Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 426-008
Date: Thursday, March 29, 1973 at 4:55 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose Mary; White House operator; Kissinger, Henry A.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose Mary; White House operator; Kissinger, Henry A.
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/426-008

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Thank you.
[0:33] I said, no, I'm going to give this back to you for two purposes.
[0:45] One, not to retype any.
[0:53] I don't want you to retype any of the pages that I've made any changes on.
[0:59] But if I have made changes on the pages, then you can retype those and be sure that the press copy is still correct.
[1:01] Like I had to put the word on every one place.
[1:03] Christ would have been.
[1:17] And I think it was Ron who did Ron's copy.
[1:29] I think he put it in the paragraph, right?
[1:30] Oh, that is.
[1:30] Yes, yes, yes.
[1:30] Sorry.
[1:30] No problem.
[1:31] We had shown the meeting was, it wasn't international performance.
[1:32] It wasn't something that was written.
[1:44] I think we've got to wait outside .
[2:22] I just need that one page I gave you.
[3:00] Don't worry.
[3:07] It's on the record.
[3:10] It's irrelevant.
[3:12] Let me turn finally tonight to another great job.
[3:14] As we end America's warmest war, let us resolve and show not to be pleased.
[3:17] During the past year, we have made great progress toward our goal of a generation of peace for America and the world.
[3:20] The war on Vietnam has been ended.
[3:25] After 20 years of hostility and confrontation, we have opened a constructive dialogue between the Republic of China, a country where one-fourth of all the world's people live, with a big data relationship and a constructive relationship.
[3:49] We have opened a constructive new relationship.
[3:52] Thank you.
[4:20] There are some who say that if you have all this progress for peace, why not go to the defense budget?
[4:26] Our defense budget today takes the lowest percentage of our gross national product in 20 years.
[4:31] There is nothing I would like better than to be able to reduce the burden.
[4:35] But we must never forget that we would not have made the progress for a lasting peace, and that we would not have made it this last year, that we made this last year, unless we have had the military strength and command to respect the ability of the American Revolution.
[4:49] This year, we have begun to do negotiations so we can refer to the negotiations.
[4:57] We'll be participating later in the year in negotiations for mutual reduction of forces of war.
[5:04] We do the latter.
[5:08] Reduce our defense fighting, or reduce our forces of war.
[5:12] Any chance for successful negotiations for mutual reduction of forces of war that we destroy.
[5:19] There is one unbreakable rule with our national opponents.
[5:31] You can't get something in a negotiation unless you have something to give.
[5:42] If we cut our defenses before negotiations begin, any incentive for other nations to cut their will be going to be strong.
[5:45] The same thing that I've heard so far that I would gladly modify as a way to say and achieve this without, if we did not have defenses that prevented the disrespect from those who
[5:52] Thank you.
[6:23] Now,
[6:55] If the United States reduces its defenses and others do not, it increases the danger of war.
[7:09] Only a mutual reduction of forces will reduce the danger.
[7:19] We must maintain our strength until we get agreements under which other nations will join us in reducing the burden of our war.
[7:23] Well, I've got it up here.
[7:34] This is the way we got where we are.
[7:39] I said it's because we've been strong.
[7:42] What is at stake is whether the United States should become the second-strongest nation in the world.
[7:49] If that day should ever come, the chances for building a new structure of peace in the world would be irrevocably damaged, and free nations everywhere would live in mortal danger.
[7:58] A strong United States is not a threat to peace.
[8:00] It is the free world's indispensable guardian of peace and freedom.
[8:04] I ask for your support tonight for keeping the strength which enabled us to make such great progress toward world peace in this past year.
[8:12] which is indispensable if we continue our bold new initiatives for peace in the years ahead.
[8:26] It's tough, but the Chinese will love it.
[8:27] That is what it will be.
[8:29] Well, this is not bad.
[8:34] And then it tells the truth.
[8:35] Well, your suggestion is fine.
[8:37] Well, you don't want to put anything against the ground.
[8:39] You can't just somewhere in there say,
[8:41] This is how we got there against the advice.
[8:45] Well, I'm getting away with it.
[8:53] Well, I know that, but I wonder, I'm trying to be, I'm pretty tough, I mean, I'm trying to be not too goddamn divisive.
[9:04] This is pretty tough in the Vietnam part, too.
[9:07] Oh, yeah.
[9:08] Oh, it's a tough fight.
[9:09] But the fight is,
[9:12] Just rubbing it.
[9:16] I'm really getting to the point.
[9:18] I sat today to somebody's lunch at a liberal.
[9:21] I was on that Watergate thing.
[9:23] I said, where are you, civil libertarian?
[9:26] Went 40 years after that.
[9:30] And they were very defensive about it.
[9:35] Because some perpetrators are just.
[9:39] Well, I'd be basically debating points.
[9:45] And I will hit that.
[9:48] I'll have other opportunities to hit them.
[9:51] Oh, yes.
[9:52] Oh, yes.
[9:52] And I will.
[9:53] Because there will be actors on the defense.
[9:55] I said, listen, for four years we have heard this talk that we ought to reduce the amount.
[10:03] And that's what I made.
[10:04] So.
[10:07] Now, I have...
[10:10] The fact is, Mr. President, you have done both over the peace and more over the government than those people who've been... who've been treasuring.
[10:24] Well, that's my point.
[10:25] Here's what I say here.
[10:28] I point out at the beginning the great strides we have made.
[10:32] They say, why don't we come to the budget?
[10:34] And I point out that it is the lowest we'd like to be.
[10:37] But we must never forget we would not have made progress for a lasting peace that we have made in this past year unless we had had the military strength and the man's respect.
[10:47] Oh, what can I say?
[10:49] Whether we go further and say over the objections of, no, I don't think so.
[10:56] I'd like to take on the ask, but I don't think my normal thing will allow me to do it tonight.
[11:03] You might.
[11:04] I'm a good little boy.
[11:04] It's a very strong speech.
[11:12] It's very strong.
[11:13] Thank you.