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Conversation 332-028

TapeTape 332StartTuesday, April 25, 1972 at 10:05 AMEndTuesday, April 25, 1972 at 10:40 AMTape start time02:57:14Tape end time03:03:03ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AudioNARA Description

On April 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:05 am and 10:40 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 332-028 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 332-28

Date: April 25, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:05 am and 10:40 am
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President dictated notes for a speech draft.

     Vietnam

           -Stakes of war
                -People of South Vietnam
                -World peace
                      -Power of the US
           -US policy
                -US withdrawals
                -Air sorties
                -Peace offers
                      -North Vietnamese response
                            -Invasion of South Vietnam
                            -War escalation

The President replayed portions of the recording.

           -Stakes of war
                -World peace
                      -Power of the US

The President resumed dictation.

           -US policy
                -Aid to South Vietnam
           -North Vietnamese invasion
                -Aid from Soviet Union
                -Consequences of success
                      -Future invasions
                      -Risks of war elsewhere
           -Negotiations
                -US peace offers
                      -Respect for independence
           -The President's speech
                -Instructions
           -US policy
                -Determination
                -Consequences of North Vietnamese success
                      -Risks of war
                      -Conditions for peace
                            -Success of US policy
                                 -Withdrawal of US troops
                            -Resistance to aggression
                                 -Air and Naval forces
                -1972 election
                      -Peace in Vietnam

                 -Possible failure
                      -Impact on the President's successors
Transcript (AI-Generated)

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.

in its efforts to win over the people of South Vietnam.
General Abrams believes that the enemy will fail in its efforts to conquer South Vietnam with a terror.
Terror.
The enemy's last hope to win in Vietnam.
The last, the enemy's last hope is to win in the Congress of the United States and among the people of the United States the victory they cannot win among the people of South Vietnam or on the battlefield of South Vietnam.
Great question, which only, which we must answer.
The great question is, how will we, the American people, respond to this challenging question?
I understand the bitter frustration, the popular opposition, that this long
Difficult war caused among Americans, many, many, many loyal Americans.
The case for doing nothing to stop this new communist invasion of South Vietnam is a compelling one.
Like this.
We've done enough, question mark.
The Vietnamese can defend their country without our help.
Let's get out.
The President should do is to order the evacuation of all American forces.
Let the communists take over.
The thing for anchors on the first page of the paper that I did, the first two paragraphs, you could send it over to me and say where the anchor is.
It goes even further than that.
The first four paragraphs go after the words I realize that some say.
What he failed to realize is that partisan state is not just the future of the 17 million people of South Vietnam, but the future of peace in the world for the states.
That's a great nation which will always use its power
to keep the peace, and never to break it.
In the past, when we have withdrawn 5% of our horses, although we have withdrawn 5% of our horses, we have cut our air sorties in half.
We have ordered the most generous peace terms in history.
The only thing that we have refused to do is to accede to the enemy's demand to overthrow the government of South Vietnam and to oppose the communist government in this place.
Their answer to our efforts to bring peace has been a massive escalation of the war.
Let us look at the back.
One.
We went to South Vietnam in the region in order to help the people of South Vietnam defend themselves against the foreign-supported aggression.
The North Vietnamese could not have launched their invasion, their spring invasion, without massive aid from the Soviet Union and tanks and guns and the most modern weapons.
However, if one country, with the assistance of a major colony, invades another and succeeds in conquering, other countries will be encouraged to do exactly the same thing that Haiti and Europe and other international nations do.
The communist win in Vietnam, the risk of war,
in other parts of the world, would be about the same criticism today.
But we will offer the most generous peace terms
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