Conversation 608-004

On November 1, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Stephen B. Bull, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:03 am and 9:25 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 608-004 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 608-4

Date: November 1, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:03 am and 9:25 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

     Jeffrey Hart
           -Forthcoming column
                -Edward M. Kennedy
                -Earl Warrren
                -Kennedy
                      -Northern Ireland
                -William H. Rehnquist's qualifications for the Supreme Court

     Kennedy
         -English cartoon
              -Reproductions
              -Distribution
                    -Colson
                    -Amount
                    -Effect
         -Possible candidacy

     Media
         -Coverage of administration activities

           -The President's previous conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
           -The President's forthcoming trips to the People's Republic of China [PRC] and
                the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
           -Forthcoming Vietnam announcement
           -The President's previous conversation with Kissinger
                -Previous United Nations [UN] vote to expel Taiwan
                -Michael J. Mansfield amendment

Previous vote on foreign aid bill
     -Smith Hempstone, Jr.’s views
     -George H. Mahon
     -Gale W. McGee

UN vote to expel Taiwan
    -Ronald W. Reagan, William F. Buckley, Jr.
          -Reaction
    -John B. Connally's reaction
          -George H.W. Bush's possible replacement by Elliot L. Richardson
    -Ronald L. Ziegler's statement
    -Bush's statement
          -The President's forthcoming trip to PRC
          -The President's statement
                -Delegates' reaction
    -Israel
          -William S. White's conversation with Colson
                -“Issues and Answers”
                      -Bush
                -Arab official
                -Bush's conversation with Colson
          -Prospects
    -South Africa
          -Great Britain
    -Israel

Foreign aid
     -Melvin R. Laird's possible action
     -The President's possible action
           -John A. Scali's conversation with Colson
                -Kissinger
     -Administration's efforts
           -Media coverage

          -Statements November 1, 1971 by McGee and W[illiam] Stuart Symington
          -Scali
                -The President’s view
          -The President's possible action
                -Possible meeting with Congressional leadership
                      -The President’s view
                           -Compared with UN
                                 -Public perception
                -Colson’s view
                -Possible Presidential statement
          -Scali's plan
                -Dean Rusk, George Ball
          -Laird, William P. Rogers
                -Forthcoming meetings with the President

     The President's forthcoming meeting with Laird
          -Laird’s speeches

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 8:03 am.

     The President's schedule
          -Laird
          -John N. Mitchell
          -Robert L. Kunzig
          -Laird

The President talked with an unknown person [H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman?] at an unknown time
between 8:03 am and 9:25 am.

[Conversation No. 608-4A]

     The President's schedule
          -The President's previous conversation with Bull
          -Laird
          -Mitchell, Kunzig and George P. Shultz

[End of telephone conversation]

     The President's schedule
          -Kunzig
          -Laird

             -Mitchell, Shultz
             -Laird
                  -Kissinger

Bull left at an unknown time before 9:25 am.

                  -Forthcoming telephone call from Colson

     Laird
             -Speeches
                  -The President

     Controversy
          -Importance
          -The President's economic program
          -The President's leadership
               -Mansfield amendment

     Foreign aid
          -Possible Senate action
          -Laird's possible statement
                -Thailand
                -Military Assistance Act
          -Refugees in India
          -Laird's possible statement
                -Timing
          -White House response
                -Colson's efforts

     The President's activities
          -John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson

     George Sherman
         -Hempstone's view
         -Kissinger's schedule
         -Articles
               -Administration foreign policy
         -Colson's forthcoming conversation with Kissinger

     Hempstone

     Edmund S. Muskie
         -Previous New York Times article
         -Warren Weaver [?]
         -Life magazine cover
         -Louis P. Harris poll
         -Colson's telephone calls to office

The President and Colson left at an unknown time before 9:25 am.