Conversation: 372-038
Prev: 372-037 Next: 372-039Start Date: 25-Oct-1972 3:25 PM
End Date: 25-Oct-1972 4:20 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); [Unknown person(s)]; Bull, Stephen B.;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On October 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:25 pm to 4:20 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 372-038 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 372-38
Date: October 25, 1972
Time: 3:25 pm - 4:20 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
The President’s forthcoming radio speeches
-Address on the American Farmer, October 27, 1972
-Address on Foreign Policy
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Timing compared with Post-Vietnam war settlement
-Address on Defense Policy
-Previous speech in San Francisco, September 27, 1972
-Massive retaliation
-Small nations and conventional forces
-Separate defense policy and foreign policy speech
-Press coverage
-Timing of speeches
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Address on urban affairs
-Address on the American Farmer
-Address on Foreign policy
-Importance
-Possible press coverage
-Use of broadcast time
-President’s preparation time
-Radio
-Fireside chat
-William L. Safire
-Camp David
-Timing
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 3:25 pm.
Refreshments
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 4:20 pm.
34
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)
The President’s forthcoming speeches
-Timing of radio speeches
-Camp David
-Radio speeches
-Address on Urban Affairs
-Address on Foreign Affairs
-Price
-Chicago trip
-Statements compared with radio speeches
-Previous speech in Atlanta
-Radio speeches
-Address on Urban Affairs
-Address on Foreign Affairs
-Price
-Timing
-Compared with Address on Urban Affairs
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time between 3:25 pm and 4:20 pm.
Advertisement of issues
-Amnesty
-Possible Television [TV] advertisement
-Administration response to George S. McGovern's position
-Possible radio advertisement
-California
-Massachusetts
-South
-Draft dodgers
-Patrick J. Buchanan
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 19m 47s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
35
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)
McGovern
-Forthcoming TV appearance
-Corruption
-Sabotage and campaign practices
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Possible effectiveness of sabotage charges
-Economic issues
-Vietnam issue
-Watergate as issue
Washington Post story on Haldeman and campaign espionage
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s press conference
-Attack on the press
-“Yellow journalism” charges
-Washington Post
-New York Times
-Clark MacGregor
-Veracity
-Ziegler’s press conference
-White House staff morale
-National impact
-Nashville
-Ziegler’s press conference
-Quality of journalism
-Richard A. Moore, Ehrlichman
-MacGregor’s statements
-Future of story
-Washington Post, TV news, news magazines
-Allen S. Drury’s theory
-Moore’s statement
-Future plans
-Attack on the Washington Post
-Previous Washington Post story on Charles W. Colson
-Ziegler’s press conference
-Washington Post motivations
-Benjamin C. Bradlee's statement
-Time magazine
-Haldeman’s view
36
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] leak
-Ziegler’s press conference
-White House subscription to the Washington Post
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Ziegler’s specific attack
-Washington Post motivation
-Quality of information
-Desperation
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Possible libel charge
-New York Times v. Sullivan
-Moore’s theory
-Bradlee and Katharine L. Graham
-Plans to attack the White House
-Possible Pulitzer Prize reward
-Methods
-Colson article
Vietnam peace settlement
-1972 election
-Polls
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Willingness to make a statement
-Ziegler
-Coalition government issue
-Telephone call to William F. Buckley, Jr.
-Telephone call to Howard K. Smith
-Telephone call to Richard (“Dick”) Wilson
-Press speculation
-Kissinger
-Political effect
-Public stance
-Effect of 1972 election on negotiations
-Coalition government in South Vietnam
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-McGovern attack
-Buchanan
-Newspaper advertisement
-Kissinger
37
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 26s ]
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:25 pm.
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
Audio messages
-Microphone
-Format
-Procedures
-Reading
-Wesley Powell
-William Loch
-Procedures
-Reading
Bull left at an unknown time before 4:20 pm.
Camp David press accommodations
-The President’s instructions
-William C. Carruthers
-Briefing room
1968 campaign practices compared to 1972
-1969 surveillance of Nixon campaign plane
-Possible use in 1972 campaign
-Lyndon B. Johnson’s possible response
Possible appearance on Meet the Press
-John B. Connally
-McGregor
News story on campaign financing
-Richard Mellon Scaife’s contribution
38
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)
-Source of revelation
-The President's campaign coverage compared with McGovern's
-Stewart Mott
-Public perception
Wisconsin campaign
-McGovern claims of campaign sabotage
-Possible sabotage by Humphrey campaign
-MacGregor’s statement
-White House strategy
-FBI leak
-Haldeman's conversation with Richard G. Kleindienst
-Source of information
-L. Patrick Gray, III.
-Robert K. Kunkel
-US Attorney's office
-The President’s view
-Possible response after 1972 election
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 19s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
Haldeman left at 4:20 pm.