Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 747 › Conversation 747-004
Nixon, Mills & Sedlar on OPIC and International Trade
Wednesday, July 19, 1972 · 11:33 AM–11:40 AM ET · Oval Office · 8 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with Bradford Mills, Thomas S. Sedlar, and Peter M. Flanigan to discuss the operations of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and its potential role in expanding U.S. business interests in Eastern Bloc countries. The participants explored the legal challenges of providing investment insurance in nations like the Soviet Union, Poland, and Hungary, emphasizing that such economic outreach must be treated as a strategic diplomatic tool. Nixon ultimately directed the group to coordinate with Henry Kissinger to integrate OPIC's capabilities into the broader framework of U.S.-Soviet trade negotiations.
- OPIC
- International Trade
- Soviet Union
- Foreign Assistance Act
- Economic Diplomacy
- Henry Kissinger
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On July 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Branford Mills, Thomas S. Sedlar, Peter M. Flanigan, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:33 am to 11:40 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 747-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 747-4
Date: July 19, 1972
Time: 11:33 am - 11:40 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Bradford Mills, Thomas S. Sedlar, and Peter M. Flanigan. The White
House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.
Introductions
-Mills
-Soviet Union support of US private investments
-Vietnam
-Israel
-Sedlar
US trade policy
-Overseas Private Investment Corporation [OPIC]
-Report
-Photograph and letter
-Informing the public
-[Photograph session]
-Assistance to US businesses overseas
-Degree of competition
-US governmental support
-Soviet Union
-Armand Hammer
-Peter G. Peterson
-Japan
-France
-Soviet Union
-US policy in overseas investment
-Eastern Bloc countries
-Yugoslavia and Romania
-Foreign Assistance Act
-Josip Broz Tito
-Balance of trade problems
-Poland
-Hungary
-Soviet Union
-Peterson
-Possible talk with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Consultation with Henry A. Kissinger
-Yugoslavia
-Jacob K. Javits
-Public relations
-Insurance
-Kissinger to prepare paper on OPIC trade issues
-Hammer
White House gifts
-Cufflinks, paperweights
Mills’s previous meeting with the President
-Bohemian Grove
-Hillbillies Camp
-Lowell Thomas
Thomas
US trade policy
-OPIC
-Kissinger's understanding of issues
-Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary
Mills et al. left at 11:40 am.Also recorded on July 19, 1972
- 747-016 11:33 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:33 am.
- 747-005 11:41 AM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:41 am.
- 747-006 11:41 AM · 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John G. Veneman, Dr. Merlin K. ("Morty") Duval, Marie Callender, Arthur S. Flemming, James H. Cavanaugh, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., White House photographer, Stephen B. Bull, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:41 am to 12:17 pm.
- 027-001 12:17 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:19 pm.
- 747-007 12:17 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:19 pm.
- 027-002 12:19 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 12:19 pm to 12:37 pm.
- 747-008 12:19 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:19 pm to 12:37 pm.
- 027-003 12:37 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 2:00 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 747-004, July 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/747-004 (accessed October 2, 2026).