Ziegler
Busing
-The President’s forthcoming radio address
-Advantages
-US News and World Report
-New York Times
Dinners
-Burger
-Gridiron
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 10:45 am.
Forthcoming press announcement
-Ziegler
-Gerald L. Warren
-Cost of Living Council [COLC]
-Meeting
-John B. Connally
-George P. Schultz
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Herbert Stein
-Time
-Announcement
-Pay Board
-Connally
-Pay Board composition announcement
-The President’s possible press conference
-Shultz
-Connally
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-Morning television appearance
-Ziegler
-Timing
-Haldeman’s view
-The President’s possible announcement
-Statement
-Issues
-Drugs
-Marijuana
-Abortion
-Liberals on staff
-News summaries
-Pay Board
-Ziegler’s role
-Cameras
-The President’s statement
Ziegler left at 10:55 am
Press conferences
-Press reaction
-The President’s view
-Marijuana story
-Administration view
-Opposing views
-Penalties
Social events
-Press
-Beale
-Haldeman’s view
-Christina Ford
-Dress
-John G. Gorton
-Wife’s dress
-Performers
-Kirsten
-Garment’s view
-The President’s view
-Dorothy Kirsten
-Beverly Sills
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-The President’s view
-Religion
-Compared to Kirsten
The President’s advisors
-Shultz
-Connally
-White House staff compared to Cabinet officers
-Connally
-Economic advisor
-Haldeman’s view
-Relationship with Shultz
-Recent meeting
-Location
-Ehrlichman’s view
-The President’s view
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Shultz’s concern
-Connally’s staff
-Shultz’s relationship with Connally
-Connally compared to Shultz
-Shultz
-Labor
-Shultz’s opinion of wage and price controls
-George Meany
-Economics
-American public opinion
-Controls
-The President’s view
-Arthur F. Burns
-Burns
-Possible meeting with the President
-Burns’ schedule
-Switzerland
-Connally
-Hawaii
-Connally’s view
-Shultz’s view
-Nathaniel Samuels previous comments
-Connally
-State Department
18
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-Religion
-Connally
-Shultz’s view
-Herbert Stein
-Hobart Rowen
-Relationship with Connally
-White House personnel
-Burns
-Federal Reserve
-Stein
-Chief economic advisor
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Chief foreign policy advisor
-William L. Safire
-Garment
-Possible replacement for position
-Ralph J. Bunch
-F. Bradford Morse
-Jerome H. Holland
-Press story
-State Department
-William P. Rogers
-Holland
-Sweden
-Morse
-Rogers
-Blacks
-Andrew F. Brimmer
-Economic advisors
-Samuels article
-Burns
-Forthcoming meeting with John D. Ehrlichman
-Possible meeting with the President
-Haldeman
-Burn’s possible meeting with Connally
-White House church service [?]
The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 11:21
am.
[Conversation No. 325-10A]
19
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
Rose Mary Woods
[End of telephone conversation]
Foreign relations
-Pipeline
-Possible meeting between the President and Morton
-Canadians
-Relocation
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Forthcoming meeting with the Canadians
-US-Canada Consortium
-Courts
-Alaskan pipeline
-Law suits
-Environmentalists
-Possible settlement
-Forthcoming meeting between the President and Morton
-Peter M. Flanigan and John C. Whitaker
-Haig
-Dillon-Reed
-Ehrlichman’s view
-John N. Mitchell
International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
-Flanigan
-Ziegler
-Possible statement
-Previous press conference
-Ehrlichman’s advice
-Content
-C. Arnholt Smith
-Relationship with the President
-Ziegler
-Justice Department
-James O. Eastland
-Case
-Release of information
-Justice Department
-Dita D. Beard
20
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-Hearings
-John V. Tunney
-Committee
-Justice Department paper
-Beard
Drugs
-Report on Marijuana
-Ziegler
-Press
Administration personnel
-Samuels article
-Rogers
-Haldeman’s previous conversation with Rogers
-Connally’s reaction
-Burns
-Relations with the administration
-The President’s view
--1972 election
-Appointments to the Federal Reserve Board [FRB]
-Frederic V. Malek
-Possible appointee from Seattle
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Understanding administration goals in selection
-Haldeman’s view
-Burns
-Connally
-The President’s power to appoint
-Veto power of others in the administration
-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
-Chairman, FRB
-Burger
-Potential appointee from Seattle’s meeting with Ehrlichman
-Potential appointee’s meeting with Burns
-Ehrlichman’s meeting with Malek’s assistant
-Criteria for selection
-Burns’ approval
-The President’s view
-The President’s approval
-Connally’s approval
21
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-Burns
-Instructions from the President
-Haldeman’s view
-The President’s view
-Burns
-Ehrlichman’s view
-The President’s view
-Connally
-Stein
-Press
Woods entered at 11:21 am.
The President’s schedule
-Burns
-Dinner
-Invitations
-State dinner for Nihat Erim
-State dinner for Hussein ibn Talal
Woods left at 11:25 am.
Burns
-The President’s view
-Kissinger
Busing
-Constitutional amendment
-Public opinion
-Polarization
-White House strategy
-The President’s position
-Public opinion
-American Civil War period
-Abraham Lincoln
-Abolition
-Preservation of the Union
-Race relations
-Rogers
-Relationship with eastern liberals
-Statement to the President
22
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-Births in Washington, DC
-Washington, DC
-Parents and or guardians
-Children
-Relationship to parents or guardians
-Ages of girls
-Pregnancy
-Family structure
-Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s report
-The President’s view
-Equal educational opportunity
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC] series
-Carl D. Perkins
-Splitting of opposition
-Separate but equal
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Transportation issue
-Moratorium
-Desegregation
-Elimination of dual school system
-Southerners support
-Desegregation
-Liberal position
-Transportation
-Statutes
-Supreme Court ruling
-Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education case
-Congress
-Remedy of last resort
-Elementary school children
-Racial balance
-Previous press conference
-Morgan
-Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
-Study
-Results
-Burger
-Memorandum
-Opinion on other cases
-Swann case
-Liberals
23
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-James E. Cheek
News story
-Previous Pay Board Meeting
-Statement
-Labor leaders
-Content
-Cyrus S. Ching
-Clark Kerr
-February 16, 1951
-Meany
The President’s view
-Busing
-Pay Board
-ITT
Ehrlichman left at 11:35 am.
Pay Board statement
-Safire
-Inflation
-Safire
-Connally and Shultz
-Length of statement
-Meany
-Executive committee meeting
-Time
-Meany
The President’s forthcoming meeting with Marshall Green
-The People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
-Haig
-Marshall Green
-Kissinger
-Haig
-Green’s previous trip to Asia
-Asian nation’s support of PRC trip
-Kissinger
-Taiwan, Republic of China
-Haig
24
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-Meet the Press
The President’s instructions for Charles W. Colson
-Congress
-Failure to pass administration’s legislation
-Drinking abroad
-[First name unintelligible] Edwards
-Arthur K. Watson
-State Department
-List
-Donald L. Jackson
The President’s schedule
-Dinner for retiring Congressmen
-William M. Colmer
-H. Allen Smith
-John W. Byrnes
-Clark MacGregor
-John Sherman Cooper
-Senators and congressmen
-MacGregor
-White House staff
-Cabinet officials
-Timing
-The President’s forthcoming trip to the Soviet Union
-Congressional leadership
-Wives
-Guests
-Number
-The President’s view
-Wives
-MacGregor
-Cooper
-Smith
-Byrnes
-Chowder and Marching Club
-Congressmen
-Wives
-Republicans
-Democrats
-Mrs. Byrnes
25
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-Mrs. Cooper
-Importance
Pay Board statement
-Safire
-Meany
-Percentage in wage increase for longshoremen
-Submission of a paragraph
Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 11:35 am and
12:10 pm.
[Conversation No. 325-10B]
[See Conversation No. 22-2]
[End of telephone conversation]
Pay Board statement
-Length
-Removal of a section
Haldeman talked with Safire at an unknown time between 11:35 am and 12:10 pm.
[Conversation No. 325-10C]
[See Conversation No. 22-2]
[End of telephone conversation]
Pay Board statement
-Safire
-Removal of a section
-Networks
Dinners
-Donald McI. Kendall
-Press
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Beale
-Haldeman’s view
26
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-“Dear Abby”
-Beale
-Martha (Beall) Mitchell
-Gossip
-Toasts
-Press
-West Wing news people
-Reporters
-ITT
-Toasts
-Reaction
-The President’s PRC trip
Television
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Households reached
-Chou En Lai’s toasts
-Ratings
-The President’s toasts
-Ratings
-Timing of toasts
-Morning shows
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 12s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
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Cabinet officers
-Connally-Shultz situation
-Ehrlichman
-Meetings between the White House and Cabinet officers
-Connally
-Shultz
27
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-John A. Scali
-Possible meeting with MacGregor
-Republican Congressional group
-Sub-cabinet
-Wives
-PRC trip
-Scali’s previous speech on PRC trip
-Talking points from speech
-Congressmen and senators
Kissinger
-Administration’s dependence
-The President’s view
-Backgrounders
-Kissinger’s forthcoming trip
-Chicago
-Other trips
-CBS
-The President’s appearance
-Timing
-The PRC trip
-Special
-Purpose
-Haldeman’s view
-Administration’s purpose compared with CBS purpose
-The President’s forthcoming trip to the Soviet Union
-Chicago
-The President’s memorandum
-Irv Kupcinet
-Los Angeles
-News Makers
The PRC trip
-West Wing
-Story
-Museums
-Traveling displays
-Photographs
-Gifts
-Jacksonville Historical Society, Florida
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
28
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-New York
-Los Angeles
-Chicago
-White House staff
-Timing
-The President’s forthcoming trip to the Soviet Union
-Tourist season
-Los Angeles
-San Francisco
-Chicago
-Cleveland
-Houston
-Dallas
-Ft. Worth
-New York City
-Philadelphia
-Panda
-Health concerns
-Public interest
-Scali
-The President’s appreciation
-White House staff
-Role
-Scali
-Kissinger
-Taiwan
-Shanghai Communiqué
-Haldeman’s movies
-Scali
-White House staff
-Networks
-Navy film
-Haldeman’s material compared to Navy films
-Networks
-Documentary crew
-Proposed Sub-cabinet meeting
-State Department
-White House theater
-Briefing room
-Executive Office Building [EOB]
-Tour of the White House display
29
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-Wives
-Scali
-Kissinger compared to Scali
-Presentation
-Trip background
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Television
Presidential approval polls
-Effect of the PRC trip
-South compared to the rest of the country
-Percentages
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 12:10 pm.
Messages
Butterfield left at 12:12 pm.
Congressional retirees
-Dinners
-MacGregor
-Invitation to wives
-Necessity
-Mrs. Colmer
-MacGregor
-Army chorus
Presidential approval polls
-South
-Percentages
-East
-Percentages
-Midwest percentages
-East
-South
-West
-Drop in percentage
-Changes in percentages for the regions
-Busing issue
-South
30
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-West
-Constitutional amendment
-Midwest, East
-The President’s televised speech, March 16, 1972
-Regions of the US
-South
-East
-Midwest
-South
-West
-Paper poll
-East
-Midwest
-South
-West
-Unfavorable rating
-South
-Busing
-West
-ITT
-South
-Los Angeles
-West compared to south
-Los Angeles
-San Diego
-Trial heats
-PRC trip
31
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 5m 51s ]
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time between 12:12 pm and 12:45 pm.
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
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Pay Board statement
-Safire
-New paragraph
-Content
-Reading
-Telephone call from Haldeman
-Wage earners
-Percentage in American Federation of Labor Congress of Industrial
Organizations [AFL-CIO]
Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:12 pm and
12:45 pm.
[Conversation No. 325-10D]
[See Conversation No. 22-3]
Haldeman talked with Safire at an unknown time between 12:12 pm and 12:45 pm.
[Conversation No. 325-10E]
[See Conversation No. 22-3]
[End of telephone conversation]
32
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
Pay Board statement
-Phrasing
-Meany
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time between 12:12 pm and 12:45 pm.
The President’s schedule
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 35s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
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1972 campaign
-Strategy
-Investigation of Democrats
ITT case
-Beard
-Questioning
-Sessions
-Length
-Health
-Alger Hiss case
-Media
-New York Times editorial
-Ziegler
-Charles W. Colson’s information
-Washington Post
-Charges
33
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
News stories
-Stein
-Pay Board
Foreign policy
-Public relations
-Scali
-Kissinger
-The President’s view
-Rogers
-Kissinger
-Los Angeles
-Illinois[?]
-The President’s memorandum to Haldeman
-Scali
Drug issue
Presidential leadership
-Connally’s views
-The PRC trip
-Pay Board
-Drugs
-Vacuum of leadership
-MacGregor
-Byrnes and Gerald R. Ford
-Busing discussion
-Pay Board discussion
-Meany
-Television
-The President’s appearances
-Pay Board compared to busing
-Morale in Congress
-Drug issue
-Connally
-The President’s schedule
-Drugs
-Appearances
-Rose Garden
-Handshaking
-Drug meeting
34
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 325-10 (cont.)
-New York
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time between 12:12 pm and 12:45 pm.
Pay Board statement
-AFL-CIO
-Percentage of wage earners
-Estimates
-Timing of statement
-Prime time
-Connally’s view
-The President’s view
-Meany
Haldeman left at 12:45 pm.