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Conversation: 722-003

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Start Date: 9-May-1972 10:03 AM

End Date: 9-May-1972 10:41 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:11:55

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 00:44:19

722a.mp3

722b.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:03 am to 10:41 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 722-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 722-3

Date: May 9, 1972
Time: 10:03 am - 10:41 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     President's schedule
          -Morning work
          -Meeting with John B. Connally
          -Coming days

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Necessity

     Welfare reform
          -President's meeting with George P. Shultz and John D. Ehrlichman
                                        4

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. Jan-02)
                                                                 Conv. No. 722-3 (cont.)
Vietnam
     -Blockade
          -William P. Rogers
                -Possible testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations and House
                      Foreign Affairs Committees
                      -Timing
          -Congress
                -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer's testimony
                      -Armed Services Committee
                -Rogers's testimony
                      -Timing
                -Henry A. Kissinger's testimony
                      -Timing
                -Rogers's testimony
          -Fact sheet draft
                -Author
                      -Charles W. Colson
                      -S. Steven Karalekas
                -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s review
                -Contents
                      -North Vietnamese offensive
                      -President's peace offers
                            -North Vietnamese rejection
                      -Necessity of action
                      -Other nations
          -Public opinion
                -Publicity for positive responses
                -White House staff
                      -Ronald L. Ziegler
                -Support for President
                      -Strength
                      -Telegram problems
                      -Endorsement from public figures
                            -Publicity
                      -Tone
                      -Comparison with previous speech
                -Intensity
                      -"Hawks"
                      -Prisoner of war [POW] wives
                            -Reaction
                            -Maj. Gen. James D. Hughes
                            -Resolutions
                                  -Vietnamization
                                         5

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. Jan-02)
                                                                 Conv. No. 722-3 (cont.)
                  -POW wives
                        -Attitude
                              -Change
                        -League of POW-Missing in Action [MIA] families
                              -United Press International [UPI]
                              -Resolution
                        -Work with Hughes
                              -Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft
                              -Press reports
                              -Resolution
                                    -Changes
             -POW
                  -President's objectives
                  -Necessity of blockade
             -Public opinion
                  -Opposition
                        -George S. McGovern
                        -Hubert H. Humphrey
                              -Nebraska campaign


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 21s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


             -McGovern statement
                  -Compared to Cambodia statements
             -Protests
                  -Colleges
                        -Number
                  -Demonstrations
                        -White House
                  -Extent
             -Senate and House response
                  -Democrats
                              6

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                       (rev. Jan-02)
                                                 Conv. No. 722-3 (cont.)
            -Clark MacGregor
            -George H. Mahon
            -John C. Stennis
            -Caucus meeting
     -Republicans
            -MacGregor meeting
     -Democrats
-Briefings
     -Rogers’s performance
     -Moorer
     -Kissinger
     -Melvin R. Laird and Rogers
            -Briefing evaluated
            -Conduct of briefing
     -Rogers
            -Statement on mines
                  -J. William Fulbright’s view
                  -Laird interruption
-Rogers
     -Position on blockade
-Support from executive departments
-Draft statement
     -President's objectives
            -Methods
-Rogers
     -Statement on mines
     -United Nations [UN] notification
            -George H.W. Bush
-"Hawks"
     -MacGregor
     -George D. Aiken
            -Statement
                  -Changes
                  -Comparison with Bangladesh
-Republican response
     -James L. Buckley
     -Gerald R. Ford
     -Robert P. Griffin
     -Jacob K. Javits
     -Margaret Chase Smith
-George C. Wallace statement
-Edward M. Kennedy statement
-Democrats
                              7

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                      Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. Jan-02)
                                                        Conv. No. 722-3 (cont.)
      -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew rebuttal
            -Time
      -McGovern
            -Television appearance
                  -Purchase of television time
-News coverage
      -Amount and tone
      -Comparison with Cuban missile crisis
-Necessity
      -Kissinger
            -Contribution to US foreign policy
            -People's Republic of China [PRC] and Soviet Union initiatives
-Soviet trip
-Necessity
-Criticism
      -Democratic caucus
            -Counterattack
-Comparison with Cuban missile crisis
      -Republican support for John F. Kennedy
      -Confrontation with Soviets
-Democrats
      -Strategy
            -Humphrey and McGovern
      -Comparison with President's support for John Kennedy
            -President's previous television speech
      -Humphrey and McGovern
            -Counterattack
                  -Humphrey
                  -McGovern
                  -Edward Kennedy
                  -Agnew's role
                  -Connally's role
-Success
-Soviet moves
      -Possible Summit cancellation
            -US statement
                  -Kissinger
            -Tone of commentary
      -North Vietnamese arms
            -Soviet Union
            -PRC
-Rogers
      -Schedule
                             8

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                       (rev. Jan-02)
                                                         Conv. No. 722-3 (cont.)
     -Role
            -Kissinger’s view
            -Testimony
                  -Senate Foreign Relations Committee
-Support for President
      -Publicity to Congress
            -Methods
      -Intensity and scope
      -Impact
            -Rogers, Moorer
            -Encouragement to Congressional supporters
-Soviet ships
      -Location
      -Photographs
            -Use for publicity
            -Haig's instructions
-Soviet response
      -Haig's report
-Soviet ships
      -Location
      -Photographs
-Laird
      -Call from President
      -Support
-Rogers
-President's meeting with leaders
      -Necessity
      -President's appearance
            -Manner
-Kissinger
      -Meeting with subcabinet officers
            -Possible replacements
                  -Laird
                  -Rogers
            -Kissinger's appearance
-Briefings
      -Press
      -Rogers
      -Purpose
-Rogers
-Briefings
      -Laird
      -Rogers
                                                9

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. Jan-02)
                                                                           Conv. No. 722-3 (cont.)
                      -Moorer
                -Congress
                      -MacGregor's office
                      -Democrats
                            -Stennis
                      -Kissinger briefing
                      -Democrats
                            -F. Edward Hebert
                            -Southern Democrats
                                  -Support
                -Necessity
                      -Haldeman's position
                      -Kissinger's position
                      -President's position
                      -Irreversibility
                            -Rogers
                -Statements
                      -Rhetoric
                      -Content
                            -Coolness
                            -Dedication to peace
                            -National interest above political interests
                            -US role in world
                      -Further work

Haldeman left at 10:41 am.