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Conversation: 485-002

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Start Date: 21-Apr-1971 3:14 PM

End Date: 21-Apr-1971 3:51 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Shultz, George P.McCracken, Paul W.Flanigan, Peter M.Whitaker, John C.Kriegsman, William E.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:01:57

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 00:37:37

485-002.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, Paul W. McCracken, Peter M. Flanigan, John C. Whitaker, and William E. Kriegsman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:14 pm to 3:51 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 485-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 485-2

Date: April 21, 1971
Time: 3:14 pm - 3:51 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with George P. Shultz, Paul W. McCracken, Peter M. Flanigan, John C.
Whitaker, and William E. Kriegsman

     [General conversation]

     Economy
         -Outlook
         -Quarter
              -Figures
         -Administration's economic policy
              -”Breakthrough”
              -Inflation
              -Future course

     Energy message [Special message to Congress on Energy Resources, June 4, 1971]
          -Breeder reactor

     Breeder reactor
          -Public relations
          -President's position
                                        2

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                              Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 9/08)




          -Chet Holifield
          -Environmentalists
          -Press
          -Budget
          -Government reorganizations

Government reorganization
    -Holifield

Breeder reactor
     -Costs
     -Budget
     -Program
           -Excitement

Energy
     -Energy message
     -Natural gas
           -Pricing
     -Oil import policy
     -Natural gas
           -Deregulation
                 -Federal Power Commission [FPC]
           -FPC
                 -John N. Nassikas
           -Pricing
           -Legislation
           -Harris bill
           -Credit
     -Fuel shortage
           -Gas
     -Breeder reactor
           -Energy message
           -Administration's possible policy
           -Holifield
           -Development timing
                 -Ten years
           -Costs
           -Science
                                           3

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 9/08)



     -Oil import policy
           -Flanigan
           -John G. Tower
           -John B. Connally

Government reorganization
    -Department of Natural Resources [DNR]
    -Holifield                                             Conv. No. 485-2 (cont.)
         -Atomic Energy Commission [AEC] and DNR
    -Possible administration strategy
         -Breeder reactor
               -Holifield

Energy
     -Continental shelf
           -Environmentalists
           -Oil
           -North Slope
           -Technology
                 -Drilling
     -Oil shale
           -Shultz
           -Costs
           -Technology
     -Oil and oil shale
           -Canada
                 -Level of US imports
                 -Negotiations
                       -US position
                       -Pipeline
                       -Stalemate
                       -State Department
                             -Philip H. Trezise
                       -McCracken
                       -George A. Lincoln
                 -Pipeline
                       -North Slope
                 -Negotiations
                       -Trezise
                 -US position
                                           4

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 9/08)




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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 25s ]

    CANADA                                                         Conv. No. 485-2 (cont.)

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


                         -Great Lakes
                              -Costs
                              -Environmentalists

    Earth Day participants
         -John V. Lindsay
         -”Flower children”
         -Environmentalists

    Breeder reactor
         -Number
         -Contractors
         -Experts
               -Views
         -Prototype
         -Building
               -Time required
         -Prototype
         -Number
         -Contractors
               -General Electric [GE], Westinghouse, [North American Rockwell]
               -Confidence and competition
         -Expense
               -Private industry
         -Federal Government
               -Pre-prototypes
         -Uncertainties
         -Contractors
                                        5

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)



           -North American Rockwell
           -GE
     -California
     -Building
           -Schedule
     -California
           -AEC
     -AEC                                                Conv. No. 485-2 (cont.)
           -Possible problem
           -Contractors
                 -GE and Westinghouse
     -North American Rockwell
           -Competence
     -GE and North American Rockwell
     -Building
           -California
           -Unemployment
           -Engineers
     -Scientists and engineers
     -Possible announcement

The President's schedule
     -California
           -Western White House

Government reorganization
    -Shultz
         -Possible conversation with Holifield
    -Wilbur D. Mills
    -H. Allen Smith

Removal of Donald E. McLarnan
    -Thomas S. Kleppe
         -Smith
    -Possible action
    -Frank T. Bow
    -McLarnan
    -Henry Salvatori
    -F. Donald Nixon
    -Smith
    -Competence
    -Smith
                                            6

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 9/08)



              -Ronald W. Reagan
         -Shultz
         -Reagan's view
    Energy message
         -Timing
         -Holifield
              -Long Beach
         -Timing                                                       Conv. No. 485-2 (cont.)
         -Announcement
         -Breeder reactor
              -Santa Barbara
              -Continental shelf

    Energy
         -Canadian negotiations
              -President's possible role
                    -Pace
                    -Deadline
              -Peter G. Peterson
                    -Council on International Economic Policy [CIEP]
              -Oil imports
              -US domestic producers
              -Henry L. Bellmon
              -Tower
              -Frank N. Ikard
                    -American Petroleum Institute [API]


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 15s ]

    CANADA

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


              -US domestic producers
                                              7

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



                    -Possible reaction
                    -Oil imports
                    -Shortages
                          -Effect on prices

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4                                          Conv. No. 485-2 (cont.)
[National Security]
[Duration: 29s ]

    CANADA

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


              -Flanigan's Possible Conversations with domestic producers
                   -Oil companies
                   -API
                   -Bellmon
              -Dr. Walter J. Mead
                   -Princeton University
                   -Texas independent oil producers
                   -Tariffs

    Energy message
         -Time spent preparing
         -Oil shale
         -Shortages
               -”Brown-outs”
         -Short-term measures
         -Possible Canadian agreement

    Federal Power Commission [FPC]
         -President's conversation with John L. McClellan
               -Arkansas Valley
               -Natural gas
               -Clark MacGregor
         -Management
         -Chairman and commissioners
                                           8

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 9/08)



         -Gas

    Breeder reactor
         -Number
         -Holifield
         -Negotiations
         -Construction
               -California                                    Conv. No. 485-2 (cont.)
               -Timetable
                     -1980

    Canadian negotiations
        -Henry A. Kissinger


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 30s ]

    CANADA

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


    Energy message
         -Breeder reactor
              -Holifield
              -Importance
              -Fusion
         -Fusion
              -Risk to breeder program
              -Possible breakthrough
              -Howard H. Baker, Jr.
         -Semi-breeder
              -Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
              -Navy
              -Dr. Edward Teller
              -Rickover
                                             9

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 9/08)



               -Economic competitiveness
               -Usefulness

     Gifts
         -Tie pins
         -Shultz
McCracken, Flanigan, Whitaker, and Kriegsman left at 3:46 pm
                                                                    Conv. No. 485-2 (cont.)
     Removal of McLarnan
         -Difficulties
         -Competence
         -Smith
         -Kleppe
               -Schedule
               -Anthony G. Chase
         -Smith
               -Vote on Supersonic Transport [SST]
         -Reason for removal
         -California
         -Smith's call to Breeden[sp?] [Forename unknown]
         -Bureaucrats
         -Rules Committee
         -Possible transfer
         -President's California constituents
               -Complaints to Small Business Administration [SBA]
                     -Earthquake
         -Smith

     The President's schedule
          -Meeting with 4-H Club leaders

     Schedule
          -Productivity Commission meeting, April 30, 1971
               -Conference
               -Composition
                     -Labor, management, government
               -Subjects
               -Forum
                                              10

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



     The President's schedule
          -April 30, 1971 meeting of Productivity Commission
               -Location
                      -Roosevelt Room
               -Shultz's possible conversation with Haldeman

The President and Shultz left at 3:51 pm
                                                                        Conv. No. 485-2 (cont.)