Conversation 393-001

TapeTape 393StartTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 2:45 PMEndTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 3:33 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Colson, Charles W.;  Bull, Stephen B.;  White House operatorRecording deviceOld Executive Office Building

On January 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Stephen B. Bull, and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:45 pm and 3:33 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 393-001 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 393-1

Date: January 2, 1973
Time: Unknown after 2:45 pm and before 3:33 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson. The recording began while the meeting was in
progress.

       Henry A. Kissinger
            -John A. Scali
            -Brent G. Scowcroft
                  -Personalities
                  -Scali

       Press relations
             -Kissinger
             -Article by James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
                    -New York Times
                    -Scali
                    -Kissinger
                    -Saigon
             -Kissinger’s interview with Marvin L. Kalb [?]
                    -US bombing of Vietnam
             -Scali’s efforts
                    -Story on Vietnam
                           -Compared to Kissinger
                               -Reston

       Roberto W. Clemente Memorial Fund
            -Richard A. Moore
                  -Meeting with the President

*****************************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

            The President’s charitable contribution
                                            -2-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. Sept.-08)

                                                            Conversation No. 393-1 (cont’d)

                  -Nicaraguan earthquake relief

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************************

                  -Publicity
                         -Example for other Americans
                         -Fundraising drive
                         -Thelma C. (“Pat) Nixon
                         -Sports fans
            -Earthquake victims
                  -Folk heroes
                         -Puerto Ricans
                         -Blacks
            -Public relations [PR]
            -Letters
            -Contributions
            -The President’s giving practices

       Harry S. Truman’s funeral
            -Memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral
                  -The President’s attendance
                  -Hugo L. Black’s funeral
            -Dean Francis B. Sayre
                  -Eulogy for Truman
                       -Atomic bomb
                       -Korean War
                       -Aid program
                              -Greece
                              -Turkey
            -Burial
            -The President’s reception for heads of state
            -The President’s attendance at memorial service
            -Senate memorial service

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and
3:03 pm.

[Conversation No. 393-1A]
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                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       (rev. Sept.-08)

                                                             Conversation No. 393-1 (cont’d)

[See Conversation No. 35-59]

[End of telephone conversation]

             -Congressional service
             -Sayre

The President talked with Stephen B. Bull between 3:03 pm and 3:05 pm.

[Conversation No. 393-1B]

[See Conversation No. 35-60]

[End of telephone conversation]

             -Sayre
                   -Possible remarks
                         -Press coverage
                               -Colson’s conversation with Moore
             -The President’s attendance at memorial service
                   -Memorials for Richard B. Russell
                         -Spiro T. Agnew
             -Attendees at memorial service
                   -President of Israel
                   -President of Ireland
                   -Prime Minister of South Korea
                   -The President’s possible meeting
                   -Compared to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s funeral
                         -Heads of State
             -The President's schedule
                   -Bull
                         -H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                   -Moore
                         -PR judgment
                         -F. Edward Hebert's funeral [?]
                         -Black's funeral
                         -White House press events
                         -George H. Allen
                               -Rose Garden ceremony
                                              -4-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       (rev. Sept.-08)

                                                               Conversation No. 393-1 (cont’d)

                   -Scali
                         -Possible advice
             -The President’s attendance at memorial service
                   -Press coverage
                         -Sayre
             -Private funeral service
             -Washington memorial service
                   -Washington attendees
                         -Gerald L. Warren
                   -Truman family attendance

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:05 pm and
3:10 pm.

[Conversation No. 393-1C]

[See Conversation No. 35-61]

[End of telephone conversation]

                   -The President's possible attendance
                        -Truman family attendance

The President talked with Bull at 3:10 pm.

[Conversation No. 393-1D]

[See Conversation No. 35-62]

[End of telephone conversation]

                   -Margaret Truman Daniel's attendance
                   -Bess (Wallace) Truman's attendance
                         -Health
                   -Lyndon B. Johnson's attendance
                         -Bull

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:11 pm and
3:12 pm.
                                                -5-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. Sept.-08)

                                                              Conversation No. 393-1 (cont’d)

[Conversation No. 393-1E]

[See Conversation No. 35-63]

[End of telephone conversation]

                        -State Department
                        -Nicholas L. Ruwe

The President talked with Bull between 3:12 pm and 3:13 pm.

[Conversation No. 393-1F]

[See Conversation No. 35-64]

[End of telephone conversation]

                  -[Thomas] Hale Boggs memorial service
                       -Johnson's attendance
                       -The President's attendance
                              -Mrs. Nixon
                  -The President's reception for Democrats
                       -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
                  -Johnson's attendance
                       -Heads of state
                              -President of Ireland
                              -Prime Minister of South Korea
                                    -President Park Chung Hee

       Clemente memorial fund
            -Possible director
                  -Requirements
                         -Sports personality
                         -Francis L. Dale
                               -Cincinnati
                  -Pittsburgh Pirates
                         -Daniel M. Galbraith
                  -Bob Reynolds
                         -California Angels
                  -Bobby Bellow
                                                -6-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       (rev. Sept.-08)

                                                         Conversation No. 393-1 (cont’d)

       Scali

       Truman’s Funeral
           -Washington memorial service
                 -The President's attendance
                        -Johnson's attendance
                        -Publicity
                        -Warren
                              -Colson's call
           -The President's invitation to Blair House
                 -Truman family

The President left at an unknown time before 3:33 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.

... ... ... ...
I don't like that well.
I need a color balance.
He's got a little paint in him.
.
.
.
You know, he thinks that maybe Henry gave the right of way.
They wouldn't have written the story.
They wouldn't have gone out on that kind of a limb, Chuck.
Why not just back to the science?
I just wish you were here.
I think you're up to date.
I don't know if you want to get out of the conference on that, because I just can't get rid of what I'm doing.
I don't, I, I, I mean, I've got a lot of us, but I don't feel like going so far as that, which, which is a terrible, terrible situation for one person, because, you know, it's a total operation.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We're out of my desk, and they decided that we can't move on, so we're going to need to move forward.
The other enemy is not there, so they can't push us in.
We're going to need to move on.
We're going to need to move on.
We're going to need to move on.
We're going to need to move on.
I have an idea of a tractor.
I never put out a night, but I just, you know, I'm sure, I'm sure, I'm sure, I'm sure, I'm sure, I'm sure, I'm sure,
Now, uh, it occurred to me, in my opinion, before, to say what it is that you're trying to do.
You're not an alcoholic, and it's not something that you can kill.
But, why don't you do something that's just as good?
There's some success in all of our activities, particularly sports activities, and cricket.
There's a lot of articles on that thing, and I've already done a lot of stuff with it, but it's really good.
My business.
And that triggered a very great rise.
I love the, I think, I didn't have to grab ahold of the third year, the second year, the third year.
The person had to read the article.
It was gone.
It was gone on my statement.
The second thing to say, uh, is that, first, we're at a point where we're a little behind in the water.
Uh, and he's, he's charging for the congregation, and I don't know if it's personal, personal congregation.
You can say it's a personal congregation, but this, and the president, this is next.
This is the target count.
It's going to get better and better.
Personal congregation.
I don't know.
We're going to wait and we're going to wait and we're going to wait and we're going to wait.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I don't see any more.
I don't see any more.
I think it's something else.
But more is public relationship.
I guess the main problem that I put $1,000 into this, that's very shaking tone, is that you get 18,000 letters saying that you're going to live without a kid.
And, of course, my answer to that is to say, well, I don't have any issues with that.
I'm just going to stay here.
I'm just going to stay here.
I don't make any public contributions.
So I'm making an exception.
That's what's wrong.
They're trying to think of a way to get out of that.
They're trying to think of a way to get out of that.
They're trying to think of a way to get out of that.
They're trying to think of a way to get out of that.
And this saver was saying, you know, that we're so now gathered together to preach about a guy who dropped me on a bomb.
About a guy who started the war in Korea.
And about a guy who just started to create certain changes.
So, several problems there.
So, I just wondered, was it one of us?
No, I just wondered why you went to the war.
Yeah.
Oh, I went out.
I don't know what it is.
I don't know.
I think, I think, I think, I think, I think,
I think my personal impression of the U.S. is that the U.S. is the center of the U.S. and the center of the U.S. At that point, that would be a great impression of the U.S.
The U.S. is a congressional country.
It's a national country.
I just wanted to make sure the warrant hasn't gone off the list and indicated that I exactly was going to attend this service.
Yeah, remember I told you I'd be metal, or something like that.
Just to be sure he knows that I'm not metal.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm very, very good.
I'm very, very good.
Because I think there's something, there's a possibility that
Well, I think that's it.
I think that's it.
Thank you.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
I think, frankly, that a bigger story might be, that might be a matter of having a senator who says to himself that that's about peace.
I don't know.
And I suppose they build up when he says such boycotts.
I don't think it does make a difference in the picture.
I just think it might, but just think of it here and there, because I don't think that he has a competition, you know, in the picture.
They can't, they can't go to the boycott community.
That's what I think.
I mean, I don't have to go across.
I don't have to go across.
I didn't go to Dick Russell's funeral, for example.
I went and played a wreath.
And I came back to the vice president to represent him.
So that's terrible.
Dick Russell was not a former president.
But he was a former president.
The only other, the only other, the only other, the only other, the only other, the only other, the only other, the only other, the only other, the only other, the only other, the only other, the only other, the only other,
And I will see all of them in the afternoon.
There's plenty of them.
There's plenty of them.
There's plenty of them.
There's plenty of them.
There's plenty of them.
There's plenty of them.
There's plenty of them.
That's one of the things that's been said to me, but this morning I saw that I had a lot of other stuff that came from Kansas State, but it was all out of cancer.
So I shouldn't have done it.
I don't know.
And also, I'm just kind of thinking, I'm never doing the bad thing.
I don't know if that's what's going on in the service.
We do grab a hold of that.
I don't know if that's true, but I think it's true.
And I think, I think the workers here are getting into that.
They have a very good sense of how to get the lead on your growth.
It's also just there you go.
It's like, for example, everybody leaves the hospital.
Like, they tend to, you know, everybody leaves the hospital.
or many other people that want me to go to that black, right, and others, and for example, people that want me to go down to these various presbyteries, the White House first ones, and me and so on.
Well, of course, these people are not our friends.
Why do I know them?
They're just great friends.
In fact, the place you should go is, you know, if you take a note of the steps, and the rest of it, and the older ones, and they say, great, because, because we're here,
That's why it's going to go.
Yeah.
And that keeps it open to the river.
Why don't you try it?
Yeah, why don't you try it?
Try it for a month.
Okay, there's been interactions with the other one that you might try.
Scallop.
Scallop.
Scallop.
Scallop.
Scallop.
Scallop.
I just don't want to have this... Oh, I don't mind it, but I just don't want to build a store.
I don't want to build it because there's... You know, it's there here.
It's less than you can figure.
And the problem for any of you is that you never know what's reaching at you, reaching at you.
And that's a story.
Anyway you look at it, almost anything you say...
And also even where I grew up, I'm sure.
But I just don't think I need this.
If I've already done it, then I need to get back to them.
They didn't ask me to do it.
So I don't think.
But it makes it kind of more of a sense to be here.
They permit people here.
Yeah.
Especially if they had a private service there.
And the right here is that all the stuff.
They had a private general service there.
And they're having this to permit people in Washington
and not go to the private service.
That's the way Warren can handle it.
I get my client down to Warren, and I say that there was a private service that the president decided to make, which was there as a private service.
And the service in Washington is being held so that others could not be there.
For example, the term of sarcophagus.
Yeah.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
Is it bad at speed that the drones are not coming to this speed?
Well, why don't you find out and get it definite right away, because... Are they coming?
Oh, I see.
Okay.
But Mrs. Truman is not coming.
Oh, okay.
Okay, all right, fire.
All right, all right.
Well, what you should, but that's different.
Mrs. Truman's not coming.
Well, what the hell?
I think there is something to go over to the panel if you need one of the public services and one of them.
I think that's not the point.
I'll let you tell us if there's a problem.
Okay.
You check the state.
I'm sure Johnson's not coming.
I asked this morning.
I didn't have any experience.
Mr. Bullitt, please.
Mr. Bullitt, please.
Yes, what is your report on Johnson?
Have you got me recording that yet?
But you're not going to attend this?
Well, I need to know definitely.
Go have somebody find out.
Okay.
We'll get to it.
All right.
Fine.
Fine.
I'll let my dad find out.
You need to know definitely.
Because you need to know that I am not going to see my father.
An hour ago, Johnson was not attending.
Johnson's gone to the bar, sir.
My wife is very nice, but I can't do it right now.
My wife is very nice, but I can't do it right now.
My wife is very nice, but I can't do it right now.
My wife is very nice, but I can't do it right now.
My wife is very nice, but I can't do it right now.
I strongly believe that I'm doing it.
particularly with Johnson, what's made up of the 50-day goal in the Hartwood National Center.
For a lot of it, they are free.
And one of the ceremonies, which is what they're representing, they're supposed to be able to do that, but that's not happening.
Frankly, if you're a buyer in Ireland, you should probably get back into the town.
The real thing is that there's a suburb to that outside.
The guy that runs it is part of our administration, not the town.
I'll also tell you a little bit about what we do.
We have this group of men that we've been working on for a long time.
We're very close to what we do as a...
.
.
.
.
There's a person that wants to do this.
On the mirror one.
So, my assertion is kind of what this is talking about.
And, uh, uh, the picture with the Johnson, yeah, I think that's, that's, I mean, the, the, you know, the Johnson's not coming, might have come in the Johnson's after the other, just showed up, because he can't travel.
I mean, Johnson went out, his wife is, is there, the same day, both, both, both of the artists back there.
And, uh, that's the way to make it worse than any other way to form a person.
Together, kind of, yeah.
It does show some character.
Characters are not going to be good.
And it's a personal thing to have.
It's kind of those topics that you have to sort of, you know, respect.
And, you know, I believe that.
And, uh, the only negative to this is, the more you set up, the more you're going to get, you know, you're going to get, you know,
I just want to be sure.
I told a mistake or something.
I just want to be sure.
I never had any doubt.
I think it's by them.
It's going to be the warehouse.
I think it's going to be the warehouse.
Thank you.