← 746-015746-017 →

Conversation 746-016

TapeTape 746StartSaturday, July 1, 1972 at 11:19 AMEndSaturday, July 1, 1972 at 12:15 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Colson, Charles W.;  White House operator;  Ziegler, Ronald L.;  Reagan, Ronald W.;  Bull, Stephen B.;  Weinberger, Caspar W. ("Cap");  Eisenhower, Julie NixonRecording deviceOval Office
AudioNARA Description

On July 1, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, White House operator, Ronald L. Ziegler, Ronald W. Reagan, Stephen B. Bull, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:19 am to 12:15 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 746-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 746-16

Date: July 1, 1972
Time: 11:19 am - 12:15 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 48s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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

                                          (rev. Oct-06)

     Issues
          -Housing, maritime, elderly
          -Elderly
                -Colson’s forthcoming call to Arthur S. Flemming
                     -Llewelyn J. (“Bud”) Evans, Jr.
                         -Flemming’s schedule

     Social Security
          -Veto message
                -Prices and spending
                     -Increased taxes

The White House operator talked with the President at an unknown time between 11:19 am and
11:25 am.

[Conversation No. 746-16A]

[See Conversation No. 26-36]

     [End of telephone conversation]

     The President’s press conference, June 29, 1972
          -Attempts to contact Cabinet
               -Instructions to Colson
                     -John A. Volpe
                     -George W. Romney
                     -Romney’s schedule
                          -Canada
                     -Volpe’s schedule
                          -Virgin Islands
                     -Melvin R. Laird

     Laird
          -Politics

     The President’s recent press conference
          -French prisoners of war [POWs]
                -Laird
                -Murrey Marder
                -Nationality
                     -Memorandum
                     -Gen. Douglas MacArthur In Philippines
                -French withdrawal from Vietnam

                                           (rev. Oct-06)

                      -Effect on South Vietnam

     David Kraslow’s article
         -Vietnam negotiations
               -Henry A. Kissinger
         -Jews
               -Marder, Kraslow
               -Israel
         -John A. Scali’s conversation with Kraslow
         -Vietnam negotiations
               -Kissinger
                     -POWs
         -George S. McGovern

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 11:25 am.

     The President’s statement about ship building contracts, July 1, 1972
          -Reaction
          -Value of contracts
          -Social Security bill statement
                -Timing
                     -Clark MacGregor
                     -Changes to statement
          -MacGregor's press conference

     Kraslw’s article
          -Vietnam negotiations
                -Kissinger
                      -POWs

     The President’s recent press conference
          -French POWs
                -Nationality
                -POWs held by Japan in the Philippines
                -McGovern
          -Crosby S. Noyes's article, June 30, 1972
                -South Vietnamese

Ziegler left and the President talked with Ronald W. Reagan at 11:28 am.

[Conversation No. 746-16B]

[See Conversation No. 26-37]

                                       (rev. Oct-06)

[End of telephone conversation]

     Issues
          -Shipbuilding contracts
          -Andrew E. Gibson and Robert J. Blackwell
          -Elderly
                -Food program, mailing
                -Social Security
          -Compared to Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration
                -Democrats
          -Veterans
          -Aging
                -Medicare
          -Social Security bill
                -Pending legislation
                     -Education, Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW], Office
                          of Economic Opportunity [OEO]
                     -Vetoes
                -Voting pattern of elderly
                     -Compared to Jews
                -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger

     Pending legislation
         -Cuts
               -Public broadcasting bill veto
                      -Lobby
                      -Press and Congressional reaction
                          -Broadcasters
                          -Donald Oberdorfer, Jr.
                      -Public perception of public television
                      -Networks
                          -William S. Paley
                      -Government competition with private enterprise

     Elmer Lower's speech
         -American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
         -Richard S. Salant
         -Intimidation by Administration
               -Economic coercion
               -Colson's letters to Leonard H. Goldenson and Frank
                Stanton
               -Goldenson's letter to Colson

                                        (rev. Oct-06)

                     -Tone
                     -James C. Hagerty
                     -Copy to Lower
                -Public mistrust of network news
                     -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew

          Watergate break-in
               -Republican National Committee
               -The President's role
                     -Public impression
               -Robert F. Kennedy's bugging
               -1968 bugging
                     -Kevin P. Phillips’s column
                          -Anna C. Chennault
                          -The President's telephones
                          -Lyndon B. Johnson
                          -Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI]
               -Bugging McGovern
                     -Vietnam negotations
               -Phillips's article

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:28 am.

     The President's schedule
          -Weinberger

Bull left at an unknown time before 11:36 am.

     Weinberger
         -Defense Department
              -Meat purchase cuts

Weinberger entered at 11:36 am.

          -Defense Department procurement
               -[David] Kenneth Rush
                    -Kenneth W. Dam
                    -Paul H. Riley
                    -Press release

     Social Security bill statement
          -Necessity for taxes to balance spending
                -Congress

                                    (rev. Oct-06)

           -Veto strategy
     -Elliot L. Richardson
           -Education, health
     -House Resolution [HR] 1
           -Social Security increase

Necessity for budget cuts
    -Model cities
    -Amount of Social Security increase
    -Public broadcasting
    -Model cities
    -Urban renewal
    -Day care
    -OEO
    -Forthcoming message
    -Spending ceiling
    -University grants
           -Advisory committees
                -HEW
    -Effects on economy
           -Timing
                -Urban renewal
                -1974, 1975
                -October 1. 1972
                    -Announcements

Social Security
     -Bill signing
            -Compared to veto
            -Budget cuts
     -Date of checks
     -Notice in envelopes
            -Wording
                 -Past practice in California
                     -Franchise tax board
                             -Legislature
                 -Credit to Administration
                     -Social Security Administration [SSA]
                             -Robert M. Ball
                             -Colson’s previous action
                                   -Unknown project
                                         -Presidential statement
                             -Presidential quote

                                  (rev. Oct-06)

     -Numbers of recipients
     -Bill signing
            -Possible veto

Budget
    -1973, 1974, 1975
         -Possible vetoes

Instructions for Weinberger
      -Forthcoming calls to Cabinet officers
            -Veto message
            -Budget
                 -Increases
                 -Cuts
            -The President's directive
                 -Office of Management and Budget [OMB]
                      -Possible vetoes
                 -Department program cuts

Defense spending
    -Meat purchase cuts
    -HEW
          -Hospitals
    -Weinberger memorandum
    -Press coverage

OMB
   -Weinberger’s forthcoming call to H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

Forthcoming budget announcements
     -Weinberger’s forthcoming call to Haldeman
           -Frank C. Carlucci
           -Timing
                -Democratic National Convention
                -Cabinet officers’ roles
                -Meeting with food retailers and chain store executives
     -Strategy and proposed message
     -Debt ceiling, 1974
           -Cabinet

1974 budget ceilings
    -HEW
    -HUD

                                       (rev. Oct-06)

          -HR 1

     The President’s schedule

     Social Security bill
          -Winston S. Churchill's statement on electoral defeat
                -Conversation with wife
                      -Potsdam
          -Signing
          -The President’s conversation with Clark MacGregor
                -Olin E. (“Tiger”) Teague
                      -Veterans bill
          -Budget
                -Congressional spending
                      -Veto strategy
                      -Debt ceiling extension
                          -October 31, 1972
                          -Possible special session of Congress
                                  -Timing

Weinberger left at 11:53 am.

     Social Security increases
          -Budget
                -Congressional spending
          -The President's press conference June 29 1972
                -Briefing book
                      -Domestic Council
                      -John D. Ehrlichman
                      -Patrick J. Buchanan
          -Dwight D. Eisenhower's vetoes
                -Overrides
                      -Social Security
          -Future vetoes
                -Cost of living

     Weinberger
         -Political sensibilities
                -Colson
                     -Veterans, Social Security
                -Compared to George P. Shultz
                     -Treasury Department

                                        (rev. Oct-06)

     Social Security
          -Mailings
                -Bureaucrats
          -Ball
                -Reappointment
                -Previous mailing
                     -Colson
                -SSA

The President left and returned at an unknown time before 11:56 am.

     The President’s schedule

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 11:53 and 1:56
am.

[Conversation No. 746-16C]

[See Conversation No. 26-38]

[End of telephone conversation]

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 19m 2s ]

The President talked with Julie Nixon Eisenhower between 11:56 am and 11:59 am.

[CONVERSATION NO. 746-16D]

[SEE CONVERSATION NO. 26-39]

[End of telephone conversation]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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

                                       (rev. Oct-06)

Colson left at 12:15 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.

You know, we do have a lot of snow.
That's why this year in housing, we've done a lot.
In America, we've done a lot.
Now the old folks, we've done something.
You're going to call them up?
I've already called them up.
What did you say?
I didn't get funny.
I got butted into this.
Oh, very much so.
He wants to send flying helicopters to the country this week, Kevin.
Good.
I'm also sending- I have a change of major message.
I put in some very much stronger language that I, that there has been this increase of 51%.
Now it is responsible with the Congress to see that this increase in income is not even enough by price.
Good.
In order to do that, the Congress has to be responsible at any increase in spending.
It would have to be funded by increased taxes.
You just gotta hold it in.
Liz, Liz, just, he's smelling the political wars now.
He's starting to restrain himself.
He wants to go out and really start slipping.
12,000 French.
They won't ever be driven off.
Oh, no.
He's one of the strongest.
He's on the left.
They know what's in it.
And they try to discredit it.
What are they talking about?
They're 12,000 French.
I just dictated the memo to our people.
12,000 French.
The Filipino example is excellent.
So, are we going to say there's 12,000 Filipino ethnic
Don't matter.
You should turn them over to the Army.
It's a price you pay for getting out.
Right.
Never.
My parents would have done that.
They slaughtered them.
It's all that they've ever done for them.
That's a good comment.
We nailed Kreslow yesterday for that PC hit.
And he was offering a better deal privately than he would sign a couple of years to get out without our prisons.
Right.
Why isn't the Jews always engaged in such things?
Mark, they all know better.
Israel is part of it.
But these are the left-wing Jewish idealists.
They're socialists.
That's all.
What are they?
How did you know?
I just raised that one and said that we were going to publicly
and he didn't retract it.
He said, well, he got it from high sources.
Oh, shit.
Kelly said, well, I'm telling you from the highest source there is.
I told him to do this.
Well, Henry said it.
Yeah.
There's been a thing offered privately.
A question?
That Henry was offering a better deal of this.
What he said is that the company is offering a tougher deal.
Yeah, what he said is that Henry was offering privately that we would withdraw without our persons if necessary.
Okay.
All right.
All right.
We are somewhat to the right side of that issue politically.
Very tough, very hard.
Let my government be on the line.
Sure.
That's great.
Yeah.
Go ahead, Bob.
I checked with the clerk.
What I think, if you agree, we'll issue your statement and see if you will sign it and get it before the full date.
I think the modification's a mistake.
Could you finish your work with the modification?
I would.
So if you get that.
But I think that would be better.
The greater his session, at 11.30, we'll be able to take it on.
That's what you do.
Right.
Well, Greg, let's do a legislative wrap-up of what the Congress has done.
Ron, I just mentioned that Chuck wasn't there.
He may get an excuse.
I really want to get a slant on him.
I'm sorry, but Henry was offering to get out without being obvious.
But that's a goddamn lie, of course.
There hasn't been a thing like that.
The other thing is that
The money is raised, and it's raised, and it's raised.
It's sickening that the French prisoners were French ethnics.
Now what the hell?
Do we think of the Philippine prisoners that the Japs had as Philippine, as American ethnics?
You get my point?
French citizens are French citizens, and they were all, they traded them all over.
You see what that means is that these people like to—this is the worst kind of racism.
We didn't act that way in World War II.
With regard to our fellow criminals, you remember?
No, we're— They're members of our Army, our Navy and our Air Force.
← 746-015746-017 →