Conversation: 749-005
Prev: 749-004 Next: 749-006Start Date: Friday, July 21, 1972 3:43 PM
End Date: Friday, July 21, 1972 5:02 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Shultz, George P.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); [Unknown person(s)]; White House operator; Bull, Stephen B.Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On July 21, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), White House operator, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:43 am to 1:02 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 749-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 749-5
Date: July 21, 1972
Time: 11:43 am - 1:02 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with George P. Shultz and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 6m ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
Economy
-Consumer Price Index [CPI]
-Release
-Timing
-Recent economic news
-Value to administration
-Problem for critics
-Article in Business Week
-Commentary on employment
-Attitude toward the President's administration
-Readership
-Economy
-Foreign affairs
-Strength of economic issues for the President
-Real rate of growth of Gross National Product [GNP]
-2nd quarter figures
-Brazil
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar-02)
-Herbert Stein memorandum
-Humor
-CPI
-Treatment by Washington Post and networks
1972 election
-International Brotherhood of Teamsters' endorsement of the President
-Headlines in Washington Post
-Endorsements of the President and George S. McGovern by American Federation of
Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations [AFL-CIO] unions
-Headline and story in Los Angeles Times
-Executive Council
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4m 36s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
Economic conditions
-Shultz
-Briefing
-Press conference
-Stein's briefing
-Value to Administration
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar-02)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4m 45s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
Bohemian Grove
-Timing
-Melvin R. Laird
-Manadalay camp
-Tradition
-Activities
-Financial aspects
-Caveman camp
-Herbert C. Hoover and the President
-Lowell Thomas
-Allan Hoover
-Jack Howard
Economic statistics
-Latest statistics
-Significance
-Wholesale and retail sales
-Housing
-Industrial production
-Formulation
-Shultz's talk to National Alliance of Business [NAB] jobs program lunch
-Headed by Gordon M. Metcalf of Sears
-Metcalf's assessment of retail sales
-June 1972
-Weather
-July 1972
-Air conditioning units
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar-02)
The President's schedule
-Golf game
-[Meany]
Shultz left at 12:07 pm.
John N. Mitchell
-The President’s sympathy
The President left at an unknown time between 12:07 pm and 1:02 pm.
Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:07 pm and 1:02 pm.
[Conversation No. 749-E]
Instruction
[End of telephone conversation]
Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:07 pm and 1:02 pm.
[Conversation No. 749-5A]
Mitchell's schedule
-Event in morning of July 21, 1972
-Event in afternoon of July 21, 1972
The President entered at an unknown time between 12:07 pm and 1:02 pm.
[End of telephone conversation]
The President's schedule
-Future presentations of diplomatic credentials
-Timing
Crippling strikes legislation
-Congressional defeat of transportation strikes bill supported by White House
-Results of administration's decision not to press legislation
-Robert W. Packwood
-Effects upon Congressional opponents
-Effects upon Congressional supporters
-Misleading by administration
-Packwood
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar-02)
-Reason given by administration for decision
-Difficulty of passage
-Packwood's opinion
-Others' opinions
-Congressional leaders
-Shultz
-Decision not to press legislation concerning strikes
-Meany's opposition
-Effects of decision and announcement
-Packwood
-Manner of announcement of decision
-White House reaction
-Announcement by Packwood
-Packwood's attitude
-Details in report given to the President
-Result of Packwood's announcement
-Assignment of blame for defeat
-Democrats
-Packwood's announcement
-Media
-Laurence H. Silberman
-Chance of labor bill's passage
-Election year
-House of Representatives
-Senate
Los Angeles Times
-Treatment of news compared with Washington Post
-Story and headline
-Hostility toward the President
-Compared to New York Times and Washington Post
-Editorial policy
-Treatment of news
-Compared to New York Times
-Quality of management
Marvin L. Kalb
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Unknown person
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar-02)
Television networks
-Reports of U.S. soldiers killed in action
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
-American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 55s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
Mitchell's schedule
Haldeman's forthcoming call to Mitchell
Stories for release
-Economy
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Schedule
-The President’s schedule
-Possible meeting
-Camp David
-Possible cancellation
-Trip
-Oregon, Alaska
-[Recommendation of nomination for second term]
-The President’s view of story
-Agnew's meeting with press
-Announcement
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Agnew’s meeting with the President
-Agnew’s meeting with press
-Timing
-The President’s meeting with John B. Connally
-Agnew’s meeting with press
-Place
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar-02)
-Ziegler’s briefings
-Timing
Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:07 pm and 1:02
pm.
[Conversation No. 749-5B]
[See Conversation No. 27-31]
Haldeman talked with Ziegler at an unknown time between 12:07 pm and 1:02 pm.
[Conversation No. 749-5C]
[See Conversation No. 27-31]
[End of telephone conversation]
Ziegler's schedule
-Possible briefing
Wire stories
-Announcement by the President
-[Ziegler]
-Timing
-Agnew’s forthcoming comments
-Notification
Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:07 pm and 1:02 pm.
[Conversation No. 749-5D]
Mitchell's schedule
[End of telephone conversation]
Mitchell's schedule
Unknown person's interest in history
-Historical association
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11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar-02)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 6m 4s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
*****************************************************************
Transportation strikes bill
-Packwood's announcement
-John D. Ehrlichman's responsibility
-Timing of the Administration’s decision
-Shultz's opinion of the President's decision
-Public perception of the President's decision
-Labor
1972 elections
-Agnew's impending announcement
-Timing
-Meeting with the President
-Cabinet meeting
-Competition with economic news
-Agnew's forthcoming trip
-Questioning by press
-Ziegler
-Place
-Airport
-Coverage in newspapers
-Agnew’s knowledge
-Ziegler
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar-02)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 40s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
*****************************************************************
Charles W. Colson's schedule
Instruction to Haldeman
-Note
The President left at an unknown time after 12:07 pm.
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:07 pm.
Colson's schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 1:02 pm.
The President entered at an unknown time after 12:07 pm.
Note
Agnew
-Contacts
-Congressmen and Senators
-The public
-Secret Service constraints
-Airports
Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:07 pm.
Colson's schedule
-Connally
Bull left at an unknown time before 1:02 pm.
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar-02)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 58s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
*****************************************************************
Poll of journalists in Washington
-Perceived reliability of newspapers
-New York Times
-Baltimore Sun and Washington Star
-Christian Science Monitor and Wall Street Journal
-Washington Post and Chicago Tribune
-New York Times compared with Washington Post
-Washington Post compared with Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
-Changes in quality
Los Angeles Times
-Change in attitude, 1960, 1962
-Kyle Palmer's departure
-Take-over by Buck and Otis Chandler from Norman
Chandler
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 32s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
*****************************************************************
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 12:07 pm.
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar-02)
The President's attempt to telephone Colson
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 1:02 pm.
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 37s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
*****************************************************************
Congressional relations
-Public relations
-Public impressions of the President in his disputes with Democratic Congress
-Media
-White House strategy
-Votes
-The President on social legislation
-Water bill
-The President and big corporations
-International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
-Possible strategies for the President
-Delay
-Ehrlichman
-Politics
-Public impressions
-Pennsylvania flood disaster
-Compared with revenue sharing
-Political counter efforts
-Reduction of legislative issues
Press relations
-Democrats
-Campaigns
-Democratic National Convention
-John Chancellor
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar-02)
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.
-[Arnold] Eric Sevareid
-David Brinkley
-Newsmen from two major networks
-Howard K. Smith
-Roger H. Mudd
-McGovern
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Daniel L .Schorr
-Dan Rather
-McGovern
-Robert Pierpoint
-NBC
-Richard Valeriani
-Administration
-Chancellor
-New York Times headlines
-Favorable headlines on AFL-CIO [position on presidential endorsements]
-Compared to New York Times and Washington Post
The President’s schedule
-Alexander P. Butterfield
The President and Haldeman left at 1:02 pm.