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Conversation 574-010

TapeTape 574StartFriday, September 17, 1971 at 12:01 PMEndFriday, September 17, 1971 at 12:05 PMTape start time03:08:36Tape end time03:15:07ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.;  Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon met with Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler and aide Stephen Bull to coordinate responses to potential press inquiries following the President's recent news conference. The discussion focused on maintaining a firm stance against political speculation regarding a Black vice-presidential candidate and clarifying U.S. economic relations with Japan. Additionally, the group finalized arrangements for the President to pose for photographs at the White House bowling alley.

Press RelationsNixon AdministrationRacial PoliticsUS-Japan TradeWhite House Scheduling
AudioNARA Description

On September 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:01 pm to 12:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 574-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 574-10

Date: September 17, 1971
Time: 12:01 pm - 12:05 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     Announcement
         -Additional event
              -Bowling

     Press relations
           -Edmund S. Muskie's statement on a Black Vice President

          -Possible questions directed at Ziegler
          -Black Vice President
               -Potential candidacy
               -Propriety of White House response on issue
               -Preferences of electorate
          -Black President
          -Voting prerogatives
          -Creed or color
          -US people
               -Voting for Presidents
     -Trade
          -Canada
               -Ziegler’s possible responses
               -Jim Deakin of St. Louis Post-Dispatch
                     -Japan
                           -US position
                           -Overseas
                                 -Customer
                           -As US customer
                     -Canada
                           -Japan compared to Canada
                           -Overseas relations
                     -Japan
                           -Overseas customer
                                 -Percentage
                           -Exports
                                 -US

The President’s news conferences of September 16, 1971
     -Press reaction
          -Peter A. Lisagor
          -Ziegler’s comments
                -Story
          -Stories
     -Vietnam
          -Ngo Dinh Diem
          -Nguyen Van Thieu

The President's schedule
     -Upcoming meeting with bowlers
          -Pictures

                      -Bowling alley

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:01 pm..

     The President's schedule
          -Group
                -Size
          -Picture
                -White House photographer [Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins]
          -Bowling alley
          -Press
                -Location
          -Photographs
                -Slides
          -Executive secretary
                -Introduction

Ziegler and Bull left at 12:05 pm.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

I may get one of our enemies out there to question along this line.
Ron, going back to President's remarks in press coverage yesterday on the black vice president, does the president feel that a black vice president could win now?
The President will not discuss, and you as the press secretary will not discuss, will not go into the... Will not add to what you said.
Will not add to what I said.
The President's statement is complete.
I'm not going to go on.
I don't want you to get into the political side.
I'm simply... You could simply say that what the President said was that he believes that...
that to suggest to suggest that the American people is that the American people will go down.
Both are prejudices.
Both are prejudices.
I think it's said so well.
I do, too.
I just wanted to get a feel of it.
I was going to say, well, the main thing is I didn't want to get any more political questions on the president.
I thought it was an answer.
I think that's the best way to go about it.
I agree.
I just wanted to get your feel on it.
I thought it was an answer.
Is that right, President?
Yes.
But I don't want to say that, because that's, I think, I think what I should say to the President, I'm not going to get into it.
The President said yesterday that he doesn't believe that the American people would or should vote against any man because of race, creed, color, period.
that attempt to suggest that the American people, and it's not, will be motivated primarily by prejudice.
I think it's a misjudgment.
I don't know that this will come up.
I just know that we did it.
I didn't want to go that far.
Yes, sir.
Don't cover it with the press if they ask you to do it.
Don't cover it.
But all who asked the question, who was there?
Who was?
Who said after the conference?
Jim Beacon.
Jim Beacon, the senator.
Jim Beacon, the senator.
What is it?
What I was referring to is Japan's argues overseas customer.
Right.
We are Japan's biggest customer.
We buy 30% of all of Japan's actual goods.
They are our biggest overseas customer.
Right.
As a matter of fact, with Canada, you could buy something just because of that.
It comes very close to the...
I don't think there'll be a follow-up.
You might just, if you, Deacon is no good, but you just might see how big it is overseas.
East gets wider, though, if I walk up to it.
Yeah, that's just so that the money...
What I'm saying is that Japan is our biggest overseas customer.
I think that's bigger than any customer in Europe and bigger overseas.
In the Americas, it wasn't related to Asia, it wasn't related to China.
We are, of course, Japan's biggest customer.
About 30% is the biggest customer.
All of Japan's exports are sold to the United States.
Well, it seems that they have to, I know this was a good interview, they seem to have quite a
Well, they're very positive, aren't they?
They were, yes, they did.
I mentioned a couple people that...
The sword was out, and she hit back in it so fast, no one saw it.
That was beautiful.
And that's their general reaction to it.
Well, there were stories this morning.
Yes, ma'am.
In fact, the way to get in and out is by murder at the end.
The way to get out is not by murder, too.
Right.
Right.
I guess, whatever I meant.
I'm sorry, Pam, I think she should have stayed up tonight.
Well, I told you what several of them said, and she was a little late, but I don't know how that happened.
I didn't want to take that picture here.
Well, there's some discussion about you going over the bowling alley with the child.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Wait on some time.
We'll take a picture and then walk over to the bowling alley.
If you're going to have a crust over there, you better get it out of the way.
No, not the sills.
No, we're going to bring it up.
All right, we're going to bring it up.
All right, we're going to bring it up.
All right, we're going to bring it up.
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