Conversation 502-006

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I called her.

Oh, this guy called him already.

Wrote a letter to him.

Well, I'm glad that you like him.

What does it say?

Well, I'm sorry you didn't talk.

Oh, what I said was wrong.

I said, you see, I'm going to go down last night.

I'll call the secretary.

The secretary.

Provided.

And I said, I heard the nation.

He said, you're dead, Lord.

Please.

creation, capital C, and resurrection kind of lives.

You talk around time.

Oh, yes.

Thank you.

Yes, I had also already talked to a board, and I called them a ploy, and I'm going to call them all during the course of today.

And I'll draft letters for you, for the other people who came in at the meeting, with perhaps the exception of North.

All right.

Thank you.

But that was a great victory, considering that a week ago everyone thought we didn't, we needed 30 votes.

This morning, I just couldn't believe it.

Ball said this morning, he said, you know, he mentioned you were not there.

He talked about it there, and I'll send it to the Senate.

I'll send it to the Senate.

I'll send it to the White House.

And, you see, I just didn't.

or talk to them enough and let them know about what's going on.

I said the State Department is quite jealous of the right to breed these people.

As a matter of fact, it's that bullshit.

You talk to these people and the rest, but maybe you ought to have a greater sense of esteem, where some guy over at the State, Rogers, Irwin,

Alex ought to just have them on a regular basis and get the jackasses on council.

Well, they do a fair amount.

Of course, they do want some White House contacts.

And since February, I have been lying low.

I haven't been seeing any of them.

No, I know, but the point is that I just don't know how much we can do.

Well, I could, if McGregor were setting it up, I could have for lunch a little group every two weeks.

I just have him in for five o'clock.

I don't drink him at all.

I just have him in and say, you want to have a little chat, bring him to the situation, or do some little... To do that easily.

And get some gas done a little, because they're rumbling around.

Part of their rumbling, of course, is not consultation.

It's reading the fact that they always want to run the show.

That bastard Matthias, when I called, he's on my list now, I called him.

And he said, you know, I would have dropped the amendment if you talked to me.

I talked to Humphrey, Savitz, all his co-sponsors.

He knew damn well I was against his amendment.

It was pretty good.

Humphrey stood with us.

Muskie stood with us.

On the final vote, on everything.

I don't know what they did in the final, but they did in the earlier votes.

Oh, really?

I think so.

They're rerunning the President.

Well, Mr. President, on this one, if we couldn't get the establishment on this one, that was the great opportunity.

I think you've got two great victories out of this.

One, the vote, which is a tremendous accomplishment.

But secondly, the fact that you've got the establishment, it doesn't matter whether they're ever right about it, but George Paul, Vance, Atchison, they're all going to flip around

There are circles now that McCloy, that the man who rallied on Wednesday morning...

I never say that.

I rallied him.

Oh, yeah.

But George Bundy, we were the ones who...

This is one where Bill's strategy was wrong.

Totally wrong.

If we hadn't done this, we might have lost it.

We would have.

You saw that legislative meeting.

I told McGregor, I just thought we were done.

Bill wanted us to deal from weakness.

There was no compromise possible with Mansfield.

We would have had to plead with him, wheedle with him.

Let me try a couple of ideas on you.

The one thing I didn't put in your talking point was the injunction for absolute secrecy in both meetings.

That both groups, leader and cabinet, should be told that there must be no league before them.

Very good.

Now, some of this, most of this, at the cabinet meeting and the meeting of the legislative leaders, I thought I would say,

Words to this effect, the Soviet-American negotiations on limiting nuclear arms, I'm going to get this simpler.

That's the people that want to do it very strategically.

They don't see it as really nuclear arms.

The Soviet-American negotiations on limiting nuclear arms have been deadlocked for over a year.

This will not be in the public statement, but what these people are saying, the major point of difference in recent months has been the Soviet-American negotiations.

primarily the limitation on defensive weapons, while our position has been...

Primarily, exclusively.

The Soviets have refused to discuss about offensive weapons.

I don't want to say that on a side note.

No, I thought you were talking about the capping.

On a side note, you can say that.

And then I can say that the United States has supported the limitation on both offensive and defensive weapons.

That's been our position throughout, right?

But it wouldn't be wrong even outside.

The Soviets haven't made no secret of it.

They have refused to talk about authentic weapons.

Early in January, and I'm thinking of whether, I'll tell you later whether I want to put this out in public.

Early in January, I introduced a personal initiative at the highest level to break the deadlock.

It's true that that doesn't often be said right on television.

No.

You don't want to say that.

You should say it to the leaders.

Correct.

I've got to tell them.

Oh, yes.

All right.

As a result of the discussion between the representatives of the two governments, we have reached an agreement, which will be made in Moscow and Washington, 12 o'clock Washington.

It's a very good invitation, but I'll just start with my public statement.

As a result of...

I'll get it out, Mr. President.

As a result of that, it's fine.

But I haven't told the leaders that I took it out.

You should tell the leaders and the cabinet, but you shouldn't say it on television where they can play it back in Moscow.

As a result of discussions at the highest level, involving the highest level of the two governments, we have reached an agreement.

Questions?

Should we call that an agreement or an understanding?

An agreement.

You call this an agreement?

A question I raise is that later on we say, of course, it'll take a lot of work before we reach a concrete agreement, you see.

And the question is whether all the way through now, semantically, we'd be better off to call this an understanding.

And it's more than an understanding.

It's an exchange of letters.

All right.

We have reached an agreement, which we'll have to find another word for the next thing, and I'll show you why.

We have reached an agreement to be released simultaneously.

This agreement is a major step in breaking the stalemate in the nuclear arms talks.

Then the way I would like to handle the PDF is this.

Intensive negotiations will now be required to translate this understanding into a concrete agreement.

That's right.

Now, you understand, I've inserted the word understanding for agreement there.

Into a concrete treaty.

Why don't you say into a treaty?

It's a treaty on the right.

Into a concrete treaty.

In other words, I can use agreement there rather than understanding and call it into a concrete treaty.

Well, into a finding concrete final.

No.

Into a concrete.

You see what I mean?

If you use agreement there, you can't say agreement at the second point.

I said what you mean.

Yeah.

This is... You can't say it twice.

We've got to say this is not a concrete agreement, which it is.

I don't think we should say treaty.

No, we shouldn't.

Into a concrete... Well, I'll say agreement.

I'll just call it understanding at this point.

It's not understanding.

I'll just call it understanding at the second point.

I'll just put it there.

Second point.

Disagreement expresses the commitment of the Soviet and American government at the highest levels to work toward achievement of that goal.

Success in these negotiations could open the door

for progress resolving differences between the two governments in other areas.

Excellent.

Is that all right to say publicly?

Excellent.

No, no.

We're going to be waiting in one line.

Oh, no, because he said success could do that.

No, no, that's a good answer.

These negotiations could open the door for progress resolving differences between the two governments in other areas.

I should say that.

Good.

That's what I'd say in a press conference.

Then I'd say this statement is firm evidence

the Soviet Union and the United States will enter the next crucial pledge of negotiations, committing it to a successful conclusion.

I think that's repetitious.

Yeah, it is, but I have used it before.

Maybe I want to translate it down there.

I'll tell you what I'm trying to get at.

I wouldn't say it again.

I want to close it with a statement, though.

They're resolving it differently.

Having said this, the agreement expresses the commitment of the Soviet and American government at the highest level to work toward achievement of that goal.

I think that's a very good way to state that.

That is excellent.

It's an expectation.

The success of these negotiations, though, with Northrop Progress, resolving differences between the two governments in this area.

Perhaps one could say something.

What I'm getting at is the way I was posing it.

together with the Soviet government.

We shall work.

I'm going to repeat a little, changing a little.

At least this is what I'm trying to get to our reasoning.

With your honors, listen to this.

This could be the most important contribution to our global lasting peace since the end of World War II.

Now, you see what I'm trying to get at is to put it on the basis that without saying that it's a story, without saying it's a breakthrough, everybody knows that any agreement in this area is the most important contribution.

The thing that matters to me is...

is the condominium part of it.

Now, we have a very fine line when you say together with the Soviet Union.

But maybe after you say... Well, I want it.

I need it included.

Yeah.

I mean, perhaps make the suggestion it could lead to other agreements.

resolving energy into the government.

And could be the most significant development.

Maybe not say it that way.

I think this is a sentence that expresses that this could be the day which we look back on as the turning point where nations could devote their energies to peace rather than war.

That's all you want to say?

Yeah.

We...

But that makes it a historic point.

Or we trust, or we confidently hope.

Yes, we hope.

We confidently hope.

It's safe.

We have issued a date.

Good.

It's good.

We have issued a date.

They remember it.

It's a turning point.

As the beginning of an era in which both nations can increasingly devote their lives.

Yeah, as the beginning of an era.

That isn't overstated, that's not to be remembered.

As the beginning of an era.

Yes.

But it's not, it's not right to say it.

It's only that it's going to be a joke in which all nations can devote, can increasingly devote.

I talked to my staff this morning and just read the announcement today.

What, what did they say?

Yes, sir.

What about the White House staff?

Did you tell them?

Not yet.

They just went through the roof.

You know, I said, no, whenever I've seen you, everybody, I've got everybody.

As long as you make clear that they don't worry, I'll tell them within an inch of their lives.

I see it.

I mean, it breaks before I know it, and the whole thing will go up, too.

But we, oh, they were just, they said, you know, I said, every time I've seen you, we've invaded some country or we've had some, we've moved into some country and you people have had to take the heat.

I want to give you some dramatic, ever less militant nature.

Somebody made a little speech saying how proud they were of this.

They did.

Oh, God.

They all shook my hand and thanked the president.

It was tremendous.

To prevent now an excessive euphoria.

I called Stennis last night, too.

Oh, did you tell him about it?

I said, I just want to thank you for your wonderful, fine leadership.

He stood up on the rock, you know.

Yes, he does.

He knows.

Well, and you can call him.

He said, I want to thank you for your leadership.

And he said, well, Mr. President, he says, I want to thank you for your leadership.

God, what a gentleman.

I don't need it, but I need it.

Anybody needs it to some extent.

You would do it anyway.

But you know, I just couldn't.

You usually just say, well, thank you.

I'm glad we got it done.

Well, I called him Monday night.

That's when Travis called me and said Stennis was for the Messiah's Amendment.

So I called Stennis and Stennis said, but I have given you my word.

How could you even question me?

I actually want to tell him that with most of his colleagues, they were at a halt for five minutes.

For the public's sake, let's see how this would sound.

I'll listen again.

Please, yeah.

Yeah?

How do you know the Soviet Americans' negotiations on limiting the clear arms have been deadlocked for over a year?

No discussions.

I want to say that the Soviet Union has insisted

I'm talking to you publicly.

I can tell them that, but I wonder if that just isn't putting it to them too much.

That's what I think.

Okay, I'll do it.

I don't think that's necessary.

It was Soviet-American negotiations with the Americans as a result of discussions between representatives of the two governments at the highest level.

And no, I wouldn't say that's in love.

Involving representatives of the... No, I said involving the highest level.

As a result of discussions... Involving the...

Between the two governments.

No, involving...

I said the result of discussions involving the highest levels of two governments.

That's what you want, all right.

As a result of discussions involving... involving the highest level of the two governments.

Is that all right?

All right.

The highest level of the two governments.

We have reached an agreement, which will be released simultaneously in Moscow and Washington.

And I'm going to go on and say 12 o'clock Washington time, 7 o'clock Moscow.

That's nice.

Good.

It's deuces it up a little.

Nice.

And they all agree.

Yeah, these are simultaneous.

This agreement is a major step in breaking the stalemate of the nuclear arms talk.

Intensive negotiations will now be required to translate this understanding into a concrete agreement.

Good.

I agree with you.

It expresses the commitment of the Soviet Union and of the Soviet American governments at the highest levels.

Why don't you say here this statement?

Because you say the understanding this statement into a concrete rather than understanding.

No, it's intensive negotiations are now required to translate this statement into a concrete agreement.

Rather than understanding, okay, to translate this statement into a concrete agreement.

Right.

Fine.

This statement expresses the commitment of the Soviet-American government at the highest levels to work toward achieving that goal.

No, that's what I meant.

Because you're saying in the previous sentence, I don't mind the word understanding.

All right.

You want understanding.

Okay.

But then in the next sentence where you say, because you say understanding to lead to an achievement.

This statement.

This statement expresses the commitment.

Success in these negotiations could open the door in the interest of the government for progress at the executive level.

resolving differences between the two governments in other areas.

I think the women in those are like that.

Oh, yeah.

Like that.

We are, we, we confidently hope, we confidently hope that the joint statement we have issued today will be rewired, will be, that will be remembered as the beginning of an era in which all nations

increasingly devote their energies to the works of peace and not the resources of war.

If only we think about it, we need to do it very confidently.

I think that's a... You don't want that?

Well, hope is fine.

We hope that it is.

We hope.

All right.

We hope that this... All right, have a seat.

Yes.

He said, you realize that you're visiting Sony today.

Well, no.

Henry Lee Baldwin worked at her damn jail cell for all.

Well, she's the president, but we think back to the middle of March.

Oh, in the middle of March, we ought to realize this.

They already raised this.

Would you invite Rose to come to attend the meeting in March?

I believe she's working in the parking lot.

That's what I'm going to do.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

I made a draw.

You have to say you just have been drunk.

I'm in trouble.

Just say a word or a layer, you know.

Let them yak a little.

Oh, I'm sorry.