Conversation 527-003

TapeTape 527StartTuesday, June 22, 1971 at 1:48 PMEndTuesday, June 22, 1971 at 1:50 PMTape start time00:04:03Tape end time00:04:15ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  [Unknown person(s)]Recording deviceOval Office

On June 22, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:48 pm to 1:50 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 527-003 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 527-3

Date: June 22, 1971
Time: 1:48 pm - 1:50 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with an unknown woman.

     Request for John D. Ehrlichman

An unknown woman left at an unknown time before 1:50 pm.

                                                                    Conv
                                                                    Conversation
                                                                         No. 527-11
                                                                                 No.(cont.)
                                                                                     527-4

Date: June 22, 1971
Time: 1:50 pm - 3:07 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield and H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Schedule
          -Henry A. Kissinger

     Kissinger
          -Conversation with Haldeman
          -Haldeman conversation with William P. Rogers

Butterfield left at 1:54 pm.

     Pentagon Papers
          -Poll

An unknown woman entered at an unknown time after 1:54 pm.

     Meeting with John D. Ehrlichman
          -Kissinger

The unknown woman left at an unknown time before 1:55 pm.

     Pentagon Papers
          -Poll
                -Implications
                     -New York Times story as an issue
                     -View of printing stolen documents
                     -Times’ moral position

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

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 01/17/2020.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[527-004-w001]
[Duration: 5s]
                                                                  Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
      President’s schedule
            -Policies [?]

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

Haldeman spoke with an unknown person at an unknown time after 1:54 pm.

[Conversation No. 527-4B]

     Scheduling

[End of conversation]

     United States Information Agency [USIA]
          -Chain of command
                -Frank J. Shakespeare
                      -Kissinger contact
                      -Haldeman's contact
                -Robert B. Anderson
                -President's conversation with Shakespeare
          -Shakespeare's self-image
                -Support for Nixon
                -Relationship with Department of State

Ehrlichman and Kissinger entered at 1:55 pm.

     Kissinger's schedule

     President's schedule
           -Camp David visit
           -Return to Washington
                 -Shipbuilding contract signing ceremony
                      -Kissinger's schedule

           -Budget session
     -Kissinger's schedule
           -Possible short notice trip
Kissinger’s meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
     -Berlin negotiations
     -Linkage of administrations over Vietnam
     -Summit
           -Soviet Union decision                               Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
                -Scheduling of summit
                -Dobrynin report
                -Leonid I. Brezhnev's schedule
                      -Visit to Germany
                -Timing of summit
                      -US and People’s Republic of China [PRC] contacts
                      -Onus of cancellation
                -Brezhnev travels
                      -Implications
                -Cancellation of Moscow summit
                -Role of PRC summit

US and PRC relations
     -Message from PRC to US
          -Arrangements for upcoming trip

US and Soviet Union relations

Anti-war amendments
     -Marlow W. Cook-Ted Stevens amendment
     -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield amendment
           -Clark MacGregor and leadership group
           -Voting on Mansfield proposal
     -Status of Mansfield amendment
     -Kissinger's conversations
           -Robert W. Packwood
           -Jack R. Miller
           -Winston L. Prouty
           -William E. Brock, III
           -Howard H. Baker
           -Stevens-Cook reference
           -Discussion of administration needs
           -Effect of amendments on negotiations
                 -Future events

     Vietnam negotiations
          -Le Duc Tho arrival in Paris
               -Timing
                    -Rationale

     US strategic plans
          -US and PRC relations                                         Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
          -US domestic turmoil
                -Effect on PRC
                -Effect on Hanoi
                -Effect on Moscow
                      -Published articles on Pentagon Papers
                -Peking comments
                      -Kissinger’s monitoring of the press

     Congressional activities
         -Kissinger's contact with Senators
         -Mansfield status
         -Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty
               -Legal status
               -Allen J. Ellender
               -Call by President to Ellender
                     -Ramifications
                     -Timing
                     -Talking points

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

[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-028. Segment declassified on 05/06/2019. Archivist: MAS]
[National Security]
[527-004-w005]
[Duration: 6s]

     Congressional activities
          -Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty
                -Call by President to Allen J. Ellender
                      -Request for continuing resolution
                              -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] role

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

    Congressional activities
        -Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty
              -Call by President to Allen J. Ellender
                    -Prior contact with Ellender
                    -Support for call                           Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
                           -U. Alexis Johnson
                           -George P. Shultz
                           -Richard M. Helms
              -Other remedies
                    -USIA
                    -House of Representatives

    Pentagon Papers
         -Stewart J.O. Alsop
               -President's status
               -Administration obstacles
               -John F. Kennedy administration
               -Times action
               -Administration response
         -Weekly news publications
               -Administration standing
               -Kissinger attendance at Department of State reception
                     -John N. Hightower retirement
                     -Paul W. Ward retirement
                     -Chalmers Roberts
                     -Demeanor of newsmen
         -Press
               -Whitney North Seymour, Jr.
               -Prosecution of Times
                     -Seymour
                     -US Attorney
                     -Need for public relations points
                           -John N. Mitchell
                           -Melvin R. Laird
                           -William P. Rogers
         -Declassification action
               -Scope
               -White House and Department of Defense [DOD] procedure
               -Precedent

                     -Ehrlichman’s efforts

[Ehrlichman talked with Laird at an unknown time between 1:55 pm and 2:43 pm]

[Conversation No. 527-4A]

     [Unintelligible]
[End of telephone conversation]                                      Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)

     Pentagon Papers
          -Declassification action at DOD
               -White House and DOD procedure
                     -Mansfield
                     -Carl B. Albert
                           -Associated Press [AP] story
                     -Public perception
               -Robert McNamara's papers
               -Albert
               -Laird and Rogers meeting with Albert
               -Mitchell
                     -Mansfield and President meeting
                     -Albert
                     -Laird
                     -Action
                     -Laird and Rogers action
                     -Laird leaks
                           -Scope of declassification action
                           -Laird meeting with Senate Foreign Relations Committee
                           -Effect on legal action
                     -Laird and Rogers action
                     -Ehrlichman and Laird conversation
                           -Albert request for documents
                           -President's meeting with Albert, [Thomas] Hale Boggs, and
                                 Mansfield
                           -Preferred action
               -Mansfield breakfast
                     -Clark M. MacGregor
                     -Mansfield's resolution
                           -Timing
                     -Mansfield’s position
                     -Timing of other events
                           -Leaders meeting

                  -“Big Five” Committee chairman
                        -Pentagon Papers discussion
            -Cook-Stevens amendment vote
            -Mansfield amendment vote
      -Benefits of changing Mansfield's breakfast
      -Rogers’ attendance
            -Call from MacGregor to Kissinger
            -Rogers                                        Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
      -Mitchell's knowledge
            -MacGregor conversation with Mitchell
-Source of administration decision on declassification
      -President
      -Laird
            -Rationale for action
-Laird's action
-Laird and Rogers action
-Options for action by President
      -”Big Five” Committee chairman
      -Need for proper public relations
      -Mansfield
      -Results of Laird statements
      -Ronald L. Ziegler's briefing
            -Instruction from President to the Secretary of Defense
                  -Congressional access to papers
                  -Leaders meeting
                  -Play on evening news
                  -Rogers and Laird action
                        -Reflection on discipline
                  -Laird and Rogers action
                  -Laird's statement
                  -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                        -Identification of declassifiable papers
                  -Patrick J. Buchanan
                        -Speech
            -Legal action
            -Focus on declassifiable papers
                  -Times view
                  -Chicago Tribune call for declassification
            -Declassification of World War II, Korean War, Bay of Pigs, Cuba
                  documents
                  -Need for experts
            -Laird and Rogers action

                           -President's role in administration response
                           -Laird and Mitchell’s actions
                                 -Results
                     -President's role
                     -Statement by administration
                     -Mitchell's instruction to the Department of Justice
                           -Legal action
                     -Legal action                                       Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
                           -Supreme Court
                                 -District Court
                                 -Problems of decision
                                       -Mitchell’s view
                           -Delay of further publication
                           -Public relations

     Congressional relations
         -Phone call to Ellender
               -Purpose

     Pentagon Papers
          -Administration response
                -Declassification
          -Laird's action
                -Call to Ehrlichman
                -Rogers
                -Call to Ehrlichman
                -Call to Kissinger
          -Declassification of World War II, Korean War, Bay of Pigs documents
                -Ehrlichman
                -Ehrlichman's conversation with Charles W. Colson
                      -Tom Charles Huston
                -Haig
                -Preliminary draft report
                -Shakespeare
                -Call to Laird and Rogers

Kissinger and Ehrlichman left at 2:43 pm.

          -President's handling of staff
          -Administration counter
                -Focus on other wars
                      -Public perception

Schedule
     -Unknown person [Spiro T. Agnew ?]
     -Visit to President
           -Content
     -Press conference
     -President's meeting with business leaders
           -Peter G. Peterson                              Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
           -Utility
                 -Donald McI. Kendall
                 -Size
           -Purpose
           -Format
                 -Dialogue
                       -Upcoming events
                       -President's legislative agenda
                             -Examples of welfare

Legislation
     -President's legislative program
           -President’s conversation with Ehrlichman
            -House action on Social Security

Schedule
     -President's dinner with business leaders
           -Other events
           -Format
                 -Peterson
                       -Comments by others
                 -President's contact with members
                       -Table configuration
                             -Problems

Pentagon Papers
     -Laird action
           -White House responsibility
           -Kissinger’s view
     -Rogers’ action
           -Rationale
     -Administration response
           -Supreme Court action
                 -Ehrlichman

                  -Need for firm action
                  -Public relations
        -Mansfield Amendment
        -MacGregor's effort
            -Supersonic Transport [SST] problem
        -Administration response
            -President's role
                  -Possible meeting with Congressional leaders   Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
                  -Ziegler
                  -Laird
                  -Announcement of declassification
                        -Play by media

Polls
        -Use
        -Focus on issues

Shakespeare meeting
     -Haldeman's role

President's schedule meeting with Agnew
      -Purpose
      -Dwight D. Eisenhower
      -Use of staff
            -President’s conversation with John Foster Dulles
            -Pattern of meetings
            -Reports from Cabinet officers
                  -Anderson report
                        -Canal Treaty
                  -John N. (“Jack”) Irwin, II
                  -Rogers
            -MacGregor
                  -Request for opinion on Ellender call
      -Previous meetings with Ellender

Pentagon Papers
     -Ehrlichman
           -[D. Kenneth Rush ?]
           -Cabinet officers' responsibilities
           -Laird
     -Declassification
     -Albert

           -Laird and Rogers’ meeting with Congressman
           -Declassification
                 -Procedure

     President's schedule
           -Dinner, June 22
                 -Entertainment
                      -Possible performance by US Army Chorus       Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
                 -Timing
          -Eisenhower's method

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 3:05 pm.

           -Meeting with Peterson [?]

Butterfield left at 3:06 pm.

Haldeman left at 3:07 pm.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Yes, sir.