Conversation 415-016

TapeTape 415StartTuesday, February 27, 1973 at 11:50 AMEndTuesday, February 27, 1973 at 12:31 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building

On February 27, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:50 am and 12:31 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 415-016 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 415-16

Date: February 27, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:50 am and 12:31 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President dictated a memorandum for the file.

******************************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]

       President’s press conference
              -Plans
                      -Postponement
                              -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                              -Henry A. Kissinger, Ronald L. Ziegler
              -Other times

       Resolution of POW issue
              -Kissinger’s advice
                      -Laos, Cambodia
                             -Cease-fire agreement negotiations
                             -North Vietnam
                                               -28-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        (rev. Mar.-09)

                                     -Hard line
                              -South Vietnam
                                     -Cease-fire violations

       Message to Nguyen Van Thieu
             -US support
             -Thieu’s visit
                    -Postpone announcement
             -POW issue
                    -Resolution

        Kissinger’s concerns regarding William P. Rogers
               -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s opinion
               -International Conference on Vietnam
                       -Talks with the People’s Republic of China [PRC], Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics [USSR]
                       -Publicity

       President’s conversation with Rose Mary Woods
              -Invitations to church service
                      -Mistakes
                      -Congressmen and Senators
              -Stephen B. Bull
              -Maurice H. Stans
                      -Contributors
                              -List
              -David Packard
              -National Finance Committee

       Invitation to the White House to Jane Payden [?]
               -Background information

       President’s talk with Ziegler
              -Press relations
                       -1972 campaign
                       -Discrediting the press
                               -Effect on voters
                       -[Edith Efron] syndrome
                               -Virulence
                                      -29-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               (rev. Mar.-09)

                      -Compared with 1968
              -Censorship
              -Publicity
              -Press reports
                      -Accuracy
                      -Catherine Mackin’s story
              -Press statements
                      -Firmness
                      -Adversarial tone
                      -William L. Safire, Raymond K. Price, Jr.
                               -Conciliatory tone
                      -Critics
                      -“Peace with honor”
                      -Bias

President’s conversation with Kissinger
       -Recommendations
               -Bombing, mining
               -Accuracy
       -Mining
       -Announcement
               -North Vietnam
       -Removal of mines
               -US statement
                      -Delay
                      -POWs release
                      -Private communication
                      -US troop withdrawal
       -Kissinger
               -Reception
                      -New York

Barbara Walters’s program
       -Kissinger’s appearance
              -President’s conversation with Haldeman
              -War critics
       -Bombing decision
              -Kissinger’s compared to President’s role
              -Compared with PRC initiative
                                                  -30-

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                             (rev. Mar.-09)

                          -Liberal credibility
                                 -Claims to being a dove

          Rogers
                   -Conflicts with Kissinger
                   -Melvin R. Laird

          Press relations
                  -Ziegler
                  -James J. Kilpatrick, Jr. [?]
                          -Martin Z. Agronsky [?]
                  -Inauguration picture
                          -Hugh S. Sidey
                          -Photographer
                  -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
                          -Special relationships
                  -Voices in press
                          -Avoidance in press
                                 -Avoidance of overlooking
                          -Lyndon B. Johnson [?]
                          -Republican critics [?]

          Cary Grant, Sophia Loren
                -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew [?]
                -Telephone calls [?]

[Pause]

          J. Strom Thurmond’s [?] vote
                  -Special committee
                  -Richard D. Kleindienst
                  -Someone’s candidacy
                         -Governor

          Ken Crawford
                -Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
                -Price [?]

          News summary
                                                  -31-

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                            (rev. Mar.-09)

                 -Reorganization
                 -Haldeman
                 -Ziegler
                        -Discussion with President
                 -Commentary compared with news
                        -Reaction to POWs
                               -New York Times
                               -Editorial decisions
                               -Amnesty

          Press relations
                  -Leaks
                            -President’s conversation with Haldeman
                            -Charles W. Colson
                                   -Staff

          George P. Shultz and John T. Dunlop

          Budget cuts
                -Balance
                -Shultz [?]

          Press relations
                  -White House staff
                  -Safire

          A campaign
                -Robert C. Byrd

          Foreign policy
                 -Issues
                 -Aid
[Pause]

          John D. Ehrlichman
                 -Bryce N. Harlow
                 -Congressional relations

[Pause]
                                             -32-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       (rev. Mar.-09)

       Truth [?]

******************************************************************************

The President finished dictating at an unknown time before 12:31 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.

February, at 12 o'clock, I had planned to have a press conference today.
Thank you.
... ... ... ...
Right.
Right.
and then we'll have to do all of those, and then it's going to be a couple of times.
And, you know, we're going to have to do all of those things.
And then we'll have to do all of those things.
And then we'll have to do all of those things.
Thank you for watching.
Uh, Jane, uh, Jane, Jane, and, uh, I want to know if you should be in bed for a while.
Uh, we actually
uh...
Thank you.
Thank you.
... ... ... ...
I am
I don't know.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I'm a professional lawyer.
I'm a professional lawyer.
I'm a professional lawyer.
I'm a professional lawyer.
I'm a professional lawyer.
I'm a professional lawyer.
I'm a professional lawyer.
uh... uh...
Thank you.
I'm sorry, I'll let you know if you could.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Thank you for watching.
I guess that's perfect.
Thank you.
... ... ... ... ...
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you for watching.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.