On October 31, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Alexander P. Butterfield, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:55 am to 11:00 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 378-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 378-4
Date: October 31, 1972
(rev. Nov-03)
Time: 9:55 am - 11:00 am
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.
Vietnam settlement
-Ziegler’s forthcoming press conference
-Viet Cong [VC] statement
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Quality of settlement
-Progress
-Details of agreement
-Importance
-1962 Laotian agreement
-Kissinger
-Quality of agreement
-Importance
-Condition set by the administration
-Coalition government
-Sine Qua Non condition
-Deadlines
-October 31, 1972
-November 7, 1972
-Details of agreement
-Laotian agreement in 1962
-1968 bombing halt
-Coalition government election commission
-De facto, de jure status
-Kissinger
-Laotian agreement
-Self determination
-Election
-Electoral commission
-Communists
-North Vietnamese
-Negotiation progress
-US statements
-Consultation with Saigon
-Kissinger
-Partnership
-Veto
-Settlement timing
(rev. Nov-03)
-1972 election
-Quality of agreement
-Sine Qua Non condition
-Kissinger
H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 10:03 am.
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 14m 48s ]
Ziegler left at 10:17 am.
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
Ziegler entered at 10:19 am.
Signing of final bill of 92nd Congress
-Scheduling
-Oval Office
-The President's meeting with Nelson A. Rockefeller
The President’s schedule
-Rockefeller
-Photograph session
Ziegler left at 10:20 am.
Campaign practices
-Press coverage of the President’s assistance to Congressional
candidates
-Endorsement letters
-Photographs
-Television [TV] spots
-Candidate endorsements
(rev. Nov-03)
-Campaign contributions
-Clark MacGregor
-Transfer of funds
-MacGregor
-John N. Mitchell
-Kevin P. Phillips
-Films
-Buildup
-Radio
-U.S. News and World Report
-Telephone calls
-Robert J. Dole
-Phillips
-News summary
-News summary
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 33s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between
10:20 am and 10:50 am.
[Conversation No. 378-4A]
John B. Connally's schedule
[End of telephone conversation]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
(rev. Nov-03)
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 11m 36s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
The President’s schedule
-Chicago
-Security considerations
-Demonstrators
-Comparisons to 1968 Democratic National Convention
Record of administration
-Public relations
-Amnesty
-US News and World Report
-1972 election
-White paper
-Distribution
-Hugh Sidey
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Editors
-Buying broadcast time
-Radio
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-George S. McGovern
Watergate
-Possible libel suit
-Charles W. Colson
-Problems
-Chapin
-Chapin
Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Political use
-Time article
-News summary
-Ehrlichman’s statement, October 30, 1972
(rev. Nov-03)
-Crime information in localities
-Justice Department
-Inquiry from Domestic Council staff
-Property of inquiry
-Handling by Justice Department
-The President’s view
-Analogy to bugging of Democratic National Committee
-Domestic Council
-Edwin L. Harper
-Domestic Council
-Geoffrey C. Shepard
-Ehrlichman’s statement
-Analogy to inquiries made of Agriculture and Transportation [sic]
Departments
Watergate
-Haldeman, Chapin, Colson
-Chapin
-Donald H. Segretti
Issues
-Vietnam, corruption
-Administration polls
-Democratic advertisements
-Effect
-Colson
-The President’s forthcoming trip to Chicago
-Vietnam
-Press relations
-Hanoi
-Thieu
-Kissinger
-Left and right
-Administration poll
Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between
10:20 am and 10:50 am.
[Conversation No. 378-4B]
Request
(rev. Nov-03)
[End of telephone conversation]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 29s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
*****************************************************************
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 10:50 am.
White House staff
-Size
-Ehrlichman’s staff [Domestic Council]
-Speeches
-Work
-Meetings
The president’s schedule
-Rockefeller meetings
-Connally
-Bill signing
-Chicago
-Possible delay
-Media reaction
Butterfield left at 10:52 am.
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m 6s ]
(rev. Nov-03)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
*****************************************************************
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:52 am.
The President's schedule
-Rockefeller
-Connally
-Chicago
-Delay
Bull and Haldeman left at 11:00 am.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.