Easy NixonAbout

Conversation: 577-008

Prev:  577-007 Next: 577-009

Start Date: 20-Sep-1971 1:40 PM

End Date: 20-Sep-1971 2:59 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Walk, William E., Jr.Kissinger, Henry A.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:20:21

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:08:30

577a.mp3

577b.mp3

NARA Description:

On September 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, William E. Walk, Jr., and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:40 pm and 2:59 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 577-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 577-8

Date: September 20, 1971
Time: Unknown between 1:40 pm and 2:59 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (Bob”) Haldeman.

     Status report

[The President talked with William E. Walk, Jr. between 2:09 pm and 2:12 pm].

[Conversation No. 577-8A]

[See Conversation No. 9-97]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Supreme Court
          -Nominees

     US economic policies
          -Arthur F. Burns
               -Information for forthcoming press conference
                     -Forthcoming press conference
                     -Phase II
                     -Transmittal
                                             18

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                       Conv. No. 577-8 (cont.)



     Spiro T. Agnew
          -Telephone conversation to Haldeman
          -Foundations speech
                -Format
                -Possible reaction
                      -Agnew's role
                            -Job as Vice President
                            -Agnew's attitude
                -Speech format
                      -Press relations
                      -Type of speech
                            -Options
                      -Handling
                      -The Vice President's handling of previous speeches
                -Foundations
                -The press
                      -Forthcoming release of [Edith Efron's] book [The News Twisters]
                      -The Vice President's role in commenting on the media
          -Pentagon Papers
                -Leslie H. Gelb
                      -Brookings Institute
          -Press relations
                -Timing

     Foundation speech
         -Ford Foundation
         -Brookings Institute

Henry A. Kissinger entered at 2:18 pm.

     The President's schedule
          -Trip to Florida
                -Flight
                -Meeting

Haldeman left at 2:18 pm.


     Vietnam
          -Air strikes
                                  19

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. 10/06)
                                                            Conv. No. 577-8 (cont.)


      -Air force
            -Weather
      -Planned effect
-The People's Republic of China [PRC]
      -Forthcoming announcement
-Air force
      -Flight ceiling
            -Soviet Union
-Air strike
      -Time frame
-Briefing for forthcoming National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Richard M. Helms, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Kissinger's memorandum to the President
      -NSC
            -Condensation of two memoranda
            -Kissinger's conversation with David K.E. Bruce
                  -Bruce's analysis
                  -US options
-Vietnam negotiations
      -History
      -Final announcement
            -Air strike effect
-Kissinger's conversation with John B. Connally
      -Meeting
            -Agnew, John N. Mitchell
-Kissinger's conversation with Connally
      -Agnew
      -Mitchell
      -Final announcement
            -Connally's analysis
                  -Date
-US strategy
-Kissinger's possible meeting with Senate Foreign Relations Committee
      -Meeting
            -William P. Rogers
      -Blair House
      -Clark MacGregor
      -J. William Fulbright
      -Intended purpose
      -Rogers's forthcoming testimony
      -Timing
                                       20

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 577-8 (cont.)


     -The President's press conference
           -Nguyen Cao Ky
                 -News summary
                 -Ellsworth F. Bunker
                 -Meeting with Alexander M. Haig, jr.
                       -NSC meeting
     -Political conditions
           -Ky
           -Nguyen Khanh
           -Nguyen Van Thieu
           -Possible US action
     -Negotiations
           -Final withdrawal
           -Meetings
                 -Number
                 -US offer
                 -Thieu
           -The President's forthcoming meeting with Andrei A. Gromyko
                 -Meeting with Kissinger
                       -Importance
                       -Election
           -Congressional action
                 -Effect
           -Activity

US-Soviet relations
    -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin's meeting with Kissinger
          -Time
          -US-Soviet summit
          -Date

US-PRC relations
         -Coordination of trip arrangements
               -Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
                     -Announcement
               -Response
               -Press arrangements
               -Walters
                     -Message
                          -Overseas delays
                          -Time differences
                                        21

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 577-8 (cont.)


                -Announcement
                    -Date
                          -Impact
                          -Additional announcements
                    -Preparation
                          -State Department

International economies
      -Connally's trip to Europe
            -Kissinger's concern
                  -US position
      -Surcharge
      -Price of gold
      -US position
            -Split compared to unified position
      -Connally
      -Burns
      -Meeting with the President
            -Connally
            -Burns
      -Forthcoming Group of Ten meeting
      -International Monetary Fund [IMF]
            -Speech
            -Pierre-Paul Schweitzer's meeting with the President
                  -Outcome
            -Social reception
      -Kissinger's conversation with Connally
            -US position
                  -Surcharge
                  -Currency floatation
                        -System
      -Surcharge
            -Popularity
                  -Domestic scene
      -Currency floatation
      -Connally
            -Currency floatation
                  -Negotiating position
      -International economic meeting
            -The President's conversation with Burns and Connally
                  -Kissinger's attendance
                                     22

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                            Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. 10/06)
                                                           Conv. No. 577-8 (cont.)


            -Connally
            -Burns
            -Paul W. McCracken
            -Peter G. Peterson
            -George P. Shultz
            -Paul A. Volcker
            -State Department
                   -Nathaniel Samuels, Philip H. Trezise
                         -Bureaucracy
      -Currency flow
      -Burden-sharing
      -Political issues with economic policies
            -Burns
            -Connally
            -Kissinger
                   -Role
            -Peterson
                   -Leadership
                   -Ideas
                   -Strategy
                   -Japanese textiles quota issue
      -Kissinger
            -Participation
                   -Political ideas
      -Connally
            -Politics
                   -Knowledge in economics
      -Connally's and Kissinger's relationship
      -Connally's support for the President
            -Public support
-Handling
-Germany
      -US position
-Great Britain
      -France
      -European market
-US position
      -Indecision
-International economic meeting
      -Kissinger's participation
-Surcharge
                                         23

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                                 Conv. No. 577-8 (cont.)


          -Connally
          -Canada, Mexico
          -US position in relation to foreign countries
          -Third world countries
          -Japan

Japan
     -Trade relations
          -Possible quotas
                -Trading with the Enemy Act
     -Textiles
          -Peterson
          -David M. Kennedy
          -The President's august 15, 1971 speech on economic action
          -US officials responsible for handling textile issues
          -US-Japanese relationship
                -Rogers
                      -Negotiations
          -Kissinger’s participation
          -Peterson
          -Kissinger and Rogers relationship
          -Nobusuke Kishi
                -Trip to the US
          -US position
                -Anticipation in dealing with Japan
                -Meeting
                      -Date
          -Kissinger's trip to the PRC
                -Date
                      -Timing
                -US restrictions on Japan
          -Kishi
                -Trip to the US
                      -Date
     -The President's schedule
          -Trip to Detroit, Michigan
                -Date
          -Meeting with Kishi
                -Date
                -The President's forthcoming meeting with [Emperor of Japan] Hirohito
     -Trade relations
                                       24

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                            Conv. No. 577-8 (cont.)


           -Peterson
           -US position
           -Communications
           -Date
                 -Trading with the Enemy Act
                       -Impact on Japan-US relations
           -Kissinger's forthcoming meeting with Connally
                 -Textile issue
           -David Kennedy
           -Peterson
           -Rogers
           -Mitchell
                 -Domestic issues
           -Possible conversation with Kishi
           -Japan
           -Japan's economic position
                 -Time limit
           -Kishi
           -US position
                 -Trading with the Enemy Act
                 -Strength
                       -Negotiating position
     -Peterson
           -Staff
                 -Kennedy
                 -Number of people
                 -Peter M. Flanigan
                 -Kissinger
     -Status

Vietnam
     -The President's press conference
          -Time
          -Political impact
     -Saigon
          -Situation of South Vietnamese government
                -[Thieu]
          -State Department officials
                -Ky
                -Haig
                -Melvin R. Laird
                                        25

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                             Conv. No. 577-8 (cont.)


                     -State Department officials
          -Ky
                -US
                -Negotiation strategy
                -The President's press conference
                -Memorandum from State Department official
                -Status
                      -Public life
                           -Stance
                                   -The President
                                   -Opponent to Thieu
                -Negotiations

The President's handling of foreign relations
     -Comparison of cienfuegos to the Cuban missile crisis
     -Comparison to Jordan
          -Resolution of crisis
                 -John F. Kennedy
                 -Public reaction
     -Forthcoming summit meetings
          -PRC
          -Soviet Union

PRC initiative
    -Announcement
           -Timing
    -Date
    -Announcement
           -Possible leaks
    -Possible composition of traveling party
           -State Department official
                 -Secret Service
                 -Role
                       -Cultural exchange issues
           -Advance men
                 -Ronald H. Walker
           -Alfred Les Jenkins
           -Marshall Green
           -Attendance at meetings
    -Kissinger's conversations with Chinese leaders
           -State Department officials
                                        26

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                                Conv. No. 577-8 (cont.)


          -The President's handling of forthcoming summit meetings
                -Meeting with Chou en-lai
                -Rogers
                      -Meeting with Chinese foreign minister
     -The President's meeting with Chou en-lai and Mao Tse-tung
          -Kissinger, Rogers
     -Plenary sessions and meetings
          -Open atmosphere for negotiations
     -The President's meeting with Chou en-lai
          -Type of negotiations
          -Rogers's attendance
     -Rogers
          -Meetings with foreign ministers
     -Attendance of meetings
          -The President's meeting with Chou en-lai
                -Type of meeting
                -Attending Chinese officials
                -Mao Tse-tung
                -Location

US foreign relations
     -Forthcoming NSC meeting
          -Briefing by Helms
          -Briefing by Moorer
          -The President's role
                 -Type of statement
                 -Connally
                 -Agnew
                 -Mitchell
                 -Rogers
                 -Laird
                 -Type of statement

US foreign economic policy
     -Meeting
          -Attendance
               -Connally
               -Kissinger
               -Connally
                    -Preparations
                          -Contact with foreign leaders
                                             27

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 577-8 (cont.)


                       -Peterson
                       -Connally
                             -Preparations
                 -Preparations
                       -State Department
                       -Meeting between Connally and Kissinger
                       -Shultz
                       -Peterson
                             -Knowledge
                 -Kissinger
                       -Politics
           -Textile issue with Japan
                 -US position
                       -Kishi
                 -Peterson
                       -Group
                             -Trading with the Enemy Act
                       -US communication with the PRC
                             -Impact on Japan
                       -White House bureaucracy
                             -Effect on negotiations
                 -US position
                 -Peterson
                 -Strategy
                       -Meeting with Kishi
                       -Textile association
                             -US position
                       -Kishi
                             -US position
                 -Summary
                       -Congress
           -Peterson
                 -Role

     Item in the Oval Office
           -Greece
           -Pakistan

Kissinger left at 2:59 pm.
                                             28

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 577-8 (cont.)