Easy NixonAbout

Conversation: 335-017

Prev:  335-016 Next: 335-018

Start Date: 3-May-1972 2:50 PM

End Date: 3-May-1972 3:35 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kleindienst, Richard G.Gray, L[ouis] Patrick, III[Unknown person(s)]Ehrlichman, John D.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Kissinger, Henry A.

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:02:31

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:38:57

335a.mp3

335b.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Richard G. Kleindienst, L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III, unknown person(s), John D. Ehrlichman, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:50 pm to 3:35 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 335-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 335-17

Date: May 3, 1972
Time: 2:50-3:35 pm.
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Richard G. Kleindienst and L. Patrick Gray, III.

     Greetings

     A joke

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 2:50 pm and conferred with the President.

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 2:53 pm.

     Gray
            -Appointment
                -Need for Gray's abilities
                -Arrangements
                     -Political pressures
                -Announcement

     Kleindienst
          -Nomination
                -Statement
                -Ronald L. Ziegler's announcement
                      -Meeting with the President

     Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
          -Appointment of Gray
               -Charles W. Colson's call to Kleindienst
                                               14

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                    Conv. No. 335-17 (cont.)

                -Ziegler's statement

John D. Ehrlichman and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 2:53 pm.

                      -Status
                      -Confirmation
                      -Questions from press
                            -Ziegler, Gray, Kleindienst
                      -Status
           -Permanent director
                -Statement by Ziegler
                      -Political pressures

     Kleindienst
          -Status
                -Deputy Attorney General
                -Questions
                     -Answers
                     -Ziegler
          -Confirmation

     FBI
           -Calls to Senators
                 -James O. Eastland
                 -Schedule
                 -Possible nominee for FBI director
                       -Eastland
                       -[Thomas] Hale Boggs
                       -Reaction
                 -Other calls
                       -Timing
                             -Announcement of Gray's nomination
                 -Mississippi, Georgia

     Congress
         -The President’s view
         -Questions about W. Ramsey Clark
              -Rep. Emmanuel Celler

     Congratulations

Ehrlichman left at 3:10 pm.
                                              15

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                       Conv. No. 335-17 (cont.)


Kleindienst and Gray left at 3:20 pm.

     Vietnam and Soviet Summit
          -North Vietnamese invasion
                -US response
                     -Bombing
                     -Henry A. Kissinger's concerns
                           -Possibility of Soviet summit cancellation
          -Public opinion poll
                -Soviet summit cancellation
                     -Questions
                           -Percentages
                           -Wording
                           -Soviet aid to North Vietnam
                           -President's trip
                                  -Cancellation
                                  -Delay
                                  -Continuation
                           -Soviet support for North Vietnam
                           -President's trip
                                  -Approval
                                  -Cancellation
                                  -Reasons for support for trip
                                  -Analysis of Charles D. Bennett
                                       -People's Republic of China [PRC] trip
                                       -North Vietnamese offensive
                                       -Soviet aid to North Vietnam
                                       -Postponement
                                                   -Public support
                -Support for trip
                     -Reasons
                           -Percentages of approval and disapproval
                           -PRC trip
                     -Cancellation
                           -Approval and disapproval percentages
                     -Expected effect on war
                           -Percentages
          -President’s meeting with Kissinger

     J. Edgar Hoover
          -Eulogy
                                         16

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. Nov-01)
                                                    Conv. No. 335-17 (cont.)

           -John K. Andrews, Jr.
                 -The President’s view
           -Length
           -President's delivery
                 -Whitney M. Young
                 -Ziegler
                 -President's schedule
           -Television coverage
                 -Ziegler
                 -Amount
                 -Impact
                       -Young
           -Amount of time
                 -Value
           -President's delivery
                 -Dwight D. Eisenhower
                 -Method
                 -Young
     -President's statement at Hoover's death
           -Press coverage
     -Eulogy
           -Television coverage
           -President's relationship with Hoover
           -Amount of time in preparation
                 -Value

Vietnam and Soviet summit
     -Polls
           -Kissinger
           -Bennett’s analysis
                -Soviet summit
                -Length of war
                -The President’s view
                -Bombing
           -Impact
                -The President’s view

Soviet Summit
     -Timing
           -North Vietnamese invasion
                 -Hue
     -President's signing of agreement
                                        17

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. Nov-01)
                                                      Conv. No. 335-17 (cont.)

           -Trade credits
           -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
           -Friendship
     -Appearance
     -President's decision
           -Impact
                 -Vietnam War
                 -Public opinion
                 -Forthcoming presidential election
                       -Hawks
                 -Kissinger's view
                 -Timing of trip
                       -The President’s view
     -Agreements
           -Cancellation
                 -Impact on Hanoi and Moscow
           -Importance to Soviets
                 -Cancellation
                       -Interpretation
                             -Trip to PRC

Public opinion
     -PRC trip
     -Support for President
           -Sense of leadership
                -Lyndon B. Johnson
                      -Haldeman’s view
                -Kissinger's judgment
                      -The President’s view
                      -Reasons

William P. Rogers
     -Conduct
           -The President’s view
     -Richard F. Pederson
           -Kissinger's backgrounder
                -Source
                      -John A. Scali
     -A story
           -Accuracy
     -Trips
           -Peking
                                             18

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                   Conv. No. 335-17 (cont.)

               -Shanghai
               -Soviet Union
               -Vietnam

     US role in world
          -The President’s view
          -Europe

     Soviet summit
          -Haldeman's forthcoming meeting with Kissinger
          -Continuation of summit
               -Public opinion
                     -The President’s view

     Public opinion
          -Need
                -Kissinger
                     -Tenor of public statements
                -Rogers

     President's speeches
          -Tone
          -Compared to Kissinger's statements
          -Tone after Soviet summit
          -Time
          -Announcement of bombing

     Kissinger
          -Forthcoming meeting with Haldeman
                -Length

     President's schedule
          -Forthcoming meeting with Haldeman and Kissinger
          -Hoover eulogy
                 -Time of draft delivery

Haldeman talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 2:53 and 3:35 pm.

[Conversation No. 335-17A]

     Meeting
          -Time
                                              19

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Nov-01)
                                                               Conv. No. 335-17 (cont.)


[End of telephone conversation]

     Soviet Summit
          -Kissinger's advice
          -Public response
                -Support
                      -Hawks
                      -Center
                      -Michael J. Mansfield on doves
                            -Reaction
                      -Robert J. Dole
          -Bombing in Vietnam
                -Kissinger’s and President's concerns
                -Cancellation of summit
          -Possibility of summit cancellation
                -Effect on forthcoming presidential election
                -US appearance versus Soviet Union
          -Kissinger
          -Possible Soviet propaganda
                -Demonstrations
                -Timing
                      -Hoover
          -Haldeman meeting with Kissinger
                -Tone
                -Forthcoming presidential election
                      -Possible effects
                            -The President’s view
          -Cancellation
                -Results expected
                      -Vietnam

     President's schedule
          -Location

Haldeman left at 3:35 pm.