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Conversation: 549-025

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Start Date: 28-Jul-1971 3:05 PM

End Date: 28-Jul-1971 4:54 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Agnew, Spiro T. (Vice President)Rogers, William P.Kissinger, Henry A.Scali, John A.Sanchez, ManoloZiegler, Ronald L.Farlans, Joseph S.White House photographerHaldeman, H. R. ("Bob")

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:56:00

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 05:44:24

549a.mp3

549b.mp3

549c.mp3

NARA Description:

On July 28, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger, John A. Scali, Manolo Sanchez, Ronald L. Ziegler, Joseph S. Farlans, White House photographer, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:05 pm to 4:54 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 549-025 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 549-25

Date: July 28, 1971
Time: 3:05 pm - 4:54 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, and Henry A. Kissinger.

     The President's schedule
                                      36

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/08)



    -Congressional ceremony
          -Speakers
    -Photographs of meeting
Agnew's Trip
    -Portugal
    -Reports
          -Rogers, Kissinger
    -Perceptions
    -Saudi Arabia
    -The press
          -Time magazine
    -The President's conversation with Kissinger
          -Walter Cronkite
    -Press coverage
          -Time, Newsweek
               -Comparison with daily news reports
               -Patrick J. Buchanan
               -Kenyan Ambassador to the US
          -Ambassador from Kenya
               -Letter to Newsweek
          -Compared to the president’s experiences
    -Conversations with foreign leaders
          -Reactions
               -Eisaku Sato
               -Lee Kuan Yew
               -Bombay, India
                     -Governor
                           -University President
               -Sese Seko Mobutu
               -Jomo Kenyatta
               -Ethiopia
                     -Monarchy
          -The Pentagon Papers case
               -Foreign reaction
                     -Ethiopia
                     -Nairobi
                     -Perception of the press
                           -Portugal
          -Lee Kuan Yew
               -US Ambassador
          -Kuwait
               -John P. Walsh
                                          37

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/08)



                        -Comments to the press
                        -Conversation with Agnew
                        -Ireland
             -Saudi Arabia
                  -Nicholas Thacher
                  -Promotion
                  -Compared to the President’s previous Vice Presidential trip
                  -[Forename unknown] Vance                       Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
                  -Thacher
                  -Robert C. Hill
                  -William J. Porter
                  -Charles T. Cross
                        -Singapore
                  -Lee Watson (?)
                  -Singapore
                        -Ambassadorial post
                              -Lee Kuan Yew
                              -Business experience
                  -Lee Kuan Yew
                        -Education
                              -Wife
                        -Harvard University
                  -Arab nations
                        -Relations with the Soviet Union
                        -Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Kuwait


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 42s ]


    EGYPT


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

******************************************************************************
                                             38

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



                            -John A. Scali

     -The People’s Republic of China [PRC] initiative
          -Newsweek article
               -Agnew’s prior knowledge
                     -Rogers
                     -Kissinger’s efforts
                           -Pakistan                             Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
               -Source of story
                     -White House
                           -The National Security Council [NSC]
                     -State Department
                     -Agnew’s forthcoming memorandum to the President

     Warsaw talks
         -Rogers

     Agnew’s trip
         -The State Department
               -Foreign Service
                    -Memorandum of conversation [Memcon]

Scali entered at 3:28 pm.

           -Articles about trip
                 -Scali
                 -Wire services
           -Memcon
           -Significance of visits
                 -The Middle East
                 -Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Congo
                 -Korea, Singapore
           -Agnew's handling of trips
                 -Briefings
           -Rogers’ conversation with Davidson (?)
                 -Impressions
           -Nature of trip
           -Press reports
                 -Newsweek
                       -The PRC move as main press focus
                       -Editing
                 -Japan, Korea
                                                39

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 10/08)



                      -Report
                 -Kenya story
                 -Presentation of trip
                 -Newsweek
           -Role
           -Story
                 -Possible White House source
                 -Perceptions                                     Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
                 -Handling
                       -Ronald L. Ziegler
                 -Scali’s role
           -Kenyatta

Scali left at 3:38 pm.

     Sudan
          -Coup attempt
              -The Soviet Union
              -Mohammed Gaafar el-Nimeiry
                    -Foreign policy towards the West
                         -Rogers’ conversation with Sudanese Ambassador to the United
                               Nations [UN]


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National Security]
[Duration: 19s ]


     SUDAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


           -Counter-coup
               -Executions
                     -The Soviet Union
                                              40

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)




    Arab-Soviet relations
         -Anwar el-Sadat’s message to Rogers
              -Israel
         -Sadat, Mammar Qadaffi, el-Nimeiry

    Africa
         -Egypt                                                 Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
              -Cable to Sadat
              -US diplomatic presence
              -President’s opinion
                    -Vice Presidential trip


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[National Security]
[Duration: 26s ]


    EGYPT


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10

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


             -Morocco
                 -King Hassan II
                      -Cancellation of US trip
                           -Arab summit
                      -Coup attempt
                           -Repairs to Summer Palace
                           -Dean G. Acheson

    Israel
             -Arab view
                  -Arab Jews compared to European Jews
                       -Moshe Dayan
                       -Golda Meir
                                            41

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/08)



              -Sadat’s opinion of Dayan
         -Dayan

    Spain
         -Gen. Francisco Franco
              -Reaction to the PRC initiative
              -Health
              -Diplomatic reception                           Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
                   -Cuban charge d’affaires


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[National Security]
[Duration: 14s ]


    SPAIN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11

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


         -Succession
              -Luis Carrero Blanco
                    -Conversation with Agnew
              -Agnew’s conversation with Franco
                    -Ethiopia [Kenya]
                          -Jomo Kenyatta
                               -Prime Minister
              -Prince Juan Carlos
                    -Status
                          -Gregorio Lopez Bravo de Castro
                               -Franco
                                           42

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/08)



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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[National Security]
[Duration: 55s ]


    SPAIN                                                    Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12

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


              -Franco


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
[National Security]
[Duration: 2m 8s ]


    PORTUGAL


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13

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


    Portugal
         -African colonies
               -Nixon administration’s position
                    -Public opinion
                    -Compared to past administrations
               -The President’s opinion
                                       43

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/08)



African leaders
     -Mobutu
           -Role as post-colonial mediator
           -Humor
           -The President’s opinion
           -Riverboat
                 -Helicopter
                       -Pilots                           Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
           -Agnew’s tour of the Congo River
           -Lifestyle
           -Popularity
           -Army
                 -Draft of university students
           -Anti-communist
           -Wife
           -Relationship to the US
                 -Visits
           -Residence
                 -Gardens
                       -Compared to the White House
                 -Staff
                       -Taiwanese
                             -Chiang Kai-shek
     -Jomo Kenyatta
           -Agnew’s opinion
           -Presentation of monkey cloak
           -[Unintelligible name]

PRC initiative
    -Background briefing for Agnew
           -Kissinger
           -Rogers, the President, Agnew
           -Dissemination
                -Papers
           -Rogers’ conversation with Agnew

UN membership issue
    -Rogers responsibility
    -John B. Connally
         -Japan, Australia
    -Taiwan, Republic of China [ROC]
         -Sustain membership
                                        44

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/08)



          -Security Council
                -PRC
          -Expulsion
                -Reaction
                      -Taiwan
                      -PRC
     -Handling
          -Timing                                               Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
                -Television coverage
                -President’s role
                      -Rogers’ statement
                      -Briefing paper
                            -Kissinger
     -Taiwan
          -Security Council
                -US stance
                -Great Britain, Canada, Italy
          -Expulsion
          -US stance
                -Possible statement
                      -Probable questions
                      -Handling
                            -Order of appearance
                -Congress
                      -J. William Fulbright, Dr. Thomas E. (“Doc”) Morgan
     -Kissinger’s briefing
          -Agnew

Canada
    -Mitchell Sharp
         -Conversation with Rogers
               -Pierre E. Trudeau’s invitation to Aleksei N. Kosygin
                     -Time of announcement
                     -Invitation to the President
                           -Timing of possible visit
                                 -Canada’s general election
                                       -Public reaction
                                       -Political consequences
                     -Timing
                           -Postponement
                           -President’s visit
                                            45

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/08)



                          -Appearances
                               -Canada’s general election
                               -US Presidential election
                     -Schedule


******************************************************************************
                                                          Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[National Security]
[Duration: 21s ]


     CANADA


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14

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


     Agnew’s schedule

Agnew and Rogers left at 4:07 pm.

     Vietnam negotiations
          -Le Duc Tho
               -Schedule
               -Issues
                     -Political
                           -Nguyen Van Thieu
               -Strategy

     White House leaks
                                             46

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/08)



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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
[Privacy
[Duration: 3s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15                                      Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)

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


Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 4:07 pm.

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 4:17 pm.


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
[Privacy]
[Duration: 3s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16

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


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 15s ]


     CANADA


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

**********************************************************************
                                              47

                              NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/08)




     UN membership issue
         -Prospects
         -Handling
              -Rogers

     William F. Buckley, Jr.
          -H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman                                   Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
          -Kissinger's conversation
          -Stance of conservatives
                -The President
                -Fulbright
          -Administration’s position
          -Forthcoming trip to Europe
          -Forthcoming meeting with the President or Kissinger
          -Conservative criticism
                -The PRC initiative


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
[Duration: 18s ]


     CANADA


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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


     The President’s schedule

Ziegler entered at 4:17 pm.

     Federal Reserve Board
          -Vacancy
               -Speculation
                     -Connally
                                               48

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/08)




     Conservatives
         -Administration’s reaction
         -PRC initiative

     The economy
          -Ziegler’s conversation with Connally
          -Balance of trade                                            Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
          -Effect of wartime compared with peacetime economy
          -Howard Stein
               -Call to Kissinger
                      -Stock market

     Agnew
         -Trip
                 -Scali’s role
                 -Briefing of Rogers, the President
             -Knowledge of the PRC initiative

Ziegler left at 4:18 pm.

     Stein
             -Federal Reserve Board
                  -Burns

     Dinner
          -Atlantic Oil, Westinghouse, North American Insurance
          -McGeorge Bundy
          -President’s leadership

     Foreign policy
          -New York Post
          -Vietnam negotiations
               -Le Duc Tho's schedule
               -The PRC
                    -Agnew briefing
                          -Comparison to Rogers’ briefing
               -Kissinger's negotiations
               -Chou En-lai
               -Negotiations

Joseph S. Farland and a White House photographer entered at 4:21 pm.
                                              49

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/08)




     Pleasantries
     Farland’s schedule
          -Pakistan
                -Letter

The White House photographer left at an unknown time before 4:33 pm.
                                                                    Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
    The PRC initiative
          -Farland's role

Haldeman entered at an unknown time after 4:21 pm.

               -Kissinger
               -Rogers
               -Agha Hilaly
               -The State Department
          -Vietnam negotiations
          -Announcement
               -Voice of America [VOA]
          -Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan

     Pakistan-Indian relations
          -Public opinion
                -Kenneth B. Keating
                -Farland
                      -PRC initiative

     Congress
         -Farland's conversation with Charles H. Percy
               -State Department luncheon
                     Francis L. (“Fred”) Kellog
         -Testimony

Haldeman left at an unknown time before 4:33 pm.

     Congress
         -Testimony
               -[Unintelligible Name]
         -Briefing
               -Charles [Unintelligible Surname]
                                          50

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 10/08)




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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 19
[National Security]
[Duration: 7m 56s ]

                                                                 Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
    INDIA-PAKISTAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 19

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


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Privacy]
[Duration: 1m 4s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

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

         -Compared to Farland's experience as Ambassador to the Dominican Republic
             -Rafael Trujillo

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 17
[National Security]
[Duration: 28s ]


    DOMINICAN REPUBLIC


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 17
                                           51

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 10/08)



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

    Farland
         -Loyalty
              -State Department
         -Ambassador to Pakistan
              -Tenure
                                                                   Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Privacy]
[Duration: 3s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9

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


                   -Abner (?)
                         -Kissinger
             -Possible future post
                   -Japan
                         -Language skill
                   -Europe
                         -Romania
             -Conversation with the Ambassador from Thailand
                   -Importance of ambassadorial post to Thailand
             -Possible future post
                   -Vienna
                   -Bangkok, Japan, Romania
         -Handling of future ambassadorial appointments

    The PRC initiative
         -Farland’s role
               -Pakistan
                     -Yahya Khan
         -Potential effect
               -Liberal reaction
               -Chou En-lai
                                            52

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/08)



              -US foreign policy
                    -The Soviet Union
                    -Vietnam
         -The PRC's position in the World
         -The Soviet Union
         -Japan
         -Soviet Union
              -Arms control                                    Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)
         -Taiwan
              -Chiang Kai-shek
              -UN membership issue
                    -Great Britain, Canada, Italy
         -Reaction from the right
              -US Congress
              -Otto E. Passman, William J. (“Jack”) Edwards
              -Human Events, National Review
         -Public reaction
              -American Legion
         -The President's role
              -Democrats
                    -Hubert H. Humphrey, Edward M. Kennedy, Edmund S. Muskie
              -John N. Mitchell’s comments to Farland

    Pakistan
         -Farland's return
               -Conversation with Kissinger
                     -Letter
               -Handling of departure from post
                     -Yahya Khan


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 18
[Privacy]
[Duration: 38s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 18

******************************************************************************
                                              53

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)




                 -Tenure
                      -Conversation with Kissinger
                 -George D. Aiken's conversation with Farland

Farland left at 4:54 pm.

                                                                Conv. No. 549-25 (cont.)