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Conversation: 337-016

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Start Date: 10-May-1972 12:36 PM

End Date: 10-May-1972 1:02 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kissinger, Henry A.[Unknown person(s)]Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kissinger, Henry A.[Unknown person(s)]

Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:01:07

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:26:49

337a.mp3

337b.mp3

337c.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:36 pm to 1:02 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 337-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 337-16

Date: May 10, 1972
Time: 12:36-1:02 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Melvin R. Laird
               -A press story
                     -Source
                           -John B. Connally
          -Connally
               -Confrontation with Democrats
               -Laird statement
          -North Vietnam
               -Xuan Thuy
                     -Moscow
               -Le Duc Tho
          -Soviets
               -Meeting in Paris with US official
               -Statement on US-Soviet meeting
                     -New proposals
               -Kissinger's message
                     -Tenor
          -North Vietnam offensive
               -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
               -B-52 strikes
                     -Kontum
                     -Targets
                                   33

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. Nov-01)
                                                    Conv. No. 337-16 (cont.)

                  -Hue area
      -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] analysis
            -Long Binh
      -Number of divisions
            -Quality
            -B-52 strikes
                  -Number
      -Hue
            -North Vietnamese failure to take
      -US retaliation
            -Methods
            -Damage to North Vietnam
                  -Mining
                  -Railroads
-Air strikes
      -Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants [POL]
            -Haiphong area
      -Accuracy
      -Damage
            -Bridge
-Soviet Summit
      -Cancellation
            -Ronald L. Ziegler statement
-Blockade
      -Press reaction
      -New York Times
      -Washington Post
            -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
                  -Motives
      -Stewart J.O. Alsop
      -Soviet Summit
            -Conally (?)
            -Cancellation
                  -Possibility
            -Soviet actions
                  -US response
                        -Vietnam
                        -Middle East
            -Agreements
                  -Conditions
      -Connally statement
            -Press reports
                                            34

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                   Conv. No. 337-16 (cont.)

               -US stakes in Vietnam
          -North Vietnam offensive
               -Consequence of US defeat
                    -Southeast Asia
          -Blockade
               -Success

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 12:36 pm.

     Food order

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 1:02 pm.

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
                -Mobilization of Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] support
                      -Nguyen Van Thieu’s statement
          -Vietnamization policy
          -President's decision
                -Timing
                      -Election year
                            -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
          -Soviet Summit
                -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
                      -Kissinger's Georgetown friends
          -Consequences of US defeat
                -Domino Theory
                      -Thailand
          -Blockade support
                -Marshall Green
                -Malaysia
                -Cambodia
                -Australia
                -New Zealand
                -Philippines
                -Japanese

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 12:36 pm.

     A delivery

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 1:02 pm.
                                         35

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                  Conv. No. 337-16 (cont.)


Vietnam
     -Blockade support
           -British
                 -Letter to George R.S. Baring [Earl of Cromer]
     -Summit
           -Cancellation
                 -Compared with US victory in Vietnam
                 -Future Summits
     -North Vietnam offensive
           -Consequences for US
     -President's opponents
     -North Vietnam offensive
           -People's Republic of China [PRC]
                 -Soviet Union
     -Blockade
           -Soviet Union
           -PRC
                 -Soviet Summit
                 -European Security Council
     -Soviet Summit
           -Possible postponement
                 -Kissinger’s view
     -North Vietnam offensive
           -Hue
     -Soviet Summit
           -Possible postponement
     -Press
           -Columnists
           -Kissinger's press conference
           -Laird's press conference
     -Clifford P. Case-Frank F. Church amendment
           -Provisions
                 -Effects for administration
           -Compared with Michael J. Mansfield proposal
           -Chances of passage in House
                 -Effect of polls
           -A memorandum
           -Charles W. Colson
     -Public opinion
           -Edward M. Kennedy
           -Washington Post
                                             36

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                  Conv. No. 337-16 (cont.)

                -New York Times
                -John Kenneth Galbraith
                -Kennedy
                -Newsweek
                     -Henry Hubbard
                           -Meeting with Kissinger
                           -Meeting with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                     -Criticism of the President
           -North Vietnam offensive
                -South Vietnam defeat possibility
                     -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                -Soviet Summit
                     -President's attendance
                           -Possible public impression

     A vote on the German treaties
          -Time

     Vietnam
          -Possible South Vietnam collapse
          -Air strikes
                -An Loc
                      -Destruction
                -Kontum
                      -Casualties expected
          -Hue
                -Ground action
          -North Vietnam reserve strength
          -Peace offers
                -Negotiations
          -Kissinger’s meeting with columnists

Kissinger left at 1:02 pm.
                                            37

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Nov-01)