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Conversation 590-014

TapeTape 590StartWednesday, October 13, 1971 at 1:50 PMEndWednesday, October 13, 1971 at 2:57 PMTape start time04:59:22Tape end time05:03:31ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Butterfield, Alexander P.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield coordinate the logistics for the upcoming presentation of diplomatic credentials. They discuss refining the procedure to minimize the President's time commitment by transitioning from private meetings to simple, efficient handshakes. Nixon emphasizes that this adjustment should be handled discreetly to avoid the perception that he is deviating from established protocol or diminishing the importance of the guests.

Diplomatic protocolPresidential schedulingWhite House operationsDiplomatic credentials
AudioNARA Description

On October 13, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 2:57 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 590-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 590-14

Date: October 13, 1971
Time: Unknown between 1:50 pm and 2:57 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     The President's schedule
          -Presentation of diplomatic credentials
                                              43

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/10)
                                                                 Conv. No. 590-13 (cont.)


                -Conversations
                -Emil G. (“Bus”) Mosbacher, Jr.

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 2:57 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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

present with these credentials in accordance with the way that you found them, it would be necessary to get over until that 10,000th street, sir.
Until a few of them arrive, a few of them just go, are they all?
No, sir.
They know you're very busy today and some things have come up and that's why.
I didn't know.
No, they were told they were going to have meetings with me.
No, sir.
No, I don't care.
They told them they were going to have conversations before.
No, sir.
They work not often.
They don't.
These people are coming to present their credentials, not to have a private meeting.
They'll start running around 3 a.m. to be here by 10 past 3, so we can just flow through quite easily.
The next recession is walking through the green room and move on to the next one.
In the East Coast, the river is still closed up.
We'll leave it right there.
Three weeks later.
Then I'll walk them out and walk them to the door.
You don't even need to walk them to the door, Mr. President.
Just walk them to me.
To the blue room.
To our help.
Go out to the front door and they'll be... No, I mean I'll walk them out to that door and walk back to me.
Sir, just go out of the next room.
That's the way we want to do it.
We don't want to.
That's right, sir.
I believe everyone understands that also.
Don't put it on the basis we're changing anything.
That's the only thing.
Because they've been told they're going to have a conversation with them, I have to help them.
And we'll look at the future and we'll look this way, see.
I don't think it's necessary for you to have conversations with them.
I know it's not necessary, but I mean, if they've been told that I don't have a thing, we're changing it, you see.
And in the future, though, I've told them they're not going to have any more conversations.
I understand.
We just want to walk through and shake hands, you see.
Well, my information is that they don't expect that.
I understand.
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