Conversation: 554-003
Prev: 554-002 Next: 554-004Start Date: Wednesday, August 4, 1971 4:27 PM
End Date: Wednesday, August 4, 1971 5:43 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)]; Connally, John B.Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:58:13
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:58:34
NARA Description:
On August 4, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:27 pm and 1:43 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 554-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 554-3
Date: August 4, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:27 pm and 1:43 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
President's schedule
News conference
-Analysis of questions
-Economy
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Vietnam
-Pakistan
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Conservative revolt
-Busing
-Benefit of infrequent news conferences
-Spiro T. Agnew
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 554-3 (cont.)
-Economy
-Arthur F. Burns
-President's defense
-Pay increase
-PRC
[Pause]
Margaret Chase Smith
-Conversation with Haldeman
-Smith’s schedule
-Possible meeting with the President
-President's schedule
-Possible trip to Bangor, Maine
-Conflict with Smith’s schedule
-Haldeman’s call
President's schedule
-Meeting with ambassador Henry J. Tasca
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Trip to New York
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 16s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
**********************************************************************
Economy
-Need to present administration position
-Farm magazine editors
-Opinion makers
-William L. Safire
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 554-3 (cont.)
Kissinger entered at an unknown time after 12:27 pm.
Press conference
-Andrei A. Gromyko
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Reference
-Meeting with the President
-Possible summit
-Kissinger’s concern
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Gromyko
US foreign relations
-Forthcoming meetings
-Timing
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] compared to PRC
-Gromyko
-Talks with the President
-Invitation
-USSR
-Possible pressure
-PRC
-USSR
-Bilateral agreement
-PRC
-Suggested letter
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
Press conference questions
-Pentagon Papers
-Agnew
-Conservative revolt
-United Nations [UN] vote
-Vietnam
-News bulletins
-PRC
-Forthcoming trip by President
-Relationship to Vietnam
-Economy
-Wage and price board
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 554-3 (cont.)
-Inflation
-PRC
-Trip
-Vietnam war
-Vietnam war
-Negotiations
-PRC
-Trip
-Detente
-Vietnam
-Casualties
-Impact of Cambodia, Laos operations
-Economy
-Vietnam
Vietnam War
-Negotiations
-North Vietnam
-Hanoi's statements
-PRC
-US
-Le Duc Tho
-PRC's statements
-US military withdrawal
-Kissinger's visit to Peking
-Nguyen Van Thieu
PRC
-Possible purchases from US
-Boeing 707's and 727's
-Analysis
-Long-term expectations
-Announcement
-Timing
-Forthcoming trip by President
-Relationship
-[Forename unknown] Burger [sp?]
-Size
-Prisoners
-Edward M. Kennedy's statement
-Possible release
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 554-3 (cont.)
-Timing
-President’s trip
-Kennedy’s statement
-Chou En-lai
-Kennedy
-Possible administration response
-Public pressure
Kennedy
-Pakistan
-Refugees
-PRC
-United Nations [UN]
PRC
-Forthcoming trips
-Working group
-Timing
-President's press conference answers
-Vietnam War
-Importance as issue
-Press conference
-Seven points
-President’s handling
-Kissinger's actions
-Press
-Scrutiny
Vietnam negotiations
-Press
-Speculation
-Dobrynin
Democrats
-1972 election
-Statement of principles
Pakistan
-William P. Rogers
-State Department
-UN meeting
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 554-3 (cont.)
-Publicity
-As spokesman
-Television image
-Press conference
-Cameras
-William H. Carruthers
-Glasses
-Lighting
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 4s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
**********************************************************************
Rogers
-PRC
-Businessman’s reception
-Administration
-State Department
-Pakistan
President's schedule
-Henry J. Tasca
-John B. Connally
Tasca
-State Department
-Capitol Hill
Press conference
-Vietnam negotiations
-Seven points
-Helen Thomas
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 554-3 (cont.)
-New York Times
-Established channels
Soviet summit
-Timing
-Relationship to PRC trip
-Timing
Middle East
-PRC
-Chou En-lai
-Foreign policy briefing, May 1971
-USSR
Kissinger left at an unknown time before 1:43 pm.
President's schedule
-Tasca
-Schedule
-Foreign Affairs Committee
-George P. Shultz
Cabinet meeting
-Alexander P. Butterfield
-Blue-collar workers
-Connally
-Economy
-Agnew
-Connally
-George W. Romney
-John A. Volpe
-Maurice H. Stans
-Shultz
-Duration
President's schedule
-Connally
-Forthcoming meeting
-Shultz
Economy
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 554-3 (cont.)
-Press conference
-Profits
-Unemployment rate
-Instructions to Charles W. Colson
-Dan Rather
-Frank Stanton
- Nixon trouble theme
-News reporting
-Foreign policy as issue
-Difficulty
President's schedule
-National Business Council for Consumer Affairs
-Meeting, August 5, 1971
-Location
-Indian Treaty Room
-Commerce Department, Consumer League, Federal Trade Commission [FTC],
Food and Drug Administration [FDA], Anti-trust division of Justice
Department
-Participants
-Donald S. Perkins
-Jewel Companies, Inc.
-Robert J. Keith
-Pillsbury Company
-Archibald McG. Foster
-Ted Bate and Company
-J. J. Riccardo
-Chrysler Corporation
-Edgar H. Lotspeich
-Proctor and Gamble Company
-Justin W. Dart
-Grant G. Simmons, Jr.
-Barron Hilton
-Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
-Thornton F. Bradshaw
-Atlantic-Richfield Corporation
-V. J. Skutt
-Stuart D. Watson
-Dow Corporation
-Donald Hall
-Robert O. Aders
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 554-3 (cont.)
-President's participation
-Press coverage
-Working paper
-Positives on economy
-Press coverage
-Bill signing
-Appalachian Regional Commission
-Economic Development Act extension
-Jennings Randolph, John Sherman Cooper, Howard H. Baker, Jr.
-Lockheed bill
-Baker
-Political matters
-John N. Mitchell
-Defense budget
-Kissinger’s recommendations
-Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS], National Security Council [NSC], service
secretaries meetings
-Kissinger
-JCS
-Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Haji Abdul Razak bin Dato’ Hussain
-Office call
-Forthcoming trip, October 1971
-Canada
-UN General Assembly
-Speech
-Rogers
-Luncheon
-President’s role
-Meet and greet
-Office press conferences
-Frequency
-Connally
-Frequency
-Preparation
-Television
-Depth of answers
-Use of time
-Forthcoming meetings
-Cabinet meeting
-Romney
-James L. Buckley
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 554-3 (cont.)
-Farm magazine editors
-Reception for supporters
-Carl B. Albert
-Girls Nation
-Rudolph A. Peterson
-Environmental report
-Office press conference
-News stories
-Office press conference
-Economy
-Blue-collar workers
-Herbert E. Kaplow
-Burns
-Request to see the President
-Transcript
-William L. Safire
-Peter G. Peterson
-Safire
-Peter Peterson
-Bohemian Grove
-Peter Peterson
-Compared to Safire
Personnel
-Clifford M. Hardin
-Future plans
-Rogers
-Henry L. Bellmon
-Bryce N. Harlow
-Agriculture Department
-Louie B. Nunn
-Mitchell
-Harlow's reaction
-Farm credentials
-Farm vote
President's schedule
-Connally
-Peter Peterson
Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:27 pm and 1:43 pm.
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 554-3 (cont.)
[Conversation No. 554-3A]
[See Conversation No. 7-59]
[End of telephone conversation]
President's schedule
-Nunn
-[Grand Teton National Park] ceremony
-Speech preparation
-Washington, DC
-Activity
-Participation in park ceremony
-Rogers C. B. Morton
-[Illinois] State Fair
-Defense budget
-Meetings
-NSC and JCS
Haldeman talked with Connally at an unknown time between 12:27 pm and 1:43 pm.
[Conversation No. 554-3B]
[See Conversation No. 7-60]
[End of telephone conversation]
President's schedule
-Connally
-Signing activity
-New Hampshire and Maine
-New York
-Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
-California
-Yorba Linda
-Park ceremony
-Illinois and Ohio
-Illinois State Fair
-Park
-Dallas
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 554-3 (cont.)
-Speechwriting
-Illinois State Fair
-Abraham Lincoln
-Importance
-Timing
-Park
-Governor [Richard B. Ogilvie]
-Remarks
-Greetings
-Park
-Activity
-Forthcoming meeting
Haldeman left at an unknown time before 1:43 pm.