Conversation: 545-001
Prev: 544-014 Next: 545-002Start Date: Saturday, July 24, 1971 1:43 PM
End Date: Saturday, July 24, 1971 2:36 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.; Butterfield, Alexander P.; Ehrlichman, John D.Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:02:18
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 00:55:37
NARA Description:
On July 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander P. Butterfield, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:43 am to 10:36 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 545-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 545-1
Date: July 24, 1971
Time: 9:43 am - 10:36 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 30s ]
ALEXANDER P. BUTTERFIELD ENTERED AT AN UNKNOWN TIME AFTER 9:43 AM
BUTTERFIELD LEFT AT AN UNKNOWN TIME BEFORE 9:49 AM.
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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Henry A. Kissinger's schedule
[The President talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 9:43 am and 9:49 am]
[Conversation No. 545-1A]
Meeting in Oval Office
[End of telephone conversation]
The President's schedule for the week of July 25-31, 1971
-National Security Council [NSC]
-Press conference
-Timing
-Budget meeting
-Timing of follow-up meeting
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-George P. Shultz
-Defense budget
-Time lag on report
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 41s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
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-Bohemian Grove
-Canton, Ohio Football Hall of Fame banquet
-Ottumwa, Iowa
-Akron-Canton airport
Kissinger entered at 9:49 am.
Schedule
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Kissinger's departure to Paris
-Forthcoming morning budget meeting
Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 9:49 am.
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 56s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Butterfield left at an unknown time before 10:10 am.
Kissinger's schedule
-Forthcoming meeting with the President
Vietnam negotiations Conv. No. 545-1 (cont.)
-Plans
-North Vietnamese proposal
-Status
The People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting with the PRC Ambassador in Paris
-Vernon A. Walters
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 36s ]
CHINA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
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Kissinger's schedule
-Lunch with Henry and Muffie Brandon
Leaks
-Source
-Polygraph tests
-William P. Rogers
-Melvin R. Laird
-The President's directive
-Source of leak
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-State Department
-Message to William J. Porter
-Announcement of appointment
-Leak to news media
-Source
-Administration’s knowledge
-John N. Irwin, II's conversation with Kissinger
-Congressional testimony on Pakistan Conv. No. 545-1 (cont.)
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Possession of State Department cables
-Sources
-Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT] negotiations
-Gerard C. Smith
-Arms Control and Disarmament Agency [ACDA]
-Smith
-Proposal
-The Soviet Union
-Leak prior to presentation
-Charles W. Colson's conversation with the President
-William Beecher's New York Times article
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Egil G. (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Source
-Polygraph
-New York Times publication of article
-Max Frankel
-Smith
-Effect on negotiations
-Smith
-The Soviets
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Closed by Statute]
[Duration: 1m 13s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
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5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Privacy, Law Enforcement]
[Duration: 1m 21s ]
Conv. No. 545-1 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Closed by Statute]
[Duration: 9s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
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-Source of documents
Ehrlichman entered at 10:02 am.
Kissinger
-Knowledge of documents
-Location of Kissinger’s pre-administration documents
Leaks
-Department of Defense
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Polygraph tests
-Beecher
-State Department, ACDA, NSC
-Motivation for leaks
-Access to information
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Negotiations
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-Kissinger
-Secretary of Defense
-Secretary of State
-Head of the ACDA
-Changes in methods of message transmittal
-Maintenance of secrecy Conv. No. 545-1 (cont.)
-PRC initiative
-Knowledge
-Rogers, Marshall Green
-Department of Defense
-Pakistan
-Leak of Porter story
-Appointment
-Revocation
-Rogers
-State Department
-U. Alexis Johnson
-Timing of Porter announcement
-Leak of information
Kissinger left at 10:10 am.
Department of Defense
-Lockheed Corporation
-Laird
-David Packard
-John B. Connally
Pentagon Papers
-Leslie Gelb
-Possible conspiracy
-Robert C. Mardian
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Closed by Statute]
[Duration: 13s ]
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
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-Gelb group
-NSC
-Haig
-Leak Conv. No. 545-1 (cont.)
-Chicago Tribune
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
[Closed by Statute]
[Duration: 6s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
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-Mardian
-Leaks
-Colson
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
-Mardian
-Information on Neil Sheehan
-Ellsberg
-Gelb
-Background
-John F. Kennedy, Robert S. McNamara
Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]
-Colson
-Study on staff party affiliation
-Staff
-Jews
-Arthur F. Burns
-Frederic V. Malek
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Leaks
-Polygraph tests
-Krogh
-Holders of top secret clearances
-Statement on polygraph tests
-Revocation of clearances
-State Department, Department of Defense
-NSC Conv. No. 545-1 (cont.)
-White House investigation
-Wiretaps
The President's schedule
-Forthcoming budget meeting
-The President's meeting with Kissinger
-Shultz
-Role
Implementation of presidential directives
-Rogers
-Responsibility
-Krogh
-Polygraph tests
-NSC
-Alger Hiss
-Whitaker Chambers
-Signing of statement on polygraphs
Ehrlichman left and Kissinger entered at 10:20 am.
The President's schedule
-Departure for Camp David
-Marine One helicopter
-Time, arrangements
Haldeman left at 10:22 am.
Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger's forthcoming trip to Paris
-Negotiating stance
-North Vietnamese
-Kissinger, Rogers
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
PRC initiative
-Kissinger's forthcoming negotiations
-Trips to the PRC by members of Congress
-Haldeman's attitude
-The President's trip
-1972 Presidential election
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Conv. No. 545-1 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
[Duration: 23s ]
CHINA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
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US-Soviet Union relations
-SALT
-Yuli M. Vorontsov
-The PRC initiative
-US-Soviet Union summit
The PRC
-Timing of the President's trip
-Weather
-Compared to the President's 1969 European trip
Vietnam negotiations
-Transcript of previous meeting
-Forthcoming meeting
-Stance
-Proposals
-Date of troop withdrawal
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
The PRC initiative
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Reaction by intellectuals
-Brandon's forthcoming article
Vietnam negotiations
-US proposals
-Comparison
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Economic aid Conv. No. 545-1 (cont.)
-Southeast Asia
Leaks
-State Department, Defense Department, CIA
-Conspiracy
-SALT negotiations leak
-Haig
-Polygraphs
-Restriction of access to classified information
-Handling of documents
-Former NSC staff
-William A.K. (“Tony”) Lake
-Kissinger's hiring practices
-Reasons
The PRC initiative
-Compared to Glassboro Summit
-Long term effect
US foreign policy
-PRC initiative
-North Vietnam’s reaction
-Mansfield
-John Kenneth Galbraith, Cyrus R. Vance
-Domestic shift
-Sol Linowitz, John W. Gardner
-Press
-The New York Times
-The President's image
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[National Security]
[Duration: 42s ]
FOREIGN REACTION Conv. No. 545-1 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
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-Cuba
-Jordan
-Laos, Cambodia
-Laos
-Casualty rate
-PRC initiative
-Vietnam War
-Hue
Kissinger's schedule
Kissinger left at 10:36 am.