{"conversationCode":"588-008","tapeNumber":588,"conversationNumber":8,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-588-008","startDateTime":"1971-10-12T15:59:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-10-12T16:01:00.000Z","startDate":"12-Oct-1971","startTime":"11:59 AM","endDate":"12-Oct-1971","endTime":"12:01 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Rogers, William P.;","description":"On October 12, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and William P. Rogers met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:59 am to 12:01 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 588-008 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":2,"chronRelease":"Second Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"26-Oct-2000","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 588-8\n\nDate: October 12, 1971\nTime: 11:59 am - 12:01 pm\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nThe President met with Henry A. Kissinger and William P. Rogers\n\n     The President's schedule\n          -Kissinger\n\n     US foreign relations\n          -Soviet-American relations\n                -Berlin\n                -European Security Conference\n          -European Summit\n                -Rogers's schedule\n                      -Foreign Minister of Luxembourg\n                      -Luxembourg as possible location\n                      -Timing\n               -Great Britain, Italy, Germany and France\n          -Big Four Summit\n               -Japan\n               -The President's schedule\n               -John B. Connally\n          -Kissinger\n\fThe President, et al. left at 12:01 pm.","filename":["588-008.mp3"],"tapeStart":"02:50:35","tapeEnd":"02:54:21","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Kissinger, Henry A.","Rogers, William P."],"prevCode":"588-007","nextCode":"588-009","transcript":[{"start":0.03,"end":25.48,"text":"okay now bill you keep the damn thing because you know we don't want that until after i know that's one thing we could agree on oh that's a great answer"},{"start":25.46,"end":31.85,"text":"Well, they want this very much."},{"start":32.87,"end":36.94,"text":"Now, the Italian hit it with me, and I agree with you."},{"start":36.96,"end":38.72,"text":"But I think we got it in good context."},{"start":38.74,"end":43.43,"text":"First, we got it wrapped up early, and then we looked for it with our allies, and then you were in trouble with that."},{"start":43.45,"end":47.34,"text":"But I think it's very important not to let our people go run off on a European security conference, because that's one of the little tidbits they want."},{"start":47.31,"end":48.5,"text":"Do you agree?"},{"start":48.52,"end":48.76,"text":"Absolutely."},{"start":49.16,"end":49.6,"text":"Absolutely."},{"start":49.96,"end":51.87,"text":"But you see, we didn't cover that here."},{"start":51.88,"end":51.98,"text":"Sure."},{"start":52.09,"end":53.21,"text":"That's good."},{"start":53.23,"end":64.31,"text":"Mr. President, one of the things here I might mention is the fact that when you and I talked about the possibility of a European summit, when I talked to the one Minister of Luxembourg, he's the chairman of the"},{"start":65.08,"end":67.49,"text":"That means all later guns."},{"start":67.51,"end":68.63,"text":"All 10."},{"start":68.71,"end":74.83,"text":"He said there's a possibility that there was some at Luxembourg sometime in January, early February."},{"start":75.31,"end":78.76,"text":"And I said, well, we have no idea whether it would be interesting or not."},{"start":78.82,"end":79.64,"text":"But it's a possibility."},{"start":79.8,"end":81.56,"text":"You could go there one day and beat them all."},{"start":83.04,"end":84.34,"text":"Well, there's that."},{"start":84.36,"end":84.76,"text":"There's that."},{"start":84.78,"end":92.39,"text":"The other thing we could consider, which I think we've got to keep sort of in the back of our minds, is that the British"},{"start":93.52,"end":102.06,"text":"The Italians, the Germans, and the French really want to be handled in a separate way."},{"start":102.08,"end":103.11,"text":"Can I start a tangent?"},{"start":103.39,"end":132.08,"text":"uh and that's why i kept that you notice i volunteered that point that we were going to consult so that they would not feel but uh which i think could have very great significance"},{"start":132.75,"end":136.23,"text":"It's the possibility of having the big four with Japan."},{"start":137.99,"end":142.39,"text":"Here in Las Vegas."},{"start":142.41,"end":143.54,"text":"And they know what they're up to."},{"start":143.56,"end":143.88,"text":"That'd be great."},{"start":144.18,"end":157.4,"text":"Now, if you could work that out, you could work that shit."},{"start":157.42,"end":158.52,"text":"Now, that ought to be done."},{"start":159.4,"end":163.88,"text":"But, you see, the way I was doing it is to use the money for it."},{"start":163.91,"end":166.15,"text":"If we could get Connelly to go, to get going, I haven't talked to him about this, they all know."},{"start":166.17,"end":167.19,"text":"If we could get Connelly to talk to you about that."},{"start":167.21,"end":167.99,"text":"I don't know what you're talking about."},{"start":168.01,"end":168.59,"text":"I'm not saying anything."},{"start":168.61,"end":168.87,"text":"No, no, no."},{"start":168.89,"end":169.23,"text":"That's an excuse."},{"start":169.25,"end":170.13,"text":"That's an excuse."},{"start":170.11,"end":172.48,"text":"What do you think?"},{"start":172.5,"end":174.88,"text":"I think it's a good possibility."},{"start":175.25,"end":175.99,"text":"But then, use it."},{"start":176.01,"end":179.8,"text":"And then, again, you're talking about the maintenance."},{"start":179.82,"end":180,"text":"Oh, yeah."},{"start":180.02,"end":180.5,"text":"Oh, the monitor."},{"start":180.52,"end":180.92,"text":"I believe that, sir."},{"start":180.94,"end":181.76,"text":"It's ready to wrap up."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon, Henry Kissinger, and William P. Rogers met to coordinate U.S. strategy regarding upcoming European diplomatic engagements and a potential summit. They agreed to maintain a cautious stance on the proposed European Security Conference to avoid granting concessions to the Soviets prematurely. Additionally, the group explored the feasibility of hosting a 'Big Four' summit including Japan, tasking John B. Connally with further development of the concept.","topics":["European Security Conference","US foreign relations","Big Four Summit","Soviet-American relations","Diplomatic strategy"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-07T00:16:18.589Z"},"topicSlugs":["european-security-conference","us-foreign-relations","big-four-summit","soviet-american-relations","diplomatic-strategy"],"audioDurationSec":189,"audioFiles":[{"file":"588-008.mp3","bytes":7549175,"durationSec":188.59,"bitrate":320236,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:51.635Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/588-008.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/588-008","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/588/conversation-588-008","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}