Conversation: 644-014
Prev:  644-013 Next: 644-015Start Date: 10-Jan-1972 12:35 PM
End Date: 10-Jan-1972 1:24 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Rush, [David] Kenneth; Kennedy, Richard T. (Col.); White House photographer; White House operator; Flanigan, Peter M.; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:17:24
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:05:34
NARA Description:
On January 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, [David] Kenneth Rush, Col. Richard T. Kennedy, White House photographer, White House operator, and Peter M. Flanigan met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:35 pm to 1:24 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 644-014 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 644-14 Date: January 10, 1972 Time: 12:35 pm - 1:24 pm 26 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 644-12 (cont.) Location: Oval Office The President met with [David] Kenneth Rush and Col. Richard T. Kennedy; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting. Rush’s health Rush's living arrangements -Davenport -Piper Key -Beaches Key Biscayne -Compared to San Clemente -Weather -Views -Houses Rush's possible appointment as Deputy Secretary of Defense -John N. Mitchell -Discussion with Rush -Rush’s schedule -Return to Bonn -Forthcoming meeting with Melvin R. Laird -Recent telephone conversation in New York -Financial aspects of Rush's holdings -Job candidates -Laird’s view -Compared to the President’s -Rush's experience -Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions [MBFR], Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] -Business -Lair’s schedule -Vacation -West Germany Frank E. Cash, Jr. -Assistant to Rush -Present position -Russell Fessenden 27 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 644-14 (cont.) Nominations for ambassador to replace Rush -Rush's recommendations -Meeting with Peter M. Flanigan -Recommendations -Unknown Texan -West Germany -Ambassadorial candidates -Age -Gen. Lucius DuB. Clay, Jr., John J. McCloy -MBFR, European Security Conference Free Democratic Party [FDP] -Walter Scheel -Poll results -Relationship with Rush -Size -Importance Poll results -Scheel -Compared to Dr. Rainer Barzel Barzel -Head of Christian Democratic Union [CDU] party in Bundestag Forthcoming West German elections -September 1973 -Moscow agreements -Ratification -CDU’s possible position -Gerhard Schroeder, Franz Josef Strauss -Bundestag -FDP -Willy Brandt -Effect of failure on foreign policy and relations -Berlin agreement, European Security Conference, détente, Soviet- West German relations -Brandt -Possible election -Economic situation 28 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 644-14 (cont.) -Timing -Timing The President's meetings with Brandt in Key Biscayne, December 1971 -The President’s impression US-West German relations -Status -Rush’s view -Britain, France -West German security -Brandt -Troop levels -Socialists -Kissinger -Neutrality -MBFR -European security conference -Brandt’s talks with Leonid Brezhnev in 1971 -Purpose Brandt -Stance on detente -US initial attitude -Relations with the US vis-à-vis the Soviets -Attitudes toward détente -Soviet allies -Attitude toward East Germany, East Berlin -Konrad Adenauer -France -Motivations and goals -[Ostpolitik] -Michael J. Mansfield -Vietnam -Impact on German attitudes Barzel -Christian Social Union [CSU] -Strauss -Attitude toward Moscow Agreements Brandt’s Ostpolitik -Relationship with CDU 29 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 644-14 (cont.) -Bavaria -Moderation on foreign policy -Moscow agreements -Ratification -Party unity -Analogy to [James] Harold Wilson -Labor Party -Common Market -Economic and internal issues -Possible effect on Brandt -Political position of CDU -Western allies -Anti-Soviet posture, economic -Brandt -Berlin Agreement, European Security Conference -Forthcoming trip to the US -Electoral prospects -Compared to Edward R.G. Heath -West German economy Schedule Kennedy left at 12:58 pm. Laird -Forthcoming talk with Rush -Rush’s talk with the President -Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary -Teamwork -Rush -Experience -Government, MBFR, SALT -Business -Bureaucracy -Loyalty Rush -Possible future responsibilities as Deputy Secretary of Defense -Examination of Defense Department’s operation and management -David Packard -Laird 30 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 644-14 (cont.) -Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG] WSAG -Henry A. Kissinger -Laird's attitude -Mission -Implementation of White House decisions -Bureaucracy -Members -Deputy, Undersecretary of State, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS], Director of Central Intelligence Agency [CIA], Kissinger -Rush's role -Kissinger Rush -Talk with John N. Mitchell -Role of Mitchell -National Security Council [NSC] meetings -Kissinger -Necessary relationship with Laird -Kissinger -Possible relationship with John B. Connally -Purchase of planes by Latin America countries, West Germany -Northrup -State Department -Management problems -Treasury Department -Financial problems -State Department -John N. Irwin, II, U. Alexis Johnson -Support from Laird -Management role -Independence -Charlie McCarthy -WSAG -Israel -Kissinger -Mitchell -State Department -Arabs -Mediator role 31 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 644-14 (cont.) -India-Pakistan crisis -Relationship with JCS -Support -Interest of job -Compared to Secretary of State, Defense, Attorney General, Secretary of Treasury -Fund management Kissinger Talk with Mitchell -Advice -WSAG -Kissinger, Laird, Rogers Rush's schedule [The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:58 pm and 1:11 pm.] [Conversation No. 644-14A] [See Conversation No. 18-30] [End of telephone conversation] Rush's schedule -Meeting with Flanigan Election year -Scrutiny of Administration Kissinger Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:58 pm. The President's call to Flanigan Bull left at an unknown time before 1:11 pm. [The President talked with Flanigan between 1:11 pm and 1:12 pm.] 32 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 644-14 (cont.) [Conversation No. 644-14B] [See Conversation No. 18-31] [End of telephone conversation] The President's image -Europe -Momentum -1972 election -Europe -In business community -Europe -Max Frankel's conversation with Rush -New York Times and Washington Post -The President compared with Franklin D. Roosevelt -American public -World -Kissinger -Rush’s conversation with David Binder of the New York Times -Roosevelt and Nixon -The President’s foreign policy record Jack N. Anderson Papers -India-Pakistan War -Kissinger US policy on India-Pakistan relations -Public interest -US-India relations -West Pakistan -Soviet Union -Middle East -Criticism -Mutuality -The People’s Republic of China [PRC] -Alternatives -Vietnam -The President’s forthcoming PRC trip -Soviet Union 33 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 644-14 (cont.) -Soviet Union -Middle East -Balance of power -Soviet pilots in United Arab Republic [UAR] planes -Possible effect on Israel -US reactions -Sixth fleet -US efforts -United Nations [UN] resolution -Soviet Union -Refugee aid -Preservation of stability -Status of India -West Bengel -California -East Pakistan -Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -Communists in West Bengal India -Rush’s knowledge -Union-Carbide ************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 [National Security] [Duration: 35s ] INDIA END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 ************************************************************************** -War aims -Pakistan 34 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 644-14 (cont.) -PRC -Kashmir Vietnam War -North Vietnam -Laos, Cambodia, South Vietnam -1954 Geneva Accords US policy on India-Pakistan relations -The President’s position -Support for India -Newspapers -Stories -Comment -Presidential advisors -Sources -General public -Attitude towards India-Pakistan relations -Comparison to Pentagon Papers, Vietnam -Opposition to the President's policy Rush's meeting with Mitchell -Laird’s talk with Mitchell -Laird’s recommendations -Work with Laird, State Department Rush left at 1:24 pm.