Conversation No. 479-2


Date: April 14, 1971
Time: 9:50 am - 10:30 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John C. Stennis, Margaret Chase Smith, David Packard, Henry A.
Kissinger, Clark MacGregor, and Peter M. Flanigan

     [General conversation]
          -Greetings
          -Speeches
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                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



     -Senate rules
Senate
     -Armed Services Committee
           -Legislation
     -President’s appreciation for Smith and Stennis’ support
           -National security issues in 1969 and 1970
           -Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr. case
                                                                Conv. No. 479-1 (cont.)
Defense
     -Current mood of the country
          -Importance of leadership of Smith and Stennis
          -Cutbacks
                -Media
                       -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] program
     -Senate
          -Armed Services Committee
                -Opinions
     -Defense Department
          -Responsibilities
     -Draft extension
          -Timetable
     -Stennis
     -Senate Armed Services Committee
          -Hearings
                -Manpower [draft extension]
                -Military pay increase
                -Manpower levels
                -Anti-ballistic Missiles [ABM]
                -Timetable
                -Bills
                -Draft extension
                -Manpower
                -Schedule
                -C5A
          -Military construction
          -Hardware funds
          -ABM
     -Senate rule
     -Climate of opinion
     -Legislation
          -Procurement bill
          -Ceiling
                                  11

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 9/08)



      -Weapons
            -ABM
-Conference
-Procurement bill
-Manpower reductions
-Budget cuts
-Manpower
-Appropriation bill                                 Conv. No. 479-2 (cont.)
-Military procurement
      -Hardware
      -Research & development
      -Operations and maintenance money
      -Reductions
-Draft bill
      -Prospects
      -Extension of draft
            -Four years
            -Two years
-House
      -Action
-Volunteer Army
      -Mark O. Hatfield and Barry M. Goldwater
      -Extension
            -Two years
      -Armed Services Committee
      -Informal talks
      -Goals
-Budget cuts
      -Membership
      -William Proxmire
      -Strategists
      -Armed Services Committee
-Procurement bill
-Manpower reductions
      -President’s announcements
      -Bargaining
      -Armed Services Committee
      -Negotiations
      -Overall cut
      -Ceiling
      -Armed Services Committee
      -Solidarity
                                  12

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 9/08)



-Procurement
     -Weapons
-Navy
     -Target
     -Carrier
     -Amendment
     -Talks
     -Armed Services Committee                      Conv. No. 479-2 (cont.)
     -Difficulties
-Selective Service
     -Richard S. Schweiker
     -Goldwater
     -John G. Tower
     -Peter H. Dominick
     -Goldwater
-Armed Services Committee
     -Individualists
     -William B. Saxbe
     -Goldwater
     -One-year extension vote
-Effort
     -Stennis’ forthcoming initiatives
     -Members of Committee
-Vote on Senate floor
     -Selective Service
     -Timing
     -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
     -Procurement bill
     -Timing
-Timing of Congressional recess
     -Agreement
-Chairman
-Manpower reductions
-National Security
     -Stennis’ role
     -President’s role
-Members of Armed Services Committee
     -Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr.
     -Harold E. Hughes
     -Saxbe
           -President’s possible action
                                               13

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



                 -Stennis and Smith’s contributions
                 -Context

     International conditions
           -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                -[Twenty-fourth Soviet Party] Congress
                      -Leadership
                            -Leonid I. Brezhnev                 Conv. No. 479-2 (cont.)
                                 -Speech
                      -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
                      -US military position
                      -Leadership
                            -Brezhnev
                            -Negotiations
                      -USSR missile strength
                      -US negotiating position
                      -US military budget
                      -Negotiations
                      -SALT
           -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
           -US policy

     Stennis’ schedule
          -Speech

     Defense

Stennis left at 10:17 am

           -Upcoming Senate votes
                 -Stennis
           -Manpower reductions
           -Budget
           -Pay increase
           -Draft extension
                 -Two-year limitation
                 -Importance
                 -US relations with USSR
           -Procurement
                 -Vote
                 -Timing
                 -Administration’s position
                                   14

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. 9/08)



-International conditions
      -US negotiations with USSR
      -USSR leadership
      -President’s PRC initiative
            -Ping-pong team
      -Vietnam negotiations
      -Budget cuts
            -Need for steadiness                    Conv. No. 479-2 (cont.)
      -US negotiating position
-Timing of procurement bill
      -Possible delay
      -Administration’s position
      -Discussion with leadership
      -August/September
      -Flexibility
      -Smith’s possible initiatives
-Timing of ABM vote
-Manpower bill
      -Vietnam
            -Smith’s mail
-Calley case
      -Research
      -Guilt
      -Standards
            -Comparison to civilian crimes
                  -District of Columbia
      -Judge
      -Fort Leavenworth military prison
      -President’s possible actions
            -Confinement
                  -Fort Leavenworth
            -President’s review
            -Armed Services Committee
            -Possible investigatory commission
                  -Earl Warren Commission
            -Military justice
-Manpower
      -Two-year extension
      -Chairman
            -Stennis
                                                15

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)



                -Armed Services Committee
                      -Difficulties
                      -Smith and Stennis
                -Two-year extension
                -Volunteer army
                -Draft
                -Goldwater and Hatfield
                -Transition                                           Conv. No. 479-2 (cont.)
                -Politics
                -Four-year extension
                -Strategy
                -Two-year extension
                -Armed Services Committee
                      -W[illiam] Stuart Symington
                      -Saxbe

     Rose Garden
          -Trees

Smith, Packard, Kissinger, MacGregor, and Flanigan left at 10:30 am