Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 768 › Conversation 768-005
Nixon, Eberle & Flanigan on US-Japan trade relations and Kakuei Tanaka
Monday, August 14, 1972 · 10:42 AM–11:09 AM ET · Oval Office ·15 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with William D. Eberle, Peter M. Flanigan, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. to discuss the status of US-Japan trade relations ahead of an upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka. The discussion focused on addressing the trade imbalance, managing Japanese internal political factions, and evaluating a potential joint US-Japan uranium enrichment plant proposal. The President emphasized the need to maintain pressure on Japanese trade policy while Eberle provided updates on ongoing negotiations and legislative developments concerning the U.S. Senate.
- US-Japan trade relations
- Kakuei Tanaka
- Trade imbalance
- Uranium enrichment
- Japanese domestic politics
- Foreign policy
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On August 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, William D. Eberle, Peter M. Flanigan, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:42 am to 11:09 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 768-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 768-5
Date: August 14, 1972
Time: 10:42 am - 11:09 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with William D. Eberle, Peter M. Flanigan, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.;
members of the press and the White House photographer were present at the beginning of the
meeting.
Greetings
Photograph
Eberle’s previous visit to Japan
-Kakuei Tanaka’s message for the President
[Photograph session]
Eberle’s previous visit to Japan
-Golf
-Hakone, Japan
-Unknown hotel
-Negotiating team
-Tanaka’s nonparticipation in golf
-Tanaka’s other activities
Tanaka
-Youth
-Political future
US-Japan trade relations
-Trade imbalance
(rev. Nov-03)
-Possible reduction
-The President’s forthcoming meeting with Tanaka
-Time frame of Japanese fiscal year
-Possible trade pact
-Japanese distribution system
-Japanese Foreign Office
-The President’s forthcoming meeting with Tanaka
-Tanaka
-Political situation
-Agricultural purchases
-Australia
-Canada
-Uranium
-Japanese political situation
-Masayoshi Ohira and Tanaka
-Forthcoming session of the Japanese Diet
-Tanaka’s cabinet
-Yasuhiro Nakasone
-Unknown representative of Takeo
Fukuda political faction
-Minister of Communications
-Equivalent of Chairman of Council of Economic
Advisors [CEA]
-Fukuda
-Political activity
-The President’s previous meeting with Fukuda
-San Clemente
-Eisaku Sato
-Power in Diet
-Tanaka
-Nakasone
-The President’s forthcoming meeting with Tanaka
-Hawaii
-Trade imbalances
-Short term purchases
-Special purchases
-Japanese proposal
-Uranium enrichment plant
-Joint US-Japan ownership
-Eberle’s view
(rev. Nov-03)
-Japanese foreign office
-Eberle
-The President’s view
-Correspondence from Japanese housewives
-Agreement with US desire to lower prices in Japan
-Eberle’s work with Flanigan and Henry A. Kissinger
-Arrival of Japanese uranium team
Haig and Flanigan left at 10:55 am.
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4m 20s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
Senate
-Frank F. Church
-Speeches on Latin America
-Church amendment
-1972 election
-Idaho
-Church
-Prospects in 1974
-Opposition to the Administration
-Eberle’s possible candidacy
-Republicans
-Charles H. Percy
-Charles McC. Mathias, Jr.
-James L. Buckley
-Need for moderates
-Church
(rev. Nov-03)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m 42s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
Eberle left at 11:09 am.Also recorded on August 14, 1972
- 768-006 11:09 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:09 am to 11:11 am.
- 768-007 11:11 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:11 am and 11:14 am.
- 768-008 11:14 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Kenneth B. Keating, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:14 am to 11:28 am.
- 768-009 11:28 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:28 am and 11:29 am.
- 768-010 11:29 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Pierre Rinfret, Charles W. Colson, John B. Connally, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:29 am to 12:04 pm.
- 768-011 12:04 PM · 44 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:04 pm and 12:07 pm.
- 768-012 12:07 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Samuel D. Winer, Mrs. Samuel D. Winer, Charles W. Colson, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:07 pm to 12:09 pm.
- 768-014 12:09 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Louella (Carver) Dirksen, Rose Mary Woods, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:09 pm to 12:17 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 768-005, August 14, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/768-005 (accessed September 18, 2026).