Nixon, Haldeman & Laird on Vietnam War and Mining of North Vietnamese harbors

3:38:46And so often in the past, the inheritance is not true.
3:39:48All right.
3:39:50You all ready?
3:41:33How do you say coldly to them?
3:41:37It's your fault.
3:41:50and still make the case and not do it in a way that you're accused of throwing a challenge at them so that they can't do anything about it.
3:42:01And it came off exactly the way you wanted it to.
3:42:08That was 17 years ago.
3:42:09I think I was the right one to put in the guy.
3:42:13I didn't do it.
3:42:13It fit.
3:42:15It fit fine.
3:42:16Now look, I don't want to embarrass you about every good thing.
3:42:18It fit very well and it's going to...
3:42:20The reason for doing it is that for a hell of a lot of the people who send telegrams and write letters, that's damn important to them.
3:42:29They want you to ask for God's help.
3:42:32They do it themselves and they want you to.
3:42:36They don't want you to say you're going to run away then and think about yourself.
3:42:41So is there a good point to that?
3:42:51That's good.
3:42:59I can show them up.
3:43:01Show them that they can't figure it out.
3:43:05You know, people say, you know, get an advance tax.
3:43:22We sure don't even know the speech for a while.
3:43:27What did we get, 17 minutes?
3:43:28I'm 17 now.
3:43:29Every day a little less, a little less.
3:43:31It was good to get it down.
3:43:32I got older.
3:43:33I was over 22 when I finally got out.
3:43:35That cut in the rain was exactly right.
3:43:37If you go shorter than that, it looks like you don't take it seriously.
3:43:40If you go longer, I think you lose people.
3:43:43I think you run out.
3:43:45At 17, I didn't want to listen.
3:43:49and this makes the case.
3:43:51Did the mining sound ominous enough?
3:43:52You see, I didn't use, you can't use the word blockade, you know, and rockers may have done a mistake in having them say that.
3:43:58I always say, but we're not doing it.
3:44:01Did it sound, well, I guess it did.
3:44:04Well, I shouldn't go on making that, you'd have such a problem on the TV.
3:44:06Sorry.
3:44:06I don't think there's nothing to do about it, but I think you can turn around and do that.
3:44:16to point out that the Vietnamese have been mining and that this isn't a blockade.
3:44:30I've been rushing around saying all the things it is.
3:44:32But, you know, well, it must have stopped pretty often.
3:44:36I said every ship would be stopped.
3:44:38That was some pretty tough stuff.
3:44:47All right.
3:44:51Thank you.
3:45:15Yeah, no, I asked him if he could come over to the O.V.
3:45:21office, please.
3:45:23What did this fellow tell him to finish up there?
3:45:26When he's finished with the congressman, he'll come over to the O.V.
3:45:33office.
3:45:33What's he doing?
3:45:35He's in with the fire titers.
3:45:36You know, I would have said, look, I know you're working down there on the cold water power.
3:45:42They're wanting him off.
3:45:51Uh-huh.
3:46:25I don't think you needed to stay there, I think.
3:46:27Well, I didn't want to do it.
3:46:31I know you were going to track it.
3:46:33Well, Bell and Moore were supposed to be there, and they were supposed to move right in.
3:46:39They got to get a quick vote, but they were with Congress, and so they didn't.
3:46:51which is really much more important.
3:46:56The rule of Congress doesn't understand some of that.
3:47:00He did eat to have the food because they're going to have to be very guilty by the Capitol people all they need.
3:47:06That's, briefings aren't very important on this one, and that's, I mean, those are the things that Steve said.
3:47:13That's it.
3:47:13You made the case, not with Meyer, I mean with the guys, but I got a call from the senator, and they said, well, we don't know what he's going to say.
3:47:20So you don't need to know what he's going to say.
3:47:21What he says will be absolutely clear to you when he says it.
3:47:24It won't have to be explained.
3:47:27And the key here is not to go out and sell this to anybody.
3:47:30The president's going to do that.
3:47:31The key is to make sure that the people to whom it's sold respond so that we get some reaction and start building the evidence to support it.
3:47:42If there isn't any support, we can't build it.
3:47:44We've got nothing to do about that.
3:47:46It's there, though.
3:47:48All of our people always figure they've been on the right or the right board.
3:48:12Oh.
3:48:12Oh.
3:48:12Oh.
3:48:13Yeah.
3:48:16Oh.
3:48:16Yeah.
3:48:17Okay, that's ringing through.
3:48:27Hello.
3:48:28Hello.
3:48:28Well, I knew why you weren't there.
3:48:32I knew you were doing one of our important things, listening to Congress.
3:48:34Good, good, good, good.
3:48:35Good, I appreciate it.
3:48:48I think you ought to take a little bit different line and say, we're going to do what's necessary.
3:49:10You know what I mean?
3:49:16I don't want to indicate what the hell it is.
3:49:17You see what I mean?
3:49:18Now, incidentally, on the other hand, man's still ready to fight about how do we get to China.
3:49:22Now, obviously, we're not going to jeopardize the Chinese relationship, but we also have to say that this is not directed against any other country.
3:49:33We'll take the necessary precautions, but we'll do what's necessary to stop the bull, see?
3:49:38But I think the moral...
3:49:39You could be a little more hoppy than I am.
3:49:42Say that you're urging the president to get on.
3:49:45And that'll help us a hell of a lot.
3:49:49Also, get all your people in there and ask the 50,000 people in there.
3:49:54Say, well, you see, we can't trigger something.
3:50:03Was it done?
3:50:04Great.
3:50:09You send a well done from me to them, please.
3:50:11Matt, oh yeah, yeah, we want to get them down.
3:50:22All right, you send a well done.
3:50:24Just say, Secretary, whatever you're doing, the President's talking, the President's talking.
3:50:29You send a well done, keep it up, okay?
3:50:34The other thing is, I was saying before today,
3:50:38I think now on our airstrikes, we ought to pick these targets.
3:50:43In addition to the railroads, the other things should be P-O-L, P-O-L, P-O-L. Don't you agree?
3:50:56Because if you get the P-O-L, they can't run those aircraft.
3:51:01Right.
3:51:02Okay.
3:51:03Well, thank you a lot.
3:51:04Yeah.
3:51:05Bye.
3:51:05Bye.
3:51:07You just dig your own chin out of there and get down.
3:51:13Scare her.
3:51:26Okay.
3:51:31That's terrible, right?
3:51:37He just doesn't sound strong, does he?
3:51:40He sounded scary.
3:51:40He sounded scary.
3:51:43He's bold.
3:51:43He's bold in both ways.
3:51:49He always wants to say what we're not doing.
3:51:53He tries, as a lawyer, to argue the case and make it appear to them.
3:51:57Here, we want to appear totally unpredictable.
3:52:01It's a strange way of thinking.
3:52:03The way he runs through it.
3:52:07I don't think anybody would prefer that broadcast.
3:52:13That's got to be, we've got to have that knocked down.
3:52:23I don't think it's going to happen.
3:52:25I think.
3:52:26I could be wrong, but I think it's going to happen.
3:52:33It could be.
3:52:34It could be.
3:52:38Not with everybody, not with everybody.
3:52:44You want to be right back with the commentator.
3:52:46Tell them all.
3:52:46All that matters now is getting a score.
3:52:55Whether you do what the commentator is telling you, I don't know.
3:53:03You don't have a good score.
3:53:04That's good.
3:53:06That's good.
3:53:38See, Rogers said, well, this is not a blockade, it's a war.
3:53:43And that's why you don't need to listen about that.
3:53:50Just say, well, it's not a blockade in the legal sense.
3:53:52Rogers should say it's not a blockade in the legal sense.
3:53:57That's interesting.
3:53:58A.D. carried the president in his order that all enemies should not be adopted by taking action.
3:54:02He wasn't surprised at what he called the International House of Laws.
3:54:08Also, the U.S. was very capable of making a great political spot.
3:54:14That's really crazy.
3:54:16That's very important to stop.
3:54:19Thank you.
3:54:20Thank you.
3:54:21Thank you.
3:54:22Thank you.
3:54:27Would you like me to discuss it so that it's just a light?
3:54:34We don't have a cooperation today?
3:54:35We didn't set up a commentary on our people, you know, those people calling in.
3:54:46We were not supposed to call them.
3:54:52We didn't call them.
3:54:53If we didn't, I would be glad to hear it, but I'm not sure.
3:54:56We should not, we should not really.
3:54:57See, some of these are people that we call, you know, on a regular basis.
3:55:01You know what I mean, isn't it?
3:55:02I just don't want to go through that exercise.
3:55:04We don't need it.
3:55:07So...
3:56:44What's up?
3:56:44You know, when we had only one part of the project to create it together, we didn't accept it, except for the question, this is not a lot of money.
3:56:51But I, for God's sake, thank God he paid the rest of the cost of it.
3:56:56Well, I had to ban it from Hague when he did it over in Jackson.
3:56:58But he kept saying, this is the best you can do to get the bomb.
3:57:06Tomorrow we're going to bomb it.
3:57:13I got that across from the kid.
3:57:14I told him we're going to do what is necessary.
3:57:27I'm going to tell you, man, we're all fine.
3:57:38I wouldn't say that.
3:58:18All we want is for people to support us.
3:58:22How are you going to get them to support you?
3:58:25All right.
3:58:41I called the media, and he said this is the way we're going to do it.
3:58:46Who?
3:58:46He called the media.
3:58:47Did you go?
3:58:48The police.
3:58:49I go to the police station.
3:58:52Who are those people?
3:58:53The gay lockdown says.
3:58:55Very much appreciated.
3:58:56Good to speak.
3:58:57Fixed sentences.
3:58:58Great.
3:58:58Studying up the telegram.
3:58:58Well, see, that's what we're after.
3:59:00It's good.
3:59:00It's not that.
3:59:01I.W.
3:59:01Abel says, forthright, recent station, quite handy.
3:59:03Don't know what else he can do.
3:59:04He's concerned with the dog.
3:59:05It's not something that we can do all the time.
3:59:08both the workers 100% support will send telegrams.
3:59:10What we're doing is we're going to smoke out the ones that are with us and then move person support activity where we can get it.
3:59:22We also have some educators that we're going to try and get some academics.
3:59:26Yes, we can.
3:59:27That's what we've got to do with some of the people who aren't going to go to faculty.
3:59:30Because that's what makes the difference.
3:59:34I have not been a strong supporter of the Vietnam policy, but this was a giant act on the president's part.
4:00:02the U.S. troops in danger and doesn't want to buzz out of a continent safe.
4:00:08Well, Greenland was...
4:00:09I don't know if I should take that out of the speech.
4:00:32They are, they are.
4:00:35That's a doubt.
4:01:07I didn't get the final text in five years.
4:01:11You think it wasn't supposed to be?
4:01:16Yes, indeed.
4:01:17And there was not the transpiration that I didn't know that it was going to be decided by that.
4:01:29I thought the picture was better than that.
4:01:31It wasn't.
4:01:32Anyway, we got it.
4:01:36We started doing it.
4:01:37Now that we've grown, we aren't going to screw it up.
4:01:40Oh, my.
4:01:40I just talked to Larry.
4:01:41He said, fine.
4:01:44He said, fine, John.
4:01:44I said, I want you to be the boss here.
4:01:50I want you to stick your chin out.
4:01:55I'll do it.
4:01:56I'll do it.
4:01:57I'll do it.
4:01:57I'm going to tell you the truth.
4:01:58But he did.
4:01:59He said he was in a nice story to send a well done to those that put the lines in.
4:02:07No, he's a patriot.
4:02:10Keep after him.
4:02:11The thing about Rogers is that he's bought them off.
4:02:19God damn it.
4:02:20What?
4:02:20Bell's no coward.
4:02:22No, no.
4:02:22Bell is a pragmatist.
4:02:25Victor Rytel says this is easily the best and most effective speech the president has ever given, and I've covered it since 1947.
4:02:32He told it as he should have told it.
4:02:34It was very modulated.
4:02:36There was none of the evangelists he thought would admire this speech.
4:02:38So it was evangelistic.
4:02:44I think it was God's help.
4:02:46The editorial support we were after is God.
4:02:48And on a serious basis,
4:02:55Seattle PI.
4:02:56Arizona Republic.
4:03:03Good.
4:03:03Boston Aerotravel.
4:03:04Good.
4:03:05Denver Post.
4:03:06Denver Post.
4:03:07Bill Hornby, Executive Editor, one of the best agencies made.
4:03:10As long as he did not commit, we commit ground to the use of basic strengths we have.
4:03:16I'm impressed.
4:03:16I think the overall effect will be good.
4:03:20Buffalo Evening News.
4:03:21Extremely dangerous.
4:03:23extremely courageous under the circumstances of what we had to do.
4:03:25I'll hear over the senator.
4:03:28The situation is very grim and there will be much reaction, but he needs all the support he can get and will have ours.
4:03:37Senator, it's about time.
4:03:38Don't further give a strong, sound speech.
4:03:40Make a strong, sound decision.
4:03:41It should have been a long time ago to display a certain amount of emotion as a result of the gravity of what he was doing.
4:03:47Overdue to the Soviet Union, we're consistent with previous questions, including his own.
4:04:00Oh, he's all right, go ahead.
4:04:04Well, that's what we were covering.
4:04:10I can try to get a meeting.
4:04:16We're trying to get support.
4:04:21Hartford Park.
4:04:24Houston Chronicle.
4:04:31We will support it, but we feel this will provide considerable care in the country with a man of protest and conquest in the nation.
4:04:37That's right.
4:04:37I look forward to taking a great rest from the surges, taking a great rest from serious consequences.
4:04:46I think our Vietnam will trade off with us, but definitely they will pull out in four months, someday in the year 2065.
4:04:54Start healing us.
4:04:55I'm afraid the speech the president has ever made had manifested his determination to achieve an honorable speech in a world without political wisdom and self-reproach.
4:05:02It would be a serious setback for the president to get to Moscow.
4:05:05We felt the president reflected desperation in time of hearing the speech, but his tone was mostly that of determination.
4:05:11This is probably his biggest crisis taking off.
4:05:18Senator Bennett.
4:05:19We worked on some mayor, you know, looking for any mayor and government support.
4:05:25The mayor of Spokane, probably the most difficult decision he's ever made.
4:05:30Part of the show plenty of guts.
4:05:34Operating, show plenty of guts.
4:05:37The president is supported by the mayor of Salem, Oregon.
4:05:43When they're done, it's the best thing.
4:05:48A lot of our playing back, it's like you keep a missile car, so you can't deal with that.
4:05:51You've got this
4:05:52Yeah, but you're going to have this.
4:05:54It can't be a mistake.
4:05:55But you're going to have the three-day breath holding now, you know, while you're waiting for the mines to open.
4:06:01Yeah, they shoot them.
4:06:03And then they question what happens after the mines open.
4:06:06Well, the castle is sunk.
4:06:07I don't think that I'm going to have to go out in the building.
4:06:17Good.
4:06:18They're all conservative, but they're never opposed.
4:06:20Never opposed.
4:06:21Bill Hornby, effective editor, one of the best agencies made.
4:06:24As long as he did not commit, we commit ground to.
4:06:26That gives the basic strength we have.
4:06:28I'm impressed.
4:06:29I think the overall effect will be good.
4:06:32Buffalo evening news.
4:06:33Extremely dangerous, extremely courageous.
4:06:36Under the circumstances, it's what we have to do.
4:06:40Elliot Arroyo, Senator.
4:06:43The situation is very grim, and there will be much reaction to these.
4:06:45All the support we can get will have ours.
4:06:50San Diego Union, it's about time.
4:06:51Don't be afraid to give a strong, sound speech.
4:06:53Make a strong, sound decision.
4:06:55It should have been a long time ago to display a certain amount of emotion as a result of the draft.
4:07:15It was very sober, very funny, since any importance.
4:07:18Oh, he's all right.
4:07:19Go ahead.
4:07:21It was, uh, Carl was on the front as a staff.
4:07:24He had a lot of support, didn't he?
4:07:27He had to do his thing a lot.
4:07:29I don't feel for public support.
4:07:30Well, that's what we were covering.
4:07:32About eight.
4:07:33I did try to get a, a meeting.
4:07:34We were trying to get support.
4:07:37Hard to return.
4:07:43We will support a public deal that will provide considerable care in the country with a man of protest in Congress and in the nation.
4:07:53I look forward to taking a great rest from the serious consequences.
4:07:57I think our Vietnam will trade off with us, but definitely they will pull out in four months, someday, and return to the sea spine.
4:08:09Senator Bennett.
4:08:33We worked up some mayor, you know, with the very mayor and governor in support.
4:08:38The mayor of Spokane, probably most of the votes that he's ever made, part of some of the money he's got.
4:08:44Operating, showing a lot of guts.
4:08:46We're making the most of the support we've got.
4:08:49We're making the most of it.
4:08:50Mayor of San Marino, he's got it.
4:09:00I don't know.
4:09:01Fun fact, it's like the Cuban Missile Crisis.
4:09:03There's been a lot of that.
4:09:04You've got this, you're going to have this, it can't be a mistake.
4:09:06You're going to have the three-day breath holding now, you know, while you're waiting for the mines to come up.
4:09:10And then the question is, what happens after the mines come up?
4:09:13Rough, but the castle will stop.
4:09:15I don't think they're going to have to do that.
4:09:28I do call straws.
4:10:08so that there'd be no crisis in Germany.
4:10:10I'm sorry.
4:10:10You know, one thing I will say is that this is a goddamn good, well-written speech, but particularly just to get it in 48 hours.
4:10:14It really is.
4:10:14It's duly constructed, making the case, laying out the decision, and summing it up.
4:10:17Not a word to my head.
4:10:38We met in the 70s, not in the 70s.
4:10:41He didn't go to Canada.
4:10:44He spent the minutes of his ministry in Israel.
4:10:48And in his house, he wants to survive in an old man's country.
4:10:54He might do it.
4:10:56Very clever.
4:10:57Very clever.
4:10:57Should I go by and tell him I saw you?
4:11:00Yeah.
4:11:00You can say I'm a minister.
4:11:03You can say this.
4:11:05There are not many panting ladies here.
4:11:08It's up to you.
4:11:09We want good relations, but if you're the government, you're the government.
4:11:12If he becomes president, he's a man, he's a desert.
4:11:14He's a fellow peeper, he's a guilty person, a goddamn crud.
4:11:16You throw him down.
4:11:17Okay?
4:11:17Tomorrow, when you hear Sherman, you know, even before I get to breakfast, we are going to bomb here in China, son of bitches.
4:11:35Worry about Chinese.
4:11:35How do you inform the Chinese?
4:11:37You're getting a little .
4:11:38Do we inform them?
4:11:38Should we have ?
4:11:39Should we have ?
4:11:40No.
4:11:40Is Rogers in?
4:12:05I think it is true to me.
4:12:06His voice is very pleasant.
4:12:06I was there cranking up the board to get the C2 and that stuff together.
4:12:09Oh, did you?
4:12:09Yeah.
4:12:09I told you about it.
4:12:10They had already set it up.
4:12:11I mean, that's probably better if you get it cranked up.
4:12:13But it's kind of good.
4:12:13I don't know.
4:12:30Nothing to do with it.
4:12:30It was already set up.
4:12:31Well, except they couldn't go in and have a little enthusiasm to pull up the head.
4:12:34Well, you know, it's video game.
4:12:35I mean, I don't know how you think about it at all.
4:12:49He's done it with all the goddamn things.
4:12:52This is a very minor act.
4:12:55It's the North Vietnamese mines, uh, what do you say?
4:13:01The Saigon River or something, all that.
4:13:04Yeah, but all of this is irrelevant.
4:13:06What we have to look at now is iron determination.
4:13:08It's the only thing that's going to save us.
4:13:11So Bob was there.
4:13:12Didn't I even get to pay that fee?
4:13:13A little back to you?
4:13:14Yeah.
4:13:14You did it completely.
4:13:15But I was impressed by Hayden.
4:13:17I can only repeat, Hayden came back completely shaken from the congressional leaders.
4:13:23From the Rocks.
4:13:24And the Rocks.
4:13:25Congressional leaders?
4:13:26Yeah.
4:13:27And the Rocks.
4:13:28After I left.
4:13:29After you left.
4:13:43I want you to draw.
4:13:48You should be in charge.
4:14:00I'm saying, blockade low.
4:14:01This is, the words are in your mouth.
4:14:03The president has made the decision that there is to be no more seaborne deliveries of supplies, and we will carry it out, whatever is required.
4:14:11You say that, okay?
4:14:12Over.
4:14:12I can convey the address that we know what we're doing.
4:14:16I'm not worried about that.
4:14:17I am worried about our own safety.
4:14:18Right?
4:14:19Yeah.
4:14:19Well, blockade low, I'm saying.
4:14:30We don't show enthusiasm and conviction.
4:14:34Our people will.
4:14:34I don't mean our people.
4:14:35I don't mean the White House people.
4:14:37Anyway, you go to the party, and we'll have a session with him.
4:14:44He just said he got it in.
4:14:47No, he doesn't.
4:14:48He's always trying to explain, be defensive, and all the rest.
4:14:53But Laird's got it in.
4:14:54I trust him with it all.
4:14:56Well, Laird wants you to get it in.
4:15:00Get him out in front.
4:15:01I have to tell him to get your red bill back to Europe.
4:15:04Maybe let's send him right away to the farm.
4:15:06They haven't been afraid to come back.
4:15:08I'm very sure they haven't been afraid to come back.
4:15:11Well, there you go.
4:15:12Well, there you go.
4:15:13You go to the farm.
4:15:15Well, maybe I should come along with him.
4:15:17I really, I'm not dying to do this sub-cabinet briefing.
4:15:19It's just my time.
4:15:20But these guys do go back to their bureaucracy.
4:15:29We'll find a way to do it.
4:15:32Good luck.
4:15:33You can scare that minister to death, will you?
4:15:37Okay.
4:15:41Henry?
4:15:41Remember, a lost wife...
4:15:46Let me say this.
4:16:16Here's where I go further than you to do that recollection of World War II.
4:16:23If it requires the devastation of Hanoi and Haipan, it will be done.
4:16:28And I ain't going to bomb this under the bench right into the stone age.
4:16:32I understand.
4:16:32I don't think it requires it.
4:16:33If it requires it, it will be done.
4:16:35Right.
4:16:45You have a cigar out there?
4:16:48Yes, sir.
4:17:18who are conning a job like this and shit, use up and tear their ass off.
4:17:46Well, let's see, what have we got here?
4:17:48Choice?
4:18:18different list usually we try to get a cross section this time we were hitting the ones that we were all working for for support i just want to be sure we understood
4:18:40We care.
4:18:40There's not a goddamn thing to do about it.
4:18:42We don't care about that.
4:18:43We weren't looking for a balance.
4:18:45We've got to play a hard line, tough line here.
4:18:48But we've got to smoke out where our support is and then ride it.
4:18:52And we've got some.
4:18:53That's the key thing.
4:18:56We've got some where we thought we had it.
4:19:02And we've got to see how far it goes, how much we can get out of it.
4:19:14All right.
4:19:14All right.
4:19:44It's all consensus.
4:19:45Everybody loves it, right?
4:19:47And they love it.
4:19:48Sometimes, at a certain level.
4:20:11Last night, he was, he stood for a hell of a lot of hours before he knocked out.
4:20:13Could have been a fellow, but I'm not sure.
4:20:14He just stood there and followed out.
4:20:15And he was trying to get him to hold on.
4:20:38I think it would be an almost mortal shock if he did it right now, just as he would have hoped, if he could hold two weeks.
4:20:49I'm not certain of that, but I just think if he did it right now, even though they know he's holding two weeks, if he could just hold two weeks, but not at all, but by our 10 days, you know what I mean, if the sun goes off,
4:21:06for a couple weeks and the summit stays on, that he wanted to still go before you leave?
4:21:10Yeah, yeah, yeah.
4:21:11Tell him we'd like to look at his bids on the summit.
4:21:13Tell him we'd like to look at the summit decision.
4:21:17He did go as we expected.
4:21:19We meant to have him leave just before that.
4:21:21What?
4:21:21Have him leave just before the summit.
4:21:22No.
4:21:23If the summit is canceled, then he ought to stay on.
4:21:27He's got to stay on a couple more weeks because there'd be two blows in a row.
4:21:31If the summit stays on, which I'm serious about,
4:21:36You've already helped me look into his favor a couple of weeks ago.
4:21:38You and me?
4:21:38Yeah.
4:21:38We're only talking about two weeks ago.
4:21:40I'm 15.
4:21:40I'm very concerned.
4:21:40So, I probably had to be the record of pressing this decision for the second half of the year.
4:22:02God damn it.
4:22:02He's bracing away.
4:22:03He just can't understand that.
4:22:04That's just totally believable.
4:22:05I wouldn't understand.
4:22:06Land calls.
4:22:07You already have four calls.
4:22:08Okay.
4:22:09That's all you can try to say about it.
4:22:51The weather is decent.
4:22:51Even halfway, it's the only place in the picture that's about 40 of us.
4:23:18Just the man, I don't want the woman, is outside, you know, on the steps there, and there's a deception sign on the floor, and I see the tip outside of the page, and there's a Bible pointing to the members of the class.
4:23:29You can do that in the district.
4:23:31You know, the front door, of course, but I don't want to call out, except for the second, and that's the president.
4:23:45And those two trucks.
4:24:09Hello?
4:24:09Baby, Bob.
4:24:10Pretty good.
4:24:11That president wanted to know if you'd watch TV tonight at all.
4:24:14You did, huh?
4:24:14He thinks you're probably his father.
4:24:16Your girlfriend's calling you.
4:24:17Really?
4:24:18Yeah.
4:24:18Are you getting more than you usually get?
4:24:39I'll be done.
4:24:41What are they saying?
4:24:47You look great.
4:24:50Yeah.
4:24:51He's present his lifetime.
4:25:04That's the real problem.
4:25:07We had that before.
4:25:08So they keep trying.
4:25:10We got it this weekend.
4:25:12Probably.
4:25:12Good.
4:25:13Good.
4:25:13Okay.
4:25:13Thank you.
4:25:32He used to all cranked up.
4:25:33He said he always gets a bunch of phone calls after your speech, but a lot more of the same.
4:25:38He said, like, McRae doesn't usually call.
4:25:40So we talked to him.
4:25:42He was just ecstatic.
4:25:43Some woman called and she was practically crying.
4:25:46She was all upset that she couldn't get through to the Western Union and send a telegram.
4:25:52So she called me to have him know the president.
4:26:04It was an elegant speech, much more elegant than this one, but I don't think it got there.
4:26:08Well, people understand that, you know, we can do something.
4:26:10I had a problem with that.
4:26:33The people you're pushing for support, you're not having any trouble pushing.
4:27:06Yeah, I saw some of those cars present.
4:27:09They're willing to line up.
4:27:19Okay, well, be sure we enlist them now.
4:27:20Get them to start the labor guys.
4:27:22We've already had marches.
4:27:26Callow must enlist in the military.
4:27:37Yeah.
4:27:37Yeah.
4:27:37Still shows through.
4:27:38They don't make pieces.
4:27:39Yeah.
4:27:39Good.
4:27:40Good.
4:27:40Good.
4:27:40Right.
4:28:08The problem is he's obsessed with having his plan.
4:28:11This isn't a blockade.
4:28:14We aren't really going to hurt anybody and it doesn't really mean anything and all that.
4:28:18That's exactly 180 degrees wrong.
4:28:37The line here has got to be, this is a blockade.
4:28:39We're going to kick the shit out of them if they have it.
4:28:42We can't apologize.
4:28:45We can't back down or back off.
4:28:47I'm not sure borders would be better.
4:28:51But he gets into all the technicalities of how many decibels it takes to detonate the fire.
4:28:59Air is better and rust would be better.
4:29:02Let's watch Rush tomorrow morning on TV, because Rush believes in this way down to the core.
4:29:07Yeah.
4:29:07All right, if you've got any reason, I'll telegrams it off.
4:29:21Okay, well, now it's time to start hitting Western Union.
4:29:24Let's get the president up out of bed and tell him that we're getting calls from all over the country now that his goddamn offices won't take the telegrams and that we're going to make a national scandal out of it, that they pulled this before and, you know, just scare the shit out of them.
4:29:37And tell them they'll probably have to lose their franchise wanting to get something better than communication.
4:29:48Well, it's the same old story.
4:29:49Now's the time to start busting them on that.
4:29:52And get that story out.
4:29:53And tell the people, any people that call complaining they can't send telegraphs, tell them to call their local paper and TV station and say they can't get through to Western Union.
4:30:04Good.
4:30:04Well, that's the one that's starting me up.
4:30:07We ought to now get the head of Western Union as we've been waiting long enough now.
4:30:11Let's see if we can put the aid on that.
4:30:13Let's see.
4:30:19He just said a lady that he never heard of just called in and said she couldn't get through to Western Union and said she was calling in.
4:30:33We put the full load of operatives on so there's no light.
4:30:41What's your own personal deal on that?
4:30:48He'd like to deliver.
4:30:49I'd call him Harris and send him a letter.
4:30:50He'd suggest you check with Harris and send him a letter.
4:30:51He'd read you from that.
4:30:52Okay, thank you.
4:30:52See what their personal views were.
4:31:12Could you get the, uh, Mr.
4:31:13Rush, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, please?
4:31:16Kenneth Rush.
4:31:16Kenneth?
4:31:39What is Chuck's
4:31:53He's amazed by the reactions.
4:31:55He thought we were going to have to push people.
4:31:57He thought they'd be shaky on whether they should come in on this or not.
4:32:00He said they're not getting that at all.
4:32:02The people that they had lined up to move on are just all out.
4:32:05So he's very important to me.
4:32:18Ask Ron his reaction too.
4:32:48Hello?
4:32:48Yes, how are you?
4:33:07Well, you're very kind to say that.
4:33:08Let me say, you're going on in the morning, and I'd like to give you just a couple of thoughts.
4:33:11Bill Rogers, the governor of the state, is not a lot of people.
4:33:13Don't take that line.
4:33:13Take the line that, well, the words are going on, what it is, and the president is going to do whatever is necessary to stop all the sequel.
4:33:47Do you agree?
4:33:49Now that we've crossed the Rubicon, we're going to keep those factories, and we're going to do it even more, you know.
4:33:58So take a very strong line.
4:33:59Remember, it wasn't necessary.
4:34:01The President is safe.
4:34:03The President has crossed the Rubicon now.
4:34:07And we can also decide that we've made a report on it, which is,
4:34:15And then we'll withdraw all American port lines.
4:34:26Okay?
4:34:26I appreciate it, I appreciate it.
4:34:32I know it was great, but anyway, but the main thing is...
4:34:41I got a call later, and I got him to work at Long Island.
4:34:44I said to him, I said, Mel, you've got to be more hawkish than I am.
4:34:49He said, yeah, Mel's a decent kind of a guy.
4:34:53I said, what is he?
4:34:55He said, well, dragon.
4:34:55Dragon.
4:34:58He talked to me more.
4:35:07So right now we've got to meet the corrosion.
4:35:10All the way, okay?
4:35:12All right, I'm going to kick him in the ass.
4:35:14Oh, you will.
4:35:16Are you coming to buy it or not?
4:35:19It would be a nice little party.
4:35:21We're inviting all the lawyers in the administration to sort of be there.
4:35:29We'll remember those.
4:35:31They were your students.
4:35:35I'm calling you for a couple of minutes.
4:35:36I'm going to have to say the final words, please.
4:35:38Okay, well...
4:36:08He just said, well, here it is on the wire.
4:36:17It's too late.
4:36:17White House supporters jammed with calls, overruling the majority, expressing strong support for Nixon's stand.
4:36:26And they've already turned the wires on the Western Union, and that's what we do, because they've got to make calls to the Western Union.
4:36:36places around the country, and they're saying we can't take your, they either can't get through because the lines are busy, or they would say we can't take your telegrams, our lines are jammed.
4:36:44So, now we're going to have a bust in the West Indies and over the country.
4:36:51We've got that.
4:36:53We're going to run, run, working the color thing on the basis of a determined, resolute decision in early, working on the thing yourself.
4:37:03All the options were carefully reviewed.
4:37:06This was a deliberate decision in making that point so they don't get into any, I mean, that's Cali, Atlanta, but any Columbia.
4:37:30George, I just wanted to say that, you know, as a family, we have our differences, but I just wanted you to know that I took this decision because I know that this could be a challenge.
4:37:36And if you could support it, I would appreciate it if you can.
4:37:38I understand that, you know, by God, we just can't let these people around us.
4:38:00Alright, good to talk to you, Charlie.
4:38:02We'll find something.
4:38:04I believe we've got something to say for you tonight.
4:41:21There ain't shit.
4:41:21I didn't pay in one minute.
4:41:22We have to pass this.
4:41:23Let me see how to take this.
4:41:24Put it out.
4:41:24I think it's necessary for a medicated place.
4:41:26Let him come.
4:42:57That's very good.
4:43:38All right.
4:43:38All right.
4:44:13She says she's got some caution that they've all said that they're getting through this.
4:44:40She said one that was interesting was Jack Colley.
4:44:43She said you might remember Miles Laboratories.
4:44:52And he told Rose he had never made a call in his life after a thing like this or anything, but that he just had to call him to say that he thought this was the greatest speech any president ever made to move down in history, which would be the outstanding speech by an American president.
4:45:09And Charlie Ryan had called in from New York, where he was willing to move the people of the city, but very brave that this had to be done, and it was an outstanding move.
4:45:21A buddy of Al said she had come to let me determine the SCM.
4:45:26We thought it was absolutely great.
4:45:28That it was exactly what some president should have, someone should have done a long time ago before you even became president.
4:45:33And it would be very courageous of you to step up and do it now.
4:45:37And Rose said, and she thought even after having worked on the speech and all and sitting watching it, that it was so plain and clear that that was the real value.
4:45:43There was nothing confusing about it.
4:45:44People understood exactly what you were saying.
4:45:46And you made it so clear that you put it to the enemy.
4:45:48They've been talking about peace and making all these noises and all that.
4:45:50And the Soviets in particular, you know, it's now up to them to lay down the gauntlet.
4:45:54And it's clear.
4:46:10And she'd been over here, and then she'd gone home.
4:46:38Billy?
4:46:39Thank you.
4:46:40Billy?
4:46:40Wait a moment.
4:46:42He wanted to get it out.
4:47:23All right, I think that's absolutely right.
4:47:26You think the case came over all right?
4:47:27Good.
4:47:28You can see that thing's in.
4:47:50We're getting a fantastic response here.
4:47:52We can't do our usual check because of all the things that are all jammed up here.
4:47:55I think we're going to get an enormous response because it seems to be a tremendous around the country kind of thing.
4:48:01We don't usually have, we always get a lot of our own supporters, but there seems to be an important
4:48:27I'm going to see what they decide to do.
4:48:28The thing now is for the American people to realize that and back in, because if you know that these salt heads on the hill are going to all squeal, and we just got to ride that out.
4:48:35Right?
4:48:35Right.
4:48:36Right.
4:48:57Well, that's good.
4:48:57Also, I hope... Well, we'll just have to counter that with the evidence to support on the other side.
4:49:00If the silent majority crank me and they all speak up, why, uh, they could drown the others out.
4:49:27It's not small.
4:49:29Yes, sir.
4:49:29Okay, Billy.
4:49:29Thank you, sir.
4:49:31Bye.
4:49:31Did my wife squeal and say, whoopee?
4:49:33They said you really laid it on the line.
4:49:34The thing now is to stick to your guns and ride it out.
4:49:37There's going to be a lot of people squealing probably, but this gives the real people in this country a sense of pride.
4:49:53I thought it was just tremendous.
4:49:55He was amused at the reporters, and the commentators did not handle it afterwards, and they couldn't figure out how to be very creative on it.
4:50:02He was very heartened by a report from London that I guess was on TV, saying that the British will back you on this, and also they reported that the Germans are expecting to back him.
4:50:12The French will probably take no position one way or the other, so he thought that was a great thing.
4:50:18And they reported that the Soviets may be in jeopardy, but maybe not, so it is...
4:50:23He said the thing to do is hit it quick and hit it hard.
4:50:27He said we can press Thomas in Memphis tomorrow and then Birmingham on Friday and he'll come out strong.
4:50:33He said the other thing is we want to follow up and try to get some help from his apparatus.
4:50:40They pulled out a few of what they thought were interesting wires that
4:50:52We assure you are full of solidarity in your action taken today to protect the lives of our American soldiers in Vietnam.
4:50:58Michael Sinecroft, Chairman of the Hancock County Democratic Executive Committee of Western Virginia.
4:51:07I'm not a worker.
4:51:08Get those out.
4:51:08Get those out.
4:51:09You're welcome.
4:51:10I've been laid off work ever since you've been in office, and I can't support all your weight issues.
4:51:15However, I'm also a Navy veteran who was manning a gun mount for the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, and I wholeheartedly support your position on the Vietnam situation.
4:51:45The only night we would be actually seen necessary to take our purrs and whispers to the stage.
4:51:48If you cold heartedly agree to this, then you can lock me in your iPod.
4:51:53I'm going to just take a night.
4:52:10Congratulations.
4:52:11Keep the soft boards, but keep the big sticks when you come and speak to our World War II veteran, American Democrat, Winston Lester James.
4:52:42Get up to the press tonight.
4:52:43Yeah.
4:52:43Yeah.
4:52:43Okay, good.

Nixon, Haldeman & Laird on Vietnam War and Mining of North Vietnamese harbors

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on May 9, 1972

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