Conversation: 640-003
Prev:  640-002 Next: 640-004Start Date: 22-Dec-1971 9:48 AM
End Date: 22-Dec-1971 11:02 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.; Shultz, George P.; Burns, Arthur F.; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:03:48
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:16:53
NARA Description:
On December 22, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, George P. Shultz, and Arthur F. Burns met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:48 am to 11:02 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 640-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 640-3 2 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Date: December 22, 1971 Time: 9:48 am - 11:02 am Location: Oval Office The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. Television show "A Day in the Life of the President" -Effect -Documentary value compared to public impact -Haldeman’s opinion -Review in paper -Type of show -Pace of presidency -Ceremonial aspects -Interesting parts of the show -Chat with Julie Nixon Eisenhower -John W. Chancellor interview -Used by news media -“Today” show -Forthcoming People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip -Criticism -Television unable to capture the operation of the Oval Office -Presence of cameras -Effect -John A. Scali -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins -Ronald L. Ziegler -Image of the President as leader -Newsworthiness -Compared to US News & World Report article -Press -Atkins -Pierre E. Trudeau -President’s relationship with the press -National Broadcasting Company [NBC] President's schedule -Travel plans Current news -Vietnam 3 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 640-3 (cont.) -Bombing -Plaine des Jarres -Indian atrocity story -Henry A. Kissinger's talk with the President -Photographs of the atrocities -Number -Peter G. Peterson -Clark MacGregor -William P. Rogers statement in Bermuda regarding trade preference bill -Latin America -Instructions -Peterson -Bermuda -Coverage -Photographs -The President’s relations with other foreign leaders -NBC special -Summitry President's schedule -Meeting with foreign leaders ********************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3 [Personal Returnable] [Duration: 44s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3 ********************************************************************** -Plans for meeting Willy Brandt -Paul W. McCracken schedule -Possible physical -Gen. Walter R. Tkach -Florida -Timing 4 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 640-3 (cont.) -Rogers's schedule -Kissinger's schedule -President's departure -Brandt -Timing of meeting Yeoman Charles E. Radford incident -John N. Mitchell -John D. Ehrlichman -Zeal for job -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] -Courses of action -Daniel Ellsberg -Knowledge compared with Ellsberg -Kissinger -Vietnam -President's instructions -Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr. -Kissinger -Leaks -State Department -Ehrlichman -Meeting with Kissinger -Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS] -Ehrlichman's knowledge -Security -Need to increased -Staff meetings -Lack of meetings -Potential leaks -Rogers -Melvin R. Laird -President’s style President's schedule -Meeting with George P. Shultz -Budget -Defense -Arthur F. Burns -Money supply -Appointment 5 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 640-3 (cont.) -Federal Reserve Board [FRB] -President's instructions -Haldeman -John B. Connally and Burns -Carl J. Thomsen -President's role -Supreme Court -Texas -Connally -Potential -Appointee -John E. Sheehan -Appointments -Burns’s recommendations -Supreme Court -Warren E. Burger -FRB -Burger -Veto power -Connally and Burns -Money supply Media -Coverage -Laos -India-Pakistan -Kissinger -Unknown person -Column Kissinger -Leaks -Responsibility -Mitchell -State Department -Yeoman Radford -David R. Young. Jr. -Ehrlichman President's schedule -Christmas parties -President's appearance 6 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 640-3 (cont.) Kissinger and Shultz entered and Haldeman left at 10:17 am. Kissinger's schedule -Florida -Timing -Accommodations -Children Defense budget -Laird -Request -Amount(s) -Pay raise -Jobs memorandum -Burns -Previous conversation with Shultz Burns -Money supply -Inflation -Wage and price guidelines -Milton Friedman -Laird party for David Packard -Memorandum to Burns -Robert C. Moot -Military jobs -Decrease -Number -Civilian personnel and defense contractors Budget -Department of Defense [DOD] -Health, Education and Welfare [HEW] -Elliot L. Richardson -DOD -Job reductions -Numbers -Contracting -Numbers -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger 7 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 640-3 (cont.) -Shultz’s attempts to modify budget -Meeting with Burns and Shultz -Phone call from the President to Burns -Office of Management and Budget [OMB] -Defense outlays -Numbers -1973 budget -F-111 -US Air Force [USAF] -Cost of plane -DOD spending -Kissinger’s earlier conversation with Shultz -USAF -Planes -Vietnam -Authorizations -Laird -Negotiations -James L. Buckley Kissinger left at 10:27 am. Burns -Upcoming meeting with the President -Appointment process -Haldeman -Sheehan -Possible Presidential statement -Burger -Guidelines -Money supply -Increase -Agreement -Burns -Connally -Open Market Committee Burns entered at 10:29 am. [General conversation] 8 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 640-3 (cont.) Meetings with Brandt and Eisaku Sato President's schedule -Walter H. Annenberg's residence -Activities -Sato -Takeo Fukuda -Burns’s schedule ********************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 [Personal Returnable] [Duration: 36s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6 [Personal Returnable] [Duration: 13s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6 ********************************************************************** FRB -Burns's need for appointment guidelines -January 1972 appointment -James L. Robertson -Haldeman briefing with Burns -Selection -Connally 9 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 640-3 (cont.) -Thomsen -Burns's action -Sheehan -Selection -Civil Service Commission -Knowledge and previous experience -Thomsen -Experience -Dallas bank -Appointment process -Appointments to other agencies -Appointments -Compared to Supreme Court -Interstate Commerce Commission [ICC] and Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] -Length of appointments -Franklin D. Roosevelt action -President’s view -Need for compatible group -Supreme Court -Burger -Mitchell -Female justice -Prospects for future -Claire Giannini Hoffman -Head of Trenton bank -[Forename unknown] Rowling [?] -Background -J. Edgar Hoover’s call to Burns -Task force -Frederic V. Malek's role -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] checks -Burns's role -Comparison to Burger -Shultz -Connally -Recommendations from Congress -Process described by the President -Connally and Shultz -Burger -Mitchell 10 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 640-3 (cont.) -Appointment to Court -Lewis F. Powell, Jr. -William H. Rehnquist -Approved by Burger -Process described by the President -Burns's approval -Input from Burns -Malek -Haldeman -Thomsen -Age -Texas -Connally -Connally input -Burns -Sheehan -Connally -Kentucky -Thomsen -Relationship with Connally -Malek input -New appointments -Possible conflict between Burns and Connally -President’s upcoming talk with Burns about nominees -Selection -Shultz -Kissinger -Burger -William McChesney Martin -Relationship with the President -Money supply -Letters -Connally Burns left at 10:52 am. -Shultz -Malek -Burns -Appointments -Shultz’s letter 11 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 640-3 (cont.) -Connally -Friedman's letter -Money supply -Newsweek column -Burns’s commitment -Money supply -President's instructions to Shultz -Open Market Committee Consumer Price Index [CPI] -Timing of release -Percentage -Positive numbers Pay Board -Price Commission -Cost of Living Council [COLC] -Instructions to Shultz -Donald H. Rumsfeld -President’s view Federal pay -Increase -Congress -Comparability Act -Economic Stabilization Act -Discussion of defense budget -Position taken -Shultz -Bob Hansen -Administration position -Federal pay raise Money supply Appointment process -President's instructions -Shultz call to Connally -Burns's conversation with the President -Possible conflict between Burns and Connally -Malek 12 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 640-3 (cont.) Friedman's letter International monetary reform -Convertibility -Edward R.G. Heath -Previous conversation with the President -US view -France -Kissinger’s notes -Heath -Connally President's schedule -Rehnquist -Confirmation -Connally Shultz left at 11:02 am.