Conversation: 392-001
Prev: 391-031 Next: 392-002Start Date: Monday, December 18, 1972 9:13 PM
End Date: Monday, December 18, 1972 10:50 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Ehrlichman, John D.; Bull, Stephen B.; [Unknown person(s)]; Kissinger, Henry A.Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On December 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Stephen B. Bull, unknown person(s), and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:13 pm and 5:50 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 392-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 392-1
Date: December 18, 1972
Time: Unknown between 4:13 pm and 5:50 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman.
[This recording began while the meeting was in progress.]
Press relations
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s briefings
-Mistakes
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Herbert G. Klein
-Kissinger’s briefings
-Preparation
-Ziegler
-Memoranda
-Points
-Ziegler’s briefing
-Vietnam negotiations
-Saigon and Hanoi
-Prolonging talks and war
-Kissinger’s briefing
Second term reorganization
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
Press relations
-Unknown woman reporter
-Life
-Conversation with Ziegler [?]
-Washington Post
-Interviews
-Helen Smith
-Washington Post
-2-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)
-The President’s conversation with Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Philadelphia Bulletin
-Press pool
-Washington Star
-White House social events
-Cabinet
-Timing
-Helen Thomas
-Press room
-Washington Star
-Ziegler
Second term reorganization
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Job duties
-Thomas
Kissinger’s press relations
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Vietnam negotiations
-Denial of conversation
-Telephone
-John F. Osborne
-Nicholas P. Thimmesch
-Executive
-Kissinger’s sensitivity
-Kissinger’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-The President’s conversation with Kissinger
-Enemies
-Respect
-Kissinger’s sensitivity
-Foreign policy
-The President’s trips to the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and the
Soviet Union
-Personal terms
Vietnam negotiations
-Charles W. Colson’s view
-North Vietnam’s strategy
-3-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)
-South Vietnam
-Cut off of US aid
-Kissinger
-Vulnerability
-Settlement agreement
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Kissinger
-Vulnerability
-Settlement agreement
-Resignation
-Kissinger
-Mistakes
-[Oriana Fallaci] interview
-“Peace is at hand” comment
-“Peace is at hand”
-Hanoi’s publishing of peace terms
-1972 election
-Difficulty with North Vietnam, Thieu
-Continuation of talks
-1972 election
-The President’s address, “Look to the Future”
-Need for reassurance
-The President’s conversation with Haldeman
-Emotions
-Foreign policy
-First term
-The President’s credibility
-Public opinion
-Midwest, Far West, South
-Kissinger
-Press relations
-Public mail
-Telegrams
-Cambodia
-Press relations
-Joseph C. Kraft, Peter Lisagor
-Readership
-The President
-Law firm
-4-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)
-Rowland Evans and Robert D. Novak
-Readership
-Congress
-Reston, Kraft
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Departure
-Return
-Kissinger’s resignation
-Home
-Arlington
-The President’s credibility
-Kissinger’s credibility
-Compared to George S. McGovern’s and Hanoi’s credibilities
-Kissinger’s press relations
-Newsweek
-New York Times
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s telephone call to Ehrlichman
-Purpose
-White House staff unity
-Kissinger’s resignation
-Kissinger’s sensitivity
Kissinger
-Intelligence
-Compared to William P. Rogers
-Intelligence Quotients [IQs]
-Tactics, strategy
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
Budget
-New York Times article by Eileen Shanahan
-Spending limitation
-Congressional relations
-Plan of Allen J. Ellender
-Vote
-Congressional relations
-Reform
-Credit
-5-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)
-Vote
-The President’s credibility
-1972 election
-Effect of campaign
-Vietnam negotiations
Saul Pett
-Book [The Instant It Happened]
-Associated Press [AP]
-Possible meeting with the President
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:13 pm.
The President’s schedule
-Pett
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
Package
-Delivery to Map Room
-Mrs. Nixon
The President’s schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 5:50 pm.
Ehrlichman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 4:13 pm and 5:50 pm.
[Conversation No. 392-1A]
Package
Delivery to Map Room
-Emil (“Bus”) Mosbacher, Jr. [?]
[End of telephone conversation]
The President’s schedule
-1972 election
-California
-6-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)
Vietnam negotiations
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Kissinger
-Congressional relations
Kissinger’s press relations
-Kissinger’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-White House staff unity
-Fallaci interview
-Effect
-Compared to “Peace is at hand”
-Tape recording
-Haig
Press relations
-Experience
-Trust
-Osborne, Thimmesch
-Los Angeles Times
-AP
-United Press International [UPI]
-AP
-Osborne
-Hugh S. Sidey
-John P. (“Jack”) Sutherland of US News and World Report
-Frank Cormier
-Tape recorder
-Washington Post
-Katharine L. Graham’s telephone call to Ehrlichman
-Press pool
-Exclusives
-White House social events
-New York Times
-Washington Post
-Washington Star
-Kansas City Star
The President talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 4:13 pm and 5:50 pm.
-7-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)
Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)
[Conversation No. 392-1B]
Kissinger’s schedule
Vietnam War
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Report
-Timing
Washington Special Action Group [WSAG]
[End of telephone conversation]
Kissinger
-Conversation with the President
Haldeman and Ehrlichman left at 5:50 pm.