Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 787 › Conversation 787-013
Nixon, Baring & Haig on Diplomatic relations and St. Paul's Cathedral
Tuesday, September 26, 1972 · 12:30 PM–12:39 PM ET · Oval Office · 9 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon hosted the British Ambassador, George R. S. Baring (The Earl of Cromer), and his wife in the Oval Office for a diplomatic courtesy visit. The discussion primarily centered on the exchange of commemorative gifts, including a medal and a box associated with St. Paul’s Cathedral and architect Christopher Wren. The participants also reminisced about the President’s past visits to London and briefly compared the differences in campaign finance and electoral processes between the United States and the United Kingdom.
- Diplomatic relations
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- Campaign finance
- Electoral politics
- Gift exchange
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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I thought of it for you.
Thank you
Thank you.
Oh, well, thank you.
It's very performative.
This is a medal.
This is a medal which, once, too, the original was struck and presented to the next generation of the movie.
a live bomb among the people during the war and against the other one and uh this is of the jewish presence with respect and thanks to the generosity of the people and the resolution of the people and uh
It's a great book.
It's a great book.
It's a great book.
I can tell by the way you did that.
That's right.
I will remember that occasion.
Walking down that great isle.
We had a very dear friend, Bill Henry.
But he said, he said, the British, when it comes to Patrick, you know, no beers in the world.
I remember the way he got out, and the Trump competitors, they had above, you know, what it was about, and they played a really, really great moment.
And it's a very beautiful chapel.
It's a beautiful chapel.
We walked into the cathedral first, before the service, and then afterwards we walked into the chapel.
I don't know whether you've seen it since it's been sandblasted.
No, no, no, no.
I've got to go back to the Soros one day and see some of those things.
Don't go into that.
The other thing we did, we had a lunch with the organist and the...
and that was really a great experience.
So we really had it all, too.
It was really a wonderful trip.
Well, we look forward to seeing you.
Oh, yes, well, that's your appeal.
I don't know.
We'll see you.
That's fine.
It'll be very...
I'm sorry we're inviting ladies.
We'll have a meeting beforehand so we can have a good talk.
And that evening it'll be, we'll only have just 16.
So we can sit down and talk a little.
I think everybody will be secure.
We don't know.
We didn't worry about you.
Thank you.
I'm real into that.
Thank you so much.
You know, to show you how times have changed, I'm speaking at a $1,000 dinner in New York tonight and a $1,000 lunch in San Francisco tomorrow for $1,000.
dinner in Los Angeles tomorrow night, and then back.
But then, what I was trying to say about the $1,000, I think it's a very interesting thing.
Pardon me for pressing connotations in that vein, but I recall that it was, in 1946, 130 grand for the Congress.
Our total budget that year was about $17,000.
That was about $2,000 plus about $100,000, I think, for that whole district.
But the biggest contribution I had was $500.
Now they're charging these people $1,000 a plate.
And the government has to pay her for $5,000 a plate.
So, you know, that shows you how they're going to pay the person.
I don't know.
No, politics costs too much.
The best thing you're ready to do is your three weeks.
It's not enough for us.
What?
It's long enough.
But, you know, you think of the fact that the American's not.
The moment this election is over, they'll start galloping the next one, you know, for four years.
In the meantime, we don't get anything good to read.
How do you like that?
How do you like your residence out there?
It's a marvelous place.
Oh, I can't believe.
Of course, in the old days, you've been there.
And I...
Thank you so much.
Well, see you later.
You want me?
No.
Oh, no, I'm sorry.
Okay.
You know, really, that little box, you want to put that out?
Yeah.
I think the rest of the people can see it.
Go out.
NARA Description
On September 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, George R. S. Baring, Mrs. George R. S. Baring, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:30 pm to 12:39 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 787-013 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 787-13
Date: September 26, 1972
Time: 12:30 pm - 12:39 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Stephen B. Bull
The President's schedule
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
Mrs. Nixon entered at 12:31 pm.
Hoyt Ammidon
Bull left at an unknown time before 12:32 pm.
George R.S. Baring [The Earl of Cromer], Countess of Cromer and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
entered at 12:32 pm; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.
Greetings
Presentation of medal to the President and Mrs. Nixon
-Background of medal
-Duplicate of original
-Engineer removal of bomb in World War II
-Contribution for restoration of St. Paul’s Cathedral
Presentation of box to the President and Mrs. Nixon
-Christopher Wren
-Limited editions
-Presidential library
The President’s previous visit to London
-St. Paul’s Cathedral
-Bill Henry
-Los Angeles Times
-British pageantry
-Impressions
-Sandblasting
-Guild hall
-Lunch
-Buckingham palace
Cromer’s schedule
-George P. Shultz
Forthcoming dinner [for Sir Alexander F. (“Alec”) Douglas-Home]
-Invitees
-Women
Pentagon Papers
The President’s forthcoming fundraising dinners
-New York dinner
-San Francisco lunch
-Los Angeles dinner
-Contributions
-1946 congressional race
-Budget
-George S. McGovern campaign dinner
-Comparison of US and British elections
-Duration
-George H. Gallup polls
Ambassador’s residence
Cromer, Countess of Cromer and Haig left at 12:39 pm.
Gift box
-Display
Mrs. Nixon left at 12:39 p.m.Also recorded on September 26, 1972
- 787-009 11:30 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:30 am to 11:49 am.
- 787-010 11:49 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:49 am and 12:04 pm.
- 787-011 11:49 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:49 am and 12:04 pm.
- 787-012 12:04 PM · 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon and presidents of building trades unions, including John H. ("Jack") Lyons, Martin J. Ward, Peter Fosco, Thomas F. Murphy, Andrew T. Haas, Wylie Lawhead, Kenneth M. Edwards, Hunter P. Wharton, Joseph T. Power, Charles H. Pillard, Edward J. Carough, James D. Hodgson, Laurence H. Silberman, Willie J. Usery, Jr., and S. Frank Raftery, as well as Stephen B. Bull and the White House photographer, met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:04 pm to 12:30 pm.
- 787-014 12:39 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 12:45 pm.
- 787-015 12:39 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 12:45 pm.
- 787-016 12:45 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:45 pm to 1:31 pm.
- 787-017 1:31 PM · 23 sec — Manolo Sanchez and United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:31 pm and 11:59 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 787-013, September 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/787-013 (accessed October 12, 2026).