Conversation: 859-032
Prev: 859-031 Next: 859-033Start Date: 21-Feb-1973 11:33 AM
End Date: 21-Feb-1973 12:04 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Bull, Stephen B.; Downey, William;Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On February 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and William Downey met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:33 am to 12:04 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 859-032 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 859-32
Date: February 21, 1973
Time: 11:33 am - 12:04 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Gridiron dinner
-President's non-attendance
-Ronald L. Ziegler
Zulfiker Ali Bhutto’s visit
-Misunderstanding
-Delegation
-Stag dinner
-Level of authority
Foreign visits
-37-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-32 (cont’d)
-Bhutto’s delegation
-Meeting with President
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Stag dinner
-Pakistan
-India’s reaction
-Secretary General, Foreign office
-Foreign visitors
-Kissinger’s attendance
-State Secretary’s attendance
Gridiron dinner
-George S. McGovern
-Past dinners
-Invitees
-Adlai E. Stevenson, II
-President
-McGovern campaign
-Accusations
-Morality
-McGovern
-Attendance at dinner
-Image
President's schedule
-Kissinger
-Reporter
White House Correspondents Association dinner
-Invitation
-Time to consider
Thieu visit
-Arrangements
-Announcement
-38-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-32 (cont’d)
Ambassadors
-Graham R. Martin
-William H. Sullivan
-Philippines
-Saigon
-Martin
-Southeast Asia
-Bangkok
-Loyalty to administration
Nguyen Van Thieu visit
-Announcement
-Washington compared with San Clemente
-Gridiron
-Trip to Washington
-Spiro T. Agnew
-State dinner
PRC mission
-Dr. David K. E. Bruce
-Offer of position
-PRC’s reaction
-Congressional reception
-Vietnam supporters
-Kissinger's attendance
-Joint Chiefs of Staff
-PRC position
-Loyalty to administration
-Alfred Le Sesne, Jenkins [?], John H. Holdridge compared with Bruce
-Idea man
-Political appointee compared with career foreign service
-Contact with White House
-State Department
-PRC position
-Career man
-39-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-32 (cont’d)
Ambassadors
-Emory C. Swank
-Cambodia
-Weakness
-Cyrus R. Vance
-Clark M. Clifford
-[First name unknown] Kelsey [?]
President's public position
-Congressional relations
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:33 am.
President's discussion with Kissinger
-Delegation
Foreign visitors
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-List of foreign visitors
-Gridiron dinner
Bull left at an unknown time before 11:52 am.
Gridiron dinner
-President's non-attendance
-Avoidance
-Schedule conflict
-McGovern
-Reasons for not going
-McGovern
-Behavior after 1972 election
-Boycott of Inaugural
-Conciliation
-Non-attendance
-Problems
-40-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-32 (cont’d)
President's opponents
-Support for President
-Kennedy program
Luxembourg foreign minister
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Vietnam
-President’s policies
-Europe
-President’s speech before South Carolina legislature
-Indochina
-Middle East
Japan
PRC
-Diplomacy
-President and Kissinger
Bruce
-Kissinger’s agreement with President
President's call to William F. Downey
The President talked with an unknown person [Bull?] at an unknown time between 11:33 am and
11:52 am.
[Conversation No. 859-32A]
Call to Downey
-John Downey
-Prisoner in PRC
-Brother
Downey’s return telephone call
-White House operator
-41-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-32 (cont’d)
[End of telephone conversation]
Kissinger's telephone call to wives
Kissinger's talk with Downey
A banquet for PRC’s ping-pong team
-Songs
-Propaganda film
-President’s attendance
-Film
-President’s image
European relations
-Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-Gen. Andrew J. Goodpaster
-Competence
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Age
-Conventional thinking
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Retirement
Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Chief of Army Staff
-Melvin R. Laird
-Competence
-Compared with Goodpaster
-Haig
-Change in position
-Middle East
-Take initiative
-Nightmare
-42-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-32 (cont’d)
The President talked with Downey between 11:52 am and 11:57 am.
[Conversation No. 859-32B]
[See Conversation No. 43-150]
Kissinger talked with Downey at an unknown time between 11:52 am and 11:57 am.
[End of telephone conversation]
Downey’s statement to Kissinger
-Gentlemanly behavior
Kissinger’s talk with Downey
-President’s discussion with PRC
-Brother’s release from prison
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Issue
John F. Kennedy
-Henry Fairlie's Great Expectations
-Kissinger’s reading
-Failures
-Image of success
-President's policies
President's foreign policy legacy
-Major changes
-Impact on “American consciousness”
Vietnam
-December bombing
-Reaction
-Inauguration
-Protests
-Impact
-43-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-32 (cont’d)
-US strength
-Credibility
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Pride
-Support for President
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Sacrifice
-Value
-Intellectuals
-Bombing
-Protests
-Killings
-Damage to North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s team during recent trip
-Airports
-Military, civilian
-President's decision
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Policies
-Resignation, surrender
-Tet offensive
-President’s reaction
Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:57 am.
Arrival of James Keogh
Bull left at an unknown time before 12:04 pm.
President's meeting with Keogh
-Kissinger's presence
-Keogh's position
-United States Information Agency [USIA]
Kissinger
-Visit to office
-44-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-32 (cont’d)
Kissinger left at 12:04 pm.