Conversation No. 859-34

Date: February 21, 1973
Time: 12:05 pm - 12:37 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with James Keogh.

       Greetings

       Keogh's travels
             -Mexico City, Guadalajara
             -Budget hearings
                                      -45-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. Nov.-09)
                                                      Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



        -West Germany
        -Eastern Europe, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
               -Length

United States Information Agency [USIA] budget
       -Hearings
       -Keogh's evaluation
       -William J. Fulbright
       -Attempts to cut
               -Tactics
       -Support
               -Gale W. McGee
                      -University of Nebraska
       -Budget cuts
       -Importance of USIA
       -Keogh's approach to Congress
       -Frank J. Shakespeare
               -Congressional relations
               -Statements

Keogh
        -Approach to operation
              -Publicity
              -Purpose of USIA

USIA
        -Booklet
              -President’s second term
              -Keogh’s authorship
              -Fulbright's comments
              -Purpose
              -Fulbright
                     -Criticism

US position in world
      -Europe
                                       -46-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. Nov.-09)
                                                       Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



       -Japanese

USIA
       -Love, respect for US
       -Prisoners of War [POWs] story
              -Publicity
              -POW return
                      -Support for President
              -Feedback

USIA magazine
      -Paris
      -Information Document
      -Story on President's reelection
      -Stories
              -Woman's liberation
                      -Lesbians
              -Blacks
                      -Revolutionaries
      -Responsibility
              -Paris office

Press relations
        -Time magazine
                -Cover story
                       -Immorality
                       -Maurice F. Granville’s story
                       -Length
        -Playboy, Esquire
        -Newsweek
        -Saturday Evening Post
                -Sensationalism
                       -Decline
        -Look
                -Sensationalism, scandal
                -Pornography
                                             -47-

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Nov.-09)
                                                             Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



                       -Decline
              -Life
                       -Editorials
                       -Decline
              -Time
                       -Reporting
                               -Offbeat American stories
                       -Editor
                               -Henry Grunwald
                                      -Liberal establishment
                                             -New York
                                             -Jewish
                       -Contents
                       -Homosexuality
                               -Publicity
                                      -Immorality
                                             -America's image abroad
                                             -Compared to PRC

Henry A. Kissinger entered at 12:15 pm.

       Shakespeare
             -Outspokenness
                    -Controversy

       Keogh's job
             -Mission
             -USIA
                     -Positive view of America
                             -Objectivity
                             -Balanced view of US
                                    -State-owned television [TV]
                                    -TV, magazines
                                            -Time, Newsweek
       US image abroad
             -Paris, Europe
                                            -48-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Nov.-09)
                                                            Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



              -Time, Newsweek
                     -Distortions
              -New York Herald-Tribune
                     -European edition
                             -Washington Post, New York Times coverage
                             -Bias
              -USIA
                     -Balance
              -Foreign audiences
                     -Understanding US foreign policy
                             -Vietnam
                                    -Press accounts

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:15 pm.

       Refreshments

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:37 pm.

       State Department
              -Statements
                     -Apologies compared to explanations

       Shakespeare
             -Loyalty
             -Directorship of USIA
             -Eastern Europe
                    -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                    -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                            -Lack of understanding
                                   -Resignation
             -Compared to Keogh
                                       -49-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. Nov.-09)
                                                           Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



USIA
       -Foreign criticism of Vietnam War
              -December bombing
              -Peace settlement
                       -William J. Fulbright
                       -Release of supporting telegrams
                               -Ronald L. Ziegler
              -World respect
                       -Effect of December bombing
                       -Importance
              -USIA
                       -POWs
                               -Publicity
       -Role
       -Vietnam
              -Defense
       -Emphasis on positive
       -"World Report"
              -Kissinger
              -Excerpts
              -World leaders
              -News summary
              -Congressional objections
              -Vietnam
              -Nature of report
       -Exchange program
              -State Department
                       -John Richardson, Jr.’s oversight
       -Program review
              -US representatives
       -Leonard Bernstein
              -Black Panthers
                       -Fundraiser
       -Orchestras
              -Trips abroad
              -Pittsburgh
                                       -50-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Nov.-09)
                                                   Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



               -Cleveland
               -Indianapolis
               -Los Angeles
               -Support for President
        -Anti-American people
               -Leonard Bernstein
                       -Inauguration
                              -Peace mass
                              -Bombing halt
        -Representatives abroad
        -Trade fairs
               -Exhibits
               -Congress
                       -Commercial exchange
               -Eastern Europe
        -Production tours
               -Selection

Fulbright scholars
       -US students
       -African and Latin American students
               -Attitudes
                       -Experience in US
                       -Revolutionaries
               -Changes in programs

Peace Corps
       -Anti-Americans
              -Demonstrations by volunteers
                    -Micronesia
                    -Spiro T. Agnew’s travels
                    -Afghanistan, Tunisia, Nepal

Keogh
        -Role in USIA
        -Implementing foreign policy
                                     -51-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Nov.-09)
                                                     Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



              -Shakespeare
                      -Statements
              -State Department’s role
                      -Reduction
       -National Security Council [NSC] meetings
              -Topics of discussion
                      -European initiative
       -Compared with Shakespeare
              -Energy problems
              -Strategic Arms Limitations Talks [SALT]
       -Involvement in decisions
              -Effectiveness at USIA
       -Oversight committee
              -Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
              -Frank Stanton [?]
              -Appointments
              -Chairman
                      -Lewis
              -Leonard Wrench
                      -Democrat
                              -Support for President
              -James A. Michener
                      -Democrat
              -Legislative mandate
              -Public relations
                      -Ronald L. Ziegler
              -Robert J. McCloskey
                      -State Department

USIA
       -Keogh's role
              -Strategy
              -Cooperation with Kissinger and President
              -State Department
       -Balance
              -Media
                                            -52-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. Nov.-09)
                                                              Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



             -Capitol Hill
             -Emphasis on positive
             -Anti-Americanism
                    -US citizens abroad
                    -Media coverage
                    -Profit to foreign leaders
                            -Domestic politics
                    -USIA response

      Mexico
            -President Luis Echeverria Lavarez
                   -President’s conversation with Richard M. Helms
                           -Helms’ conversation with Echeverria
                                  -Mutual affection between US and Mexico
                           -Expressions of support
                                  -Salvador Allende
                                  -Speeches

      Answer to anti-Americanism
            -Balance
            -USIA mission

Unknown person entered at an unknown time after 12:15 pm.

      Message
            -Congress [?]

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 12:37 pm.

      Intellectuals
              -Anti-Americanism

      US image
            -Foreign media
            -Need for respect
                                              -53-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. Nov.-09)
                                                           Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



       People’s Republic of China [PRC]
              -Pro-America propaganda
              -Circulation

       USSR film
             -Anti-American
             -Drugs

       PRC film
              -Contents
                     -Table tennis
                     -US cities
                     -Williamsburg
                     -Washington
                     -Detroit
                     -Los Angeles

       PRC
              -Ideology compared with practice

       USIA
              -Selling

       Kissinger meeting with President

       Keogh meetings with NSC
             -Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft
                    -Efficiency

Keogh and Kissinger left at 12:37 pm.