Conversation 396-007

TapeTape 396StartFriday, January 12, 1973 at 11:55 AMEndFriday, January 12, 1973 at 1:55 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Price, Raymond K., Jr.;  Sanchez, ManoloRecording deviceOld Executive Office Building

On January 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Raymond K. Price, Jr., and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:55 am to 1:55 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 396-007 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 396-7

Date: January 12, 1973
Time: 11:55 am - 1:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Raymond K. Price, Jr.

       Price's schedule
             -Camp David

       President's schedule
             -Florida

       President's Inaugural speech
             -Theme
             -Quotability
                    -Theodore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt
                    -Lyndon B. Johnson
                    -1968 speech
                         -"Lower our voices"
             -Theme
             -Quotable lines
             -Theme
                    -Vermont Royster
                    -“Reaffirmation of faith”
                    -Blacks
                         -Crime
                    -Overpopulation
                         -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
                         -Attendant problems
                         -Environment
                         -Cities
                         -Hospital capacity
                               -Congress
                               -Appalachia
                               -Hypochondriacs
                         -Thomas Malthus
                               -President's college professors
                                     -Work and production
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      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

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                                                  Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)

                 -Latin America
                       -Poverty
                 -US agricultural capacity
                       -Food production
-Audience
      -Middle America
             -Rednecks
             -Hard hats
      -Intellectuals
      -Critics of America
-Tone
      -Thoughtful
      -Patriotic
-Foreign policy goals
      -US role in the free world
             -Responsibilities
                   -Burdens
             -United Soviet Socialist Republic [USSR]
             -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
             -Necessity
      -Predatory powers
-Peace
      -U.S. position
-Domestic issues
      -Materialism
             -Values
      -Youth
      -Need for renewal
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Theme
      -Future
             -Problems of the present
      -Past civilizations
             -Military and economic power
             -Loss of spirit
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-American problems
      -Change
      -Role of leaders
      -Role of the people
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            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                 (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                      Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)

      -Religious references
            -Inaugural worship service
      -Environmental group's meeting with President
            -Russell Train
      -1970 State of the Union speech
            -Eisenhower
            -Environmental legislation
      -Theme
            -Environment
                  -Government's role
                  -Individual's role

Possible series of Presidential messages
      -Television [TV]
      -Congressional leaders
      -State of the Union Speech
      -Special message to Congress
      -Race relations
      -Benefits

President's Inaugural speech
      -Environment
      -Price's draft
             -Tone
      -Theme
             -US role in the world
                   -Responsibilities
             -Thomas Jefferson
             -Youth
             -US outlook
                   -Compared to France
      -President's 1968 acceptance speech
      -Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and
       [Thomas] Woodrow Wilson quotes
      -Message to youth
             -Excitement
             -Special time
      -President's 1972 acceptance speech
      -President’s meetings with chiefs of state
             -Housing, industry [?]
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           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

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                                                Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)

           -John M. “(Jack”) Lynch
     -US role in the world [?]
     -Next four years
           -Congressional relations
     -Past four years
           -Progress
           -President's trips to PRC and USSR
     -Next four years, next generation
           -Congressional relations
           -Democrats
     -Goals
           -Interest of government
                  -Constitution
     -Theme
           -Hard work
           -Individual responsibility
           -Self-reliance
           -Other ideas
           -Faith [?]
           -Government’s role
           -Public’s role
     -Tone
     -Religious references
           -Faith
     -Philosophy
           -Faith in God
           -Individual responsibility
     -Sentiments to avoid
     -Franklin Roosevelt
     -Charles W. Colson
     -Massachusetts
     -Blacks
     -Vietnam settlement
           -Status
           -Past events
           -Foreign policy
                  -Pride
           -Goals of US

Vietnam settlement
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      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

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                                            Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)

-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Negotiations
      -Congressional relations
-Timing
-Bombing
-Pressure
-Phases
      -Timing
-Congressional relations
      -Spending
-Henry A. Kissinger
      -Schedule
-Haig
      -Schedule
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Congress
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Prospects for agreement
      -Haig’s meeting with Thieu
-Congress
-Public statements
      -Substance
-Haig’s trip to Saigon
-Thieu's possible position on agreement
      -Congress
      -South Vietnam’s survival
      -Haig meeting
-Possible situation at 1973 Inauguration
      -President's possible statement
             -May 8, 1972 statement
             -Considerations
-Announcement
      -Haig's schedule
             -Thieu
-Possible agreement
      -Demilitarized zone provisions
      -Cease-fire
-South Vietnam
      -Signing
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      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                          (rev. Jan.-09)

                                               Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)

-Provisional Revolutionary Government [PRG]
-Cease-fire provisions
-US, PRC, USSR, roles
-South Vietnamese leaders
-Announcements
      -Ronald L. Ziegler
      -Congress
      -William P. Rogers and Melvin R. Laird
             -Response to inquiries
      -Ziegler
      -Haig’s schedule
      -Thieu’s position
      -Kissinger’s schedule
-Understanding
-Ambassador [?]
-President's announcement
-Thieu's position
      -Rogers
      -President's response
      -Effect
      -Haig
      -Congress
             -President's announcement
      -U.S. military response
      -1973 Inauguration
      -Congress
             -Ziegler
             -Robert Vesco
             -Possibilities
             -Public Opinion
-U.S. military response
      -Bombing halt
-Thieu’s cooperation
-South Vietnamese people
-USSR
-US goals
      -Honorable peace
             -Cambodia
             -Laos
             -North Vietnam
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            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                  (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                   Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)

                 -South Vietnam
     -Thieu’s cooperation
     -U.S. Military Response
           -Bombing
     -1973 Inauguration
           -Situation
           -Announcement
           -Congress

President's inaugural speech
      -Vietnam
      -US role in world
      -Vietnam
      -Challenges of the future
      -Foreign policy
             -US responsibility in peacetime
                  -"Peace with honor"
                  -Wording
                  -Meaning

US foreign policy
     -South Vietnam
           -Thieu
           -Survival
           -US aid
                  -Effect
     -Possible announcement
     -President’s Inaugural speech
           -Peace message
     -PRC, USSR
     -Middle East
     -Nicaragua
           -Earthquake
     -Uganda
     -South Vietnam
           -Continuation of US role
     -Public opinion
     -USSR
           -Anatoliy F. Dobryin
     -Vietnam settlement
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                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                             Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)

       President's Inaugural speech
             -Price’s thoughts

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 11:55 am.

            Refreshments

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:55 pm.

       President's inaugural speech
             -Themes
                    -Future
             -Critics of US
                    -Loss of faith
                    -Vietnam announcement
                    -"New Majority"
                          -Press response
                    -November 3, 1969, and May 8, 1972 speeches
                          -Press response
                          -PRC
                    -Arrogance
                    -Pandering
             -Racial references
             -"One America"
                    -President's 1968 campaign
                          -Blacks, Jews
             -Theme for next four years
                    -Public opinion

       Press relations
             -Price’s views
             -Response to President's actions
                    -Frustration
                    -Moscow summit
                          -May 8, 1972 speech
                    -1972 election
                    -Vietnam negotiations
                          -North Vietnam
                          -Bombing, mining
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            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                 (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                  Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)

President's Inaugural speech
      -Themes
             -Price’s ideas

Press relations
      -Congressional relations
      -Washington Post [?]
             -Edward M. Kennedy [?]
             -Analysis
             -Writing
             -Analysis
      -George S. McGovern
             -Spokesman
                   -Memorandum from Price
                   -Public response
             -Vietnam, busing, welfare
             -Personality
                   -Julie Nixon Eisenhower [?]

Politics
       -Price’s views
       -Government
       -[First name unknown] Berry
              -Book
       -The Best and the Brightest
              -David Halberstam

New era
     -New ideas
     -1970s
          -People's desires
     -1960s
          -Racial unrest
          -Vietnam War
                -Effect

President's accomplishments
      -Revenue sharing
             -Mayors and governors
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                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                         (rev. Jan.-09)

                                                          Conversation No. 396-7 (cont’d)

              -Support for the President
                   -1972 election
                   -Richard Daley, Mayor of Chicago

       Nelson A. Rockefeller
            -Kissinger [?]
            -Reagan
            -Winston Churchill
                  -Burdens of leadership

       President's staff
             -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
             -John D. Ehrlichman
             -Kissinger

       The President’s schedule
            -Appointment

       President's Inaugural speech
             -Drafting
             -Camp David

Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 11:55 pm.

       Refreshments

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:53 pm.

       The President’s schedule [?]

Price left at 1:55 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.

Okay, we got a call.
Thank you.
One court of the law I believe in is a court.
I know it's confusing, you know.
There's a number of things about the NCRs, and those ones, you know, even a visit to a court in Johnsonville or something like that, you know, a visit to a court where we can't do it on ourselves.
It's something that is basically
Very important one, I ask for it.
And what I'm getting at is not why, but that you have to have modeling to monitor your service.
I feel that, as far as it means, it's the same.
That it should be Vermont West that you have a reaffirmation of faith in America.
And whether there's problems with law in America, or whether there's problems in America, one day they're scared of America, and the next day they're scared of the black people.
based on facts, which is not so... ...unprosperous.
I don't know how you're going to be planning to find a whole group like that in the rest of your life.
You guys are better off with us.
It's great to reevaluate how many students, how many hospitals, how many doctors, lawyers, etc.
Also reevaluate
We're 25% over capacity now.
That's what we're doing.
That's good.
Okay.
And the Congress continues to discuss with the APF all the deals we're making.
I remember when I was in college, there was a lot of friction with all of my professors and professors.
U.S. agricultural factory.
That factory produced about 1,000 to 1,600 acres.
In Russia, there's a number of similar areas.
I digress.
What I'm trying to get at is that I naturally do not want to call it that and so forth, but I want this to be received very directly toward our people.
I don't mean toward President Bush, or Rednecks, or Harriyam, but I mean to make sure that it's a peace in the middle of America and South Korea.
the hand-wringers, the pitchers, the run-down marriage school, and so forth and so on.
I wanted to be very firm, very unbounded, and I don't think I was very strong with the other people.
And that's the hell I was trying to do.
I'm very unfortunate with the other people.
But I'm going to start with these.
I think it's safe.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
America, rather than turn it inward, is so kind to America that it can't help it.
Because in the free world of today, there is no other nation, and there is no other country, and there is no other world, and there is no other country without America.
The predatory powers that have no respect for us.
Those that might be tempted to pray on their own.
Those powers that have no respect for us.
In other words, we want peace.
Peace in America, peace in the world.
Without America playing a role, the world would very well not be peaceful.
All the pictures about our materialism were either too materialistic or a lot of people might say a word about deceptive knowledge.
There were those who gave up.
As an individual, I'm an older individual.
America needs the inspiration, the enthusiasm, the drive, the ideas.
You have the rejuvenation, the renewal.
What I have in mind here is that, uh, uh, that we're setting up for that first day of the month today.
So, uh, I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do.
I don't know what to do.
We've seen similar things in the past.
We find that what has happened is constant.
counter-effects of the technology store in America, and stand for the government and the materials.
I like the records that you get.
What?
Eight or nine.
It goes back to 1967, basically.
You say it all, but it's better, it's harder, but it's the way it's going.
It's not the way it's going.
uh... uh...
You see, it allows for that one step.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And it's not as if they were especially too bad at the time.
and every place where it's run, where the tendency is.
It just wasn't exactly the first time.
We have, we have, we have four years.
as a nation that bears a heavy responsibility to the world.
That's a groundbreaking work.
I would say a challenging responsibility.
And an exciting responsibility to the American people.
And I think we better listen to both of those.
It makes them like an individual.
To have fulfillment, you must look outward, not inward.
You must look forward, not backward.
You must look up, not down.
There's several fears.
I mean, there's hope.
Go back again.
And I say, this one, this one, and this one, and this one, and this one, and this one,
I just got to get the feeling that Dallas was done for.
Thank you.
the greatest progress
What's your, what's your getting at?
Have a good one.
I think the idea, frankly, is that we're going to have to think about it.
You know, it's a question of whether or not we're going to have to think about it.
Well, I hope you understand that diversity is a part of what's individually responsible for itself a lot.
Now, I'm going to do that.
I'm going to do that.
I'm going to do that.
Uh, I, I, uh,
I would like to reference the faith of God.
... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
Hei, hei.
... ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
Takk for i dag.
Hei, skar, borta!
Hei, skar!
I could, my question to me,
... ... ...
Takk for at du så med.
I thought you were signing.
Hei, hei!
Hei!
Denne utdanninga, denne utdanninga, denne utdanninga, denne utdanninga,
... ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
Dramatisk musik.
Dramatisk musik.
... ... ... ...
... ... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
Enn.
At the time of the inauguration, there will be understandings.
God's good.
I have a friend in France.
Vegard.
Hei, hei, hei!
Thank you for watching!
Herre.
I don't do that.
I know you.
I know about it.
I didn't make worse than that.
Oh, I hate this.