Conversation 601-006

TapeTape 601StartSaturday, October 23, 1971 at 9:18 AMEndSaturday, October 23, 1971 at 9:35 AMTape start time00:27:51Tape end time00:44:16ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haig, Alexander M., Jr.;  Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceOval Office

On October 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:18 am and 9:35 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 601-006 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 601-6

Date: October 23, 1971
Time: 9:18 am - 9:35 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

     US foreign relations

-United Nations [UN] vote on Taiwan's expulsion
     -William P. Rogers
           -Presidential telephone calls
           -Morocco
           -Mexico
                  -Content of possible telephone call
           -Morocco
                  -Content of possible telephone call
           -Italy
                  -Haig's conversation with Graham A. Martin
                  -Content of possible telephone call
     -Henry A. Kissinger
           -Schedule
           -Discussion of talks with People's Republic of China [PRC] leaders
                  -Press arrangements
                  -Dwight L. Chapin
     -State Department
           -"Two China" Policy
                  -PRC
           -Rogers
-US-Japanese relations
     -John B. Connally
     -The President's meeting with Nobusuke Kishi
     -Haig's conversation with Peter G. Peterson
           -Okinawa
           -Currency issues
     -George P. Shultz
     -Paul A. Volcker
     -Haig’s conversation with Peterson
     -Kishi
           -The President’s previous conversation
                  -Okinawa
     -Connally's trip
           -Tokyo
                  -Length
                  -Kishi
                  -US ambassador to Japan
           -Connally compared to Rogers
           -Purpose
           -US ambassador
-UN vote on Taiwan's expulsion

                 -Kissinger
                      -Schedule
                 -Possibilities

     Public relations for the President's activities
          -Rogers
          -Price Board
          -UN vote on Taiwan’s expulsion
                 -The President’s position

     US foreign relations
          -UN vote on Taiwan's expulsion
               -The President's position
                      -Adam Malik
                      -US activities
               -Haig’s view
               -US efforts
               -Greece
               -Israel
               -African nations
                      -The President’s position

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:18 am.

     Charles W. Colson

Bull left at an unknown time before 9:35 am.

     US foreign policy
          -UN vote on Taiwan
               -African nations
               -Latin American nations
               -The President’s position
               -Botswana
               -England
               -Canada
               -Italy
               -Laos
               -Department of State role
               -Colson
                      -Statement for Gerald R. Ford and Hugh Scott

                 -African nations
                 -PRC
                 -UN
                       -US membership
                            -The President’s view

Haig left at 9:35 am.

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.

Good morning, sir.
Hi.
Sir, Secretary is, uh, concerned about these telephone calls.
I'm discouraged in Iraq, and he would like to do the Mexican one in Lebanon.
All right.
And this would be a one-time statement, rather than any give and take.
Yeah.
All right.
Just write it out or something.
Yes, sir.
I'll write it out.
You want to do the same?
I don't mind calling her out.
Write something out.
You mean on a one-time statement basis?
Yes, sir.
Well, I'm sorry.
I think I don't want to get into a conversation with you either because then they give me all their excuses and so forth and so on.
With the American, I would say to start off with I agree with you.
respect for international interests in relation to independence in the foreign policy.
But I also, I know that it is through our personal friendship that I can speak frankly to the President about the issues I consider very important in the spiral of the United Nations.
And I believe that clearly a part of the Chinese issue
It would be a disastrous precedent to have a nation, any nation, any government, to be removed from the United Nations by a southern majority vote.
And I think that on that basis, I urge you to support the important question.
There are cases that state on that that aren't as important, but they are important questions.
And that is, it's totally consistent to be, we believe it's totally consistent to be, or it's part of the question, the actual question, and yet to see the relationship between us.
You know, since the admission arrangement of competition, you know, I see that it's over.
I guess the, you know, it's not, it's not that I, that I personally
I would consider it a very great personal neighbor from his folks, like so in the United States, the close friends.
He had the, I don't know, appreciated the person's thoughtful consideration, and he could put in virtually the same thing in Morocco because of our personal
I guess we'll just do that.
11 o'clock, sorry.
I don't think you know what he's doing with the others.
The best way we can get out of the attack is very assuredly sleeping.
It's better than anything.
It's much better.
No!
They don't want to be against us.
No.
No, I like that.
Why don't we just, uh, let's see if we can get those tangents going.
Let's see if we can get this done.
I talked to Bram Martin last night and I asked him a conversation and told him so he could work all night with them and not go to their campus but not to do it in a way that would involve your prestige and in a way that would be self-defeating if they have to come out the other way.
Well, there it is.
I heard from Henry last night he's prepared to hold over in Anchorage or at the other end
No, he said that they're being very tough, but they're very constructive about their discussions.
He said they're quite serious about the serious tone of the meetings.
He said they are largely solved, but he didn't report on the press.
which they were due to discuss yesterday afternoon.
I anticipate another message on that from Jake.
We've got one minor problem developing, and that's states' approach in the event we lose the vote.
They're thinking of supporting a resolution which would constitute a two-China policy.
In other words, that we would support both entities.
This could be a really severe affront to Peking that we must be careful of as a fallback position.
And I think we have to watch that kind of thinking with him.
When you were with Rogers, did you have any douche consultation with him?
One thing we have to be very careful of is I think the Conley mission now has been built up with something that the Japanese think is going to solve their problems.
And I think Pete... That's right.
I told that to Pete this morning and he was somewhat relieved because he was afraid of
I said, no, that what you had told them was to lay out their problems and that he would bring them back.
And I made that very clear when we were making the phone call.
No.
That's right.
No, that's nobody's business.
No.
There's got to be something we're getting at for every person.
That's the basic thing we're discussing.
The PD knows what the problem is.
A little interim problem here that you should be aware of.
We're actually leading this whole exchange thing in the Peterson Group.
That's the front.
And it's got to be handled at another level of the economy.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
No, I can see, I can see that he would get it better than what I said last night.
We are here to solve all these problems that we were just talking about.
No, I told him that that was not the case.
In fact, I told him Kishi didn't even give us a bill in particular, which he did, and I was a little surprised.
He didn't say what he wanted.
Thomas said we'll be very, we'll at least find out what they're going in crisis.
I've added a date to stop there and call the state to argument.
He wanted him to stay four days in Tokyo.
I think he should go out and teach his place or something.
This is just for the purpose.
It can be very important.
We don't have any money in Japan right now.
He's a ambassador.
We've got to have some money to conquer him at the highest level.
I'm inclined to think Connolly is better than Rogers on that point.
Yes, he is, and he's got that kind of prestige.
Well, he's got that prestige, and also he will be thinking of the United States first and of the economic problems first.
And that's where we all have got to talk to Japan about.
And I think we just need that sort of approach.
It'll be tough.
Rogers, I don't think, will be tough enough on it.
Well, I know where he's getting sort of that outlook.
He's concerned about offering the Japanese and the investors worth a damn over there.
He's well-intentioned, but not very heavy.
So it's good to have Connelly in on this task.
I think it's sort of lucky that it worked out that way.
He's going to Vietnam and all that.
So let's turn that very well.
So if he's crying.
I think everything is well and not a rhyme.
They avoid that damn boat that just stood there so that the government won't give a shit.
And frankly, some people, other critics outside of the
He has to say that, well, he just arrived right at the time of the economy.
He can't just let him arrive after the damn vote.
It's the better part about it.
It wasn't an effective vote a goddamn bit, but they would say it did.
I hope the vote takes place.
It slipped 24 hours, and we'd end up doing the same thing.
Well, I just think it ain't.
It would be really weird to have them sit up there two days and somebody think they're simple fishing.
As it is now, we're sending a girl up, a typist, and it'll make great sense for him.
When he gets there, and then do a little work, and then come back.
I think the things don't come out pretty well with that.
They didn't enter into this thing to be set off the trolley track by a female.
Pain breaks.
Well, our thing yesterday, fortunately, we got a hell of a lot of blood.
There were just too many other things going on.
I mean, meeting with Rogers, you know, the price board and all that sort of thing is the news.
But it's certainly on the record now.
They constantly come in and say that my position isn't known.
Goddamn, it is known, I think.
I don't have to be any better known, sir.
I think that's... What do you think?
I think it's very well known the position you've taken on this thing.
My God, who's the president?
He's written an excuse that it's being used by those who don't want to be witnesses.
Exactly right.
And there are only two that have used it.
I don't know.
Just that one Malik.
Oh, he's doing it.
My God, we've sent messages to almost everyone that used your name.
Good God, yes.
All right.
I'm not really worried about that.
I'm worried about the vote, but this is because you haven't supported it.
Well, the vote may be a little bit better.
I think it's a little more hopeful.
I have a feeling that when push comes to shove, that some of these communist, Soviet-backed countries may fool us and
Supporting our position.
Great.
Also, we're working on a hell of a number of nations here.
It may be that something is so old that we've got a bad life in psychology going.
We've got two free votes to come.
But they picked up quite a bit already, apparently, unless they're being fooled.
It may be that they picked up.
Like, for example, this first list of countries like Greece, Israel, that just predates what's coming.
As a matter of fact, Satan, if he's even walking in here with those names on such a list, Jesus Christ, he may just say, oh, it's only one man.
No, they want to make this work this time.
This could be true for any African country.
Any African country.
All right, thank you.
any African country or small land or smaller Latin or other country that did not support us on this after we asked.
We just don't ever submit anything to them for them to come in.
In other words, if they can't go with us in a thing like this, we're just not going to go through the nuts and bolts.
We should really plan a very tough, very tough business.
They didn't support us on this and consider it important we have something to do with it.
And they just can't have it like Botswana and places like that.
Goddamn, they can't play that sort of a game.
As far as I can say, well, we should.
But actually, we don't do that with a country like England or Canada, you know, or Italy, because they are countries with which we have other basic problems.
But with regard to the countries that are solely dependent upon us, that mean nothing to us,
be tough as hell, don't you agree?
Yes, I do.
I think there's, as I call them, like the goddamn oceans out there, they'll come along.
The laws can't be against us on this.
I see.
They don't, by Jesus Christ.
But the way to take all the play that I know that they play is not enough, or maybe they do, is to say, look, fellas, we can't get your appropriation through the Congress.
Right, exactly.
And I think...
will have these two statements for you, Scott and Ford.
I told them that we're threading a needle here, so we have to be very careful when the guy gets xenophobic blacks up there that we don't make a threat to cut off funds, because that could push someone inside of you in the other direction.
But just to be able to say that's right.
That's it.
That's true.
The blacks might say, well, we will not be threatened by the United States of America and so forth.
But frankly, I've been burned to the right side of things, believe me.
If we were just straight out of the boat without the feet hitting me on the platter, if they voted against us, I'd just opt to get the hell out of the United Nations.
I really would.
Goddamn organizations that drag on us and cost us money.
Yeah, we're paying for so damn much evidence in an incredible situation.
Okay, you set the calls up and I'll make one right after this.