Nixon, Haldeman & Colson on National Economy and Wage and Price Freeze

NARA Description

On August 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, Rose Mary Woods, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, Charles W. Colson, John B. Connally, and Bernard J. ("Bunny") Lasker met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:08 pm and 1:40 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 565-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 564-4/565-1

Date: August 16, 1971
Time: Unknown between 1:08 pm and 1:40 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, Ronald Ziegler, Rose Mary Woods, and
Stephen B. Bull.
[The recording began while the conversation was in progress]

     Press coverage

     Request for Charles W. Colson

Bull left at an unknown time after 1:08 pm.

     Peter M. Flanigan
           -Location

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 1:08 pm and 1:18
pm.

[Conversation No. 564-4/565-1N]

[See Conversation No. 8-1]

[End of telephone conversation]

     National economy
          -President's program
                -Unknown draft
                      -Updating economic structure
                -Timing
                      -John B. Connally
                      -National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA]
                      -Jobs
                -Statistics
                -Connally's previous press conference
                                                 2

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 564-4/565-1 (cont.)


                        -Food prices
                        -Connally's June 27, 1971 speech
                             -Credibility
                             -Treasury Department

     Administration's credibility
         -Lyndon B. Johnson

     Press
             -People’s Republic of China [PRC] initiative
             -President’s economic program
             -September 1971

     National economy
          -Newsweek
                -Henry Hubbard's conversation with Ziegler, August 15, 1971
                      -Wage and price freeze
                            -Timing
          -John D. Ehrlichman
                -Dan Rather
                -President's program

     Connally's health

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 1:08 pm and
1:18 pm.

[Conversation No. 564-4/565-1O]

[See Conversation No. 8-2]

[End of telephone conversation]

Haldeman talked with the White House operator.

[Conversation No. 564-4/565-1V]

[See Conversation No. 8-3]

[End of telephone conversation]
                                              3

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 564-4/565-1 (cont.)


     Cancellation of call to Colson

Colson entered at 1:18 pm.

     National economy
          -President's program
                -Reaction
                      -Stock market
                           -Volume of trading
                                -Automobiles
                           -Television coverage
                           -Request for Haldeman to call Bernard J. (“Bunny”) Lasker

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 1:18 pm and 1:20
pm.

[Conversation No. 564-4/565-1P]

[See Conversation No. 8-4]

[End of telephone conversation]

     National economy
          -President's program
                -Connally's previous press conference
                      -Colson's conversation with Frank Stanton

The President talked with the White House operator.

[Conversation No. 564-4/565-1W]

[See Conversation No. 8-5]

[End of telephone conversation]

                     -Devaluation
                     -Re-broadcast
                          -Stanton
                          -Reaction
                                -[Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] executives]
                                     -PRC initiative
                                               4

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 564-4/565-1 (cont.)



The President talked with Connally between 1:20 pm and 1:23 pm.

[Conversation No. 564-4/565-1Q]

[See Conversation No. 8-6]

Colson talked with Connally.

Ziegler talked with Connally.

The President talked with Connally.

[End of telephone conversation]

     Connally's previous press conference
         -Press
                -“Face the Nation”

     President’s schedule
          -Press conference
                -Timing

     National economy
          -President's program
                -Reaction
                      -Businessmen
                            -Stock market
                      -Stock market
                            -Record
                                 -Timing
                            -Possible action
                      -William J. Casey

Haldeman talked with Lasker at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 1:40 pm.

[Conversation No. 564-4/565-1R]

[See Conversation No. 8-7]

[This portion of the conversation was contemporaneous with the Haldeman-Lasker telephone
                                               5

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 564-4/565-1 (cont.)


conversation]

     National economy
          -President's program
                -Reaction
                      -George S. McGovern
                      -Louis P. Harris's views, August 15, 1971
                           -Public psychology
                                 -Confidence
                           -Protectionism
                                 -Surcharge
                           -Connally’s press conference
                           -Franklin D. Roosevelt

[End of telephone conversation]

     Haldeman's previous conversation with Lasker
          -Stock market
               -Records
                    -Figures
                          -Studebaker Corporation
               -Current status, August 16, 1971
                    -Dow-Jones Industrial Average
               -Prospects
                    -Investor confidence
                          -President’s August 15, 1971 speech

     National economy
          -President's program
                -President's forthcoming meeting with Congressmen, August 17, 1971
                      -Wilbur D. Mills
                -Reaction
                      -Mills
                            -Connally
                      -Michael J. Mansfield
                                            6

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 564-4/565-1 (cont.)


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 14s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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    Blacks
         -As issue
         -Alabama Court ruling, August 16, 1971
               -George C. Wallace

    National economy
         -President's program
               -Welfare reform
                     -President’s August 15, 1971 speech
                           -Vermont call
                     -Congress
                           -President’s 1969 proposal
                                 -Delay
                                       -Daniel P. Moynihan
                           -Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
               -Revenue-sharing
                     -Congress
                           -President's previous conversation with Nelson A. Rockefeller
                     -Patrick J. Buchanan
                           -Conservatives
               -Reaction
                     -Conservatives
                           -Budget cuts
                                 -Foreign aid
                                 -Federal employees
                     -John F. Griner of the American Federation of Government Employees
                           [AFGE]
                           -Employee cuts
                                 -George P. Shultz
                                                7

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 564-4/565-1 (cont.)


                                        -HEW, Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO], Housing
                                              and Urban Development [HUD]
                                   -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
                                   -Drug enforcement

     President's schedule
          -Forthcoming briefing at State Department
                 -Press
                      -Ziegler’s role
                      -Possible leaks
                 -Shultz
                 -Haldeman’s instructions to Manolo Sanchez

The President, et al. left at 1:40 pm.