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Conversation: 521-012

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Start Date: 15-Jun-1971 4:40 PM

End Date: 15-Jun-1971 5:13 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Bull, Stephen B.Butterfield, Alexander P.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:05:22

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:42:00

521a.mp3

521b.mp3

NARA Description:

On June 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Alexander P. Butterfield, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:40 pm to 5:13 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 521-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 521-12

Date: June 15, 1971
Time: 4:40 pm - 5:13 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull and Alexander P. Butterfield.

     President's schedule
          -Henry A. Kissinger schedule

Bull left at an unknown time before 4:45 pm.

H.R. (“Bob’) Haldeman entered at 4:45 pm.

     President's schedule
          -Willy Brandt
          -Shortage of time
          -Charles H. Percy
          -John B. Connally
                 -Meeting between Connally and Brandt

     Brandt dinner
          -Peter G. Peterson
          -John A. Scali
                                               21

                               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/08)



           -William J. Baroody
           -George Meany statement
           -Jay Lovestone
           -Eastman Kodak
           -Robert S. Oelman, National Cash Register official
           -John M. Huntsman's friend
           -Dudley Swim
                 -Friendship with Huntsman
                 -Demeanor
                 -View of Ronald W. Reagan
                 -Calls to Huntsman

Butterfield left at 4:47 pm.

     Scheduling
          -John D. Ehrlichman
          -Charles Bluhdorn
               -Message to President from President of Dominican Republic
                     -Content
                           -Sugar quotas
               -President's role in meeting
               -[Unintelligible name]
               -Effect of meeting with President
               -Kissinger
                     -Time compared with money
               -Contact with John D. Ehrlichman

     Pentagon Papers
          -Handling
               -John N. Mitchell
               -Department of Defense [DOD]
               -President's meeting with Mitchell, Ehrlichman, and Ronald L. Ziegler
                     -Necessity of leadership
                     -John A. Scali role
               -Collection of ideas
               -Attorney General's role
               -Barry M. Goldwater role
               -Vice President’s role
                     -Impact
               -Statement by President
                     -Drawbacks
               -Possible statements by Senators
                                  22

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. 10/08)



     -Naming of papers
            -John F. Kennedy-Lyndon B. Johnson papers
                  -Compared with Robert S. McNamara papers
-Administrations basic position
     -Protection of national security
     -Effect of publication on national security
            -William P. Rogers
                  -Concern of foreign governments        Conv. No. 521-12 (cont.)
-Need for coordination of administration efforts
     -William L. Safire
     -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
     -Public relations nature of problem
     -Involvement by staff
            -Charles W. Colson
            -Scali
            -Richard A. Moore
            -Safire
            -Donald H. Rumsfeld
                  -Political involvement
     -Public relations
            -"Family quarrel" nature of problem
            -Protection of US security
-Impact of administrations action against New York Times
     -Ziegler
     -Ehrlichman
-Access of Times to press pools
     -Ziegler’s role
-Access of Times to airplane pools
-Question and answers session by President
     -Haldeman’s previous conversation with Kissinger
     -Impact on Justice Department action
     -Mitchell
     -Formulation of reason for avoiding comment
     -Intent of briefing
            -Domestic policy
                  -Drugs
                  -Revenue sharing
                  -Reorganization
-Criminal proceedings
-Effect of publication on President
     -Perception of people
     -Rogers' statement
                                             23

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/08)



              -President's role in period covered by papers
                    -Ziegler
                    -Colson
                    -Emphasis on originating administrations
                    -Kennedy-Johnson papers
              -Administration use of secrecy
                    -Ehrlichman
                    -Polls                                     Conv. No. 521-12 (cont.)
              -Need for statement by President


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 53s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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    Administration policies
        -Economic problems
              -Arthur F. Burns
              -Inflation
              -Scope
              -Connally and George P. Shultz
              -Arthur F. Burns
                    -Consistency
              -Paul W. McCracken
        -War issue
              -Negotiations

    Pentagon Papers
         -Impact of Times stories
              -Kennedy-Johnson papers
              -Nature of original studies
              -Extent of reading by public
              -Perception by public
              -Security breech
                                        24

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/08)



                 -Consequences
           -Press interests compared to public interest
           -Need for Congressional speeches
           -Reasons for publication
           -Safire
           -Ultimate effect of publication
                 -Area effect
                 -Pearl Harbor                                   Conv. No. 521-12 (cont.)
                       -Adm. Ellis M. Zacharias indictment of Franklin D. Roosevelt
                       -US News and World Report
                       -Long term effect
           -Possibility of successful legal action
           -Administration role
           -Development of new policy
           -Administration responsibilities

President's schedule
     -Meeting with Ambassador Kenneth B. Keating
            -Keating's competence
                 -Age factor
                 -Future plans
                 -Age
                       -Ellsworth F. Bunker
                       -David K.E. Bruce
     -Other meetings
            -Level of visitors
                 -Martin Joseph Hillenbrand
                 -[David] Kenneth Rush

Benefits of adversary relations
     -New York Times story

Pentagon Papers story
     -Johnson role in fight
          -Enlistment of other spokesman
                -Dean G. Acheson
                -Dean Rusk
                -McNamara
     -Kissinger role
          -Mobilization of "establishment" spokesmen
     -Rogers press conference
          -Leaks
                                                 25

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



                     -Drawbacks
                          -Effect on foreign policy

     President's schedule
          -Press conference
          -Rochester, New York
          -News-making potential
                 -Upcoming speech                                Conv. No. 521-12 (cont.)
                 -American Medical Association [AMA] meeting
                 -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
          -Press conference
                 -Letters regarding conference
                       -Timing of conference
                             -Rationale
                 -Timing
                       -Price

Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:47 pm.

     Schedule
          -Kissinger and Keating

Bull left at an unknown time before 5:13 pm.

     President's schedule
          -Press conference
                 -Timing
                      -Audience reception
                 -Exposure
                      -Johnson
                            -Rose Mary Woods
                 -Audience reception
                      -Trade-offs
                      -Content effect
          -National Security Council [NSC] meeting
                 -Kissinger request
                      -Changing in time
          -Question and answer

Haldeman left at 5:13 pm.
                                             26

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/08)