Conversation 528-006

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Well, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to tell you that that was really a wonderful job on that HR-1.

And I was just delighted you came through.

I know that the final note, of course, was so big.

I looked at the paper, and I looked back and saw that the other note, which you agreed, was really 47 on the critical one.

I said, well, that was a little more than I thought you'd get.

Some of our boys thought you were down to 20.

It was a great job.

Now let me ask you this.

Anything, Bennett, anything, and I would like to know that any you feel that I can do on a sentence.

I already know we have our pitfalls.

I will be glad to work on that.

Actually, I'll be in touch with Russell and Bennett and so forth as the thing develops.

But you know the moves are better than anybody else.

And if you just let me know, I...

What did, what is the procedure of dissipation when they didn't bring it up?

Uh-huh.

Well, they say they have a pretty good chance what works for me to get it through before the end of the year.

Didn't like last year when it came so late, huh?

Yeah.

Okay.

Well, yeah.

All right.

I'll do that.

Yeah.

You did, yes.

Yes, sir.

And that's what you've done.

Now he's on that kick.

And of course, he may be a lot stronger work requirement.

That doesn't bother me.

I mean, yeah.

That really is the difference.

One is the guarantee equation if they work.

But only if they work.

Right, right.

Sure.

Yeah, I know.

I know.

I think it would, and I think that, of course, this will bring a sort of a direct deal where him, Hester, if you're all right,

Yeah, no, no, he was very respectful.

You can gladly see that he has taken such strong leadership, you know, to get this voter rolls down out there.

That's a major problem.

He worked with California and so forth.

And I don't, I think it never hurts a bit.

And particularly if you can do it and then have a good talk with him, that's the main thing.

He's a gentleman with a disease.

He's got chapter conversion and all that stuff.

He doesn't lie.

And he's a very decent fellow.

And he's a real gentleman.

And I think he'd be worthwhile.

Okay.

All right.

Yeah, sure.

Yeah.

Well, I'll tell you, I appreciate that, but I told somebody the other day, just for your information, don't let it go here, they asked me about the, of course I didn't understand politically what I was saying, I said, you know, that the

There are really only two fellows on the first line.

I won't get into the domestic issues with that guy, but there are only two fellows that the people that have been mentioned on the other side that could handle foreign policy, and one of you and the other is Jackson.

You know what I mean?

It seems to me, Wilbur, that this whole business, I'm not asking you to get into it, but this whole business of the way they're handling this

secret paper and so on.

And the way, too, that Johnson's people are ratting on him.

basically with Johnson on a political basis, but now he's the former president of the United States.

This son of a bitch, Ellsberg, he's a left-winger who apparently carried all these papers out.

He's much further than McNamara was on the thing.

And then when the papers are printed are his news about Johnson.

Now that's, they talked about McCartney, there's worse McCartney.

Don't you think so, Ben?

And you know, a lot of us, we're getting heat.

People say, we're trying to cover up.

Hell, we're trying to cover up.

We've got nothing to cover up.

This doesn't involve us.

But we've got to do it.

We've got to protect the security system.

I said, look, first, let's understand, this involves actions of previous administrations, not ours.

Second, as far as those papers are concerned, they were classified on a previous administration object.

Third, as far as those papers are concerned, we have an obligation to protect that system, because otherwise we, well, we could barely deliver the government and the security of the country.

Then I put it this way.

People said, oh, a lot of the papers shouldn't have been classified.

But can I make this point?

You realize there were 5,200 original documents in this.

You realize that a man trying to get intelligence information, if he hits the right paper, one paper is enough to break the code.

One paper is enough.

See, I found all this out in his case many years ago.

That's what it's all about.

That's why you have a classification system.

So I've taken a strong hand on this thing.

We're going to continue to.

where we turned the papers over to Mike and the speaker, and then they got, they got good committee.

We did it here, so I believe here.

And I'm interested.

Right?

Yeah.

I think you could say this, you could say the whole thing really gets down to this.

Sure, nobody's trying to cover up past history, but we are trying to protect the security of Americans in the present, and also the ability of any administration to conduct foreign policy.

There must be some classification.

There's probably over-classification.

But, and oh, there's the other thing.

You understand, it's a law of Congress order that sets up classification.

We can set this damn thing up.

Now, the second point is,

No one, no matter how we dislike the law, no matter how much they're against this war, and a lot of people don't like the war, a lot of people don't like the law, but no one should put himself above the law.

Not a newspaper editor or not a worker in the government.

If you allow a worker in the government, because he doesn't like the war or doesn't like the law, if you say that he has the right to go out and put himself above the law, then you have destroyed the government.

Now that's what you have here, you see.

But anyway, apart from that, I do want you to know we appreciate your help on this.

I'll get a hold of Russell.

I told Mr. Everett Schultz and the rest that we'll continue to try to work out something on that revenue share.

I know that's a tough one.

But your proposal is one that I'm going to Chicago tomorrow, so I'll see you out there.

It may be that we can work out some motor stuff that'd be there.

I mean, there's other... Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, sure.

Sure.

Look, I told him, as a matter of fact, I said, look, sit down at the parking lot and work with you to work out a corporate time.

And let's work out something where, if we can, that accommodates some of these things.

We don't push for it.

for every job until we understand how the thing has to work.

Well, we'll, uh, anyway, I'll, um, I'll, um,

uh received uh get out to the heroines they went to indiana and then to north carolina back i'll tell you that haven't you found a variety of country you get out of washington it's a hell of a lot different country doesn't make you feel good though wonderful people i was out for example oklahoma just a couple better that is up to atlantic city you can see the kids on the street and the folks and most of the people who are there they aren't down in this country they aren't ready to join this sponsor

Yeah.

That's right.

Most of them want to be proud of the country.

All right.

Well, good to talk to you.

And as I say, now, one thing I know you, you, whenever you think there's something I can do on this, you pick up the phone and call me, you understand?

Because, you know, I, I use the phone a lot, I think.

whatever your call comes in, I'll take it.

But in the meantime, in my understanding, the present thing is, on H.R.

1, I'll work directly with the two top senators.

With regard to the other thing, I'll just, I believe, in the hands of Schultz and to a certain extent Conley, and let them talk to you about it.

And if something can work out, I'd appreciate it.

All right.