Conversation No. 470-5

Date: March 19, 1971
Time: Unknown between 9:25 am and 11:15 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman

     Dr. James R. Schlesinger
           -Ehrlichman’s previous conversation with Bryce N. Harlow
           -Confirmation as Under secretary of Interior
           -Gordon L. Allott
           -Ehrlichman’s conversation with Harlow
           -”8:00 group”
           -Harlow’s view
                                    3

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. 9/08)



-Allott
-President’s wishes
-Harlow
-Allott
      -Possible meeting with President
            -Senate Appropriations Committee meeting
                  -Supersonic Transport [SST]
            -Timing                                           Conv. No. 470-3 (cont.)
      -Attendance at leadership meeting, March 22, 1971
            -Clark MacGregor
            -Hugh Scott
      -Relations with Schlesinger
-Background
      -Research and Development [RAND] Corporation in Santa Monica
            -University of Virginia
-Confirmation of Under secretary of Interior
      -Effect of background
      -Allott
            -Conversation with Harlow
                  -Effect of background
                        -Allott’s concerns
      -Effect on administration proposal to Senate Appropriations Committee
            -Harlow
            -Allott
      -Allott, Scott, Robert P. Griffin, Norris Cotton
      -Allott’s forthcoming re-election campaign
      -Rogers C. B. Morton
            -Senate Interior Committee
-Possible alternatives
      -William T. Pecora
            -Experience
            -Coast and Geological Survey
            -Allott
      -Melvin R. Laird’s suggestion
-Confirmation
      -Strategy
            -President’s position
      -Type needed for job
      -Morton’s position
      -George P. Shultz
            -Allott
                                         4

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



          -President’s position
                -Morton
                      -Decision on deputy
                      -Allott
                -Cabinet officers and White House staff
                -Morton
     -Possible alternative position
     -Confirmation                                        Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
          -Morton
     -Possible alternative position
          -Atomic Energy Commission [AEC]
                -Kenneth E. BeLieu
                      -Background

Economy
    -George W. Romney’s group
         -A meeting, March 22, 1971
               -Ehrlichman, Arthur F. Burns
               -Council of Economic Advisors [CEA]
               -Construction costs
               -Wages and prices
                     -Inflation
         -Paul W. McCracken
               -Haldeman’s call
               -Meetings attended
                     -Burns
                     -Construction wages
         -A report to Ehrlichman
         -McCracken’s talk with Haldeman
         -March 22, 1971 meeting
         -McCracken
         -Burns
               -John B. Connally
               -Shultz
         -Romney
         -Burns
               -Connally
               -Romney
         -Ehrlichman’s conversation with Romney
               -Burns’ role
         -March 22, 1971 meeting
               -James D. Hodgson
                                           5

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 9/08)



              -Burns
                    -Meeting with Cabinet members
                         -Meeting with President
              -Romney
              -John A. Volpe
              -Winton M. (“Red”) Blount
              -Maurice H. Stans
                    -Compared with Romney, Volpe, Blount, and Burns
                                                                  Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
              -Romney
                    -Unions
                    -March 22, 1971 meeting
                         -McCracken
                         -Significance
                         -Time
              -Stans
              -Ehrlichman


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Privacy]
[Duration: 29s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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    Morton
        -A meeting with Ehrlichman
        -Schlesinger
        -Allott
        -[Forename unknown] Knowles [sp?]
             -Morton’s conversation with Ehrlichman
        -Choice of Under secretary of Interior
        -Allott
        -Future action
                                             6

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



     Economy
         -Meetings
             -Construction costs
             -Wages and prices
             -Romney
             -Ehrlichman
             -A report
                   -Herbert Stein and Frederick Deming               Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
                   -McCracken
                   -President
                   -Delivery

[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 9:25 am and
10:03 am]

[Conversation No. 470-5A]

     Call to McCracken for Haldeman

[End of telephone conversation]

     Cabinet

[Haldeman talked with McCracken at an unknown time between 9:25 am and 10:03 am]

[Conversation No. 470-5B]

     Economy
         -A report for March 22, 1971 meeting by CEA
              -Delivery to President

[End of telephone conversation]

                     -McCracken’s response
                     -March 22, 1971 meeting
                          -Romney
                          -Significance
                          -Quadriad
                          -Burns, McCracken
                          -Connally and Shultz
                          -Shultz
                          -McCracken
                                           7

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 9/08)



                        -Burns
                              -Connally’s conversation with Burns
                        -Possible leaks
                              -Possible media reaction
                                    -Effect on Administration
                        -Report
                              -Delivery to President
                        -Ehrlichman’s attendance                    Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
                        -Romney and Volpe
                        -Stans
                        -Burns
         -Burns
              -Inflation
              -Taxes
              -Relations with financial writers
                    -Administration policy
                    -Hobart Rowen
              -Relations with Connally
                    -Significance
              -Possible meeting with President
                    -Ehrlichman’s view
                    -Support for President’s policies
              -Burns’ policies
                    -Shultz
              -Relations with President
                    -Conversations with Haldeman and Ehrlichman
              -Principle compared with politics
              -Relations with Rowen
              -Possible meeting with President
              -Rowen


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Privacy]
[Duration: 26s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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                                          8

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)




Meetings

President’s schedule
     -Clarine (Billingsley) Mills, daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren
           -White House tour
                                                                     Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
Economy
     -March 22, 1971 meeting
           -Ehrlichman’s attendance
           -Stans
           -Ehrlichman
                 -Forthcoming conversation with Stans
                       -Burns
           -Romney and Volpe
           -Ehrlichman
                 -Forthcoming conversation with Stans
                       -Burns
     -Burns
           -Compared with Connally
     -Connally
     -Institutional investment analysts meeting
           -Peter M. Flanigan’s speech
           -Edmund S. Muskie’s speech
           -Support for President’s policies
           -Flanigan’s speech
           -Alan Greenspan’s speech
                 -Flanigan’s response
                 -Taxes
                 -Burns
     -Shultz
     -Martin C. (“Marty”) Anderson
     -Burns
     -Anderson
     -March 22, 1971 meeting
           -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan’s memorandum
                 -Flanigan
           -McCracken
     -Outcome of President’s policies
           -Budget proposals
           -News stories
                                               9

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



                -Stock market
                     -Dow-Jones average
     Cabinet
          -William P. Rogers
          -Romney and Volpe
          -Stans and Clifford M. Hardin
                -Frequency of meetings with President
                -Attendance at social events                        Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
          -Romney and Volpe
          -Meetings
                -Organization
                -March 1971 meeting
                -Future meetings’ purpose
                     -President’s position


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 28s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:25 am

     Mills family White House tour
           -Son, daughter-in-law, State Senator Randy Carlson [?]
           -Cabinet Room

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:03 pm

     Cabinet
          -Social events with President
               -White House dinners, church, Camp David
                     -Value
          -Use of Camp David
               -Value
                                               10

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)




     Mills family tour
           -A photo

      Cabinet
           -Meetings
                -Frequency
                -Length                                                Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
                -Ehrlichman
                -President’s role
Mills, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Mills Dickson and children, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Young, and John S.
Davies entered at 10:03 am; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the
meeting

     Greetings and introductions

     A photo

     Wilbur D. Mills

     Photo arrangements

     Gifts

     Tour of White House

C. Mills, et al. left at an unknown time before 10:07 am

Unknown people [Carlson’s family?] entered at an unknown time after 10:03 am; the White
House photographer was present during the meeting

     Greetings

     Hawaii [?]

     A photo

     Gifts

     Vacation in Washington

     Randy [Carlson?]
                                                11

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)




The President, the unknown people [Carlson’s family?], and the photographer left at an unknown
time before 10:07 am

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 10:07 am

     President’s schedule [?]
                                                                       Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
     Domestic Council
         -White House staff
               -Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
         -An article concerning listing as White House staff in Congressional Directory
               -Possible footnote

Butterfield left and the President entered at 10:10 am

     A W. D. Mills granddaughter

     President’s forthcoming call to W. D. Mills
          -Value

     The Cabinet and the President
          -Previous meeting with Connally
          -National Security Council [NSC] meetings
                -Rogers
                -Laird
          -Rogers
          -John N. Mitchell
          -Elliot L. Richardson
          -Stans
                -Justification for meetings with the President
                      -Columnists, Washington, DC gossips
          -Romney and Volpe
          -Hardin
          -Morton
                -Choice of Under secretary of Interior
          -Social events
                -Frequency
                      -President’s view
                -Church services
                -Evenings at the White House
                -Head of State dinners
                                          12

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



          -Frequency
                -Haldeman’s view
     -Sub-Cabinet
          -Possible future inclusion at social events
                -Value
                -Rocco C. Siciliano
                -Wives
          -Siciliano and wife’s attendance at Italian dinner       Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
          -Attendance at social events prior to President’s administration
                -Siciliano’s experience
                -Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration
          -Haldeman’s view
          -Possible future inclusion at social events
                -Siciliano

Administration wives
    -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon’s program
          -Value
    -Briefings
          -March 23, 1971 schedule
                -A conflicting event
          -Follow-up
    -Number of Cabinet and sub-Cabinet wives
    -White House staff wives
    -Mrs. Nixon’s work

Cabinet
     -Sub-Cabinet
          -Possible future inclusion at social events
                -Siciliano’s advice
     -Social events
          -Boats
          -Camp David
     -Meetings
          -Purpose
          -Frequency and length
          -President’s role
          -Length
     -Upcoming meeting
          -Ehrlichman’s role
          -Agenda
          -Length
                                  13

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 9/08)



      -President’s role
      -Possible briefing by Henry A. Kissinger
            -Vietnam
-Rogers
-Interest
      -Possible televised meeting
            -Scheduling
            -Eisenhower Administration experience   Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
                  -The President’s recollection
            -The President’s position
            -Romney and Volpe
            -Eisenhower Administration experience
                  -Harlow
            -Possible briefing
            -Japanese experience
            -Eisenhower experience
            -Japanese experience
            -Des Moines, Denver
            -President’s position
            -Volpe
            -Subjects of discussion
-President’s experience
-Public opinion
-Possible televised meeting
      -Past experience
-Cabinet meetings
      -Structure
      -Frequency
      -Agenda
            -Domestic issues
      -President’s role
      -Value
-Value
      -Compared with use of Camp David
      -Donald H. Rumsfeld, Shultz
      -Frequency
-Meetings with Ehrlichman
      -Location
-Ehrlichman’s and Shultz’s role
      -Compared with NSC meetings
-National security affairs
      -Kissinger
                                         14

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



         -General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
         -Rogers
         -Laird
         -Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
         -Kissinger
               -Meetings with the President
         -Inclusion of others in meetings
               -Staff participation                        Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
               -Value
     -Meetings with President

White House staff
     -Meetings with President
         -President’s view
         -Flanigan
         -John C. Whitaker
         -Cole
         -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
         -Ehrlichman and Shultz

Cabinet
     -Romney and Volpe
          -Meetings
                -Topics
                     -Problems
          -Compared with Shultz
          -Compared with Kissinger
     -Value of meetings with President

White House staff
     -Meetings with President
         -Cole, Whitaker, Edward L. Morgan
               -Participation
         -Purpose
         -Whitaker
               -Participation
         -Shultz and Ehrlichman
         -Frequency
         -Donald E. Johnson
         -Unnamed AEC official
         -Value compared with President’s other meetings
               -Congressmen and Senators
                                             15

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



                    -Businessmen
         -Meetings
         -Social events
              -Administration wives gathering
                    -Mrs. Nixon
                    -Value
                    -Mrs. Nixon’s briefings
                    -Frequency                                        Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
                    -Inclusion in Mrs. Nixon’s volunteer activities
                          -Value
                                -Husbands

    President’s social schedule
         -Value
         -Outsiders

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 12s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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


    Economy
        -Meetings of Romney’s group
             -Importance
             -Burns
             -Ehrlichman’s role at upcoming meeting
        -Possible re-creation of cabinet committee
             -Shultz
             -Domestic Council
             -Stans
             -Hodgson
        -Shultz
             -Hodgson
                                       16

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 9/08)



          -Influence
                -Article in Nation’s Business
                -Other articles
                      -Influence on Romney’s group

Cabinet
     -History
           -Abraham Lincoln                              Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
                -Salmon [P. Chase?]
     -Economic affairs
           -Shultz
                -Articles on influence
                -A forthcoming speech in Chicago
     -Connally
     -Size
     -Volpe and Romney
     -Stans
           -Reason for appointment
     -Lyndon B. Johnson’s Secretary of Commerce
           -General Bruce Palmer
           -Alexander B. Trowbridge
                -Current position

Businessmen
     -National Alliance of Business [NAB]
     -Meetings
     -NAB
          -The Homestead
     -Meetings
     -Leonard K. Firestone

Cabinet
     -Meetings with the President
          -Topics
     -Administration wives’ program
          -President’s schedule
     -Possible meeting with wives
          -Timing
     -Sub-Cabinet meetings
          -State Department
          -Agenda
                                        17

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



          -Possible meeting with wives
               -Mrs. Nixon
               -Meetings at White House
               -Adele (Langston) Rogers at State Department
               -Martha (Beall) Mitchell at Justice Department
               -Interior Department
               -Value
               -White House                                     Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
                     -White House staff
               -Scheduling
                     -Ehrlichman’s view
                     -California

President’s schedule
     -Coming week
           -Meetings with mayors and dairymen
           -Administration wives
           -Social events
           -March 22, 1971 interview with Howard K. Smith
           -March 23, 1971 dinner with Edwin D. Etherington
                 -National Center for Voluntary Action
                 -Romney
           -March 24, 1971 Republican picnic
           -March 25, 1971 Stans dinner
                 -Reception
           -March 26, 1971
                 -San Clemente
           -Possible meeting with administration wives
                 -Scheduling
                      -Republican fundraiser, March 24, 1971
     -Cabinet meeting, March 26, 1971

Mrs. Nixon’s schedule

President’s schedule
     -California
           -Timing
     -Administration wives’ meeting
           -Timing
     -Cabinet meeting, March 26, 1971
     -California
           -Possible event en route
                                   18

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. 9/08)



-Administration wives’ meeting
     -Ehrlichman’s position
     -A. Rogers
     -M. Mitchell
-Cabinet meeting
     -Administration wives
     -Timing
           -Mayors’ meeting                               Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Etherington dinner
     -Timing
     -Location
-Administration wives’ meeting
     -Timing and location
-Etherington dinner
     -Board of directors of Center for Voluntary Action
           -Possible future dinner
                 -Robert H. Finch
           -Etherington
                 -President’s acquaintance
           -Romney
     -Etherington’s meeting with Finch and Rumsfeld
     -Romney
           -Meeting with Etherington and Finch
     -Possible board of directors’ dinner
           -Size of board
           -Scheduling
     -Previous reception or dinner
           -Charles B. (“Bud”) Wilkinson
           -Max M. Fisher
           -Effect
           -President’s recollection
           -Ehrlichman’s schedule
     -Possible board reception
           -Compared with NAB
     -Possible board dinner
           -Need for a decision
                 -Ehrlichman’s position
                       -Justification
           -Effect
           -Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.
     -Possible White House reception
                                           19

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



               -State Department dinner
                     -Romney

    Ehrlichman’s schedule

    President’s schedule
         -Luncheon meetings
               -Frequency                                          Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
         -Volpe
               -J. N. Mitchell
         -Romney
         -Cabinet meetings
               -Frequency
         -Sub-Cabinet
               -President’s supporters
               -Value
         -Richardson
               -Schedule
         -Stans
               -White House dinner
         -Richardson

    Richardson
         -Dinner parties
              -White House staff
              -Congressmen
              -Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW] staff
         -Work at HEW
              -Anne F. Richardson
                    -HEW auxiliary


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Privacy]
[Duration: 14s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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                                              20

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



Ehrlichman left at 10:53 am

     Ehrlichman’s work
           -Compared with Kissinger and Rogers
           -Volpe and Romney

     President’s press contacts
          -Press relations                                        Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
                -Administration efforts
          -A story by Frank Cormier
          -Ronald L. Ziegler
          -Schedule
                -Ziegler
          -Possible appearance at press briefing
                -SST
          -California
          -One-on-one interview with Smith
                -Follow-up questions
          -Cormier
          -Jerald F. (“Jerry”) terHorst
          -Cormier
          -Effect
          -An unknown man
     Cabinet meetings
          -Previous meeting

[An unknown person talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 10:53 am and 11:15
am]

[Conversation No. 470-5C]

     An unknown item
          -Nellie L. Yates

     George H. Gallup poll

[End of telephone conversation]

The President left at an unknown time before 11:15 am
                                               21

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)