Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 590 › Conversation 590-007
Nixon, Haldeman & Dyer on United Nations and Taiwan
Wednesday, October 13, 1971 · 12:31 PM–1:15 PM ET · Oval Office · 12 min
AI Summary
President Nixon consulted with H. R. Haldeman regarding diplomatic strategy to retain Taiwan's seat in the United Nations, emphasizing the need for discreet pressure on smaller nations rather than public overtures. They also discussed plans for the President's upcoming trip to the People's Republic of China, with Nixon expressing a desire to limit the visit to four days to avoid unnecessary substantive downtime. Additionally, Nixon placed personal calls to inquire about the health of injured football player Kenneth Dyer and to offer administrative support and military funeral assistance to Mrs. Dean G. Acheson following the death of her husband.
- United Nations
- Taiwan
- People's Republic of China
- Dean Acheson
- Diplomacy
- Kenneth Dyer
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 3 minutes of this recording (about 20% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.
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Lieutenant Dyer, D-Y-E-R, he is, I think you've got the number, it's on our calls, he's in a hospital.
Well, he's in a hospital in Green Bay.
Dean Acheson's problem is that we're going to have a memorial service at 2 o'clock in the morning and you will be in Charleston, Carolina.
He's lying.
I can't go along between now and then, but I don't see it.
That's a little much, but you don't go by it.
How about they're going to create it immediately after the memorial service?
How about Mrs. How about signing a military aid?
Okay.
Sure.
I don't think I know her well enough.
I'll send a reason.
I assume Bill will, you know, if you represent it.
Yeah.
Maybe I'll call him.
Why not?
It doesn't matter what he knows.
That's those you're gesturing.
The fact that you don't know her almost in a way makes it better.
He's got a service that he's been on for a long time.
He's got something to have.
He's got an A.S.S.D.
I just don't know what it is.
Well, I just received a petition for $300,000 on this Congress.
I said, oh, come on.
I know there's something for you.
And we're going to fight as long as we can.
They are working on the little countries.
Hey, all right.
Who's your talk to push?
Hey, what are you saying?
Does he know what I mean?
He got that man.
I was going to vote with us.
That's all.
I'm not going to have that.
He's going to argue that that's.
That's exactly the way we've got to go, you see, just combine the same thing.
Right.
And iron twist every small country, but not make a lot of public stretches.
See, that's what Henry's concerned is, and I don't want to make a lot of public stretches.
But you use a lot less leverage on a small country than you have to on a big one, and the boat's just the same, so.
I think I'll call Bush to just back it up.
It should go through the right channel.
Just so Henry doesn't think I'm in running, but I'm covered with hay.
Call Bush and just say hay.
You wanted to be sure that he... Did you mention that hay might...
Yes, yes.
He did.
If he read the book, he agreed.
Yep.
I know exactly what he means.
I told him you wanted to figure on a four-day visit to China.
I said, boy, that's perfect, because the one thing that's bothered me about this is Henry's got too much time available for substantive talks, and we don't have anything to say.
Sure.
Hello?
Yeah.
Hello?
Hello, this is Ken Dyer.
Well, I just wanted you to know that I read about you at that injury in the game of the Packers and that you had a lot of people cheering for you down there in Cincinnati and other places, but you got a great cheering section all over the country for you.
We just wish you the very best.
How's it coming along?
I understand that you've got some movement back in your legs.
How is the prognosis in the moment?
You can move your legs.
Great, great.
How's your morale?
I see part of that.
Great.
Well, I understand your brother got out from the season.
Great.
Well, I sure wish you the best.
I'm a football fan.
I know I've followed for years.
And one of these freak injuries really is something.
But we're really pulling for you.
Okay.
Good luck.
His brothers in Vietnam, you know, came home.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
He had a brother in Vietnam.
He came back.
Yeah.
He said he can't use his legs now.
He said they were removed and he could move his legs, which of course he must be.
They do so well, so many of those people in therapy now that they can
get stuff going back again before they do some dumb thing, you know, an amputator, cut a connection, and then they've got to be wiped out straight up.
We can let them.
It's just my call.
We've got to get ready.
I'm trying to think about Gary.
I've got this, you know, this whole thing on this thing, and this other day that gets dropped every day, so I'm not going to spend seven days at any time.
Well, that wasn't, I don't think Henry felt strongly.
He really hasn't focused on that very much himself.
You know, sort of the standard pattern that China visits has run about seven days.
That was the time he was talking.
And a ride was only two days.
Well, I wanted you to know that I expressed my concern about the Secondary and my sympathy in a public statement, but I wanted you to know personally that we, the country, suffered a great loss.
You're well aware that I have often reminisced with you.
but I must say, at least the time we've been here, he's just been like a rock.
He's just been enormously helpful, and we're gonna miss him.
I know all of you will, but at least you can be thankful for the fact that he was real sharp for the last, I saw him at the NATO meeting, you know, and he was just in fine spirits, yes.
Was it?
Yes.
Well, I was so surprised.
And here's one of those things.
Well, it's, we know what a rate loss is, and I wanted you to know, at least we know.
Let me say this, that I would like, because I think it might be of some assistance to you, and I know she would not want, but I would like to respond
one of our White House military aides could be of any assistance to you during this period when we have the memorial service and so forth.
And I hope that General Hughes will make the arrangements and
But what he will, of course, the French transportation, a car, and see that the, you know, the proper things are, I think he'll have many friends.
I like, we can do this for people of, you know, high rank, and you will find it very thoughtful.
And so I'll have the general.
Yes?
Yes, I know that.
I know that incidentally.
I was, I had already determined to come, and I come, unfortunately, that I am scheduled to be in North Carolina that day.
I can't, well, it isn't more important, but I would like to come, but I can't do it that particular day, but we, I will, of course, I'm going to send a representative, and I would like to.
This man, this, uh, this, uh, this, uh, John Hughes will arrange it with you.
He will be available immediately, because, you know, there are things you'll have to do, you know, going around and so forth, and it's just as well to have a part of your family, and you'll have to take care of the car, and see that you're sorted properly, and all that sort of thing, right over the next three days.
Uh, well, anyway, we're done with it.
Oh, yes.
I see.
Uh, hold just a minute, Armin.
What's the number?
337-337-2805.
Yeah.
Well, I may have to call you before you even leave here.
I'll have you maybe call you in the next 10 or 15 minutes.
Director, he deserves the best.
Coach, thank you.
All right.
Oh, great.
Okay.
Okay.
NARA Description
On October 13, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Kenneth Dyer, and Mrs. Dean G. Acheson met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:31 pm and 1:15 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 590-007 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 590-7
Date: October 13, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:31 pm and 1:15 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President talked with White House operator.
[Conversation No. 590-7A]
[See Conversation No. 11-164]
H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 12:32 pm
[End of telephone conversation]
Dean G. Acheson
-Funeral arrangements
-Mrs. Acheson
-The President's relationship
-William P. Rogers
The President talked with White House operator.
[Conversation No. 590-7B]
[See Conversation No. 11-80]
[End of telephone conversation]
The President's schedule
-Petition from members of Congress on keeping Taiwan in the United Nations [UN]
-US foreign policy
-Discussions with foreign countries
-George H.W. Bush
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Panama
-Strategy
-Bush
-Henry A. Kissinger
The President’s forthcoming trip to the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Haig
-Briefing book
-Kissinger's schedule
The President talked with Kenneth Dyer between 12:37 pm and 12:38 pm.
[Conversation No. 590-7C]
[See Conversation No. 11-81]
[End of telephone conversation]
Dyer
-Brother in Vietnam
-Health
The President’s forthcoming visit to the PRC
-Length of visit
-Kissinger
-Rogers
[The President talked with Mrs. Dean G. Acheson between 12:41 pm and 12:45 pm]
[Conversation No. 590-7D]
[See Conversation No. 11-82]
[End of telephone conversation]
Mrs. Acheson
-Telephone number
-Gen. James D. (“Don”) Hughes
H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman left at an unknown time before 1:15 pm.Also recorded on October 13, 1971
- 590-005 12:14 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:14 pm and 12:16 pm.
- 590-006 12:16 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John H. Buchanan, Jr., Philip M. Crane, Charles R. Jonas, William J. Scherle, Floyd D. Spence, Daniel J. Flood, John J. Ryan, Robert L. F. Sikes, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr., Clement J. Zablocki, William E. Timmons, Richard K. Cook, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:16 pm to 12:31 pm.
- 590-008 12:32 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:32 pm and 1:15 pm.
- 590-009 12:32 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:32 pm and 1:15 pm.
- 590-010 12:32 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:32 pm and 1:15 pm.
- 011-081 12:37 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Kenneth Dyer talked on the telephone from 12:37 pm to 12:38 pm.
- 011-082 12:41 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Mrs. Dean G. Acheson talked on the telephone from 12:41 pm to 12:45 pm.
- 011-083 12:45 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:45 pm and 1:09 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 590-007, October 13, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/590-007 (accessed September 28, 2026).