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Conversation 708-012

TapeTape 708StartThursday, April 13, 1972 at 4:47 PMEndThursday, April 13, 1972 at 4:59 PMTape start time00:41:16Tape end time00:53:24ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Walters, Vernon A.;  Woods, Rose Mary;  Butterfield, Alexander P.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon met with Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters to receive coaching and practice the pronunciation of French phrases for an upcoming address to the Canadian Parliament. The session involved detailed linguistic drills, with Rose Mary Woods assisting in the logistics of the speech drafts and Alexander P. Butterfield briefly joining to deliver documents. The discussion also touched upon ongoing military concerns in Vietnam, including North Vietnamese movements and the status of diplomatic efforts.

Canadian ParliamentFrench languagePresidential speechwritingVietnam WarDiplomacy
AudioNARA Description

On April 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Vernon A. Walters, Rose Mary Woods, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:47 pm to 4:59 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 708-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 708-12

Date: April 13, 1972
Time: 4:47 pm - 4:59 pm

Location: Oval Office

The President met with Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters.

       Walters
            -Confirmation
                 -Congratulations

       The President's trip to Canada
            -Address to Parliament
                  -French portions
                          -Walters's review
            -Speech draft
                  -Walters's rendition
                          -Pronunciation
                  -The President's rendition
                          -Walters's review
                          -The President's accent
                          -Pronunciation
            -Arrival speech
                  -The President’s rendition
                          -Pronunciation
            -Speech draft
                  -Phonetic translation
                          -The President's knowledge of French

Rose Mary Woods entered at 4:53 pm.

                 -The President's rendition
                       -Walters's corrections
            -Speech typewriter
                 -Placement

Woods left at 4:55 pm.

            -Speech draft
                 -The President's rendition
                       -Walters's corrections

       Walters's new job
            -Progress

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 4:55 pm.

       Delivery of unknown article

       Unknown person's location

       Signing of documents

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 4:59 pm.

       Vietnam
            -Reports
                 -North Vietnamese movements
                        -The President's conversation with [Forename unknown] Palms
                 -Gen. Haig
                 -H. Ross Perot
            -North Vietnamese offensive
                 -US actions
                 -Negotiations
            -People's Republic of China [PRC]

       Walters's knowledge of Russian language

       [Unintelligible]

Walters left at 4:59 pm.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

I don't know if this is incorrect.
I don't know what term they use if it's an Anglo-Saxon term.
You know, in France, it would be the president, but I don't know that it's in the monarchy.
L'orateur?
I'm sure it's right.
Let me read this very slowly.
Monsieur l'orateur de la chambre des communes.
Monsieur le président du Sénat.
Monsieur le premier ministre.
Messieurs les membres des chambres du Parlement canadien, éminents, hautes et amies.
Éminents.
Let me see if I can turn it.
and they're just stuck around for the new, the new time of day ever.
Masha'Allah raka'ur al-shamra, the commune.
Masha'Allah rizwan al-san'a, or Masha'Allah raka'ur al-san'a.
Masha'Allah rikne'in Yisra.
Masha'Allah l-imamra, Masha'Allah l-imamra al-shamra bi'l-bara'ma, qanadiyan.
E min ma'od.
E min am.
E min am.
E min am.
E min am.
E min am.
E min am.
E min am.
I appreciate it.
I appreciate it.
You even have a slight French-Canadian accent, don't you?
That's all right.
Yes, sir.
Perfect.
I don't know.
Maybe I should have tried a little of this when I entered.
I hadn't thought that I would, but... Let's see if I can pronounce something.
I'll see if I can pronounce it.
Ah!
O-mah-mah-mah-mah-mah-mah...
I would also like to salute in my name and in the name of the Pope of the United States, the United States.
The Pope of the United States.
The Pope of the United States.
The Pope of this great country.
The Pope of this great country in which we feel in the generous spirit and friendship
I don't have to say it right.
I don't have to say it right.
I don't have to say it right.
I might say that.
You said the end of the word.
Perfect, you have to answer.
The public is a grand pays.
Pays.
The puppet is the grand pays, okay?
Don't move, don't press, you know?
Don't make a spree.
Shame on you.
Ain't nothing here.
Okay.
Let me try this other one again.
We're coming down here from Connecticut, sir.
Well, they're in Connecticut, but they didn't rent it.
No, they're selling it right.
They're actually selling it right.
This sort of thing.
You see, it's the highest one.
You don't recognize it.
I don't recognize it.
I know it, Frank.
Now you do.
I don't know.
I knew it 30 years after I studied it.
Four years in college.
It's perfectly comprehensible.
We're sure over a third of us aren't worthy of communion.
Masha'Allah, praise the Daqa al-Saddaqa, Masha'Allah, the Torah, the Sanat, Masha'Allah, the Pentecost, Masha'Allah, the Imamur, Masha'Allah, the Imamur, the Shamba, the Palamah, the Qarnayana, the Qarnayana.
Qarnayana.
Qarnayana.
How do you say it?
Qarnayana.
Qarnayana.
You don't chop it up quite that badly.
Qarnayana.
Qarnayana.
Qarnayana.
Qarnayana.
Qarnayana.
Qarnayana.
Qarnayana.
Qarnayana.
I may not hold.
I may not hold.
I may not hold.
I may not hold.
I may not hold.
If you take out the A, you should pause.
Where do you say it?
Where do you say it?
You want to say difference?
Yes.
C-A-G-R-S. Huh?
C-A-G-R-S. What does that mean, difference?
What is it?
C-A-G-R-S, and I put a C on it to give you the sound.
Shares on me.
Right.
Shares on me.
That'd be fine.
It's very warm.
Shares on me.
Right.
Could you put this over your ear?
Yes.
Put this speech right there.
I, uh, want to call it a night.
I, uh, take my hand away.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I'm sure a lot of others have heard of me.
I'm sure a lot of others have seen me.
I'm sure, I'm sure Mr. Gage has heard of me.
I'm sure Mr.
You don't have to say, ladies and gentlemen, that is, they should.
They should.
They should.
They should.
They should.
They should.
They should.
They should.
They should.
J'apprécie.
J'apprécie.
J'apprécie.
J'apprécie.
What is it?
J'apprécie.
J'apprécie.
J'apprécie.
J'apprécie.
J'apprécie Guillaume.
J'apprécie Guillaume.
J'apprécie Guillaume.
Well, I'm sure that
I thought they were talking about .
We're worried in all of North Vietnam about what we're doing.
The fleets are moving.
The planes are coming.
See what I can do.
I did get a thing, sir.
I had asked General Payton.
He said the Rostro in the building.
I saw it.
He said his man made it before yesterday.
I've been in contact with Harris.
Rich Swain, please.
He's absolutely out of control.
He's silenced us.
We've got to stop him.
We've got to stop him.
We've got to stop him.
Why?
What are you going to do?
Huh?
Fine.
One way to stop it.
One easy way to stop it.
And the dying can talk.
That was a fascinating experience for Paris, both with the Chinese and the Japanese.
The night before I left, the chairman of the Massacre called me and said,
You're an old friend.
You've got to come today.
Exactly.
So I went to find you and saw you.
Sorry you don't know Russian.
Did you ask your partner?
No, sir.
Not you.
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