Conversation: 501-019
Prev: 501-018 Next: 501-020Start Date: Wednesday, May 19, 1971 7:09 PM
End Date: Wednesday, May 19, 1971 7:45 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Smith, Gerard C.; Allison, Royal B. (Gen.); Nitze, Paul J.; Brown, Harold; Thompson, Llewellyn E. ("Tommy"), Jr.; Farley, Philip J.Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:58:27
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 04:23:41
NARA Description:
On May 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Gerard C. Smith, Gen. Royal B. Allison, Paul J. Nitze, Harold Brown, Llewellyn E. ("Tommy") Thompson, Jr., and Philip J. Farley met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:09 pm to 3:45 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 501-019 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 501-19
Date: May 19, 1971
Time: 3:09 pm - 3:45 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Strategic Arms Limitation Talk [SALT] agreement
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Texts in Russian and English
-Announcement
-Delegation's knowledge
-Gerard C. Smith
-Meeting with delegation
-President's meeting
-Congressional leaders
43
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Smith's report
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Privacy]
[Duration: 11s ] Conv. No. 501-18 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
******************************************************************************
President's schedule
-Meeting with SALT delegation
-Cabinet Room
-Possible trip to Midway
-William P. Rogers
-Possible leak
-Rogers
-Ellsworth F. Bunker [?]
Smith, Gen. Royal B. Allison, Paul J. Nitze, Harold Brown, Llewellyn E. (“Tommy”)
Thompson, Jr., and Philip J. Farley entered at 3:12 pm.
Greetings and introductions
President's previous meeting with Melvin R. Laird
Congress
-Upcoming vote
-Michael J. Mansfield Amendment
SALT
-Smith's schedule
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Anti-ballistic missile [ABM] agreement
-Time-frame
-Effects
-Build-ups
44
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Forward Base System [FBS]
-Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicle's [MIRV]
-USSR
-View on MIRV
-Defense systems
-Laird
-USSR
-Verification Conv. No. 501-19 (cont.)
-USSR arms
-USSR goals
-Technology
-President's press conference
-Strategy
-Desire for ABM agreement
-Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles [ICBM] program
-Party Congress
-Troop levels in Germany and Czechoslovakia
-State Department report
-Possibility of unilateral withdrawal
-Conventional forces in Europe
-European Security Conference
-Warsaw Pact
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-Dobrynin
-Possible reductions
-Political effect
-US
-USSR
-Great Britain
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 25s ]
DEFENSE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
45
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
******************************************************************************
SALT
-Progress of talks
-Compared with Vietnam Peace talks
-David K.E. Bruce Conv. No. 501-19 (cont.)
-USSR
-Goals
-Position
-US policy
-USSR
-Government bureaucracy
-Effect on decision-making
-Lack of public scrutiny
-Army
-Foreign Office
Foreign policy
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
[Unintelligible]
USSR and PRC relations
-US position
-Neutrality
USSR
-Suggested overture by US
-Ongoing negotiations
-Computers [?]
-Trucks
-Credit certification
-Kissinger’s efforts
-Aviation
-Possible purchase
-Kissinger’s call to Dobrynin
-South America
-Possible purchase
-Dobrynin
-Alaskan Airlines
46
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-American airplanes
-Inspections
-Department of Commerce action
-Certification
-Supersonic Transport [SST]
-White House
SST Conv. No. 501-19 (cont.)
-Tokyo
-Europe
-SST
-South America
-Effect
-Moscow to New York
-Kissinger
-Aviation Russian planes
-President's 1967 flight
-747's
-President's 1967 flight
-Russian plane
-Stewardesses
President's schedule
-May 21, 1971 meeting with delegation
-Laird
Weather
-Golf
-Burning Tree Country Club
-Water shortage
-Secretary of Agriculture [Clifford M. Hardin]
-Florida
President's schedule
-May 21, 1971 meeting
Kissinger, et al., left at 3:45 pm.
47
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)