Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 464 › Conversation 464-015

Nixon, Dent & Flanigan on Textile trade negotiations and Japan

Tuesday, March 9, 1971 · 2:34 PM–2:58 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Dent, Harry S.; Flanigan, Peter M.Conversation464-015 on Tape 464 (tape position 03:50:37–04:14:06)StartTuesday, March 9, 1971 at 2:34 PMEndTuesday, March 9, 1971 at 2:58 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 464-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon, Harry Dent, and Peter Flanigan discussed the status of delicate textile trade negotiations with Japan and the administration's strategy regarding potential legislative action. The group evaluated the influence of Representative Wilbur Mills and other key industry stakeholders, aiming to align domestic political support with the administration’s trade goals. Nixon finalized plans for a forthcoming public statement to address voluntary restraints, ensuring the administration's stance on trade and monitoring remained distinct from congressional maneuverings.

Audio

part B, 1:49:20

Download MP3 (part 1) · 166.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 168.0 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 150.1 MB ·Download MP3 (part 4) · 167.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 5) · 11.8 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the players above hold the full tape, shared with neighbouring conversations. By the archivists' log it runs from 03:50:37 to 04:14:06 into the tape; their log often drifts a minute or two from the audio, so listen for the subjects in the finding aid.

NARA Description

On March 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Harry S. Dent, and Peter M. Flanigan met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:34 pm to 2:58 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 464-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 464-15

Date: March 9, 1971
Time: 2:34 pm - 2:58 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Harry S. Dent and Peter M. Flanigan

     Textile trade negotiations with Japan
          -President’s previous meeting
          -Dent’s view
                 -Peter G. Peterson
          -Dent’s calls
                 -Roger Milliken
                 -John W. McCormack
                 -Industry position
                       -Wilbur D. Mills
          -Democrats’ position
                 -Dent’s efforts
          -President’s action
                 -Public perception
          -Mills

-Flanigan’s meetings
     -Milliken
     -Dent
     -Robert C. Jackson
     -Industry representatives
           -Position
                 -Role of the President
-Mills
     -Meeting with industry representatives
           -Jackson
           -Results
     -President’s position
     -Bryce N. Harlow
     -Possible future position
     -Japanese embassy
           -Communication with Mills
                 -Mills’ efforts
                 -Administration
           -Ambassador’s meeting with Flanigan
-Flanigan’s meeting with Japanese ambassador
     -Flanigan’s view
-Possible Action by President
Show the rest of the log (86 more lines)
     -A draft statement on Japanese proposal
           -Voluntary restraints
           -Legislation
           -Monitoring
           -Legislation
-Legislation
     -Industry position
           -Mills
           -Administration efforts
     -President’s position
     -Content
     -Ernest F. (“Fritz”) Hollings’ position
           -Mills
     -President’s possible action
     -Possible statement by President to press
           -Mills
           -President’s position
     -Support for President’s position
           -Dent’s work with Congressmen
-Mills

      -Administration position
            -Statement to press
-President’s forthcoming meeting with industry representatives
-John N. Mitchell’s position
      -Compared with Mills’ position
-George P. Shultz and Peterson’s philosophy
-President’s philosophy
      -Effect on action
-Legislation
      -Administration action
      -Mills
            -Position on other administration measures
                  -Revenue sharing
                  -Social Security
                  -Welfare reform
-Mills’ position
-Textile industry convention in Florida
      -Herbert Stein and William D. Ruckelshaus
-Legislation
      -Mills
      -Administration position
            -Time limit
                  -Industry
-President’s forthcoming statement
      -Timing
      -Content
      -Tone
      -Mills
      -Effect on proposed legislation
      -Monitoring reports to Congress
      -Wording of statement
            -Possible effect
      -Possible future action
      -Shultz and Peterson’s views
      -President’s position
      -John B. Connally’s views
-Peterson
-Connally, Mitchell
-Peterson
-President’s decision
-Dent
-U. Alexis Johnson

                 -State Department’s view

Dent and Flanigan left at 2:58 pm

                                                               Conversation
                                                               Conv. No. 464-15
                                                                            No. 464-16
                                                                                (cont.)

Date: March 9, 1971
Time: Unknown between 2:58 pm and 3:01 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull

     President’s schedule
          -Unknown people
          -George P. Shultz and John D. Ehrlichman
                -A meeting in the Cabinet Room
          -Robert A. Taft, Jr.

Bull left at 3:01 pm

Transcript (AI-generated)

No transcript is available yet for this conversation. The recording may contain no audible speech, or it may not have been processed.

Also recorded on March 9, 1971

  • 464-013 1:30 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:30 pm and 2:34 pm.
  • 464-014 1:30 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:30 pm and 2:34 pm.
  • 464-016 2:58 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:58 pm and 3:01 pm.
  • 464-017 3:01 PM · 41 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:01 pm to 3:42 pm.
  • 464-018 3:42 PM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:42 pm and 3:45 pm.
  • 464-019 3:45 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Robert A. Taft, Jr., Richard Dusterberg, Mrs. Richard Dusterberg, John E. Nidecker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:45 pm to 3:48 pm.
  • 464-020 3:48 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Silvio O. Conte, Edward Farrick, Mrs. Edward Farrick, John H. LaSalle, Robert Rodriguez, Fred H. Bardwell, John E. Nidecker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:48 pm to 3:55 pm.
  • 464-021 3:55 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 3:55 pm.

All 29 conversations from March 9, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 464-015, March 9, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/464-015 (accessed November 2, 2026).