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Conversation: 501-018

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Start Date: 19-May-1971 2:10 PM

End Date: 19-May-1971 2:56 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Laird, Melvin R.Kissinger, Henry A.Sanchez, Manolo

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:08:36

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:58:27

501a.mp3

501b.mp3

501c.mp3

501d.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Melvin R. Laird, Henry A. Kissinger, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:10 pm to 2:56 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 501-018 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 501-18

Date: May 19, 1971
Time: 2:10 pm - 2:56 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Melvin R. Laird and Henry A. Kissinger.

     Greetings

     Laird's health
                                       35

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 9/08)



Laird's schedule
     -Defense planning committee
     -Meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
     -Nuclear Planning Group
           -Brussels
           -Germany
     -Meeting with European cabinet ministers
           -Relationship                                       Conv. No. 501-18 (cont.)
           -France
           -Harmon[?] [Surname unintelligible], Helmut Schmidt
           -Agenda
                 -Violence
           -US policy
           -Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions [MBFR]
                 -NATO Council meeting

MBFR
   -Defense Department study
        -Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT]
   -Alexsei N. Kosygin
   -US and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] policy on forces
   -European Security Conference
   -Importance of agreement
   -Format
   -Timing
   -US policy
        -Laird’s and William P. Rogers’ statements
   -Europeans' position
        -SALT agreement impact
   -USSR
        -Andrei A. Gromyko
        -Kosygin
                                             36

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 9/08)



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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 4s ]


    CANADA                                                          Conv. No. 501-18 (cont.)


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


         -Strategy
         -Meetings
               -Europeans
               -US and USSR
               -Warsaw pact
               -US allies
         -Laird's and Rogers’ statements
               -Defense Department study
               -Laird's meetings with defense ministers in Lisbon
               -Kissinger's forthcoming talk with Rogers
               -Laird's and Rogers’ schedules
                    -Lisbon
               -Meeting of Laird and Rogers
         -Defense Department study
         -Nature of negotiations
               -NATO and Warsaw pact
         -USSR

    Defense Department staff
         -Deputy Secretary of Defense
              -David Packard
                   -Work
              -Reuben F. Mettler of TRW. Inc.
              -Financial regulations
                   -Packard's Hewlett-Packard holdings
                   -Mettler
                          -Possible tenure
                                            37

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 9/08)



                    -Blind trusts
                         -Secretary of the Treasury
               -Mettler
                    -Work at TRW
                    -Possible stock sale
               -Packard
                    -Schedule
                         -Possible notification of SALT agreement Conv. No. 501-18 (cont.)

     SALT agreement
         -Possible effects
              -Charles H. Percy, Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield, W. Stuart Symington
         -Antiballistic missile [ABM] and offensive weapons
              -US and USSR negotiating position
         -May 20, 1971 meeting with Congressional leaders
         -USSR
         -Laird's position vis-a-vis Congress
         -ABM
         -US and USSR negotiating position
         -Congress
              -James B. Pearson

An unknown person [Manolo Sanchez?] entered at an unknown time after 2:10 pm.

     Refreshments

The unknown person [Sanchez?] left at an unknown time before 2:44 pm.

     Salt agreement
           -Meetings with Congressional leaders
                -May 18, 1971
           -Soviets negotiating practices
           -Meetings with Congressional leaders
           -May 18, 1971
                -Notification of agreement
                      -Laird
           -USSR
                -Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union [TASS]
                -Announcement
           -Public opinion
                -Administration handling of MBFR and Vietnamization
                -Columnists
                                         38

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)



          -Congress
                -J. William Fulbright
                -"Fence Riders"
                -Mansfield
     -Administration efforts
          -Announcements
                -Effect
                     -Senate reports                           Conv. No. 501-18 (cont.)
          -Gerard C. Smith and SALT delegation in Vienna
                -Performance
                -Soviets’ negotiation practices
     -US position
          -ABM and offensive limitation
                -USSR
                -Laird's previous statements
                     -Reiteration
                     -Effect on "Doves"and "Fence Riders" in Congress

Defense issues
     -Wright-Patterson Air Force Base [AFB]
           -Robert A. Taft, Jr., William B. Saxbe
                 -Votes on draft extension, ABM
                 -Interview with Cleveland Plain Dealer after meeting with President
           -Laird's strategy
     -Clark MacGregor
           -Role
           -President's meeting with Taft and Saxbe
     -Portsmouth, New Hampshire Navy Yard
           -Margaret Chase Smith
           -Thomas J. McIntyre
                 -Vote on ABM
           -Smith
     -MacGregor's and Kissinger's role
     -Wright-Patterson AFB
           -President's meeting with Saxbe
           -Possible Florida relocation
                 -Patrick AFB
                 -Edward J. Gurney
     -Laird's role with Congress
           -President's role
     -Donald W. Riegle, Jr.
     -Army reorganization
                                        39

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 9/08)




Defense Department staff
     -Deputy Secretary of Defense
          -Corporate executives
          -Requirements
                -Mettler
          -Bert S. Cross at 3M Corporation
          -Requirements                                         Conv. No. 501-18 (cont.)
          -John H. Chafee
                -Future plans
     -Secretary of the Navy
          -John W. Warner
                -Experience in negotiating
                       -Brazil
     -Secretary of the Army
          -Requirements
          -Stanley R. Resor
          -Army’s present status
          -Thaddeus R. Beal
                -Background
          -Robert F. Froehlke
                -Present position
     -Laird's possible forthcoming meeting with Peter M. Flanigan
          -Bob Wolf
          -Ambassadorships
     -Secretary of Army
          -Replacement for Resor
                -Announcement
                       -Timing
                -John S. Foster, Jr.
          -Army’s current status
                -Draft
                       -Saxbe's statement
                       -Prospects
                       -Saxbe's position
                            -Wright-Patterson AFB
                            -Son's Vietnam service
          -Replacement for Resor
                -Listing of possible replacement
                       -Flanigan
                -President's schedule
                       -Lyndon B. Johnson Library dedication
                                       40

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 9/08)



               -Announcement
               -Retirement date
               -Froehlke
                     -Possible confirmation
                     -Relations with Laird
                     -Background
                     -Century Insurance Company
                     -Work                                     Conv. No. 501-18 (cont.)
                           -Public testimony
                     -Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
     -Deputy Secretary of Defense
         -Robert Clinton Moot
               -National Security Council [NSC] undersecretaries group
         -Packard
         -Charles D. (“Tex”) Barton
               -Financial regulations
         -Financial regulations
         -Compared with State and Treasury Departments

Vietnam
     -Prisoners of War [POWs]
           -Laird's conversation with Kissinger
           -North Vietnam
     -Needs
           -Continued military assistance
                 -Modernization
     -POWs
           -Importance
           -POW wives
                 -A poll
                 -Kissinger's meeting
                       -Marianne Nelson
                 -Mrs. [Forename unknown] Dahlberg [?]
     -US forces (Volunteer Army)
           -James L. Buckley’s amendment
                 -Kissinger, President
           -Gen. William C. Westmoreland
           -Volunteers, draft
           -William F. Buckley's column
           -President, Kissinger
           -Buckley Amendment and other amendments in Senate
           -Laird’s analysis
                                       41

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 9/08)



     -Cambodia
         -Current situation
         -Needs
               -Personnel
         -Current level of assistance
         -Current military assistance program
         -Needs
               -Personnel                                    Conv. No. 501-18 (cont.)
         -Marshall Green and Emory C. Swank
         -Possible meeting of President and Rogers
         -Green
         -Needs
               -Funds
               -Personnel
         -A forthcoming report from Laird
               -Meeting of President, Laird, and Rogers
                     -Green

Defense Department staff
     -Packard
          -Possible ambassador to Japan
          -Family
          -Relations with Laird and President
          -Work
                -Effect
                -Kissinger's experience
          -Possible ambassador to NATO
                -Robert F. Ellsworth
                -Job
                      -Family
          -Possible future Cabinet job
                -Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
                -Department of Transportation
          -Health
          -Work
          -Background
                -Stanford University Board of Trustees
                -Intellectuals, "Georgetown crowd", Business Council
     -Secretary of the Army
          -Laird's forthcoming meeting with Flanigan
          -Announcement of Resor's departure
          -President's possible meeting with Flanigan
                                               42

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



               -Froehlke[?]
               -Requirements
           -Deputy Secretary of Defense
               -Mettler
                     -Previous work
               -Roy L. Ash

     President's schedule                                         Conv. No. 501-18 (cont.)
          -Meeting with Smith and SALT delegation

Kissinger left at 2:55 pm.

     Defense Department staff
          -Deputy Secretary of Defense
               -Packard
                     -Planned departure date
          -Secretary of the Army

     Laird's health

Laird left at 2:56 pm.