{"conversationCode":"481-004","tapeNumber":481,"conversationNumber":4,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-481-004","startDateTime":"1971-04-17T14:15:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-04-17T14:34:00.000Z","startDate":"17-Apr-1971","startTime":"9:15 AM","endDate":"17-Apr-1971","endTime":"9:34 AM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Shultz, George P.; Peterson, Peter G.;","description":"On April 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, and Peter G. Peterson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:15 am to 9:34 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 481-004 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":1,"chronRelease":"First Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"5-Oct-1999","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 481-004\n\nDate: April 17 1971\nTime: 9:15 am - 9:34 am\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nThe President met with George P. Shultz\n\n     Dr. James R. Schlesinger\n           -Departure [from Office of Management and Budget]\n           -Department of Interior\n\n     Kenneth W. Dam\n         -Placement\n         -Evaluation\n         -William P. Rogers\n         -Talent\n               -Finish in law school class [University of Chicago]\n\n     Elliot L. Richardson\n            -Qualifications\n            -Harvard Law School\n\n     Welsh\n          -University of Chicago\n          -Abilities\n          -Writings\n          -”The Pricing of North Sea Gas in Britain”\n          -Anti-trust\n          -Common Market problem\n          -Languages\n          -Abilities\n          -Placement\n          -Peter G. Peterson\n          -International economics\n          -Schlesinger\n          -Possible role\n          -Abilities\n\n       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\n             -Age\n\n             -Shultz's schedule\n\nPeterson entered at 9:20 am\n\n     Upcoming meeting\n         -Agenda\n              -People’s Republic of China [PRC]\n                   US relations with Taiwan\n\n**********************************************************************\n\n[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number\nLPRN-T-MDR-2014-023. Segment declassified on 04/24/2019. Archivist: MAS]\n[National Security]\n[481-004-w001]\n[Duration: 58s]\n\n       Oil\n                -Canadian negotiations\n                       -Pipeline\n                               -Lack of progress\n                       -US position and a more forceful negotiating approach\n                       -Department of State [DOS]\n                               -U. Alexis Johnson\n\n**********************************************************************\n\n     Oil\n             -People's Republic of China [PRC] initiative\n                  -US relations with Taiwan\n\n     Textile Negotiations\n           -Forthcoming meeting prior to David M. Kennedy’s trip\n                 -Objectives\n                 -Strategy\n\n       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\n                 -State Department\n                       -Shultz\n                       -Textile industry\n                       -Negotiations\n                             -Evaluation\n                       -US position\n                       -Trade\n                             -Strategy\n                             -Southeast Asia\n                             -Negotiating problems\n                             -Kennedy\n                       -Need for instructions\n                             -Effect on negotiations\n                 -Peterson's meeting with General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.\n                       -Negotiating strategy\n                 -Trade inducements\n                 -Instructions for Kennedy\n                 -Trade inducements\n                 -Kennedy's schedule\n                       -Trip to Asia\n                             -Philippines\n                 -Discussions of inducements\n                 -Attendees\n                       -John B. Connally\n                       -U. Alexis Johnson\n                       -Peter M. Flanigan\n                       -Maurice H. Stans\n                       -Haig\n                       -Melvin R. Laird\n                       -Haig\n                             -Defense Department\n                       -Stans\n                       -Kennedy\n                             -Message to State Department\n                             -Role\n                             -Trip to Asia\n                             -Schedule\n                             -Attitude toward assignment\n                 -Peterson's conversation with Johnson\n\n       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\n                      -Henry A. Kissinger\n                 -Attendees\n                      -Kissinger\n                      -Haig\n                      -Kissinger\n                            -Defense Department\n                            -Laird\n\n           -Location\n                -Oval Office\n                -Cabinet Room\n           -Schedule\n           -President's conversation with Kissinger\n\n     US economic leadership in post-Vietnam War era\n          -”Peaceful competition” theme\n          -PRC\n          -Competitiveness\n          -Leadership\n               -Consequences\n          -Purposes\n          -US position\n          -American spirit\n          -Competition\n               -Supersonic Transport [SST]\n               -Steel\n                     -Exports\n                           -Share of market\n                                -Compared with 1940-1950\n                                -Japan\n          -Possible consequences of failure\n               -Isolationism\n               -Protectionism\n          -Leadership\n          -Foreign policy\n               -National defense\n          -Economics\n\n     State Department\n\n       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\n            -Organization of foreign economic policy\n                 -Possible effect on negotiations\n                        -Possible White house involvement\n                 -Responsibilities\n                 -Shultz\n                 -Need to build strength\n                 -Negotiations\n                        -Canada\n                        -Japan\n                 -Commercial attaches\n                        -Stans\n                 -Spirit\n                 -Rogers\n                        -Responsibilities\n                              -State Department effectiveness in economic field\n                              -Oil negotiations\n                        -Possible conversation with Peterson and Shultz\n\nThe President, Peterson and Shultz left at 9:34 am","filename":["481-004.mp3"],"tapeStart":"00:16:59","tapeEnd":"00:35:06","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Shultz, George P.","Peterson, Peter G."],"prevCode":"481-003","nextCode":"481-005","transcript":[{"start":238.56,"end":240.77,"text":"We'll be right back after this."},{"start":270.27,"end":272.67,"text":"There you go."},{"start":272.79,"end":274.42,"text":"That was born in 1932."},{"start":359.84,"end":363.52,"text":"Another rather similar..."},{"start":449.77,"end":454.24,"text":"the industry is creating, and we're supposed to create"},{"start":608.8,"end":609.95,"text":"Raise him."},{"start":747.73,"end":748.76,"text":"of some meeting in here."},{"start":830.52,"end":831.62,"text":"We don't even answer."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon met with George Shultz and Peter Peterson to discuss personnel appointments and pressing foreign economic policy, specifically regarding trade negotiations with Japan and Southeast Asia. The group deliberated on the roles of various cabinet members, including David Kennedy and William Rogers, in coordinating trade strategy and managing the State Department's economic responsibilities. They also explored broader themes of U.S. economic competitiveness, the People's Republic of China initiative, and the necessity of preventing American isolationism in the post-Vietnam War era.","topics":["International Trade","Personnel Appointments","Economic Policy","Foreign Relations","Textile Negotiations","U.S. Competitiveness"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T21:44:16.290Z"},"topicSlugs":["international-trade","personnel-appointments","economic-policy","foreign-relations","textile-negotiations","u-s-competitiveness"],"audioDurationSec":1064,"audioFiles":[{"file":"481-004.mp3","bytes":25541484,"durationSec":1064.16,"bitrate":192012,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:48.989Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:43:48.210Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/481-004.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/481-004","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/481/conversation-481-004","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}