Conversation: 500-025
Prev: 500-024 Next: 500-026Start Date: 18-May-1971 3:06 PM
End Date: 18-May-1971 3:40 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Bull, Stephen B.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob");Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:15:20
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:48:49
NARA Description:
On May 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:06 pm to 3:40 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 500-025 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 500-25
Date: May 18, 1971
Time: 3:06 pm - 3:40 pm
Location: Oval Office
37
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] negotiations
-President's meeting with Gerard C. Smith
-Postponements
-Railroad strike
-Possible announcement
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] position and actions
-Possible problems
-Wording
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-An unnamed advisor [National Security Council staff member?]
-Actions during the Lyndon B. Johnson Administration
-Wording
-Possible reasons for delay
-Pierre E. Trudeau's visit to USSR
-Leonid I. Brezhnev's schedule
-Trudeau's visit
-Vladimir S. Semenov, Smith
-Truck parts agreement [Kama River]
-Thomas W. (“Teddy”) Gleason
-Grain export negotiations
-Berlin
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
Vietnam
-Casualty figures
-Cambodian operation
-Week’s numbers
-Decline
SALT
-Congress
-Clark MacGregor
-Kissinger's memorandum
-Melvin R. Laird
-Senate ratification
-USSR reply
-Dobrynin
-Wording
-William P. Rogers, Smith
38
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Antiballistic Missile's [ABM's]
-Ronald L. Ziegler, John A. Scali
-USSR reply
-Timing
-Possible announcements
-Rogers, Laird
Senate Conv. No. 500-25 (cont.)
-End-the-war amendments
-Hubert H. Humphrey's amendment
-Draftees
-Effect
-Previous presidents
-Richard B. Russell and colleagues
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:06 pm.
President's schedule
-Possible meeting with Robert H. Finch and Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Time
-Meeting with Ambassadors
-Possible meeting with Finch and Rumsfeld
Bull left at an unknown time before 3:40 pm.
-Report on trip abroad
-Senators
-President's staff
-Position on issues
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Charles H. Percy
-President's and Kissinger's meeting
-A proposal
-Charles McC. Mathias Amendment
-Position on issues
-Lack of support for the President
Foreign policy objectives and prospects
-Salt treaty
-Berlin agreement
-Middle East
-PRC
39
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-USSR summit
-Vietnam
Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:06 pm.
President's schedule
-Meeting with Finch and Rumsfeld
-Time Conv. No. 500-25 (cont.)
Bull left at an unknown time before 3:40 pm.
Reports to President on trips
-Finch and Rumsfeld
-John A. Volpe
-Maurice H. Stans
-George W. Romney
-Finch and Rumsfeld
Volpe
-Possible trip
-Graham A. Martin
-Talk with Kissinger
-Diplomatic assignments
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 10s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
******************************************************************************
Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Work as vice president
-Relations with the press
Press
-Treatment of President
40
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-President's accomplishments
-Compared with treatment of Lyndon B. Johnson
President's accomplishments
-Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-European alliance
-USSR Conv. No. 500-25 (cont.)
-Cuba
-Jordan
-Cambodian and Laotian Invasions
-SALT treaty announcement
-USSR
-Reply
-Reply
-Location
-Vienna
-Berlin agreement
-Four Powers meeting
-D[avid] Kenneth Rush
-Possible US action
-SALT agreement
-USSR
-Semenov
-Wording
-US and USSR bureaucracies
-ABM
-Smith’s proposals
-Trade agreements with USSR
-Restriction of Cabinet officers’ travel
-Bryce N. Harlow
-President's previous meeting with foreign policy establishment
-Effect
-Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Dwight D.
Eisenhower
-Rogers and the State Department
-MacGregor
-An unknown event
-Effect
-Mansfield Amendment
-Senate characterized
-Possible alternatives
41
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Administration position
-Possible re-wording
-Mathias Amendment
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-Mutual Balanced Reduction of forces
-President's role in negotiations
-Mutual reduction of forces
-May 18, 1971 meeting with Congressional leaders Conv. No. 500-25 (cont.)
-Problems
SALT
-Possible announcement
-Timing
-Press Conference
-Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson
-Timing
Sir Keith J. Holyoake
-Meeting with the President, April 8, 1971
-Nature of meeting
-Emil (“Bus”) Mosbacher, Jr.
-Kissinger’s attendance
-Topics of discussion
-President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
-Agriculture
MacGregor
Harlow
-Senate
-Russell, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Everett M. Dirksen
-Leaders
-Democrats
-Presidential candidates
-Morning meeting with Republican Congressional leadership, May 18, 1971
-Mansfield Amendment
-Mathias Amendment
Senate
-Mathias
42
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Mathias, Percy, Richard S. Schweiker
-Jacob K. Javits
-Republicans
-Javits
-Talk with Kissinger regarding Mathias Amendment
-Percy, Mathias
-Percy
Conv. No. 500-25 (cont.)
[The President talked with an unknown person [H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman ?] at an unknown time
between 3:06 pm and 3:40 pm]
[Conversation No. 500-25A]
Charles W. Colson's location
[End of telephone conversation]
Colson
Senate
-President's relations
Kissinger left at 3:40 pm.