Conversation 547-005

TapeTape 547StartTuesday, July 27, 1971 at 10:36 AMEndTuesday, July 27, 1971 at 11:03 AMTape start time01:17:37Tape end time01:45:43ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Chamie, Alfred P.;  Conn, Norman;  Williams, James B.;  Colson, Charles W.Recording deviceOval Office

On July 27, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alfred P. Chamie, Norman Conn, James B. Williams, and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:36 am to 11:03 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 547-005 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 547-5

Date: July 27, 1971
Time: 10:36 am - 1l:03 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alfred P. Chamie, Norman Conn, James B. Williams and Charles W.
Colson; members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting.

     Introductions

     Arrangements for photographs

Conn and Williams left at 10:37 am.

     The Vietnam War
          -American Legion’s position
               -Chamie’s speeches
                      -Vietnamization
          -Public perception
          -US troop withdrawals
          -Vietnamization
               -South Vietnamese Army
                      -Laos
               -North Vietnamese Army
          -Prospective settlement
          -South Vietnam
               -Upcoming elections
                      -Opposition to Nguyen Van Thieu
                            -US role
                            -Duong Van (“Big Minh”) Minh
                                  -Chamie’s opinion
          -Possibility of a cease fire

     The American Legion
          -Tasks of the National Commander
               -Speaking engagements
               -Official travel
                     -Chamie’s tour of Israel
          -Resolution on Israel

     Israel
              -US military support
                   -The Suez Canal
              -Richard M. Helms visit
                   -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] report
              -Golda Meir
              The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
              -The President’s opinion of Israelis
                   -The Suez Canal
              -The coup in Sudan
                   -Egypt

The American Legion
     -Chamie’s official travel
         -Taiwan, Republic of China [ROC]
               -Meeting with Chiang Kai-shek
               -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr., Gen. Lucius DuB. Clay, Jr.
               -Korea
         -Political influence
         -Philippines
               -Ferdinand E. Marcos
               -Economic situation
                      -Compared to the US
                            -Belgium, Switzerland
               -Marcos
                      -American Legion support
                      -Advisors
               -Manila Chamber of Commerce
                      -Economic ties with USSR
               -President’s view

US initiative towards the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
     -Announcement
     -Chamie’s opinion
     -Perceptions
     -Effects
     -PRC United Nations [UN] membership
            -US policy towards Taiwan

The American Legion
     -Forthcoming convention in Houston
          -Possibility of President’s attendance
                -The President's prior commitment to attend the Veterans of Foreign Wars
                      [VFW] convention
     -Resolution on the China issue

PRC initiative
    -Kevin P. Phillips article
           -Briefing
                 -John A. Scali, Henry A. Kissinger
           -Public perception
           -US stance
    -Chamie's comments to Legionnaires

     American Legion convention
         -Invitation to the President
               -Prior VFW commitment

     The US film industry
          -John B. Connally
          -Jack Lemmon’s (?) statement
                -Regulations
          -The President's California background
          -Efforts
                -Foreign films
          -Compared to the television industry

     The President's schedule
          -July 29, 1971 visit
                -American Legion's Boys Nation group
                      -The President's afternoon Congressional event
                      -Timing

     The President's PRC trip
          -Press entourage
               -Jim O'Neal of the American Legion's magazine
                      -Accreditation on trip
               -Limitations on group size

     American Legion Convention
         -Possibility of the President attending
               -Effect

     Presidential gift

Chamie and Colson left at 11:03 am.

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.

This is where our
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Thank you.
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So this way down there, it's a very, uh, not to, uh, you know, I can guarantee that
I hope they get around the world, but I'm talking about this long, hard journey that's coming to an end.
And it's coming to an end in a way that we better all anguish that this country is going to have a chance to survive and choose to survive.
And these elections in October, in fact, are very important to be aware of it.
It's very important to be aware of the very choices that we made possible rather than having to start with the bullshit.
I'm with the whole thing that I hear, that it was the snake of opposition that Christmas killed him in Mexico.
Oh, sir.
Oh, sir, we are all happy to know that.
If that happens, I think it'd be a discrediting information.
In fact, in fact, in fact, I always thought that it was the big man, for example, that followed him around.
I was impressed with the Christmas killings in this case.
I think Greg got, uh, did he ever take it?
I was just thinking of the key express process that they take when they're in this event, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a look at the system, and then they take a
Yeah, I'm very positive about it.
I do tell people about it.
I'm not sure the reason for it, but when you refer somebody else, you never see the same thing.
You go, where are they?
Everything looks like they're on their own now.
Now they're broke.
No, one of the tasks they're asking is everything you've done.
How do you do it?
I've been asking you all the time now.
They didn't have to have a very wonderful physical body.
You look like you're going to be there in a year.
That was your job.
Yeah, I was going to be there.
I was going to be there.
I was going to be there.
I was going to be there.
and we were down at Carmel Sheik in the district of Surrey.
And everybody liked to lift us to the problems and the positions we needed.
And we had a resolution from the American Legion that was passed last May, urging you to, if you would, to give consideration
We don't know if they think a great deal wants to do it.
I would give a lot of hope to everybody.
And I wouldn't cost them anything.
Just, uh, not to, uh, you know, it's, uh, it's still something they've got to decide.
And I think it's, uh, they're very concerned.
I'm probably not sure it's particularly, uh, uh, strong in their appreciation of what he did.
He had, uh, his, uh, his values and, uh, for times later, and, uh,
He was there right after.
They were very concerned at that time because I think the arrangements with the United States had ended in June 1st.
So that's me sharing that.
Thank you.
While you were sitting there in the middle of that, you were looking two-faced at us.
I had a lot of respect for you.
Most people are really, you can't just cut more cuts.
They say we'd rather die and do this than do the other thing.
On the other hand, it will be, they can gain a lot of support by it.
If they make one move, say, on the suicide thing, which they aren't sure,
And he thought, why not, we're going to go to it.
There was a big elevation on the airport.
It was definitely a war, but not as a coup.
I think it was a war of change and so on.
On my outreach trip, I had a very fine meeting with the president, Jerry Kennedy.
And we got to Korea, too.
I don't know why I want to do this.
So, I have to go to the American market.
This is the American market.
It's very active.
And I'm going to do this.
And I'm going to do this.
And I'm going to do this.
And I'm going to do this.
And I'm going to do this.
Yeah.
Sure.
Sure.
Yeah.
I have a feeling he's running now.
I did run across some sound up there at the time, and especially once the chamber comes in the middle of the province,
make contact with Russia on some economic exchange.
And there was that discussion going on in the opposition.
And quite a bit of... Well, the whole place was a big flux of curses.
Yeah.
All the nations.
And you were a viewer of curses.
We were out there, you were back here, and we had our time up.
Yeah, and I was deeply impressed with the ministry today that you took.
I think it's, you know, it's dangerous.
It's dangerous.
A lot of people are overreacting to things because they don't
I mean, both sides are going in with very different views about the four of those people.
On the other hand, there had to be a move made to take the eight of the different Chinese and to begin pretending they're isolated from the rest of the world.
They were not having a chance to have a peaceful world.
I was deeply impressed by two of the points you made.
One was that they want you to do what you're doing
Correct.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
And I was hoping very deeply that Steve would come to see me and be best with me.
And particularly on this issue here, from my point of view, it's a tremendous difference.
There's a point where I think your accusation is reasonable, but the D.F.W.
is doubtful.
That's the reason for it.
That's one that I want you to have in mind, that the D.F.W.
was here all the time, but I think we need to start from there.
If it's at all possible to reconsider, it would be a tremendous thing.
I truly appreciate it, and I'm glad you're here.
I'm glad you're here.
I know how much it means to you, and I thank you.
But you could be of such importance in an area where I would like to see some support that could build up within our city.
... ... ... ... ...
and then there'd be an opportunity of that.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Yes, he did.
He really did.
I know.
But it was my fault.
It was Kevin's fault.
It was Kevin's fault.
It was Kevin's fault.
It was Kevin's fault.
It was Kevin's fault.
It was Kevin's fault.
It was Kevin's fault.
And frankly, Mr. President, to be very frank and honest, I don't think that there are many presidents who could have done it.
I think you need to raise your credibility and state it.
I think that's probably the thing to remind the board.
And as a matter of fact, I have children that you're past that position of extreme, that there's no value in something that you use as a creation.
And if you could, if it's possible in any way to make this a convention, it would be a tremendous honor.
It would be a first nation convention itself.
But you know what to do.
I just take care of it.
The thing is I agreed to go to yours last year, and I'm going to have to be up there this year, and I've got a little box here, and I have to do one of the other problems, and the issue is being doing both the same year and also in the same space.
So, let's see, this one, where are the things we take a hard look at?
You assume that we won't, but I'm just saying.
It's a little difficult for me to explain to someone.
Yeah, it's a little difficult for me to explain to someone.
Yeah, it's a little difficult for me to explain to someone.
Yeah, it's a little difficult for me to explain to someone.
I don't know.
I had heard, uh, I had heard Jack Lenny
the indicators, the regulations, and what they can do.
I think it's coming along.
It is for the children to be able to be able, for children to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able
But we don't want to get out of the breach from a hot spot because I don't think we're supposed to work on the agency that way.
Where can you go there?
You just saw the president of California.
He can't trust the New York-California industry.
The industry just doesn't rely on money to stand up for themselves.
I don't want them to be able to get out of the market.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't think we've got anything to do with that.
Money doesn't help any sector or agency.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
I'm out of here.
I'm out of here.
I'm out of here.
I'm out of here.
I'm out of here.
I got an F.D.
and I'm very concerned about the immigration situation and things like that.
I'm very concerned about the immigration situation and things like that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, well,
Uh, let me say, the problem there, and of course this has to be worked on at a later time.
It's a matter of negotiations with the Senate.
The problem is the number.
How many we can get.
And it's, uh, of course, it's a matter of how much we can go if we can't have it.
But we put it down.
He's a great Paul.
And he's only over many years great at our college.
And he's the kind of person that is a good support to the great church of our people.
Well, Mr. Preston, I hope and trust that it's possible to reach the confession of that man.
I do appreciate your problem.
Well, you know, I mean, you should ask.
I'm a servant.
Well, you helped us there.
Yeah.
Anyway, thank you, John.
Good time.
Yeah.
What about you, sir?
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm using a money club.
You use a money club?
I've already used a money club.
I've already used a money club.
I've already used a money club.
I've already used a money club.
I've already used a money club.
I've already used a money club.
I've already used a money club.
It's hard to realize.
This is very special.
You only get about 25 of those.
I've got to hand you this present.
Well, I'm trying to take care of yourself.
Do you agree that you look fine today?
I do.