Conversation: 487-001
Prev: 486-008 Next: 487-002Start Date: 23-Apr-1971 9:15 AM
End Date: 23-Apr-1971 10:10 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:01:34
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 00:50:54
NARA Description:
On April 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:15 am to 10:10 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 487-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 487-1
Date: April 23, 1971
Time: 9:15 am - 10:10 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.
The President's schedule, April 27, 1971
-Clark MacGregor
-Cabinet meeting
-Timing
-James D. Hodgson's possible briefing
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Unemployment
-Duration
-Administration program
-Jobs
-Youth
-Veterans
-National Center for Voluntary Action [NCVA]
-Reception
-Timing
-Duration
-Attendance
-Number
-Cabinet
-Press coverage
-President’s instructions
H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 9:20 am.
-Pictures
The President's schedule, May 9, 1971
-Mothers' Day
-Worship service
-Minister
-Race
-Black
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-Ehrlichman
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Religion
-Catholic
-Protestant
-Mid-West
-Minister
-Black
-Paul Goodwin
-Graham Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
-Black
-Graham
-[Unintelligible name]
-Kenneth W. Clawson
-Availability
-Health
-Availability
-Penelope M. (“Penny”) Adams
-Performer
The President's schedule, April 23, 1971
-Open door hour
-Elton Stevens
-Winston M. (“Red”) Blount’s view
-Medal of Honor League
-Alabama
-Congressman
-John H. Buchanan, Jr.
-Chamber of Commerce
-Photograph
-Buchanan
-Blount
The President's schedule, April 27, 1971
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Clawson
-Cabinet meeting
-Hodgson
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Report regarding White House Youth Conference
-Cabinet meeting
-Length
-Cuts
-Paragraphs
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Cuts
-Leonard Garment
Butterfield left at 9:25 am.
The President's schedule, April 23, 1971
-Meeting with Richardson
-Youth Conference Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
Youth Conference
-Report
-President’s position
-Compared with obscenity report
The President's schedule, April 27, 1971
-Cabinet meeting
-Richardson's Youth Conference report
-Hodgson’s report
-Length
Youth Conference
-Stephen Hess
-Unknown Congressman
-Invitations
-President’s position
-Schools
-Representation
-Task forces
-Peter G. Peterson
-Geno [Surname unknown sp?]
-Harlem
-Radical
-Unknown man from Wisconsin
-Unknown girl
American youth
-Conduct
Youth Conference
-Representation
-“Squares”
-Representation
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-4-H clubs
-Number
-Radicals
-Hess
-Publicity
-Possible White House response
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Trip to People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Haldeman's conversation with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
Cabinet
-John A. Volpe
-William P. Rogers’ schedule
-Press conference
-Trip to Europe
-Volpe
Kissinger entered at 9:28 am.
Anatoliy F. Dobrynin's schedule
-Dobrynin’s call to Kissinger
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[national Security]
[Duration: 3s ]
DOBRYNIN
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
******************************************************************************
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Kissinger's schedule
PRC
-Mansfield's letter
-Norodom Sihanouk
-Chou En-lai
-Mansfield's letter
-Trip Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
-President’s concern
-Chinese reaction
-Soviet Union
-Sihanouk
-Timing of visit
-Chinese reaction
-Mansfield and Hugh Scott
-Possible US initiatives
-Need for communication
-Visits by public officials
-Mansfield
-Romania
-Corneliu Bogdan
-Visits by US public officials
-Message to the Chinese
-Administration's position
-US relations
-Contacts
-Administration’s position
-Mansfield's visit
-Possible impact
-Press
-Bipartisanship
-Administration response
-Strategy
Soviet Union
-Edmund S. Muskie's visit
-Compared with possible PRC visit by Mansfield
-Results
-Soviet strategy
-Publicity
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
PRC and Mansfield
-Mansfield visit
-Ping-pong team
-Compared with Muskie’s visit to Moscow
-Impact
-Publicity
-Compared with Moon Landing
-US strategy Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
-Possible invitation to Mansfield
-Ping-pong team invitation
-[Forename unknown] Maynard [?]
-Sihanouk role
-Mansfield and Maureen (Hayes)Mansfield
-Chou En-lai
-Sihanouk
-Kissinger possible initiatives
-General Vernon A. Walters
-Possible involvement
-Contacts
-Mansfield visit
-President’s view
-State Department
-President's position
-Romanians
-US relations
-Contacts
-Political visits
-Mansfield visit
-Bipartisan participation
-Political visits
-Administration's position
-Timing
-Procedures
-People-to-people
-Bipartisan participation
-Mansfield visit
-Impact
-Strategy
-Envoy
-Bipartisan participation
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-President's initiative
-Candidates
-Scott
Kissinger's schedule
-Forthcoming meeting with Dobrynin
-Location
Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
US and Soviet Union negotiations
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Possible summit meeting
Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger's schedule
-Paris
-North Vietnamese
-Walters’ role
-US strategy
-Timing
-Kissinger's schedule
Kissinger's schedule
-Bogdan
Youth conference
-President's upcoming conversation with Haldeman
-President’s view
-Kissinger’s view
[Transcript #1: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
Vietnam
-Administration opponents
-Communist takeover
-Administration's position
-Public relations efforts
-Deadline for withdrawal
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Television news program, April 22, 1971
-Democrats
-Coverage
-Length
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-World War II
-Germany
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
-Hubert H. Humphrey's view
-Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
-Eisenhower administration
-US personnel in Vietnam
-Compared with 1971
-John F. Kennedy administration
-Personnel in Vietnam
-Republicans
-Haldeman's staff meeting
-Reaction
-Charles W. Colson's staff
-Media
-Television news program, April 22, 1971
-American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
-Audience
-Democrats
-Humphrey
-Build-up
-Audience
-Humphrey
-Responsibility
-Kissinger's meeting with Australian Ambassador
-Sir James Plimsoll
-Foreign Minister Leslie H.E. Bury
-Plimsoll's travels in US
-President's opponents
-Republicans
-Administration supporters
-Colson
-Senators
-Press coverage
-William B. Saxbe
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Scott
-News summary
-Coverage
[Transcript #2: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not Conv.
guarantee
No. its
487-1
accuracy.]
(cont.)
[End of transcript]
Congressional hearings
-William H. Sullivan
-Media coverage
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Media coverage
-Sullivan's schedule
-Press conference
-Questions
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Administration's position
Vietnam
-President's meeting with Congressional hawks
-Senators
-Southerners
-Congress
-Possible poll
-Results
-Democrats
-Attitude
-Doves
-Hearings
-Sullivan
-Senators
-Administration supporters
-[Thomas] Hale Boggs
-Media
-Ziegler
-Congress
-Boggs
-Television
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Eric Sevaried
-Boggs
Joseph McCarthy
-Communists
-State Department
-Boggs
Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
Press corps
-President’s view
-White House swimming pool
PRC initiative
-Media reaction
-Press
-Washington Post, April 23, 1971
-Donald Oberdorfer, Jr.
-Credits
US and Soviet Union negotiations
-Kissinger's schedule
-Possible Soviet proposals
-US position
-Strategy
-Vietnam
PRC
-US strategy
-Soviet Union
Vietnam negotiations
-North Vietnamese position
-Deadline for US withdrawal
-Stewart J.O. Alsop
-Communist Takeover
-Kissinger’s view
-Economic and military aid to South Vietnam
Kissinger's schedule
-Woodstock conference
-Prince Bernhard
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
Democrats
-Possible administration counterattacks
John B. Connally's activities
-Washington Post
-Editorial conference
-Public relations efforts
Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
Paul A. Samuelson
-Economy
-Criticism of administration
-Opposition to the President
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Positions
Economy
-Outlook
-Democrat candidates
Administration foreign policy initiatives
-Democrat candidates
Haldeman's previous staff meeting
-President’s foreign policy
-Staff reaction
Congress
-Attacks on administration
-President's Vietnam policy
Haldeman's previous staff meeting
-MacGregor and William E. Timmons
-Staff morale
-Defeatism
President’s policies
-Outlook
-Congressional Republicans
-Howard H. Baker, Jr.
-Public relations
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
Vietnam
-Outlook
-Congress
-Administration critics
-MacGregor
-Jacob K. Javits
-Letter from the President
-Opposition to the President Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
-Kissinger's letter to David K.E. Bruce
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Bruce's possible initiatives
-Possible US proposals
-Ceasefire
-Publicity
-Press
-Bruce
Foreign Service
-Bruce and Bunker
-Ages
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Experience
-Bunker and Bruce
-Possible assignment
-Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
-Present role
-US Ambassador to Germany
Office of Emergency Preparedness
-General George A. Lincoln
-Replacement
-Effectiveness
-National Security Council (NSC)
-George W. Anderson
-Military background
-Job
-Staff
-Anderson
-Navy
-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
-Lincoln
-General Leonard F. Chapman, Jr.
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Anderson
-Chapman
-Public relations ability
-Television
-Anderson and Chapman
-Chapman as spokesman
Cabinet Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
-Need for public relations efforts
-President and Connally
-Administration spokesmen
Office of Emergency Preparedness
-Chapman's television appearance
-Anderson
-Chapman
-Age
-Melvin R. Laird
-Joint Chiefs of Staff
-Chapman
-Political effectiveness
-Anderson and Chapman
-Army
-Job
US and Soviet negotiations
-Kissinger's forthcoming meeting with Dobrynin
-Prospects
-Dobrynin
-Possible Soviet stance
-US position
-Discussions
-Issues
-Summit meeting
-Rush
-US stance
-Kissinger's role
Kissinger left at 10:03 am.
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
Polls
-Release
-Media
Network suit
-John N. Mitchell
-Administration position
-Repression Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
-Anti-administration bias
[Transcript #3: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,
et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]
[End of transcript]
Public relations
-Administration opponents
-Administration supporters
-Activities
-Veterans
-Marine Corps
Italy
-John A. Volpe
-Possible ambassadorship
-Embassy staff
-Prime Minister Emilio Colombo
-Giuseppe Saragat
-Possible visit to US
-Foreign Minister Aldo Moro
-Saragat's possible visit
-US position
-Colombo
-Volpe
-Saragat's possible visit
-Academic degree
-Meeting with the President
-State visit
-Moro
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
Congressional hearings
-Administration spokesmen
-Performance
-John F. Kerry
-Vietnam veterans
-Political aspirations
-Massachusetts
-Ambitions Conv. No. 487-1 (cont.)
-[Unintelligible name]
Haldeman left at 10:10 am.