Nixon, Ziegler & Finch on Congressional Black Caucus

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Well, there was a rumor in the week that something you should be careful with.

It was a large story this morning.

The technology is nice.

Well, I read the briefing on the paper.

The solos are the one very much.

They changed the rules on us since I talked with Charlie.

What do you mean?

You're playing a tough game.

Charlie, did you see it in the outline of their paper?

Yeah.

Their paper contained a warm expression of appreciation for your sensitivity and generosity and thoughtfulness.

Yeah.

You will be talking to a number of people.

Hello, is this Bill Allen?

We have to get him on.

Put him on the line.

That guy doesn't know how to show it.

The plan now is that they will make an appointment with each of the others.

All ten.

There are thirteen of them together.

They said they each should take two minutes.

It seems to me, and it seemed to several of us meeting in my office, but it might be best if I sat across from you at the conference table, the cabinet table, and started the meeting, and indicated the opening of the meeting, which you had 60 minutes, and that you'd welcome him there, welcome him here, if you wanted to have him, welcome him on, but to indicate that at their request, Charlie was going to open and give each of the others a chance to defend.

So let's take his place, and he's on the spot, I'm just saying.

I think it would be good if you would shake hands with them.

And they understand that they're 60 months and they don't discipline themselves and they use up the entire time in the presentation.

That's it.

There's no reason why the company should not remain to their desire.

If you leave, it must be your desire too.

Well, I can add a little to it if you want, but you just want to make it an hour and a half.

Okay.

You can play it on the player.

You block a minute 60 and then play it again.

If you take 60 and then hold for 75 minutes, an hour and a half, you get an hour and a half more.

Fine, I'll take 75.

Do you think you can get any more?

If you can get any more, then I have a case on you that you don't expect from me.

I don't tell them 60 minutes.

Oh, I shouldn't even do that.

I'll do as much as I can, but I do have this meeting at 615.

I don't know what the hell's going to happen.

I'm going to see that thing.

I'm going to tell it to God, I'll tell it to myself.

where it comes from.

Signal guys, I always tell them to use the lights off, or at least get the signal lights on when they sleep, but they don't do anything.

Oh, fine, I don't mind.

I don't mind.

But, uh, what's the problem?

They're experiencing minor technical difficulties with the feedback in the phone plan.

Yeah.

No, you've got to realize they're not here.

But then I wouldn't... We will not have a picture.

I'm not going to have a picture.

We'll just send it off.

That'd be bad.

I mean, I've been a customer.

If they're going to play that kind of game, I mean, there's no reason to advertise your competition and get a much bigger picture.

Let them have their picture out there.

They want a still photo with you.

We're not trying to build this meeting up.

Do you understand?

We're going to play it out.

Yes, sir.

No, no, no.

You have a big picture in that room, a three columns, every paper in the country, and it'll build up the words that they said.

You understand?

I know you're an aggressive boy.

You see my point?

I'm not trying to make a story.

I'm trying to mold you to a story.

Let it be a word story, not a picture story.

We can do that.

I'd just like to make sure.

You already told them that there'd be a picture.

Yes, sir, but...

The only problem, which I'd like to raise, would do it this way, but I think that they perhaps could turn that into a portion of the story.

In other words, the fact that we handle it the different ways we normally handle these type of meetings.

I know it's a terrible thing to bring up, but they

But they would maybe attempt to use that to their own advantage, like they're being handed...

They didn't have a picture of us.

Charlie, they just requested a picture.

He did not specifically request press pictures.

They have...

I don't know what he requested with you.

But the press, I think they've been talking about it.

That's all right with me.

I'm going to leave it at that.

I have to leave it at that.

Well, you just want me to sit there and listen to all that.

Why are we having all these cabinet people?

They're not responding to anything.

If we ever get a response, then it'll go all night.

Yes.

Because I just, it'll take them that long to read the paper.

All right.

Not only because you guys have pretty much no response to what they've read, but because you want to hear them themselves.

I mean, it's not a case of our argument at that point.

If their case isn't good, it's to give it to Secretary Romney and Secretary Hutch.

I'm going to give the chair a chance to hear the entire presentation.

We're there because the president asked us to be here.

Charlie and Dave will be seated to your right, Mr. President.

The best audience is the elected vice chairman of the group from Los Angeles County, Tina Weston.

You can try to position the elements of the pieces hidden as possible over to your right.

So let me sign with you.

In a confrontation with last year,

Two minutes is fine.

I didn't do it.

It was Martin Luther King's phone again.

Now, let's get going on that call.

What is the problem with it?

They have a, they're having a difficult time making it work, Mr. President.

The problem is how does it keep going?

What do you mean?

I mean, they just, I mean, they can't make it work.

They believe they can get it corrected momentarily at certain times.

Let's see what they're doing.

There's a speaker that had to disconnect.

That's in Allen's office.

I think they've got it coming through.

You ought to be in there ahead of time.

Yeah, they can pull him out faster than the president can.

Yeah, some of the data, yeah.

I've got to make this call to right now.

So if you want to go out and hold our hands, I'll be prepared to take your signals.

And I will be prepared to stay at 615.

And I'm happy to go to the subject.

The point that others are pretty fond of is that the more

They are strident in their presentation and we are only like very high levels.

And I think this is going to be a very big plus for all the women that we deal with.

Very.

It's a very fine line.

That's right.

It's a very fine line.

Sure, that's fine.

Okay.

Listen, I do want two groups of fire troops.

One group.

I want one group, and it's going to be done at a mess this time.

Yes, sir.

I understand.

Quick.

Because I don't want to build this up so much.

I think it's a mistake.

I do want to do it.

Well, I'll try to do it.

Sure.

We'll do the picture, sir.

No, no, no.

Do it.

It's a mistake.

All right.

Hello?

Is this Bill Allen?

Well Bill, I wanted to make this call to you, but I understand that we're on a phone which goes into the plant, is that correct?

I just wish I could be out there in person to say what I'm going to say now, but if you would just bear with me a moment, I'd like to tell you exactly how I feel about what happened yesterday.

Yes.

Come on.

I know that that must have been a terribly disheartening moment for everybody who's worked so hard and so long to make the American SSC a reality, and I'm sure that your disappointment out there has compounded not only an uncertainty about what it means for your own personal future, but also a distress to the project in which you believe has been turned down by the Congress.

I want you to know that I share your disappointment.

I share it.

First, as President of the United States, as an individual, as a person, I simply want to take this opportunity to express to you personally my thanks for all that you've done over the years to bring this project so close to completion.

I also want to express my determination that the remarkable combination of skills and talents that your Boeing team represents shall not be lost to this nation.

Each time I fly at Air Force One,

and I'll be flying an Air Force One tomorrow on my way to the West Coast.

It's a Boeing plane.

And I am reminded of the role Boeing has played in making America the world's leader in commercial aviation.

Throughout the world, the 707, the 727, the 737, and now the 747 have become symbols of America's leadership.

And I am counting on you here at Boeing to remain a dynamic force in our determined effort, even in the face of this defeat for the SST, to maintain that American leadership.

The reason I fought so hard to keep the SST project alive was that I deeply believe that America must remain in the vanguard of scientific and technological progress, the kind of progress your team represents, to which you've been dedicated.

Congress's action on the SST has come as a severe blow to all of us, but I've determined that America must and will continue pushing outward the horizons of the unknown.

I have also determined that we must and we will make full use of the most valuable resource we have as a nation, and that resource is the skill, the dedication, the imagination of its people, people like those of you on the SST team.

who have made our advances possible in the past and on whom we depend to go forward in the future.

That's my message to you, Bill, and to all the people who are members of a very great Bowie team.

We may have lost this, but we're going to win the next one.

And you can always be sure that every time I'm in a Boeing 9 product,

Nixon, Ziegler & Finch on Congressional Black Caucus

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on March 25, 1971

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