Conversation: 528-004
Prev: 528-003 Next: 528-005Start Date: Thursday, June 24, 1971 1:10 PM
End Date: Thursday, June 24, 1971 2:45 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Butterfield, Alexander P.; Ziegler, Ronald L.; White House operator; Ellington, Edward K. (Duke); Woods, Rose MaryRecording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:40:49
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:56:53
NARA Description:
On June 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Alexander P. Butterfield, Ronald L. Ziegler, White House operator, Edward K. (Duke) Ellington, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:10 am to 10:45 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 528-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 528-4
Date: June 24, 1971
Time: 9:10 am - 10:45 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
President’s upcoming Midwest trip
-Hannah Milhous Nixon plaque dedication
-Attendees
-Clarence E. Miller
-Jennings County, Indiana Congressman
-Political party
-Miller
-Ohio
-Clifford M. Hardin
-Agricultural character of Jennings County
-Motorcade to Indiananalopis
-Distance
-Length of time
-Stops
-Richard J. Daley
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Location of airport
-Hardin
-Presidential statement
-Allocation of time
President’s schedule
-Upcoming meeting
-Location Conv. No. 528-4 (cont.)
-Oval Office
-Rose Garden
-Standing and seating arrangements
Presidential statement
-Length
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 37s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
**********************************************************************
President’s Midwest trip
-Staff
-Presidential statement
-Drug abuse
-Property tax
-Staff
-Rose Mary Woods
-Health
-Marjorie P. Acker
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 9:10 am.
-Changes
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Butterfield left at an unknown time before 9:38 am.
Pentagon Papers
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] coverage of Daniel Ellsberg comment
-Charles W. Colson counterattack
-Administration response
-Need for simplicity
-Focus on Lyndon B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy administrations
-Sanctity of national security documents Conv. No. 528-4 (cont.)
-Declassification process
-Terry McGuinnity visit
-Status
-Contact with Colson
-Colson contact with Yale graduate
-McGuinnity
-Haldeman’s efforts
-Ronald L. Ziegler's briefing
-Focus on previous administrations
-Sensitivity of papers
-Declassification procedure
-Administration response
-Ellsberg
-Court action
-Christian Science Monitor article
-Paul C. Warnke's comments
-Henry A. Kissinger
President's schedule
-Unveiling of portraits of President’s Zachary Taylor and James Buchanan
-George H. Mahon
-Clark MacGregor
Pentagon Papers
-John B. Connally's suggestion
-Visit to Johnson
-Bryce N. Harlow
-Kissinger's visit
-Schedule
-John D. Ehrlichman's visit
-Ehrlichman's visit to Johnson
-Agenda
-Kennedy's role in Vietnam
-Connally's recollection
18
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem
-Kennedy
-Foundation
-Revelation of information
-Extent of coverage
-Newspapers
-Television
-Impact on Nixon administration Conv. No. 528-4 (cont.)
-Harris poll
-Colson
-Shift
-Public perception
-Complexity of information
-Ziegler
-Herbert G. Klein
-Melvin R. Laird and William P. Rogers statement
Kissinger's trip
-Haldeman's call to Rogers
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National Security]
[Duration: 52s ]
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
**********************************************************************
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 9:38 am.
Pentagon Papers
-Administration response
-Rogers and Laird involvement
-Need to reiterate points
19
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Ellsberg
-Previous administration
-Figures
-Involvement of Nixon administration
-Origination of classification
-President's legal responsibilities
-Congress
-Rule of law Conv. No. 528-4 (cont.)
-Declassification procedure
-Ziegler's previous statements
-Preoccupation of Washington Post and New York Times reporters
-Klein’s statement on CBS News
-Ellsberg's statements
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr. demeanor
-Missed questions
-William S. Paley
-Colson
-Classification of papers
-Legal responsibility of administration
-Responsibility of editors
-Compromise of classified information
-Effects
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Ziegler
-Haldeman
-World War I illustration
-French and German battle
-Effect
-Infiltration information
-Ease of compromise
-Ehrlichman
-Need for examples
-Unknown Admiral's statement
-"Cops and robbers" boys
-Effect on Kennedy administration
-Stuart Laurie article
-David Craslow article
-Transcript of phone call
-Diem
-Henry Cabot Lodge
-Effect on Kennedy
-Effect on Lodge
20
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Removal of Lodge
-History of the period
-Fair treatment of issue
-Past Times stances
-Support for Kennedy
-Laos
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Harrison E. Salisbury Conv. No. 528-4 (cont.)
-Neil Sheehan
Pentagon Papers
-World War II documents
-Tom C. Huston's role
-Expansion of team study documents
-Pearl Harbor material
-Effect on Democratic Party
-Need for leadership
-Colson
-Joe Torrey [sp?]
-Qualifications
-Need for subject knowledge
-Ellsberg
-Richard V. Allen
-Peter G. Peterson
-Huston's role
-Allen's role
-Cuban missile crisis information
-Bay of Pigs information
-Longevity
-Bombing halt information
-Huston
-Effect on Johnson
-Effect on Hubert H. Humphrey
-Effect on Edmund S. Muskie
-Johnson
-Effect on Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Public opinion
-Birch E. Bayh, Jr.
-J. William Fulbright
21
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 12s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 Conv. No. 528-4 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
-Attack on the Kennedy name
-Effect on Ted Kennedy
-Examples
-Ziegler
-Ehrlichman
-Klein
-Richard A. Moore
-Ziegler's attacks
-Arthur O. Sulzberger
-Off the record comments
-Effect
-John Carroll of the Baltimore Sun
-White House press corps
-View of Ellsberg
-Los Angeles grand jury action
-Actions of previous administrations
-Classification
-Administration’s legal responsibilities
-Accuracy of papers
-Classification of papers
-Johnson and Kennedy administrations
-President’s speech on Alger Hiss case
-Pumpkin Papers
-Potential damage
-Protection of security
-Examples
-Klein
-Colson
-Need for strong Senate action
22
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
[The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 9:10 am and
10:01 am]
[Conversation No. 528-4A]
[See Conversation No. 5-154]
Edward K. ("Duke") Ellington Conv. No. 528-4 (cont.)
[The President talked with Ellington between 10:01 am and 10:02 am]
[End of telephone conversation]
Ellington's health
Pentagon Papers
-Perception of average person
-Involvement of Nixon administration
-Kennedy and Johnson involvement
-Legal developments
-Perception of the public
-Sympathy for government
-President's speech on Hiss case
-Effect of compromised information
-Need for Senate help
-Robert J. Dole
-Colson
-John G. Tower
-President's handling of Hiss papers
-Fear of governmental coverup
-Ellsberg
-Declassification procedure
-Overclassification
-Effect of publication
-Previous day's publicity
-Post, Times
-Freeze
-Robert B. Semple, Jr.
-Freeze on backgrounders for the Times
-Semple
-Other Post reporters
23
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Ziegler left at 10:09 am.
-Administration response
-Allen
-Kissinger
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-President’s wishes
Conv. No. 528-4 (cont.)
[Unintelligible]
White House administration
-Meeting with economic people
-President's preparation
-Location
-Economic policy meeting
-Preparation
-Connally meeting with Arthur F. Burns
-Burns
-George P. Shultz
-Prior assignments
-Church service attendance
-Alexander P. Butterfield
-Burns's wife
-Upcoming conversation with Connally
-Council of Economic Advisors [CEA]
-Control
-Administration handling of people
-Connally’s view
-Ehrlichman
-Shultz
-Need for specifics
-Leaks
-Ehrlichman
-Congressional role
-MacGregor
-Congressional role
-Need for accountability
-Post story
-Need to control leaks
Rose Mary Woods entered at an unknown time after 10:09 am.
24
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Woods' health
Presidential trip
-Trip to Indiana
-President’s experiences
-Acker
Woods left at an unknown time before 10:45 am. Conv. No. 528-4 (cont.)
White House administration
-Leaks
-Need for tighter accountability
-"Hill" compared with White House leaks
-Economic problems
-Public review of recommendations
-Burns
Presidential statements
-Honor America Day
-Speech by President
-Teleprompter
-Effectiveness
-Rehearsal
Haldeman left at 10:45 am.