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Conversation: 573-001

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Start Date: 16-Sep-1971 4:00 PM

End Date: 16-Sep-1971 4:58 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ziegler, Ronald L.Butterfield, Alexander P.Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Kissinger, Henry A.Safire, William L.MacGregor, ClarkKlein, Herbert G.Bull, Stephen B.Buchanan, Patrick J.[Unknown person(s)]

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:00:36

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 00:57:30

573a.mp3

NARA Description:

On September 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, William L. Safire, Clark MacGregor, Herbert G. Klein, Stephen B. Bull, Patrick J. Buchanan, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:00 pm to 4:58 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 573-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 573-1

Date: September 16, 1971
Time: 4:00 pm - 4:58 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler and members of the press.

Alexander P. Butterfield was present after 4:02 pm

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, William L. Safire, Clark MacGregor, Herbert G.
Klein, Stephen B. Bull, and Patrick J. Buchanan were present after 4:03 pm.

     [General conversation]

[A transcript of this portion of the conversation appears in Public Papers of the Presidents,
Richard M. Nixon, 1971, pp. 949-959]

     Canada

     Japan

     Mexico

Butterfield left at 4:38 pm.

     [General conversation]

Kissinger and the members of the press left at 4:39 pm.

     Economic action

     Question about Black Vice Presidential candidate
          -Blacks, Jews, Catholics
               -Buchanan's reaction

     Military service draft extension legislation
           -US peace initiative in the Vietnam war negotiations
                -Reaction of the President's opponents
           -Congressional action

                 -Effect of vote
                                               2

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                        Conv. No. 573-1 (cont.)


               -US position in the world
                    -Supremacy issue
               -Congressional statements
               -Gordon L. Allott, Howard H. Baker, Jr., Len Jordan, Robert A. Taft, Jr.,
                    Lawton M. Chiles, Jr. and David H. Gambrell
               -Allott's position
                    -Conference report
                    -Reasons
                           -Polls
                                  -Youth
                           -Military bases

    South Vietnam
         -Nguyen Van Thieu
         -Election
              -Comparison with other countries
                   -Greece
                   -African nations


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 12s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


    The President’s recent press conferences
         -Effectiveness
              -Vietnam
              -Draft
              -Attica
              -Economy
                     -Phase II
         -Number of news leads
         -James B. Reston
                                             3

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                       Conv. No. 573-1 (cont.)


                -Chou En-lai interview
                    -Kissinger

An unknown woman entered at an unknown time after 4:39 pm.

     Cancel request

The unknown woman left at an unknown time before 4:45 pm.

Kissinger entered at 4:45 pm

          -The President’s forthcoming trip to the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                -Timing
          -Reston
          -Chou En-lai interview
                -Kissinger
                -Article
          -Vietnam
                -Ngo Dinh Diem
                      -Coup
                -Nguyen Van Thieu
                -Communists
                -Democracy
                      -Vietnamese election
                -Voting eligibility in US in 1800
                -US foreign aid
                      -Number of countries
                      -Voting eligibility in US in 1800
                      -Percentage
                      -Women
                      -Property requirements
                           -Slaves
          -United Nations [UN] membership for PRC
          -Military service draft
                -Votes against draft bill
                      -Possible consequences
                           -Effect on negotiations
          -Possible press coverage
          -Demeanor of reporters
          -Length
                -Frank Cormier
                                           4

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 573-1 (cont.)


         -Question on Edmund S. Muskie's statement on the vice presidency
              -Muskie
              -Nelson A. Rockefeller
                    -Action at Attica
              -Jewish candidate
                    -Questions of prejudice
                          -Edward W. Brooke
                          -The US public
              -Catholic question
         -Summary
         -Television
              -Attica
              -Exposure for the President
              -Use of television time
                    -Press conference
              -Length of answers
              -Detroit Economic Club
              -Next press conference
         -Reston
              -Interview with Chou En-lai
              -The President's response to question on summit
                    -Agreement
                          -Discussion of issues
                               -Vietnam policy
                                      -Communist takeover
                                            -Prevention
                                      -Peter Lisagor


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Privacy]
[Duration: 35s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

**************************************************************************
                                               5

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                   Conv. No. 573-1 (cont.)


    Vietnam
         -Book by Marguerite Higgins


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Privacy]
[Duration: 5s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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


         -Higgins
              -Diem
                   -Effect of Diem's death on Vietnam

    Press conference
          -Use of quotes on television
               -Election
                     -Citation of context and historical context

    US foreign aid
         -Stae Department
         -Contested elections
                    -Greece
                    -Number of countries
                    -The President’s instruction
                    -Asia
                          -Malaysia
                          -Singapore
                          -Philippines
                          -India
                          -South Korea
                    -Africa
                          -David D. Newsome
                          -Senegal
                          -Democratic process
                                              6

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 573-1 (cont.)


                            -Kenya
                                -Joseph Mobutu
                                -Tom Mboya
                                -Press conference
          -Media
              -Question to Ziegler

     The President's schedule
          -Carl B. Albert
                -Breakfast meeting
                      -Pay raise

The President, Ziegler, Safire, MacGregor, Klein, Bull, Buchanan, and Haldeman and Kissinger
left at 4:58 pm.