Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 480 › Conversation 480-006

Nixon, Finch & Rumsfeld on John A. McCone and People's Republic of China

Thursday, April 15, 1971 · 12:15 PM–12:40 PM ET · Oval Office · 24 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Finch, Robert H.; Rumsfeld, Donald H.Conversation480-006 on Tape 480 (tape position 01:03:48–01:28:23)StartThursday, April 15, 1971 at 12:15 PMEndThursday, April 15, 1971 at 12:40 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 480-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Robert H. Finch and Donald H. Rumsfeld to discuss the potential appointment of John A. McCone, the status of anti-ballistic missile (ABM) policy, and racial discrimination within the armed forces. A primary focus of the meeting was preparing Finch and Rumsfeld for an extensive international diplomatic tour, including attendance at a World Health Organization meeting and high-level engagements regarding US policy toward the People's Republic of China, international drug control, and the POW issue. The group also coordinated on sensitive political matters, including soliciting overseas campaign contributions and managing relations with various European and Mediterranean leaders.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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who are currently suggestible to .
Thank you.
Of course, there are some numbers on the line.
I saw him just briefly.
That's me.
That was an old man, a very old man.
I'm gonna give you a cross.
Mr. .
Thank you.
Thank you.
That's it.
That's it.
That's it.
Are we serving wine?
Yeah.
He said sometimes.
Good.

NARA Description

On April 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Robert H. Finch, and Donald H. Rumsfeld met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:15 pm to 12:40 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 480-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 480-6

Date: April 15, 1971
Time: 12:15 pm - 12:40 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Robert H. Finch and Donald H. Rumsfeld

     Appointment of John A. McCone
         -Congress
               -Anti-ballistic Missiles [ABM]
         -Breeder reactor
         -Clinton P. Anderson
         -Disarmament
         -Congress
         -Resignation from Common Cause
               -Possible delay
               -Release
         -Common Cause
         -ABM
         -Rumsfeld’s forthcoming conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
         -Disarmament committee
               -William F. Knowland
         -Qualifications
               -Experience
               -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
               -Atomic Energy Commission [AEC]
         -Breeder reactor

     Finch and Rumsfeld’s upcoming visit to World Health Organization [WHO] meeting
          -Kissinger
          -Possible invitation to People’s Republic of China [PRC]

     -President’s visit in 1951
           -Herbert H. Lehman
           -Geneva
           -Dwight D. Eisenhower
                 -Paris
     -Possible invitation to PRC
           -Votes
     -United Nations [UN] representation
     -Kissinger
           -US position
     -Taiwan
     -PRC
     -Possible visit of PRC doctors
     -Finch’s forthcoming conversation with Kissinger
     -US policy regarding PRC
           -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]

USSR
    -US policy
    -PRC
    -Possible reaction
    -Composition
    -Health ministers
    -Subjects
         -Health
         -Drugs
         -Education

Racial discrimination in armed forces
     -Congress
           -Mail
           -Black Caucus
     -Work assignments
     -Blacks
     -Benefits of military service

Finch and Rumsfeld’s visit to WHO meeting
     -Countries in itinerary
          -England
          -Morocco
          -Spain
          -Italy

           -Romania
           -Yugoslavia
           -Austria
           -Germany
           -Switzerland
           -France
     -Specific subjects
           -Drugs
           -Medical education
           -Prisoner relief
France
     -Jacques M. P. Chaban-Delmas
     -Georges J. R. Pompidou
     -President’s relations with Chaban-Delmas

Morocco
    -Visit of King [Moulay] Hassan II
          -Scheduling
          -Arab summit meeting

Great Britain
     -[James] Harold Wilson
     -Edward R. G. Heath
     -Sir Alexander F. (“Alex”) Douglas-Home
     -Tories
     -Labor
           -Wilson
     -Heath
     -Douglas-Home
     -Roy Thomson Herbert
           -Times of London
     -[Maurice] Harold MacMillian
     -R. Anthony Eden
Germany
     -Willy Brandt
     -Opposition
     -Berlin
           -West/East
           -Mayor
     -Evenhandedness

Italy

          -Henry Cabot Lodge
          -Pope Paul VI [Giovanni Battista Motini]
               -Social gospel

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

[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines
                                                                   Conv.case
                                                                         No.number
                                                                             480-10 (cont.)
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-023. Segment declassified on 04/24/2019. Archivist: MAS]
[National Security]
[480-006-w002]
[Duration: 59s]

    Italy
         -Pope Paul VI [Giovanni Battista Motini]
             -Potential topics of conversation
                 -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                      -US concern
                 -Vatican’s role
                 -Papal concern over forthcoming Italian presidential elections

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

     Spain
          -General Francisco Franco
                -Age
          -Robert C. Hill
          -Foreign Minister
          -Political conditions
                -Franco

     Yugoslavia
         -William Leonart
         -Josip Broz Tito
         -PRC
               -Romania
                    -Nicolae Ceausescu
         -Role
         -Tito

     Belgium

     Paris

     Austria
          -Vienna
          -Salzburg
          -US relations

     Germany
         -East Berlin

     European press
          -Kissinger
          -Editors
          -Intellectuals
          -Editors
                -Paris
                -England
                -Germany
                -Italy
          -Compared with US press

     International drug control
           -Justice Department
           -UN
                 -Possible US initiatives
                       -Amendments
           -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
           -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan and Russell E. Train
           -Health
           -[Charles B. Rangel]
                 -Harlem

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

[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-023. Segment declassified on 04/24/2019. Archivist: MAS]
[National Security]
[480-006-w003]
[Duration: 2m 29s]

   International drug control
        -US activities
            -Impact on Turkey and France
        -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
            -Work
        -French policies
        -Robert H. Finch and Donald H. Rumsfeld trip
            -Recent Congressional Black Caucus meeting
            -Turkey visit
        -France
            -Marseilles
        -US priorities
            -France
                 -Need to talk to Jacques M. P. Chaban-Delmas
        -Robert H. Finch and Donald H. Rumsfeld
            -Return from forthcoming trip
                 -Recommendations

   Robert H. Finch and Donald H. Rumsfeld forthcoming trip
      -Prisoner of war [POW] issue
           -Need to talk to Pope Paul VI [Giovanni Battista Motini]
                -Need to talk to Henry Cabot Lodge
                -International drug control
      -Potential communication with US ambassador
      -Henry A. Kissinger
      -Jacques M. P. Chaban-Delmas

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

    Overseas political contributors
         -France
              -Paris
              -Rogers C. B. Morton
         -Herbert W. Kalmbach
         -England
              -Duration of Finch and Rumsfeld’s trip
              -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
              -J[ean] Paul Getty
                     -Property
                     -Possible contribution
                          -Amount

                     -1970 campaign
                           -Contribution
                     -Kalmbach
                     -Property
                     -Living habits
                     -Possible contribution

     Finch and Rumsfeld’s trip
          -Paris

     The President’s schedule
          -Call from Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon

     Finch and Rumsfeld’s trip

Finch and Rumsfeld left at 12:40 pm

Also recorded on April 15, 1971

  • 480-004 12:01 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:01 pm to 12:02 pm.
  • 480-011 12:02 PM · 37 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:02 pm and 12:15 pm.
  • 480-005 12:15 PM · 45 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:15 pm.
  • 001-096 12:40 PM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 12:40 pm to 12:41 pm.
  • 480-007 12:40 PM · 33 sec — Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon and President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:40 pm to 12:41 pm.
  • 480-008 12:41 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:41 pm and 12:50 pm.
  • 480-009 12:41 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:41 pm and 12:50 pm.
  • 480-010 12:41 PM · 31 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Ronald L. Ziegler, John P. ("Jack") Sutherland, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:41 pm and 1:18 pm.

All 71 conversations from April 15, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 480-006, April 15, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/480-006 (accessed October 12, 2026).