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Conversation: 670-007

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Start Date: 14-Feb-1972 10:07 AM

End Date: 14-Feb-1972 10:59 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ehrlichman, John D.Burns, Arthur F.Bull, Stephen B.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:10:41

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:04:08

670a.mp3

670b.mp3

670c.mp3

NARA Description:

On February 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Arthur F. Burns, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:07 am to 10:59 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 670-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 670-7

Date: February 14, 1972
Time: 10:07 am - 10:59 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman and Arthur F. Burns.

     People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
          -The President’s departure
               -Timing
          -Length
          -Arrival time
                                         15

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                          Conv. No. 670-6 (cont.)


     -World changes
     -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] trip
          -Arms control
                -Importance
                     -Future impact
     -Chinese
     -Japanese
     -Indonesians
          -Concern for Chinese neighbors
                -Importance of arms control
     -Use of individuals
          -Mao Tse-tung
          -Chou En-lai
          -Mao Tse-tung
                -Chiang Kai-shek

Economy
    -Ehrlichman
          -Domestic Council
    -George P. Shultz
    -Interest rates
    -Money supply
          -Timing
                -M-1
    -New York board
          -Alfred Hayes
                -Assistance from Administration
                       -David Rockefeller
                -Unknown person
                       -Relationship to Burns
                -Possible disciplinary action
    -Prices
          -Instability
                -President’s instructions to Burns
          -November 1972
          -William McChesney Martin, Jr.
                -President’s recollection
    -Interest rates
          -Banks
    -Money supply
          -Possible increase
                                       16

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)
                                                         Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)


                -Amount
                     -M-1, M-2
     -Milton Friedman
          -Ideas
     -Comparison to war
     -Budget
     -Controls
     -Burns
          -Testimony
          -Opinion on strong factors
                -Retail sales
                     -Rising prices
                -Taxes
                     -Unknown man
                     -Reform
                            -Value added tax [VAT]
                     -Property taxes
                            -Schools
                     -John B. Connally
                     -Cut
                            -Congress
                     -VAT
                            -Corporate income tax
                     -Property tax
                     -Corporate tax
                     -Individual tax
                     -Property tax
                     -VAT
                            -Burns’s support
                            -Timing
                     -Tax bill
                     -Reform
                            -Normal operations

Busing
     -White House position
     -Bipartisan committee
          -Neil H. McElroy committee
                -Support
     -Commission
     -Courts
                                   17

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 10/06)
                                                             Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)


-State level
      -Possible crisis
-McElroy Commission
      -Burns
      -Parochial schools
      -Public schools
            -Comparisons and differences
      -Private school committee
      -Public schools
      -Blacks
      -Public schools
            -Problems stated
-Constitutional amendments
      -Howard H. Baker, Jr.
      -William E. Brock, III
      -Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
      -Robert P. Griffin
      -Thomas N. Downing
      -Norman F. Lent
      -Thomas J. (“Tom”) Steed
      -John G. Tower
      -Elliot L. Richardson
            -John N. Mitchell
                  -Possible explanation of problems to Congress
                        -Scheduling
      -Meeting
            -Briefing papers
            -Ehrlichman
            -Baker
                  -Grasp of subject matter
            -Griffin
                  -Different approach
            -Baker
-Position of Administration opponents
      -John V. Lindsay
      -Edward M. Kennedy
      -George S. McGovern
      -Edmund S. Muskie
      -Hubert H. Humphrey
            -Changes on the issues
      -Black education
                                         18

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)


                -Quality
     -The President’s view
          -Brown vs. Board of Education
                -Meaning
                      -Segregated education
          -Quality education
                -Black children
                      -Neighborhood breakdown
                            -Churches
                            -Schools
                            -Friends
                            -Forced transportation
                                  -Opportunities
                                  -Choices
          -Legal restrictions

Appointments
    -Andrew F. Brimmer
         -President’s previous conversation with William P. Rogers
         -Ehrlichman
         -Shultz
         -St. Lawrence Seaway
         -Panama Canal
         -Ambassadorship
               -Sweden
                     -Black
                           -Jerome H. Holland
               -Europe
                     -Length
                           -Sweden
                                -Desirability
               -Black
                     -Africa
               -Frederic V. Malek
               -Sweden
                     -Responsibilities
               -Finland
               -Rogers
                     -United Nations [UN]
               -Malek
                     -Gathering of European ambassadors
                                         19

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                             Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)


               -Latin America
               -Europe
                     -Potential for safety
                     -Holland
                          -Problems
                          -Finland
               -State Department
               -Central Bank of Sweden
                     -Austria
               -Europe
                     -Location
                     -West Germany

Budget
    -Stimulation
    -Money
         -Contractor
               -Pay in advance
    -1972-73 financial transfers
    -Burns’s plan
         -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
               -Report to the President
                     -Accomplishments
                           -Buying hardware
    -Fred C. Foy
         -Koppers Corporation
               -Press conference
                     -90,000 jobs created
                           -California
                           -White House budget stimulation
    -Buying hardware
         -747s
               -Production
                     -Number
    -Weinberger
         -Reports to a committee
               -Monthly compared to weekly
                     -Burns’s view
    -Contractors
         -Shipping
         -Airplanes
                                   20

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 10/06)
                                                            Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)


           -Transactions
-Weinberger
     -Weekly reports
           -John B. Connally
           -Defense
                 -Robert C. Moot
                      -Weinberger
                      -Shultz
-Cabinet officers
     -Weekly reports
           -Created for the President and Weinberger
           -Budget figures
           -State Department
           -Connally
           -John A. Volpe
           -Rohr Industries
                 -Contract (Hardware)
                      -San Diego
                      -Urban Mass Transit experiment
                      -Amount
                      -California
-Treasury Department
     -Withholding problem
           -Administration awareness
     -Release of tables
           -Sabotage
                 -Withholding rates
                      -Change
                      -Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
                      -John W. Dean, III
                      -Connally
                      -Johnnie M. Walters
                      -Publicity
                            -Radio and television advertisements
                            -Warnings in pay envelopes
                      -Under withholding
                      -Constituency
                      -Married people
                            -Over withholding
                      -Burns’s opinion
                            -Advertising
                                                21

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                       Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)


                                     -Director of research at FRB [J. Charles Partee]
                                          -Withholding form
                                                -Time to prepare
                                                       -Average American worker
                                                            -Difficulties
                                     -FRB
                                          -Comptroller
                                                -Fill out withholding forms for staff
                                     -Business firms
                                          -Withholding forms
                                                -Preparation for employees
                                     -Appeal to individuals
                                     -Congress
                                          -Suggestions
                                -White House
                                -Revenue Act of 1971
          -Burns’s proposal
               -Dinners
                     -Business people
                     -Weekly
                     -Size
                           -Anticipated results

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:07 am.

     Schedule
          -Meeting
               -Senators
               -Congressmen
               -Cabinet Room
          -Timing
               -Ronald L. Ziegler

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:59 am.

     Business people
          -White House dinners
               -Possible effect
                     -Campaign
                     -Confidence
                     -Relay messages to hometowns
                                       22

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/06)
                                                         Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)


                -Big business
                      -Size of towns
                -Connally
                -Peter G. Peterson
     -Business Council meetings
           -Conduct
           -40% of American businesses represented
           -Connally
                -Involvement
     -Blair House meetings
           -Weekly
           -Connally
           -Maurice H. Stans
           -Cabinet members
           -White House staff
                -Council of Economic Affairs [CEA]
           -Business and labor
           -Success

Busing

Budget
    -Working toward one goal
    -Expansion
    -Price and wage control
    -Economists’ analyses
          -Free economy
          -Decisions and decision makers
    -Governmental level
          -Confidence

Economy
    -Burns
          -Tone comments
    -Fourth quarter 1971
    -First and second quarters, 1972
    -Arthur Goldberg
          -Talk with the President
                -Wage Board
                -PRC trip
          -Donald H. Rumsfeld
                                              23

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)


               -Dr. Neil H. Jacoby
                    -Occidental Life Insurance Co.
                          -Resignation
                    -Robert S. McNamara
               -Chairman of Wage Board
               -Rumsfeld
                    -Availability

    FRB
          -Board of Governors
               -Appointment
                     -Scali’s work
                     -Vacant post
                           -Search for viable candidates
                     -California
                           -Type of candidate
                     -Prestige
                     -William D. Eberle
                     -Banker
                     -Claire Giannini Hoffman
                           -Age
                     -Burns
                           -Selection of name

    Busing
         -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
              -Proposed constitutional amendment
              -Dual school system
              -Equal education
                    -State level
              -Florida primary
              -Forced integrated housing
                    -Lost cost public housing


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 14s ]
                                             24

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)



END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

******************************************************************************


                     -Public housing
          -Possible effect on economy
               -Social mobility
          -Burns
               -Possible statements
               -George W. Romney

Burns left at an unknown time before 10:59 am.

     Public housing and busing

     Economy

     The President’s schedule

Ehrlichman left at 10:59 am.