Conversation: 631-008
Prev:  631-007 Next: 631-009Start Date: 7-Dec-1971 5:05 PM
End Date: 7-Dec-1971 6:16 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Moynihan, Daniel P.; Ehrlichman, John D.; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:37:35
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:39:00
NARA Description:
On December 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Daniel P. Moynihan, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:05 pm to 6:16 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 631-008 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 631-8 Date: December 7, 1971 Time: 5:05 pm - 6:16 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan and John D. Ehrlichman. United Nations [UN] -Ambassador 26 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 631-7 (cont.) -India/Pakistan -Israel India-Pakistan situation -War ************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 [National Security] [Duration: 17s ] INDIA END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 ************************************************************************** -Withdrawal - Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan -Talks with East Pakistani leader -Location -Calcutta -Indira Gandhi -Trip ************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4 [National Security] [Duration: 28s ] INDIA 27 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 631-8 (cont.) END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4 ************************************************************************** -East Pakistan -Refugees -Military operations -Possible duration -Cleanup in East -Duration -UN -Indian elections [?] -East Pakistan -Partition ************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 [National Security] [Duration: 1m ] INDIA-PAKISTAN END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 ************************************************************************** United Nations [UN] -George G.W. Bush -Praise from Moynihan -Unknown Stalinist -PRC representatives -[Forename unknown] Jackson [?] -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] -Moynihan’s schedule -Secretary General [U Thant] 28 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 631-8 (cont.) -Max Jacobson -Agha Sadruddin Khan -Maurice Strong -Canada -Environment concerns -Chances to become Secretary General -Jacobson -Background -Jewish descent -USSR -Arabs Arab-Israeli dispute -Unknown person -Background -Saudi Arabia Secretary General -President’s view -U Thant -Possible asylum -Burma -Unable to return -Bush -Moynihan’s upcoming conversation with Bush -Agha Sadruddin Khan -Youth -Friendly to the Administration -Yahya Khan's brother -Iranian passport -Zanzibar -Education -Harvard University -Qualifications -Jacobson -USSR -Arabs -Importance of selecting the Secretary General -Type -Strong -Support from the President 29 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 631-8 (cont.) -People’s Republic of China [PRC] -USSR -Sadruddin Khan -Security council -Refugee reports Busing issue -Politics -Constitutional amendment -Civil rights issue -James S. Coleman -Effects on children -North compared to South -Moynihan’s view -Civil rights movement -Consequences -Possible damage to race relations -William H. Rehnquist -Constitutional amendment -Possible perception by Blacks -Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education -January 1969 -State of the nation -Decline in confidence -Whites -Majority -Degree of wellness individually -Discouragement over the future -Large percentage believe country is “worse off” -Studies -Brown decision -President’s accomplishments -Integration -Supreme Court -Dual school systems in the South after Brown decision -Percentage -Percentage during the Nixon Administration -North -Dual school system -Non-existent -Ethnic community schools 30 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 631-8 (cont.) -Neutral -Ethnic pockets in the North -Court decisions -Learning about the education process -Courts are usually proven wrong -Brown decision -Difficult to prove in court -President’s message to Congress on education, March 1970 -Style of messages -Timing -Cambodia -Congressional action -Moynihan’s previous telephone conversation with John W. Gardner -Dual school system -National requirements -Schools' performance -Lower class students -More choice -Expenditures -South -National Institute of Education [NIE] -Education bill -Progress -Possible results -Dual school system -Possible elimination Particular methods tried -New York Times -H.L. Mencken quote -Race relations -Hostility in schools -Elementary and secondary -Blacks -Jews -Local control -New York City -Tax brackets -John V. Lindsay -Re-election chances -Public schools -Parochial schools 31 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 631-8 (cont.) -Financing -Domestic Council -British -Dutch -French -Canadians -Australians -Consequences -Possible Constitutional amendment -End of the dual school system -Alexander M. Bickel paper -John N. Mitchell -New York Times -Increase in elementary and secondary school population during the 1970s -Teachers -Increase -President’s instructions -Education bill -Possible Congressional action -Moynihan-Ehrlichman meeting -Comparison to revenue-sharing -Senate -Tax bill -Wilbur D. Mills -Check off -Bickel letter -New era of education -National Primary and Secondary School Educational Opportunities Act of 1972 -Busing and desegregation -California and Michigan decision -Compared to the President’s People’s Republic of China [PRC] initiative -1967 -Neil H. McElroy Commission -[Forename unknown] Serrano [sp?] -Congressional action -President’s instructions to Moynihan -Bickel letter -New era -Possible support from Blacks -Race relations 32 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 631-8 (cont.) -Potential speech from the President -Leadership -Reassurance -Desegregation -Progress since 1969 -Dual school system -Congress -McElroy Commission -Duration -Moynihan's suggestions -National institute [?] -March 1970 -Emergency school aid -Finances -School vouchers -Opportunity for children -Experiments -California -Legal decision -Florida -Possible changes -Property tax and value added tax -Private schools -Blacks -Reassurance -Symbolic gesture by the President -John N. Mitchell quote -Ideal school system -Choices -Legislation -Bickel arguments -Busing is symbolic -New era of education -Busing and desegregation -Declare peace -Federal money -Equality of education -Inequality in educational opportunities -California decision -Serrano [sp?] -Intelligence Quotient [IQ] scale 33 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 631-8 (cont.) -Comparison -Asians, Europeans, Blacks, and the Irish -Unknown person -Education bill -Preamble -Equality of educational opportunity -Moynihan's suggestions -Measure of outputs -Property tax bill -Education bill -Special interests -National Education Association [NEA] -Private compared to public schools -Moynihan's suggestions -Moynihan's talk with Ehrlichman -Bickel -Brown decision -How to present -Brown brief -Tax system comparison -Change -Idealistic overtones -Honesty -Parochial schools -Segregation and busing -New era -Bringing people together -Choices -No inferior education -Right of every American to a superior education -Presidential leadership -Generosity -Dual school system -George C. Wallace -Polls -Articles -Letters -Moynihan -Note to H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman -Jews -Chinese 34 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 631-8 (cont.) -Work ethic -Richard Herrnstein -The President reads from a letter -Vice President [Spiro T. Agnew] -Mitchell -Herrnstein’s article -Nathan Glazer -Further discussion -Allegation -Coleman Economy -Taxes -Unknown person -Money supply ********************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 [Personal Returnable] [Duration: 49s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 ********************************************************************** Moynihan left at 6:08 pm. Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO] legislation -Veto -Votes -Number -Child care -Gerald R. Ford -Ronald L. Ziegler -Timing -Veto -Continuing resolution 35 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 631-8 (cont.) -Conservatives -Seeking credit ********************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3 [Personal Returnable] [Duration: 32s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3 ********************************************************************** Busing -Alexander P. Butterfield -Moynihan -Position -Compared to Bickel -Idealism -Comparison to Vietnam -Revenue sharing -Tax bill Ehrlichman left at 6:10 pm.