Conversation: 561-004
Prev: 561-003 Next: 561-005Start Date: 11-Aug-1971 9:10 AM
End Date: 11-Aug-1971 11:40 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)]; Ziegler, Ronald L.; Killebrew, Harmon;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:10:28
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:42:05
NARA Description:
On August 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), Ronald L. Ziegler, and Harmon Killebrew met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:10 am to 11:40 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 561-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 561-4
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Date: August 11, 1971
Time: 9:10 am - 11:40 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-Instruction to Haldeman
-Telephone call
-Mother [Mrs. W. F. Graham]
-Age
-Invitations
-White House church service
-Mrs. Graham
-Number
Speechwriting
Thomas R. Shepard, Jr.
-Writer
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 30s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
**********************************************************************
The environment
-Maurice H. Stans's memorandum
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Business community
-John C. Whitaker
-Domestic Council
-Flanigan
-Quality
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
Sisowath Sirik Matak's family
-Gifts from President
-Cufflinks
-Compacts
Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Schedule
-Reception
-Mrs. Matak
Henry A. Kissinger entered at 9:15 am.
Berlin
-Allies' meeting with Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Four Powers
-Possible agreement
-USSR concessions
-France
-Text
President's schedule
-White House church service
-Dr. Nelson Bell, Mrs. W. F. Graham, Graham's father-in-law staff
-Timing
White House facilities
-Health unit
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s comments
-William Scherle
-Helen Thomas story
-Scherle
-President’s use
-Press coverage
-Bowling alley
-Swimming pool
-Location
-Executive Office Building [EOB]
-Scherle
-Ziegler’s tour
-Press
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Size
-Scherle
-White House response to news stories
-Cost
-Federal deficit
-Thomas story
-Cost figures
-Ziegler's comments
-President's use
-News stories
-Removal of swimming pool, sauna
-Possible White House response
-Haldeman
-Ziegler
-Thomas story
-President's use
-Ziegler
-Congressional facilities
-President’s use
-Massuer
-Public relations
-Changes when President took office
-Masseurs
Camp David facilities
-Proposed changes
-Congressional committee staff
-Tour
-Maj. Gen. James D. Hughes
-Reaction
-Swimming pool
-Renovation
White House facilities
-Health unit
-Installation
-Timing
-Thomas story
-Public reaction
-Wire story
-Whirlpool
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Accuracy
-Donald Oberdorfer, Jr.’s, story
-Harry S. Truman
-Bowling Alley
-Scherle
-Members of Scherle's staff
-Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
-News stories
-White House response
-Scherle
-Victor Lasky
-Samuel Rayburn building facilities
-Clark MacGregor's possible action
-Tour for Congressman
-Scherle
President's previous trip to New Hampshire
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] story
-Politics
-Trips by John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson
-Primary states
-White House response
-Primary states
-President's schedule
-Wisconsin
-Florida
-California
-Ohio
-Pennsylvania
-Roger H. Mudd
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Mudd
-White House response
-Primary states
-Trips
-Financing
-Thomas J. McIntyre
-Maine
-White House response
-McIntyre
-Lawrence O'Brien, Jr.
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Activities
-Inspection tour
-Nursing home
-Ziegler
White House facilities
-Health unit
-President's use
-Message
-News story
-Public reaction
-Ziegler
Peter H. Dominick
-Appearance on "Today" show
-News summary
-Henry ("Scoop") Jackson
-Treatment by White House
-MacGregor
-President's schedule
-Senate visits
-Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
-John G. Tower
-President's foreign policy
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Claiborne Pell
US-PRC relations
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston’s interview with Chou En-lai
-President
-Courage
-Vietnam
-Kissinger
-United Nations [UN]
-Kissinger's schedule
-New York Times
-Interview with Chou En-lai
-Taiwan
-Possible PRC reaction
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 3s ]
PRC
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
**********************************************************************
-New York Times access to White House staff
-Edward L. Dale, Jr.
-Religious editor
-Interview with Chou En-lai
-Possible public response
-Press coverage
-Possible administration response
-Letter to New York Times
-William P. Rogers
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Rogers
-David Rockefeller
-Floyd [Surname unknown]
-Possible administration response
-Letter
-Buchanan
-President
-Vietnam
-New York Times
-Possible effect in PRC
-Chou En-lai’s opposition
-UN
-Possible administration response
-President's forthcoming trip
-New York Times
-Letter
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Member of Congress
-Rogers
-Kissinger's conversations
-Australian ambassador
-Charles E. (“Chip”) Bohlen
-USSR
-Press coverage
-Readership
-Possible administration response
-New York Times
-Ziegler, Herbert G. Klein, John A. Scali
-Pentagon Papers
-Washington Post
-Dale
-Access to White House staff
-Social events
-New York Times editorial
-Buchanan
-Motive
-PRC trip
-PRC trip
-George Meany
-Comments
-Speechwriter
-Compared to Administration’s
-Shepard
-Reston interview
-Impact on PRC
-President’s opposition
-Dominick's statements
-Carl T. Curtis
-President's forthcoming trip
-Chou En-lai's interview with Reston
-Diplomatic relations
US-USSR relations
-Kissinger's conversation with Haldeman
-President's possible summit
-Secrecy
-John D. Ehrlichman, Peter G. Peterson, Scali, Ziegler, John N. Mitchell,
John B. Connally, Spiro T. Agnew
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Kissinger's forthcoming meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Timing
-Timing
-1972 campaign
-California primary
-President’s forthcoming trip to PRC
President's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Timing
-1972 campaign
-Primaries
-New Hampshire, Florida, Wisconsin
-Democrats
-Jackson
-Convention
Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 10:50 am.
President’s schedule
-Florida, California, Wisconsin
[Conversation No. 561-4A]
US-PRC relations
-Reston interview with Chou En-lai
-Joseph C. Kraft
-Kissinger's schedule
-New York Times
-Interview with Chou En-lai
-Possible White House response
-Letter
-Richard A. Moore
-C. Douglas Dillon
-Robert D. Murphy
-Robert S. McNamara
-Murphy
-John J. McCloy
-Rockefeller
-Senate
President's schedule
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Forthcoming Trips to PRC and USSR
-Timing of announcements
-Kissinger’s forthcoming trip to Peking
-Duration
-Scheduling
-Translation problems
-Kissinger's conversation with Chou En-lai
-Berlin
-Timing
-Announcement
-Emperor of Japan
-Japan
India-Pakistan
-Kissinger's conversation with Harvard Professor, August 11, 1971
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Self-determination
-East Pakistan
-PRC
-Taiwan
-Tibet
-Relief aid
-Rogers’ offer
-UN
-U Thant
-PRC
-Volunteer organization
-Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with PRC ambassador
-Kennedy
-Hubert H. Humphrey, Edmund S. Muskie
President's schedule
-Forthcoming trip to PRC
-Timing
-Stopovers
-Wake Island
-San Clemente
-Guam
-Wake Island
-Manila
-Anchorage
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Hong Kong
-Taiwan
-Okinawa
-San Clemente
-Forthcoming trip to USSR
-Timing
-1972 campaign
-Primaries
-New Hampshire, Florida
-Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with PRC official
-Paul N. McCloskey, Jr.
-New Hampshire
-Ziegler’s possible press briefing
-News coverage
-News Stories
- Little Jim
-Reston
-Television
-Analogy to moonshot
-Forthcoming trip to USSR
-Timing
-Press coverage
-Television
-PRC trip
-Stopover
-Ireland
-John A. (“Jack”) Mulcahy
-Britain
-Shannon
-Mulcahy’s home
-Preparation for summit
-Possible meeting with allies
-Timing
-Announcement
-1972 campaign
-Politics
-Tour
-Israel, Africa, Ireland
-Possible meeting with allies
-Location
-Camp David
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Possible press conference
-International monetary situation
-Timing
-Announcements
-Kissinger’s forthcoming trip to PRC
-USSR
-Kissinger's conversation with Chou En-lai
-Trip to PRC
-Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with PRC ambassador in Paris
-Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with Dobrynin
-Press
-Bernard Gwertzman's Story
-Associated Press [AP]
-New York Times
-USSR note to President
-Announcement of President's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Note
-John Foster Dulles
-Llewellyn E. (“Tommy”) Thompson, Jr.
-State Department
-Timing of announcement
-Vietnam
Vietnam
-Negotiations
President's schedule
-Kissinger’s PRC trip
-Timing of announcement
-[Emperor of Japan] Hirohito visit
-Advance Party
-Secret Service
-Ehrlichman
-Timing of announcement
-Berlin
-Vietnam
-Josip Broz Tito's forthcoming visit to US
-Trip to USSR
-Announcement
-State visit
-Camp David
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Dinner at Yugoslav Embassy
-Travel
-South Korea
-USSR
-French
-Camp David
-Emilio Garrastazu Médici
-Indira Gandhi
-Yakubu Gowon
-Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan
-Forthcoming meeting
-Talking points
-India-Pakistan relations
-Possible war
-US involvement
-Cambodia and Laos
News stories concerning PRC
-New York Times
-Gwertzman
President’s schedule
-Forthcoming trip to USSR
-Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with Dobrynin
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[National Security]
[Duration: 16s ]
USSR
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
**********************************************************************
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Announcement
-Confidentiality
-President’s schedule
-Dobrynin
-Contact with State Department
-Rogers
-Credit
-President's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Rogers
-Reports
-Richard V. (“Dick”) Allen
Rogers
-Melvin R. Laird
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-PRC
-UN representation
-Vietnam
Foreign policy
-Vision
-PRC compared to USSR
-Gen. Charles A.J.M. De Gaulle
-British statesmen
-Winston Churchill
-Connally’s view
PRC
-State Department
-Rogers
-UN representation
-Impact on Taiwan
-Conversation with Scali
-Ping-pong diplomacy
-Role
-Messages
-Warsaw talks
-President’s instructions to Walter J. Stoessel, Jr.
-PRC ambassador to Warsaw
-Chou En-lai’s comment to Kissinger
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
State Department
-Role in policy formulation
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Cambodia and Laos
-Jordan
-Possible press stories
-Liberals
-PRC
President's forthcoming trip to USSR
-Kissinger's possible backgrounder
-President’s backgrounder
-Andrei A. Gromyko
-Possible backgrounder
-Announcement
-President's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Possible impact
-Compared to PRC trip
President's foreign policy
-Critics
-Accuracy
-Anti-ballistic missiles [ABM]
-SALT
-PRC trip
-USSR
-Jordan
-1972 campaign
-Vietnam
-Views of Leonid I. Brezhnev and Mao Tse-tung
The President left at an unknown time before 10:50 pm.
Vietnam
-USSR
-Election
-Congress' schedule
Kissinger’s schedule
-PRC
-Press
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
Kissinger left and the President entered at 10:50 am.
US foreign policy
-President’s forthcoming trip to USSR
-Compared to PRC trip
-Kissinger's advice
-State Department
-Rogers
-Strategic thinking
-PRC
-USSR
-Rogers's conversation with Haldeman
-SALT
-Invitation to Brezhnev
-President's possible visit to European Economic Community [EEC]
-Public opinion
-Europe, Latin America, Africa
-Israel
-India-Pakistan
-Biafra
-Compared to Pakistan
-Strategic thinking
-Rogers
-State Department
-Kissinger and the President
-NSC meetings
-State Department
-PRC
-USSR
-Great Britain
-Rogers
President's forthcoming trip to USSR
-Secrecy
-Kissinger
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Winston Lord
-Dobrynin meeting
-Kissinger's reaction
-Helicopter
-Mt. Vernon
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Boat
-Importance
Ziegler entered at 10:58 am.
Ziegler's forthcoming press briefing
-Ziegler's conversation with John N. Mitchell
-Forthcoming announcement
-Press conference
-Ziegler’s possible comments
-John V. Lindsay
-Ziegler's forthcoming call to Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Vietnam
-George C. Wallace
-Statement on August 11, 1971 concerning busing
-President’s cabinet
-Busing
-President’s position
-Supreme Court's ruling
-Dual school system
-Compulsion
-Congress
-Use of federal funds
-President's orders
-Elliot L. Richardson, Mitchell
-Violation
-Consequences
-George Meany
-President’s forthcoming trip to PRC
-President's forthcoming visit to PRC
-Reston's interview with Chou En-Lai
-Chou En-lai's conversation with Kissinger
-President's objective
-White House facilities
-Usage
-Public perception
Press
-New York Times, Washington Post
-Access to White House staff
-Edward Dale
18
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
-Possible calls
-handling
-[Pentagon Papers]
-Klein
-Scali
Ziegler's forthcoming press briefing
-President's schedule
-1972 campaign
-President’s recent trip
-Mudd report
-McIntyre
-[Forename unknown] Gergis [sp?]
The President talked with Harmon Killebrew between 11:10 am and 11:15 am.
[Conversation No. 561-4B]
[See Conversation No. 7-87]
-Schedule
-Minnesota Twins
-Washington [Senators] fans
-Comments by Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Nixon Eisenhower
Bob Allison
-Activities
-Commentary
-Senators
Killebrew
-Recreation
-Gift from President
-Golf ball
[End of telephone conversation]
Ziegler left at 11:16 am.
Gift for Killebrew
19
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
Killebrew’s home run
-White House notification
President's schedule
-Bowlers
-Auto racers
President's forthcoming trip to USSR
-Kissinger's reaction
-Buchanan
-PRC
-Foreign policy
-Importance
National economy
-Popular opinion
-President's forthcoming conversation with George P. Shultz
Polls
-Louis Harris
-Possible questions
-Budget allocations
-Defense
-USSR
-Compared to housing, education, environment
-Taxes
-Domestic Council
-Edwin L. Harper
-Popular view concerning federal spending
-Federal spending
-Taxes
-Prices
-Programs
National economy
-Unemployment
-Date of release of government statistics
Speechwriting
-Shepard
-Writer
20
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
President's forthcoming speeches
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Knights of Columbus
-President’s meeting with Shultz
-John K. Andrews, Jr.
-Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
-Price
-Radio talks
President's schedule
-Ehrlichman
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 10s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
**********************************************************************
Religion in US
-Graham’s recent visit
-Implications
-President's conversation with Graham, August 10, 1971
-Shepard’s comment
-Public mail
President's speechwriters
-Price's view
-Shepard
-Leader class
Graham
-Audience
21
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
Leader class
-Education
-Impact on religious views
-Views concerning emotion
-Pragmatism
-Cowardice
-Mulcahy
-Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
-Peter G. Peterson
-Meetings
-Ministers
-College presidents
-Kent State University
-Softness
-Environment
-Consumers
-Blacks
-Flanigan
-Ehrlichman
-Business
-Consumers
-Environment
-Environment
-Environment
-Whitaker
-Russell E. Train
-Stans
George H.W. Bush
-Performance
-Possible actions
-Public speaking
-President as world leader
-Bohemian Grove
Graham
-View
-Connally
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
22
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 53s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
**********************************************************************
National economy
-President's forthcoming program
-Impact
-Connally's role
-Wage price freeze
-Taxes
-Foreign monetary policy
-President's possible role
-Connally’s possible speech
-Timing
-Prime time compared to new time
-Hobart Rowen's article, August 11, 1971
-Devaluation
-International Monetary Fund [IMF]
-Dollar’s possible behavior
-Effect on domestic economy
-Devaluation
-International monetary situation
-Connally
-Psychological effect
-Henry S. Reuss committee report
-Shultz's conversation with his son
-Popular opinion
-Rowen's article
-Canada, West Germany
-Action
-President's forthcoming program
-Connally
-Politics
23
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-4 (cont.)
President's schedule
-Ehrlichman
Haldeman left at 11:40 am.