Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 337 › Conversation 337-028

Nixon, Colson & Haldeman on Vietnam War and Public Opinion Polling

Wednesday, May 10, 1972 · 4:04 PM–5:45 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.; [Unknown person(s)]; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.; White House operator; Burns, Arthur F.Conversation337-028 on Tape 337 (tape position 04:14:22–05:27:59)StartWednesday, May 10, 1972 at 4:04 PMEndWednesday, May 10, 1972 at 5:45 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 337-028 ↗

President Nixon met with his senior advisors and staff to strategize on managing public opinion and political messaging following his recent decision to blockade and mine North Vietnamese ports. The discussion centered on utilizing favorable polling data, countering media criticism, and coordinating consistent rhetoric among administration officials and Republican allies. Nixon also made key decisions to restrict access to government facilities like the Sequoia and Camp David, while rejecting a proposal to meet with liberal Republican senators to avoid being put in a politically compromising position.

Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.4 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 112.2 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 80.2 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 04:14:22 into the tape and ends around 05:27:59.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
4:14:37Okay.
4:14:37That's interesting.
4:14:38Do you understand what I'm saying?
4:14:39Yeah, that's great.
4:14:39You might bring it up.
4:14:40Okay.
4:14:40Sorry, I can't go this far.
4:14:41Hold on.
4:14:41Take a right decision.
4:14:42Okay.
4:16:16Thank you.
4:16:51I wasn't ready.
4:17:27Hello.
4:17:29Welcome to, uh, our very felled right leg to our right, I understand.
4:17:37Were you there?
4:17:37Mm-hmm.
4:17:38What's, uh, your office?
4:17:39Why don't you come in and tell me about it?
4:17:42I'll get the, uh, and ask Paul what you want to do.
4:19:27Well, that's a lot.
4:19:27Well, that's a whole day full, I'm sure.
4:19:29And I, yes, there's the other question, but it's the wires have been, wires have just been carrying page after page.
4:19:39He went for a full, in questions, he went for a full 45 to 50 minutes.
4:19:45CBS carried the entire portion of the news, the new news shows, doing care of the segments of it.
4:19:52He was, you know, he was just as firm and as tough on our policies, just the way that we wanted him to be.
4:19:56And he had the great tea done by us.
4:19:58He said, how do you say it?
4:19:59Well, I said, the American people have always supported the president when I argue him.
4:20:03They do.
4:20:03Of course, we do.
4:20:03That's the threat.
4:20:10There's no time for quiddits or for a lot of talk about the instant surrender.
4:20:14I don't think we heard any people on the final board of Bugout show.
4:20:18He just went on and on.
4:20:19They kept pressing him, and he wouldn't name names.
4:20:22They kept pressing him.
4:20:23He said, well, who are you talking to?
4:20:24He said, Bugout.
4:20:25Surrender.
4:20:27Right.
4:20:27And he said, well, there's thousands.
4:20:28Yeah, he said, just wait.
4:20:29The record is being made, and I think it's quite clear.
4:20:32Why don't we start naming names?
4:20:33Well, our co-authors, Scott and Ford, had a press conference and said, you know, two theories are excellent.
4:20:37Larry has always been reluctant to say.
4:20:51I'll ask Secretary of Defense, I agree, but it's got four name names.
4:20:54They just broke them, so I don't know how well.
4:20:56They probably won't get much to play.
4:20:58They won't play both, but at least they took them off.
4:21:01So the three networks were there.
4:21:03And one of the network reporters came over and told me,
4:21:16They ran out of copies of the O.R.C.
4:21:18boat that we had detected as one of the motor vehicles during the present time.
4:21:22This is the first O.R.C.
4:21:25One of the reports said this is O.R.C.
4:21:39Several of them.
4:21:40Well, it is very respected.
4:21:41They've never done a bad thing.
4:21:42We've never picked a poll yet.
4:21:43That's absolutely right.
4:21:44We haven't.
4:21:44We can't.
4:21:45They are not fixable.
4:21:46Interestingly enough, similar to this quote, the president came out with almost two points difference.
4:22:02based on a sample of 600.
4:22:03If you put it out, you put it out to a truck, and it's only the wires, and we were coming from Edwards, and it's also called Crest Conference, the normal ones.
4:22:11Yeah, some ship said, well, something about, how can you say that when the people are so opposed to this, or something about it, so you launch the RRC boat.
4:22:21I think it would get some trouble.
4:22:29I'm asking because the people are so opposed to it.
4:22:31What is the actual success of the New York Times editorial?
4:22:34I mean, I'm picking up from that.
4:22:35I don't know what context you're keying it with.
4:22:37The New York Times editorial says the people are opposed to it.
4:22:40Their whole thesis of the Times editorial is that how can the president take this action, which is so totally opposed to it, to the American people?
4:22:48Yeah.
4:22:49They said the old media is running in at the close.
4:22:52The great majority of the American people are opposed to this.
4:22:54Can you take an ad in the Times on this case and run them towards the people?
4:22:59I mean, they hear what the Times said in the editorial period, what the polls said.
4:23:07They won't take a moment to deal with it.
4:23:11I do it.
4:23:12I do it.
4:23:12I do it.
4:23:13I stick it right into the title.
4:23:15I think the best would be to stick it up their ass.
4:23:20That's right.
4:23:21That's right.
4:23:27And it's all about this vision.
4:23:29There's a certain word, Vietnam, or the Black Mars.
4:23:35It's exactly the same thing about the press.
4:23:38Well, exactly, exactly.
4:23:40How all the people were, that the people were overwhelmingly for the president, and he found through the intelligence in the flight to, I have some teeth for this, the flight to Mars was going on, and then, and then, all of a sudden, but then the press reported, the office, but the people were for it.
4:24:05You have to read the Washington Post section, the sports section, but don't read Washington.
4:24:09I'm sorry, you did.
4:24:10The headline in the Post sports section is, Pundit Ted Williams slanders Nixon's critics.
4:24:15A problem.
4:24:16Headline.
4:24:16And then it says, Ted Williams was sitting in the lobby of the Lord Baltimore Hotel sweating out the rain that washed out the 1980 Orioles.
4:24:30and says thoughtful Americans everywhere are talking today about President Nixon's decision to minor in the United States.
4:24:33And quote, Nixon had to do it, regardless of the consequences.
4:24:35We have 60,000 guys over there we have to protect, said Williamson, by the end of World War II.
4:24:38He's the greatest president of my lifetime, added Williams, who once buzzed the stir when he questioned President Truman's guts.
4:24:41Williams cut across party lines by praising President DeVos and other supporters.
4:24:58but his opinion of the leading Democratic presidential locals was less than baritone.
4:25:03Those poor guys make me cute, Jim.
4:25:05You can put that in your column.
4:25:07Obviously mellowing in his middle years, the manager did not identify the poor guys.
4:25:12In the view of the last poor under hitter, Nixon always makes the right decisions, at least he makes the effort.
4:25:18Someone questioned him about the reaction of the Soviet Union to the mining way in Chattanooga.
4:25:25I'm not afraid of the Russians.
4:25:29William's staunch defense and chief executive came as no surprise to anyone who visited William's old office in R.O.J.
4:25:34Stadium as to Nixon's photograph on the internet.
4:25:36While he was about it, the Rangers manager took a swipe at NBC's Today show, which he charged this morning interviewed more opponents of Mr. Nixon's policies and profiles.
4:25:44That was horse-shut, as he said.
4:25:46Then you ask the clowns on the street to come in.
4:25:50Who is he?
4:25:52Who is the clowns?
4:25:54Those long-haired colleagues in the baggy clothes don't pay taxes.
4:25:59That's pretty cool.
4:26:01I think they've got to get some martyrs.
4:26:03The only thing I can say is I don't think the language is colorful enough.
4:26:09I agree.
4:26:09Would you agree?
4:26:10It's a horrible language, and we need to get a condamnative soundbite or we're off.
4:26:14Can you get me to the jail station, please?
4:26:17sensational telegraph, sensational telegraph, saying, you know, you're asking to protect the 60,000 Americans and so on and so forth.
4:26:30It goes into the merits of the thing.
4:26:33And then he says, as foes, we stand 100% behind you and your efforts for world peace and to make a better country domestically.
4:26:48Well, I was going to say, Bob, the thing about this is that when I say the colorful line,
4:27:14Maybe the best thing I could do this weekend is maybe spend my time thinking about what I have to do.
4:27:21I work by Carol.
4:27:22I just kind of never remember anything.
4:27:24Sitting there on the back operating the suit, you've got the goddamn CIA office ass, you know, put out all the bullshit.
4:27:32The fight is, the great success that I have, and I did in this case, I was the main one that I knew how to get the words out.
4:27:40We've got to get the words out.
4:27:42And our people, we don't have anybody really who understands words.
4:27:46You know what I mean?
4:27:48When I say we haven't anybody in the political band.
4:27:52Connery's good at words.
4:27:54Connery's got the gift of being able to quote.
4:27:58Quote.
4:27:58Quote.
4:27:59No, where did they use it?
4:28:01Provo.
4:28:02I should have gone Provo, but that's not gifted.
4:28:05Oh, but he had one.
4:28:07All right, before the bugger, the bugger had a cell phone.
4:28:11He had to go on an instance or under.
4:28:13That's all right.
4:28:14Bugger.
4:28:15All right, put.
4:28:16Put.
4:28:16You can.
4:28:16He's not a magnet.
4:28:29Well, what I'm getting at is, Bob, who can you get who can write words, words, words, words, more or no?
4:28:35What I'm getting at is some way to...
4:28:58Get his ass over here and put him to work.
4:29:03Will you do that?
4:29:27Well, could we do that?
4:29:29Yeah.
4:29:29If he's that good.
4:29:30And give any ideas that we want to hurt, particularly labeling the fetuses and all the other, you know, interdiculums.
4:29:35Come in.
4:29:35Yes, sir.
4:29:36Take out some of that.
4:29:53Just had a little discussion the other day, and he said you should disarm all the planes before they go off.
4:30:00Yeah.
4:30:00I don't know about mentions, but he talked before 6,000 people in the Blackbird.
4:30:06Okay, so very low key.
4:30:07Oh, here we can bet you about a dollar each day.
4:30:11You'd better hear it your little wife.
4:30:13And he just mentioned the Greys.
4:30:15What the President really was just saying is we will not talk out of the Vietnam War.
4:30:20Shut up.
4:30:20You have to be very discredited.
4:30:26down there that has a talk show and they somehow got a thing going where they say
4:30:45President's Action, and everybody, you've got all the emotional about how strongly they supported the President, everything, the television stations got all cranked up about it, and they've now set up a thing where they've set up cart tables on street corners for people to sign things to the President saying we support you, and then they're going to put it all together and they want to send it up and let someone present it to somebody's away, obviously.
4:31:03I haven't signed, I don't know if you know of any more.
4:31:31Oh, those guys are all cranked up now.
4:31:32This, this thing.
4:31:33The pole and this.
4:32:04They're getting a deal of blood a little bit, so they're having some fun.
4:32:08I thought you didn't.
4:32:09Jerry, who was it?
4:32:10Said to somebody at the conference building.
4:32:12He said, Pennsylvania.
4:32:13He took a street call in some town, and it was April 1st.
4:32:16You see, our poll was right.
4:32:18Sinlinger's right around the same time.
4:32:20Sinlinger's, Mr. President, 76.2 support, and that's the same question that ORC gets up and forward with.
4:32:31Don't worry about you having this is tough.
4:32:33We didn't put out the template.
4:32:34That's good.
4:32:35So that
4:32:57Let me say this, Chuck.
4:33:00On the colorful language part, I'm going to go to the candidates this weekend.
4:33:09I also sent to you, Henry, a memorandum that you probably have on.
4:33:23What is the problem with this?
4:33:32The CIA is a communist government.
4:33:40What is the problem with this?
4:33:50Have you seen any imagination out of that bunch?
4:33:57No, I haven't.
4:33:58No, I haven't.
4:34:00No, I haven't.
4:34:01No, I haven't.
4:34:03No, I haven't.
4:34:04No, I haven't.
4:34:05No, I haven't.
4:34:20In the South, I would indicate that the North is being devastated.
4:34:27Their people are starving.
4:34:31Their people are a grand option.
4:34:34Their riots are occurring.
4:34:38lie lie lie lie you understand in the north i would put out that that whole regiments have been decimated i would put out also it's all in my memory i put out also another version of it so which i think is very good they're running out of food of this and that huge strikes are going on and uh and so forth you know what i mean i think the idea that
4:35:06Right now, we have to run the propaganda heavy on the people.
4:35:11And we haven't been doing this enough.
4:35:14Not so much for that.
4:35:15Now, you were up, but I guess before you would leave by the truck, they gave Henry a quick little rundown.
4:35:20He said, Blair was so hurt.
4:35:22Yeah, I saw him.
4:35:23Who was he?
4:35:24Well, I saw him for 15 minutes on the replay, and he was really hurt.
4:35:27Well, he was tough.
4:35:29He was tough.
4:35:31He was harder than a critic should be.
4:35:33He's slightly screwed up when he goes getting out to the normal kitchen, but if you're asking him to be
4:35:43The thing that I thought was best, I don't know if you've seen it, but he was just animated, and they would bore him with questions, and he would not edit his acts.
4:35:52It was a joke.
4:35:53It changed his face.
4:35:54He really is, now later sometimes, very stiff in his presentation.
4:35:57He was slow in his words, and then he would get back to breathing, and that was the kind of thing he used to do.
4:36:08Damn, damn.
4:36:09Well, I know Mel can be on the second point, but I'm going to ask you on the other thing you told Henry about.
4:36:13You said Scott Ward ripped the shit out of him.
4:36:15This guy, Ripman, Scott Ripman had the press conference at 2.30.
4:36:17Scott had never been better.
4:36:19Very good.
4:36:19One of the TV reporters came over and had a discussion and said,
4:36:33There's more stronger public support for this person than there is in this ring.
4:37:05He said that he's convinced that the political party is running the whole political activity now.
4:37:09He said it's not 54-35, which is very strong.
4:37:12He said there's just a rallying feeling in the country that answers deliberate, weighted responses to people's questions.
4:37:18He said there's a feeling in the country that he's consistent.
4:37:21He's consistent.
4:37:36Okay.
4:37:36Listen to this before you go, sir.
4:38:51Richardson, by the way, was also ex-president.
4:38:54But the cabinet members must have thought about the Georgia deal.
4:38:57He didn't talk about the deal.
4:38:58He said that he had no choice but to go to the Congress.
4:39:00That's why they had to go to the Congress.
4:39:03I don't think that's right.
4:39:04How did he say that?
4:39:05It wasn't Richardson.
4:39:07How did he say that?
4:39:08It was the embassy party.
4:39:09I don't know.
4:39:16Well, the way they do that is to tell all the cabinet people that the president has said that the president's words were so carefully selected, and so they do.
4:39:25Just to say, well, look, I don't know anything about that.
4:39:28I'll stand on what the president has said.
4:39:30Always say that, Chuck.
4:39:31It's all you can do to me.
4:39:33It's my bag and not a beggar's.
4:39:34No, don't understand it.
4:39:35See, this wasn't how I was going to present this, because I was going to say an unfortunate statement when it's not as good as it is.
4:39:47don't be ready for it, you don't invest, but the point is just everybody should know, must be very careful, and so you do.
4:39:52Just let that ride itself, because when they break the summit, I want the money to be on them and not on us, and we don't want to force the confrontation.
4:39:59Do you understand?
4:39:59Yes, sir.
4:40:00Good, thank you.
4:40:00I had a meeting with the president.
4:40:02He brought me a note with
4:40:27I don't know.
4:41:08They were like...
4:41:51They don't practice under them.
4:41:53He says it's now or never.
4:42:34I'm trying to say.
4:43:02But I think that I'm just trying to say that he isn't sitting here without any information of what's going on.
4:43:10Yes.
4:43:11He said also that he discussed what he said.
4:43:17Didn't he think or did he tell you that I made a very strange speech in regard to the soldier?
4:43:22Oh, yeah.
4:43:23He said that he complained about the captain.
4:43:26He said if you could keep this, it wasn't better than that.
4:43:37So he said, can you exactly
4:44:09He said, look, let me be honest, the whole Politburo group, its president, would say, to sleep with it.
4:44:11It would have been, I said, not much to do with it.
4:44:12And look, the way to handle it is that, why don't we sleep it over?
4:44:14That president raised it to the president.
4:44:32That way we don't have trouble with .
4:44:34Right.
4:44:34So you know, people are talking.
4:44:36There is no question whatever about this meeting.
4:44:38Or they can turn around and hit it or something.
4:44:41On the other hand, if it is, we're not going to work.
4:45:00On the other hand, Mr. President, in mere fact, you did it now 48 hours, and then you've had another tremendous break.
4:45:06The Truman Treaties have been put off for the week.
4:45:09Really?
4:45:09Yes.
4:45:09What's been going on?
4:45:10Uh, sitting.
4:45:10Why?
4:45:10Why do not we screw it up?
4:45:12Do you not screw it up?
4:45:15Well, I screwed it up only to the extent that I was used to send a message to Barr here, to Barr, and therefore Basso just wouldn't buy the proposition that we wanted it.
4:45:29Hello?
4:45:29Yes?
4:45:29We are here.
4:46:04uh 10 a.m
4:46:33coming through the front, you know, through the way you're coming through my office, through north, through the lobby, through the northwest gate.
4:46:44And I've also mentioned the issue of the
4:47:16No, no, no.
4:47:18Notify him in the morning.
4:47:23Okay.
4:47:30It smells to me now, Mr. Besson, I would put it in bed, the chances were about in 10.
4:47:32I'd say now it's 46.
4:47:32Well, you've got to tell Peterson to report it sometime tonight.
4:48:03I'll let them bring it up.
4:48:04Okay.
4:48:05You never know.
4:48:06Whatever it is.
4:48:07Their attitude is one that they can't turn on us talking.
4:48:10It's an amazing...
4:48:30Now that things are going pretty well for us, because if they do not have very tough, the treaties are cooked.
4:48:38You don't have to do things like that.
4:48:41And they think we have to go back to the United States.
4:48:46I think the correct thing to say, one phone call from us would impact us.
4:48:52The absence of that phone call just wasn't enough to, I mean, it's just some of the problems
4:49:03I don't afford them.
4:49:06And you see, in order to pass this disease, the Islamic countries must go in.
4:49:09They can't cancel it today, obviously.
4:49:11And they can't keep the thing in limbo.
4:49:13I'm certain of this.
4:49:14But in any case, they can't keep it in limbo because they must take it seriously.
4:49:18The Chinese have gone out.
4:49:19I think they've done.
4:49:35But what's interesting is what we would have expected, what the Japanese could do, is call up their district staff over there, and the Japanese could make a statement.
4:49:44I don't think they want to.
4:49:46They could, for example, they could say, use Fort Lyon, which is the building for the Vietnam War.
4:50:13to prepare attacks around what it is that has knocked out the enemy attack, the expected enemy attack on what it was going to be.
4:50:20Is that your reason?
4:50:21I'd like to have a short-term, sorry.
4:50:23It's a good short-term.
4:50:24I have to get a good thing to do, and I'm not sure.
4:50:27Forty-six to ten.
4:50:28At any rate, we have a two to one shot.
4:50:41that they do not go out of you even if they cancel the service.
4:50:46They should postpone the service and leave everything out, so you will see them set back that night.
4:51:26Yeah, well it holds ideas in the sense that we don't bomb the docks, but we don't need to bomb the docks.
4:52:05We are now tracking them, Mr. President.
4:52:06I don't give a damn what these white guys are saying.
4:52:07It's the oil.
4:52:08We're getting the oil.
4:52:09We're getting the railways.
4:52:22how the hell can any of them do all of this simultaneously without the most severe strain?
4:52:29If we have to do it all, they have never had a whole lot on themselves.
4:52:33And Johnson was behind them.
4:52:35He wasn't minding them, and they weren't fighting as much.
4:52:51And for the agency, the KPA is better than it only started.
4:52:56After nine months of putting all this into place, the food was all gotten locally from the D.C.
4:53:17I don't know about the territory that you copied.
4:53:21Yeah, but the territory that you copied up to now is unpopular.
4:53:25What about that promise over there?
4:53:28The only populated area, the only area where you can capture is the area around that.
4:53:36That's not a big deal.
4:53:48Is that right?
4:54:44Also, aren't they quite aware of our options in terms of the Chinese?
4:54:52Yeah, they're very good.
4:54:53I don't know.
4:54:54It's like, they're like men.
4:54:55The trouble is, if they try to break our blockade, they have to do it through China.
4:54:59So if they are the instigators of China's predominance, then I know if they're there or if they're not.
4:55:04China's dilemma is that if they break the blockade, that means...
4:55:11every time it has magnified their division.
4:55:15I mean, .
4:55:45That's what I'm asking.
4:55:48They must be worried, too.
4:55:50And that's why I don't understand it, because they said it's dead.
4:55:57Well, he can't be done without pressure.
4:55:58No, no, but he's already agreed to that.
4:55:59Well, that's what I meant.
4:56:00I don't mind it, except you can't see him yet.
4:56:01Well, there's no attempt to see him yet.
4:56:02I think the only thing we should do is not sit at end of time.
4:56:04Not at all.
4:56:04Not sit at end of time.
4:56:05Just get the press in.
4:56:05Peterson is such a yapper, I just think.
4:56:06No, I don't think Peterson's under control.
4:56:07He's such a dumb too, that if I tell him, he'll blow everything in.
4:56:09Yeah.
4:56:29Let me ask you a question.
4:56:31Our parks and centers have asked that you greet the Liberal Republican senators on Vietnam.
4:56:40The Liberal Republican senators have asked for a greeting.
4:56:45That can be made of tomorrow night.
4:56:47On Vietnam?
4:56:47Correct.
4:57:00and they're arguing that they .
4:57:06But our guys are supporters.
4:57:21The difficulty with me is this.
4:57:22Now, I did it before, and I don't think it was a good idea.
4:57:27You know, they had me walk in there before, and then Rogers and Larry just screwed up.
4:57:34Not Rogers, but Rogers.
4:57:35You know what I mean?
4:57:37That's me and the leaders.
4:57:41Now, if this isn't right for me at this time, after making this decision, to go and suck around these sons of bitches and then have half of them go out and say we're not going to do what the president did, that's going to ask me questions.
4:57:55They're going to ask me questions.
4:57:57I can't do it without doing it.
4:57:58And I just frankly am not going to put myself in that position.
4:58:02If they want to go out and kick me in the ass, they can do it.
4:58:04But I'm not going to do it.
4:58:05Now, you tell McGregor that you can go straight to hell on this one.
4:58:09I'm not going to do it.
4:58:11I don't care who it is.
4:58:12No, no, now look, Henry, as you know, this gets back to the O'Harlo syndrome.
4:58:20When I have been asked time and time, will I talk to Margaret Smith, will I talk to this?
4:58:28The answer is no, I'm not going to do it.
4:58:32Okay, now do you want Henry to do it or not?
4:58:33Yes, I should do it.
4:58:34Yes.
4:58:35Henry will do it.
4:58:36Henry will do it.
4:58:37I think I was too good at Friday morning for a play tomorrow.
4:58:41You see what answer we got from there?
4:58:43Friday morning.
4:58:44Even if our answer is... Yeah.
4:58:46It's... Let's do it.
4:58:47Let's just say Friday morning.
4:58:49Friday morning.
4:58:49How we can put this through the door, maybe.
4:58:51What do you mean?
4:58:53How we should sum it to a score with him.
4:58:59If you have the summer clock, then you call these guys in and you say, look, shape up, boys.
4:59:05We know what we're doing.
4:59:07This is put together.
4:59:08You'll know tomorrow.
4:59:08Mr. President, any day, any day away, makes a good week.
4:59:13It has to be the best that we can now do.
4:59:17It has to be the best that we can now do.
4:59:20It has to be the best that we can now do.
4:59:38Peterson and the Russians were scheduled to go out on the territory down there.
4:59:42Well, why in the hell do they do this without channeling me?
4:59:47They weren't supposed to.
4:59:48They were scheduled for last night, but you had a dinner and they shifted it to tonight.
4:59:52Okay, Henry.
4:59:52Thank you.
4:59:53And as Henry, the main thing to remember is to let them if they cancel.
4:59:57Just don't worry about it.
4:59:58Well, we're ready.
4:59:59I've been begging them to cancel because I have a grand plan.
5:00:07that you could go without attacking Kuwait, but if they do, we have gone around to the borders with them.
5:00:15You will completely have to salvage yourselves.
5:00:18But even if they don't cancel the summit and maintain the position of keeping the negotiations
5:00:27That'd be the best for you to have this happening on July 20th, having this situation.
5:00:32We have a close moment to date, sir.
5:00:34I think that'd be better than going now.
5:00:36That'd be better than going now.
5:00:38They were going to just cancel this thing because they were on a preemptible basis.
5:00:44Haig is arguing that we should not cancel it because they wouldn't be canceling it.
5:00:49Let them have the vote.
5:00:57uh he's got a smaller boat one that you can have a dinner on or something where we can go out and i'll just take it to them uh go ahead with the sequoia with the peterson food
5:01:21I have become, I have become, this is a, we've got a solid rule this year on this thing.
5:01:48Well, we told them they could have it last night.
5:01:51You had a dinner scheduled in the White House last night, so we knew you were safe.
5:01:56See, we let them use the boat.
5:01:58We know you're out of town.
5:02:00We know that you're scared.
5:02:01So they didn't use it.
5:02:02Then, for some reason, their schedule got screwed up, and they shifted it to tonight.
5:02:20I just, from now on, I will not use it, period.
5:02:24I will not.
5:02:25I just think we'll just stop the cabinet and spark it around enough, and have enough of this stuff, and just always say the boat's not available.
5:02:34Don't you think so?
5:02:37Yes, sir.
5:02:39I do, because the whole value of the boat is for exactly like this.
5:02:45For example, if I can't go to Captain, if you can't get out, if you can't walk outside, there's no place to go.
5:02:52You've got BP coming up so that you can at least get away from everybody else and get out on the water and back.
5:03:02But I just tell Alex to knock it off.
5:03:04And also knock off Camp David for any money.
5:03:06I don't want Camp David to lose any money more than me.
5:03:09Fair enough.
5:03:10I think that's a good idea, too.
5:03:11I really think so, because I don't know when in the hell I have it.
5:03:14I thought every time I go to Florida, maybe I can.
5:03:16I might have some jackass cabin officer up there.
5:03:18We've done enough for the cabin.
5:03:19And for the rest of this year, let's keep it for you and for some people who you can see who are going to want it from time to time.
5:03:26And tell Mitchell, for instance, to take half of those people up there and get some worked out and that kind of thing.
5:03:32And we, and also it's the place you can go and you work out these secret things.
5:03:38Now we had, we got in, we never knew about it, but the time you went up there on the history of color trip, we had a problem because L.A. Richardson had a group up there for a seminar.
5:03:49They left because it turned out just in time, but it was just in time.
5:03:54And that's a tough thing.
5:03:56And I think, I think for the rest of this year, there's just no God in reason for it.
5:04:02Right.
5:04:02The only thing that I think we could find, I don't know what I'm going to say.
5:04:08No.
5:04:09The new ash, the new laurel, I'm sure you could find it.
5:04:15No.
5:04:16Why the hell should I?
5:04:19The rest is this year.
5:04:20Let's just try to figure it out.
5:04:23Except for the period.
5:04:24If I go to California, then I open it up for those two weeks.
5:04:29If I go.
5:04:32I said, but wait till I'm on the way.
5:04:35And if I come back early, they cancel.
5:04:38Well, we should, I guess, do something about that.
5:04:43I guess we should.
5:04:45I feel it's for the use of the president.
5:04:48I've got these problems they have at the moment.
5:04:56get this meeting that you know if you have a book you should let everybody use it that's ridiculous that's not what the book is for what are the situations let me try to get a situation in the center because i know that they'll all squeal about it i mean it's like it wasn't right for clark to take me down to his office
5:05:26That's exactly right.
5:05:39The thing is, they can't get me away.
5:05:41They're trying to get me away, but I'm the old man, and I was always not by, and I was always available.
5:05:48Now, I don't want to meet them otherwise.
5:05:51I don't want to buddy-buddy with these guys.
5:05:53I really don't.
5:05:54Don't you think the danger of the Friday meeting is that someone will go out there and say, the president begged us, and we told him we'd go to hell?
5:06:02Yeah, that is certainly the danger.
5:06:03Now, with a couple of them, with most of them, I think there are a whole team of others that are close, but some of them aren't.
5:06:08I think some of them we didn't do is the chance, jumping the chance to walk out after a meeting with the president.
5:06:15I decided not to.
5:06:16I don't say after a meeting.
5:06:17I'm technically deciding not to.
5:06:18That's my problem.
5:06:19I'm technically doing it.
5:06:24That's just really the reason I'm addressing you now.
5:06:26Well, I had to do it, Bob, you know, if I thought it meant a difference in the votes and all that.
5:06:33But I'm not going to call people up and hold them.
5:06:37I mean, not them.
5:06:38When are our guys ever going to realize that this is an election year?
5:06:42And what are they ever going to realize?
5:06:44That we have some strength.
5:06:46That's the point.
5:06:47It may not splash, but it's all interroged over periods of time.
5:06:51It got down right in the day.
5:06:54That's why I want Colson to get that goddamn pole.
5:06:56I was just going to say, this pole is a case in front.
5:06:59They have it.
5:06:59Man to man delivered this to all the people on the hill.
5:07:02I told them about it.
5:07:04I handed it to them.
5:07:06Our guy has handed it to that guy.
5:07:08They were working it on a... At the Scott Press Times, they gave it out.
5:07:11They gave copies of it out, and they ran out of copies at the Xerox and more.
5:07:15They've tried to question it.
5:07:16They can't question the RG.
5:07:18No, no.
5:07:18They will.
5:07:19No, but they all get seminary off.
5:07:21See, they question some of those.
5:07:22Right, because some of those polls know that those...
5:07:25Seminary?
5:07:26No, even seminary is not questionable in that sense.
5:07:28The one that is, is those...
5:07:35The Russians can't put it in there anymore.
5:08:05Cancel the visit.
5:08:06When did we get this report to the Regents?
5:08:07Cancel the visit.
5:08:08What do you mean without?
5:08:09They didn't call because the minister wasn't well or something?
5:08:37Any response?
5:08:37We just got a note that the... By then, was that legitimate?
5:08:40The minister?
5:08:41He wanted the dinner because he was tired.
5:08:44He wanted it canceled.
5:09:03Okay.
5:09:03You don't think that we can go out and get on with the thing tomorrow or not?
5:09:07It was sort of a mutual agreement that everybody was tired.
5:09:10They'd been going to a lot of dinners.
5:09:11And our guy said, if you don't want to come tonight, that's fine.
5:09:14And he said, I would appreciate it.
5:09:15Okay.
5:09:16So this was sort of an informal thing?
5:09:29Okay, now does he know the thing is on tomorrow?
5:09:31Minister does.
5:09:31Okay, so there's no shakiness there.
5:09:32You're not concerned about this?
5:09:33You don't see any implications of it?
5:09:51This was an informal dinner, and they were talking about setting the time for it.
5:09:59And the guy was saying, kind of sighing or something, and Peterson said, or one of our guys said, you need to retire.
5:10:14So that's how the conversation came about.
5:10:18Did you have your talk with Conley?
5:10:20No, because Henry was coming over, and I thought he was going to get the Russian reply, and it appeared that if he hadn't, Henry thought he was going to get the Russian reply.
5:10:28Did he agree?
5:10:29Yeah.
5:10:29Mr. Green had said he had a message for him at 315.
5:10:30Then all he got was a protest on the ship.
5:10:32So I held off.
5:10:42If he's going to get that, I'm going to wait.
5:10:44I don't think I'm being unreasonable.
5:10:44I don't think it's going to make that much difference for me coming to take her ass.
5:10:47I agree.
5:10:47Frankly, I haven't seen the hawk.
5:10:48How should I see that?
5:10:49I think that's right.
5:11:09I think that's the right position to be in.
5:11:11I do think Henry's going to do some of this, and we're putting him under the conservatives, which is in a way more important.
5:11:16Well, maybe we should try these.
5:11:17Although, we're going to get along.
5:11:18Thank you.
5:11:42that's what i don't understand is wrong that's what's wrong that i don't understand i don't understand why
5:12:06Why would the White House, why would they even intervene in the veteran's stuff?
5:12:10There's nothing down there.
5:12:11They're self-started.
5:12:12They're from Maryland.
5:12:13They're in there and they start fighting.
5:12:16They're sort of like, we, you know what?
5:12:18Too much harm all over again.
5:12:20Yeah.
5:12:21We've fed them.
5:12:22We've braved them.
5:12:23We've drunk them.
5:12:24We've done everything we can in Nevada to be a well under the wild.
5:12:29And it's crap that every time they do something like this, we'll be called.
5:12:32Thank them.
5:12:33Right?
5:12:33Thank them.
5:12:34to just go too far with this sort of stuff.
5:12:36Yep.
5:12:37So he died without it.
5:12:48Well, this shows that, for instance, with these guys, the important thing for you and for them is that 75% of the people think you're doing the right thing.
5:12:57Why do they think so?
5:12:59Because you went on television and told them so.
5:13:02First of all, you worked your ass off to decide what to do, and the people know you did.
5:13:09They decided, and they went out and told the people what you decided and why you decided that people say good.
5:13:13Why do you have to suck around Percy and Whitebeard?
5:13:17I won't go with Percy.
5:13:18I know that.
5:13:19What they ought to do is look at their constituents.
5:13:49We have to use it.
5:13:50Thank you.
5:14:19That's what that's there for.
5:14:20That's a family retreat.
5:14:21It's not a government conference center.
5:14:22You can use it for that if you want to.
5:14:23You'll have the facility over there to do that now.
5:14:26If you really want to do it.
5:14:27There's plenty of other places too.
5:14:28If they go to Early House, they can go to all these other facilities they've all got.
5:14:52They do.
5:14:52Greenberg.
5:14:53They do.
5:14:53One of the guys did the hotels over that park.
5:14:56They set them up in a conference.
5:14:57They had a session.
5:14:58I think that was outside the people.
5:14:59It was an area house.
5:15:21Also, Kent David's value is a one-time value to Southern people.
5:15:27Once you're able to say, I've been to Kent David, after that, it is all that.
5:15:32Good enough.
5:15:33It will be with the New York Times.
5:15:43It's too good a place for you.
5:15:46And there isn't any place else.
5:15:48There is.
5:15:48Every one of those people can go.
5:15:50If he wants to get away, get out of Williamsburg.
5:15:54I don't think it's out of Williamsburg.
5:15:57They do some other things.
5:15:58They can go out, for example, to another center.
5:16:00Well, they can go out to the Sans Souci.
5:16:03They can go to a country club, every one of them.
5:16:06Or the Kennedy Center, the theater.
5:16:07Correct.
5:16:08They can go out.
5:16:09I can't do those stages all the time.
5:16:10They get invited all the time to the Mookie Association at the street.
5:16:15You know, they have very nice evening, so they have dinner and a good movie.
5:16:21They go to that.
5:16:22They're all there.
5:16:23He was led by Dr. Burns.
5:16:24I have never been to a free event in this town, and I don't go there yet.
5:16:27Were you there?
5:16:27Everyone I have ever been to, Dr. Burns was there.
5:16:29He never misses a goddamn time.
5:16:32Really?
5:16:32He goes to every M.C.
5:16:33party, every, you know, every free shop there is.
5:16:35He's probably like, never buys a dinner.
5:16:37Good.
5:16:37And he loves parties.
5:16:55Get up to the counter.
5:16:56The advisor wants you to apply for free for the last three weeks.
5:16:59They really want you to come today.
5:18:02See, that's the, that's the, that's what Henry does like.
5:18:05And it's, that's what, it's, your content is what enables you to keep going.
5:18:09It's exhilarating for him.
5:18:10It's stimulating for him.
5:18:11It revives and renews him.
5:18:12It's more than sweet.
5:18:13He likes it all being done.
5:18:15He's going all the way to bed.
5:18:16I like the people who, uh, you know, want to be a mentor and this and that.
5:18:21You see, I've had a lot.
5:18:22Well, he works so intensely.
5:18:23He works so intensely.
5:18:25All his work is, the only way he can bring is that way.
5:18:29And if you don't want to pray, Henry needs to pray with us.
5:18:33He works a little.
5:18:34He gets more and more willingly turned up to support you.
5:18:37You work hard.
5:18:38All right, I'm going to pitch myself quickly.
5:18:53The best thing I've done, I've read it in a press conference for five weeks.
5:18:56I ain't gonna read it for another five weeks.
5:18:58I'm not gonna.
5:18:59You haven't missed anything.
5:19:00Well, I suppose I have.
5:19:02What difference does it make?
5:19:04What matters is if that's thinking for a place or not.
5:19:07The only thing wrong with that process is we won't get to read it in the New York Times.
5:19:11Thank you.
5:19:11No, no, no.
5:19:12I don't get it.
5:19:13I didn't read the front page of the Times, and that was discouraging.
5:19:16But I think I've got to see that much.
5:19:18You've got to see something.
5:19:20I've got to say, no, I've just got to get the feeling about how discouraged people are.
5:19:25Well, when you do that, you're getting the most discouraged feeling you can get.
5:19:30Really?
5:19:31You really are.
5:19:32Yes.
5:19:33It is.
5:19:35It really is.
5:19:36Well, anyway, I do it quickly.
5:19:38I do it by hand.
5:19:39That's my message.
5:19:41I put my shirt on.
5:19:50We're saving them financially.
5:19:51They need the money.
5:19:52Damn right.
5:20:16Are there some other, some of our new friends, you know, in the volume, or giving them helps in a certain amount that our friends are doing, and the notoriety they're getting out of us, if we fill them up.
5:20:30And that's good.
5:20:31You know what?
5:20:31The beauty of ORC is that it is an honest, holy garden.
5:20:34So that's why Gallup does his public polls.
5:20:36He doesn't lose his money on those public polls.
5:20:38But it builds him up so that he can sell his services to these commercial services.
5:20:42And that's ORC.
5:20:44Paris too.
5:20:44Paris too.
5:20:44You're damn right.
5:20:45They syndicate him.
5:20:47They don't get enough out of that.
5:20:49He can pay the cost of running the polls.
5:20:55We're doing money for them.
5:20:56They're doing money for us in the process.
5:20:58It's a good, good mutual, mutual relationship.
5:21:00Because they busted their asses with these last night.
5:21:02They thought they were doing it early to get a hand tab on it so it wouldn't come out today.
5:21:06Caught it just in 10 instead of 10, which was good.
5:21:09If it had been in noon, we would have probably not gotten out.
5:21:24That's what I'm talking about.
5:21:25I really meant it with what Chuck's been able to do there at the center.
5:21:43He is by the press.
5:21:44He's not by the...
5:22:10So what?
5:22:12They're what get read and gotten.
5:22:14We used to be the victims of the Harris Poll every month.
5:22:17We'd sit here, shake his weight, and see how Harris was going to screw us.
5:22:23Now it's the other way, and it's like, oh, no, better respond to me.
5:22:27All right, I'm through.
5:22:29Well, that's the little things that he's doing.
5:22:32The timing of what he puts out, or what he decides to release and not release, or when and what week he decides to poll.
5:22:39How we word your question.
5:22:40You can even gallop something down on that, when they're asking for help, like word your question.
5:22:43As a result of the scourging, you shouldn't have done it.
5:22:44The guy, the guy who was going to take us this far,
5:23:18I'm going to show you, though, how much you can curl down.
5:23:20Curl this way.
5:23:20This will be your climax.
5:23:20Good night.
5:23:21Good night.
5:23:21Good night.
5:23:21Good night.
5:23:59We know that.
5:23:59We know there's been fishy stuff on the other side, but now that there's more fishy stuff on that side, it's not a scout yet.
5:24:31It isn't in terms of just saying black and white.
5:24:35It's only ever and only because I got legal, but I ain't even false.
5:24:39Never.
5:24:40We've never done that.
5:24:42We haven't.
5:24:43We have never put those in presence sometimes.
5:24:46But like in this motel, the question we're running is the leaf.
5:24:50Is the leaf just unloaded and so on?
5:24:52Really never.
5:24:56The headline is, 74% back mining in Haiphong, Harvard.
5:24:58Who has backed President Strong's saying?
5:25:01Three out of every four Americans support President Nixon's decision to mine the harbor in Haiphong and every other port on the coast of Vietnam.
5:25:10Only 21% are opposed to the President's dramatic decision to mine that.
5:25:14Almost an identical number, 75% of the American people, support the president's proposal to withdraw all American portions of the United States.
5:25:30These are the results of an action being surveyed.
5:25:36The results are based on 702 total entities.
5:25:40Yes.
5:26:07The president's speech was very...
5:26:27There it is, very important.
5:26:28I wrote the goddamn thing.
5:26:29I got Henry, and I said, Henry, we've got to put it in the e-software.
5:26:32And I said, you know, I was going to make it three months.
5:26:34That's the only shit difference.
5:26:35He said, all right, four months.
5:26:38We wrote it in, we decided to write in his room, Bob.
5:26:41And the overriding, I don't remember which part it was, but the overriding, of course, was in my room.
5:26:48the military action.
5:26:49But now, on the second pass, they're all discovering this jeep's operation.
5:26:53And if you go along the barn, in this tree, you can tell it was...
5:26:57Exactly.
5:26:58We made it a main during the first period of time, except we've got six months.
5:27:04But nobody realizes that.
5:27:05It's just astonishing.
5:27:07And they...
5:27:08The thing, we've got a... We've got a strategy decision to make as to, within the Congress,
5:27:16If we want to, and if we want to back it, back your peace offer, we can get it passed, I think, and approved by both houses.
5:27:26The problem would be to knock out the fund cutoff.
5:27:30They're just dying to pass a resolution.
5:27:33And they will go, well, it would be better to do that than to have it.
5:27:37Yes, I do admit.
5:27:38Henry doesn't think we should.
5:27:40Well, what's the way to do it?
5:27:41It's worse.
5:27:41It's worse to do whatever it is.
5:27:43It's worse to get the passenger ready.
5:27:45I think we ought to pass a subjection that far.
5:27:48And then play it.
5:27:49Does the House and Senate support the President's peace offer?
5:27:52Which is what it would be.
5:27:53See if it's an elected offer.
5:27:55All vetoes on this.

On May 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, unknown person(s), H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, and Arthur F. Burns met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:04 pm and 5:45 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 337-028 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 337-28/339-1

Date: May 10, 1972
Time: 4:04-unknown before 5:45 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

Colson talked with an unknown person between 4:04 pm and 4:25 pm.

[Conversation No. 337-28/339-1F]

[See Conversation No. 24-68]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Melvin R. Laird press conference
                    -Evaluated
                    -Television coverage
                    -Wire service coverage
                    -Length
                    -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] live coverage
                          -Duration
                    -Assessed by Colson
                    -Attack on critics
                          -Appeal for support
               -Gerald R. Ford and Hugh Scott press conference
                    -Names of critics
                    -Network coverage

                                      (rev. Nov-01)
                                                              Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

               -Polls
                     -Opinion Research Corporation [ORC]
                          -Copies for press
                          -Validity
                               -White House polls

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 4:05 pm.

                     -Albert E. Sindlinger
                          -Level of support for the President
                                -Release
                                       -Press conference
                                       -New York Times and wire services coverage
                     -Ronald L. Ziegler's briefing
                          -ORC poll
                          -New York Times editorial
                     -ORC poll
                          -Possible use in New York Times advertisement
                     -Attack on critics
                     -Public support
                          -Press reports
                     -Washington Post sports section
                          -Theodore S. (“Ted”) Williams
                                -Support for President’s decision
                                -Criticism of Democratics candidates
                                -Support for President
                                       -Soviet Union
                                       -Robert F. Kennedy [RFK] Stadium [Washington DC]
                                       -National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]'s Today show
                                       -President's critics
                     -Language
                          -William L. Safire
                     -Telegram from Thomas W. (“Teddy”) Gleason
                          -Ziegler
                          -Support for the President’s decision
                                -Walt W. Rostow
                                -Dock strike
                     -Rhetoric
                          -Memorandum to Henry A. Kissinger regarding Central Intelligence
                                Agency [CIA]
                                -Propaganda efforts in Vietnam
                          -Choice of words

                                        (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                   Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

                                -Speechwriters
                                      -Deficiencies
                                -John B. Connally
                                -Laird
                           -Speechwriters
                                -Patrick J. Buchanan
                                -[Forename unknown] Brooks (?)
                                -Recruitment
                                      -Mel Grayson
                                      -Frank Gannon
                                      -Grayson
                                            -Colson’s view
                                -Instructions
                                      -Grayson

Kissinger entered at 4:15 pm.

                -Mines
                -A talk by Robert H. Finch
                      -Atlanta
                      -Assessment of President's previous speech
                -Dick Sykes
                -Support for the President
                      -Televison talk show
                      -Man-on-the-street
                      -Kissinger's meeting with Prentis Hale
                            -Statements
                            -Roger L. Stevens
                -Polls
                -Support for President
                      -Scott
                      -Ford
                      -Poll in Pennsylvania
                -Polls
                      -Sindlinger, ORC
                            -Support for President
                -Support for President
                      -Rhetoric
                            -Camp David
           -Propaganda efforts
                -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
                      -President's memorandum to Kissinger

                                      (rev. Nov-01)
                                                               Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

                    -Richard M. Helms
                    -Competence
                         -World War II
                               -Office of Strategic Services [OSS]
                               -Communists
                    -The President’s view
                    -Haldeman call to Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
                    -Propaganda
                         -Content
                               -South Vietnam
                               -North Vietnam
         -Blockade
              -Laird press conference
                    -Assessment
                    -Questions
                    -Demeanor
              -Support for President
                    -Robert P. Griffin and Scott press conference
                    -ORC poll
              -Polls
                    -Sindlinger
                         -Press conference
                         -Level of public support for the President
                               -Dwight D. Eisenhower
              -New York Times advertisement
              -Support for the President

**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 45s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
**********************************************************************

    Vietnam
         -Blockade
              -Elliot L. Richardson
                    -Statement
                    -James D. Hodgson

                                       (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                 Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

                     -Ziegler
                -Cabinet
                     -President's instructions on statements
                           -President's previous speech
                                 -Wording regarding Soviet Union
                -Richardson
                -Hodgson's statement
                -Soviet Summit
                     -Possible cancellation
                           -Responsibility

Colson left at 4:25 pm.

                -Soviet ship
                     -Note of protest
                           -US apology
                -Kissinger's meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin

     US-Soviet Summit
         -Arrangements
               -Advance party
         -Cancellation
               -President's options
         -President's meeting with Nikolai S. Patolichev
               -Subjects for discussion
                     -Vietnam
               -Time

Kissinger talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 4:25 and 4:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 337-28/339-1A]

[See Conversation No. 24-69]

[End of telephone conversation]

     US-Soviet Summit
         -Dobrynin's remarks
         -President's speech
               -Dobrynin's response
         -Kissinger's meeting with Dobrynin
               -Mood

                                       (rev. Nov-01)
                                                              Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

               -Politburo
                     -Leonid I. Brezhnev
                           -Meeting with President
               -Tenor
          -German treaties
               -Delay
                     -Egon Bahr
                     -Moscow

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 4:25 pm.

     President's schedule
          -A commercial flight
                 -Time of arrival

An unknown left at an unknown time before 4:45 pm.

Kissinger talked with Dobrynin at an unknown time between 4:25 and 4:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 337-28/339-1B]

[See Conversation No. 24-70]

[End of telephone conversation]

          -President's meeting with Patolichev and Dobrynin
                -Peter G. Peterson, Peter M. Flanigan
                      -Notification
                           -Time
                                  -Reason
          -Cancellation
                -Likelihood
          -Peterson
                -Patolichev meeting
                      -Notification
                      -Subjects for discussion
                -German treaties
                -Status
                -Significance
          -Cancellation

     Vietnam

                           (rev. Nov-01)
                                                 Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

-Blockade and mining
      -People's Republic of China [PRC]
            -Statement
            -Options
-North Vietnam offensive
      -Hue
            -US air strikes
                  -Impact
-US-Soviet Summit
      -Cancellation or postponement
            -Likelihood
-Blockade
      -Soviet response
      -Hanoi statement
      -Soviet ships
            -Departure from ports
-Air strikes
      -Docks
      -Warehouses
      -Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants [POL]
      -Rails
      -Impact on North Vietnam
            -Repairs
            -Evacuation
            -Rationing
      -Intensity
      -Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson's 1968 bombing
            -Tet offensive
-North Vietnam offensive
      -Build-up
      -Gains
            -An Loc
            -Populated areas
-Air strikes in North Vietnam
      -1968 Tet offensive
            -Cessation by Johnson
-Soviets
      -Support for North Vietnam
-Blockade
      -Soviets
      -PRC

                                       (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                   Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

     President's meeting with Patolichev and Dobrynin
          -Publicity
                 -Peterson
                      -Kissinger’s view

     Kissinger's schedule
          -Briefing on Vietnam
                -John C. Stennis
                -Hawks
                -Liberal Republican senators
                -Day
                -Possible appearance by the President

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 4:25 pm.

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 4:45 pm.

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Liberal Republican senators
                    -Briefing
                          -Withdrawal
                          -Support for the President
                          -Appearance by the President
                               -Rogers and Laird
                               -Advisability
                                     -The President’s view
                               -Questions for the President
                          -Request for briefing by the President
                               -Clark MacGregor
                               -Steven S. Karalekas
                               -Stennis
                               -Barry M. Goldwater, Jr.
                               -John G. Tower
                               -Griffin
                               -Bryce N. Harlow
                               -Margaret Chase Smith
                          -Kissinger
                               -Arrangements
                                     -Soviet Summit
                                     -Time
          -US-Soviet Summit

                                        (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

                 -Possible cancellation
                 -Peterson and Soviet Union trade delegation meeting
                      -Scheduling
                 -Cancellation
                      -Hue
                 -Possible delay
                      -Date
                 -Cancellation
                      -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Kissinger left at 4:45 pm.

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 4:45 and 5:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 337-28/339-1C]

     President's schedule
          -Sequoia cruise
                 -A dinner
                      -Time
                 -Peterson
                 -A smaller boat
                      -Chief of Naval Operations
                 -Time
                 -Peterson

[End of telephone conversation]

     Sequoia
          -Rules of use
          -Peterson
                -The President’s view
                -Use
                     -President's dinner at the White House
                     -Changes
          -Use by the President
          -Use by others

     President's schedule
          -Camp David
          -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
          -Sequoia

                                        (rev. Nov-01)
                                                               Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

          -Alexander P. Butterfield
          -Camp David
               -Use by others
                     -Cabinet officers
               -Use by the President
                     -Florida
               -Use by others
                     -John N. Mitchell
                     -Richardson
                           -Conflicts with President's use
                     -Laurel Cabin
               -President's trip to California
          -Sequoia
               -Purpose
          -Meeting with senators
               -MacGregor
               -Advisability
               -The President’s view
               -Publicity
               -Kissinger briefing
          -Telephone calls

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Public support
                    -1972 election
                    -Duration
                    -Polls
                          -Release by Colson
                          -ORC poll
                               -Release to Congressional offices and press
                                     -Ronald McMahon
                                     -Scott press conference
                                     -Press questions
                               -Sindlinger poll
                               -Quayle poll
                               -ORC

An unknown person entered at an unknown time between 4:45 pm and 5:45 pm.

     Delivery of a note

                                         (rev. Nov-01)
                                                               Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 4:45 and 5:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 337-28/339-1D]

     Soviets
          -Dinner cancellation
               -Reports
               -Patolichev
                    -Health

[End of telephone conversation]

                     -Confirmation
                          -Kissinger

[The above portion of the conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation No. 337-
28/339-1D]

The unknown peron left at an unknown time between 4:45 pm and 5:45 pm.

Haldeman talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 4:45 and 5:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 337-28/339-1E]

               -Patolichev
               -Reasons
          -Meeting between the President and Patolichev
          -Dinner cancellation
               -Significance

[End of telephone conversation]

                -Peterson meeting with Patolichev

     Haldeman's schedule
          -Meeting with Connally
          -Meeting with Kissinger
               -Message from Dobrynin

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Senate Republicans

                                   (rev. Nov-01)
                                                           Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

                -Meeting with President
                -Kissinger briefing
           -Public support
           -Support for the President
                -White House staff
                      -Initiative
                -Harlow
           -Public support
                -Reasons
                      -The President’s efforts
           -Republicans
                -Charles H. Percy, Richard S. Schweiker
                -Constituents

President's schedule
     -Sequoia
            -New rules for use
     -Camp David
            -Uses
                  -Emergency
                  -Family retreat
            -Conferences
                  -Other locations
                  -Airlie House
                  -The Homestead
                  -The Greenbrier
                  -Airlie House
                  -Departmental facilities
            -Value to users
            -Facilities
            -Other locations
                  -Williamsburg
                  -Washington
                        -Sans Souci
                        -A country club
                        -John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
                        -Movie Association Center

Social events
     -Movie Association
     -Arthur F. Burns
           -Social activities

                                               (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 1s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

**********************************************************************

            -Kissinger's social activities
                  -Effect
                  -Pace of work
            -President's pace

    Press
            -White House News Summary
                 -President's reading
            -New York Times, Washington Post
                 -President's reading
                       -Reasons
                 -Bias
                 -President's reading
                       -Duration

    Vietnam
         -Blockade
              -Polls
                    -Release

    Polls
            -Sindlinger
                 -Financial status
                 -Publicity
            -ORC
                 -The President’s view
            -George H. Gallup
                 -Public polls

                                  (rev. Nov-01)
                                                           Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

                -Expense
                -Publicity advantages
     -ORC
     -Louis P. Harris
          -Syndication
          -Costs
     -ORC
          -Mutual benefits of White House work
     -Sindlinger
     -Colson
          -Work with Harris and Sindlinger
          -News summary
     -Harris poll
          -Past polls compared with current polls
          -Timing of release
          -Topics
          -Questions
     -Gallup poll
          -Questions
                -John A. Scali
          -Republican preferences
                -Release
          -Work with White House
                -Questions

Vietnam
     -Support for the President's decision on blockade and mining
           -Gallup poll
                 -Results
                 -Questions
                 -Results
     -President's peace offer
           -Call from James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
           -Kissinger
           -Reston column
           -President's previous speech on blockade and mining
                 -Kissinger
                 -Duration
     -News reports on previous speech on blockade and mining
           -Military aspect
           -Peace offer
     -1971 peace offer

                              (rev. Nov-01)
                                                       Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

-Congress
      -A resolution supporting the President's peace offer
            -Passage
            -Funds cutoff
            -Kissinger’s view
-Peace offer
      -Prisoners of war [POWs]
      -Ceasefire
      -Troop withdrawal
      -Congressional approval
      -Ceasefire
      -Troop withdrawal
            -Consequences
      -Reston's column
-Congress
      -Funds cutoff
            -Effect
-US troop withdrawal in Indochina
      -Possible ceasefire violations
      -Cambodia
      -Thailand
      -Laos
      -Navy ships
      -Bases
-President's peace offer
      -Compared with possible Congressional proposal
            -Kissinger’s view
            -Political settlement
                  -Nguyen Van Thieu
                  -The President’s instruction
                  -Kissinger
-Soviets
      -Cancellation of Patolichev dinner
            -Significance
      -Meeting with the President
      -Peterson Dinner
      -Maurice H. Stans dinner
            -Effect on Sequoia schedule
      -Peterson dinner
            -Sequoia
      -Patolichev, President, and Dobrynin meeting

                                       (rev. Nov-01)
                                                                  Conv. No. 337-28/339-1 (cont.)

The conversation was cut off at an unknown time before 5:45 pm.
  • 024-066 3:55 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 3:59 pm.
  • 337-025 3:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 3:59 pm.
  • 337-026 3:55 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 3:59 pm.
  • 024-067 3:59 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 3:59 pm to 4:00 pm.
  • 337-027 3:59 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:59 pm and 4:00 pm.
  • 024-068 4:04 PM · 27 sec — Charles W. Colson, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:04 pm and 4:25 pm.
  • 339-001 4:04 PM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:04 pm to 5:45 pm.
  • 024-069 4:25 PM · 8 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:25 pm and 4:45 pm.

Conversation 337-028, May 10, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/337-028 (accessed October 23, 2026).