On October 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, unknown person(s), and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:40 pm to 5:40 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 374-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 374-3
Date: October 25, 1972
Time: 4:40 pm - 5:40 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Charles W. Colson.
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/16/2019.
Segment cleared for release.
[Personal Returnable]
[374-003-w001]
[Duration: 4m 53s]
1972 campaign
-California
-The President's conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Polls
-Standing with Catholics
-State compared to national
-Mexicans
-Standing with students
-Democrats
-George S. McGovern
-Labor
-Frank E. Fitzsimmons, Paul Hall
-San Francisco
-Democratic control
-Paul Hall
(rev. Feb-24)
-Michael P. Balzano, Jr., Donald F. Rodgers
-Michigan, Detroit News poll
-George C. Wallace's supporters
-California
-Use of manpower
-Press releases
-John G. Schmitz
-Charles W. Colson’s conversation with Paul Hall
-Busing
-Compared to Massachusetts
-Busing
-California
-Telephone polls
-Shift in polls
-Meaning
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Watergate
-George S. McGovern
-Television [TV] appearance, October 25, 1972
-H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Effect on 1972 election
-Polls
-Albert E. Sindlinger’ s view
-Possible voting margins
-Press release
-Undecided
-Reaction to news stories
-Washington Post
-White House response
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Haldeman-Dwight L. Chapin memorandum
-Haldeman’s view
-George E. Christian rumor
-John A. Scali
-San Francisco
-Vietnam
-The President’s view
-Kenneth W. Clawson’s view
Press relations
(rev. Feb-24)
-Nature of relationship
-Katherine L. Graham
-Henry A. Kissinger, White House staff
-The President’s threat
-William P. Rogers
-Dedication of Washington Post building
-The New York Times and Washington Post
-White House strategy
-Richard Scaife, W. Clement Stone, John A. Mulcahy
-Influence
-Charles Percy, John Sherman Cooper, Marlow W. Cook, Robert T.
Stafford
-Graham
-Georgetown
-Influence of Washington Post
-Daniel L. Schorr, Carl Stern
-American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
-Chapin story news coverage
-The President's appearance before prisoners of war [POWs]
families group
-Administration strategy
-John B. Connally's advice
-Public opinion
-Watergate
-Ziegler's response
-Robert J. Dole, Clark MacGregor
-Possible libel suit
-Haldeman, Chapin
-Colson
-Possible testimony
-Neal B. Freeman
-Benjamin C. Bradlee
Policy toward the Press
-The President’s view
-Compared to the President’s handling of North Vietnam,
Cambodia, Laos
-May 8, 1972 decision
-Kissinger
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Washington Post
-Clawson’s conversation with Kissinger
-Bradlee
-Philip L. Geyelin
(rev. Feb-24)
-Influence
-Television stations owned by Washington Post
-WTOP
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Miami
-Federal Communications Commission [FCC] action on license
renewal
-The President’s view
Watergate
-Polls
-Albert E. Sindlinger
Use of radio and TV
-Administration strategy
-Haldeman
-1968 campaign
-Comparison
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 4:40 pm.
Colson talked with the White House operator at an unknown time after 4:40 pm.
[Conversation No. 374-3B]
[See Conversation No. 32-43A]
[End of conversation]
Washington Post, New York Times
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:16 pm.
Colson talked with an unknown woman at an unknown time before 5:16 pm.
[Conversation No. 374-3C]
[See conversation No. 32-43B]
[End of conversation]
Administration strategy and the press
-Clawson
-Scali's future plans in broadcast journalism
(rev. Feb-24)
-The President’s view
-Scali’s previous work in journalism
-State Department
-Possible effect on network news
-Dan Rather
-Possible return to California
McGovern's forthcoming speech
-Views of Haldeman, Connally
-Possible response
Vietnam
-Colson's conversation with Jay Lovestone
-Connally’s TV appearance, October 20, 1972
-War as issue
-Importance of attacking McGovern’s stance
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 5:16 pm.
-Lovestone’s and George Meany's forthcoming briefing by Haig
-Coalition government issue
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
Watergate and campaign practices
-Polls
-Sindlinger’s view
-Effect on projected voting numbers
-The President's position
-Ziegler and MacGregor’s response on Watergate
-Washington Post
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/16/2019.
Segment cleared for release.
[Personal Returnable]
[374-003-w002]
[Duration: 2m 9s]
1972 campaign's last two weeks
-The President's possible margin
-Compared to Dwight D. Eisenhower's margin
(rev. Feb-24)
-The President’s assessment
-1960
-Harris poll on approval of the President
-Stable percentage
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1972 campaign
-McGovern’s vacillation on issues
-Corruption charges
-Washington Post
-McGovern's description of the President's administration
-Compared with other campaign issues
-1952 comparison
-The Louis P. Harris poll
-The economy, relations with the People's
Republic of China [PRC], Soviet Union
-Vietnam War
-Current status of negotiations
-Harris poll numbers
-“Hawks”
-Uncertainty
-Settlement
-Timing
-1972 election
-Public perceptions
-Progress
-Thieu
-McGovern’s stance
-Response by the President’s surrogates
-Amnesty, POWs, surrender
-Harris
-Kissinger briefing
-Rogers
The President talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 4:40 and
5:16 pm.
[Conversation No. 374-3A]
The President’s request for attendance
(rev. Feb-24)
[End of telephone conversation]
1972 campaign
-Vietnam War and possible peace settlement
-Harris’s analysis
-Kissinger
-McGovern’s stance
-Possible attack by Rogers
-Haig’s previous conversation with Colson
-Possible attack by Melvin R. Laird
-Laird’s schedule
-Europe
-Sindlinger’s view
Kissinger entered at 5:16 pm.
-Public perception of issue according to Harris, Sindlinger
-Timing of peace settlement compared with 1972 election
-Appearance of progress
-Haig’s briefing of Meany
-Meany’s attacks on McGovern
-Kissinger’s conversation with Howard K. Smith
-McGovern
-May 8, 1972, bombing and mining of Haiphong Harbor
-Nature of cease-fire agreement
-Coalition government
-Ziegler
-Achievement of goals
-Settlement
-Timing
-1972 election
-Perception of agreement
-Kissinger’s conversation with Max Frankel
-McGovern
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Administration strategy
-Political considerations
-Timing of briefing
-Television network coverage
-Newspaper coverage
Colson left at 5:23 pm.
(rev. Feb-24)
Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
-Cease-fire efforts
-Possible response from North Vietnamese
-North Vietnamese statements
-Nguyen Van Thieu
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number LPRN-T-MDR-
2014-019. Segment exempt per Executive Order 13526, 3.3(b)(1) on 05/06/2019. Archivist: DR]
[National Security]
[374-003-w004]
[Duration: 48s]
INTELLIGENCE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
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Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
-Thieu’s actions
-Timing of US response
-Compared to 1972 election
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 5:40 pm.
-Thieu’s future as US ally
-Dan Rather’s recent conversation with Kissinger
-Timing compared to 1972 election
-McGovern
-Administration strategy
-Kissinger’s meeting with Sir James Plimsoll
-Briefing for William McMahon
-Incentives
-Halt to US bombing
-Public perception of cease-fire agreement
-Conservatives
(rev. Feb-24)
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
-Thieu
-Frequency of meetings with Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Political skills compared with military skills
-US political implication
-Smith’s view
-Kissinger’s view
-Coalition government
-Time article
-South Vietnamese actions
-Dispatches to Britain, Australia
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-George R.S. Baring (The Earl of Cromer)
-Haig
-Negotiations
-1968
-Compared to 1972
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Administration strategy
-Timing
-January 1, 1973, November 20, 1972
-Le Duc Tho possible meeting with Kissinger in Paris
-Settlement text
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 5:40 pm.
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Gen. William C. Westmoreland
-Haig
-North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam
-Economic assistance
Kissinger left at 5:40 pm.This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.