Conversation 560-004

On August 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Peter M. Flanigan, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:45 pm to 6:00 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 560-004 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 560-4

Date: August 10, 1971

Time: 5:45 pm - 6:00 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull and Peter M. Flanigan.

     Alexander P. Butterfield

Bull left at 5:45 pm.

     Ambassadorships

Butterfield entered and left at 5:45 pm.

           -Appointees

     Ambassadorships
         -Appointees
              -State Department recommendations
                    -William P. Rogers

     Ambassadorships
         -Appointees
              -[Robert P.?] Griffin
                   -Wire to Herbert W. Kalmbach
                   -Brother
                   -Trustees

     Petrochemicals
          -Administration’s options
               -Cabinet Task Force recommendations
                     -George P. Shultz
                     -Maurice H. Stans
               -Oil Policy Council
               -Oil producers' views
               -Lockheed vote
                     -Administration's promise
               -Oil producers’ view
                     -Supplies
                     -Plants
                     -Option One
                     -Views of Department of Defense [DOD], Department of Interior, Gen.

                            George A. Lincoln, Clark MacGregor
                -Option Two
                -Views of Stans, John N. Mitchell, Department of State, Council of Economic
                      Advisers [CEA], Flanigan
                -Impact on oil companies
                      -Compared to Option One
                -Flanigan’s discussion with Congress
                -Lockheed vote
                      -John B. Connally's role
                            -William V. Roth, Jr.
                      -President's call to [Thomas] Hale Boggs
                -Flanigan's possible conversation with Connally
                      -Roth
                -Industry views
                -Robert P. Griffin's views
                -Oil producers' views and motives
                      -Prices
                            -Inflation

Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:45 pm.

     President's schedule
          -Shultz

Bull left at an unknown time before 6:00 pm.

     Petrochemicals
          -Oil producers' views and motives
                -Clifford P, Hansen [?]
                      -Oil prices
                            -Rigs
                            -Inflation
          -Administration’s options
                -Timing of decision
                -Flanigan's possible call to Connally
                      -Oil producers
                            -Tariffs compared to quotas
                -Mitchell's views
                      -Oil industry compared to Senators
                      -Balance of payments, exports
                            -President’s view

                           -Flanigan’s possible call to Connally
          -Flanigan's possible call to Connally
               -Option Two
                     -President’s view
                     -Treasury Department
               -Connally's possible calls
          -MacGregor's views
               -Henry L. Bellmon, John G. Tower, Hansen
               -Option One
                     -Politics
               -Roth
               -Balance of payments
               -Conversation with Flanigan

International trade
      -Textiles
           -National security clause
                  -Comparison to Dwight D. Eisenhower and oil
                  -Possible impact
                       -Steel, electronics industries
           -Rogers' conversation with Flanigan
           -Peter G. Peterson
           -Rogers' views
                  -Takeo Fukuda
                       -Forthcoming visit to US
                             -Timing
                  -Possible negotiations with Fukuda
                       -Eisaku Sato
                       -Possible agreement
                             -Parameters
                                   -Ambassador [Nobuhiko Ushiba]
                                   -Connally
                             -David Kennedy's views
                             -Wilbur D. Mills
                             -Duration
                                   -Cotton Textile Agreement
                             -Textile industry
                  -National Security clause
                       -Political aspect
                       -Okinawa
                       -Tariff Commission Act

                            -Quotas
                            -Peterson
                 -Quotas
                       -Flanigan’s view
                       -Bill
                             -Mills
                             -Escape clause
                 -Rogers' possible negotiations with Fukuda
                       -Possible agreement
                             -Duration
                                  -Possible quota bill
                 -Peterson
                 -National Security clause
                       -Views of Stans, Connally, Mitchell
                       -Views of Henry A. Kissinger, Rogers, Shultz
                       -Possible effect
                       -Rogers’ forthcoming talk with the President
                       -Decision
                             -Timing
                 -Quotas
                       -Mills

     Ambassadorships

Flanigan left and Stephen B. Bull entered at 6:00 pm.