On April 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:29 am and 8:49 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 895-001 of the White House Tapes.
Transcript (AI-Generated)This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.
We're having a brand dinner.
Unfortunately, she's going to be leaving the country the day before the grand dinner, even though she's very much likely to attend.
So we'd like to go ahead and call the recommendation to go to the carpenter as our first choice, and call her now.
Roger, over to you.
I don't know why he wants to work alone.
The priest told him to clean it up.
I don't know why he wants to clean it up.
Rector wasn't as hard as he was.
Basically, he had a mix.
I don't know if they had a mix.
I, I don't really care, so I'll give you your one.
I mean, uh, I'm very fortunate in time, you know, to be able to listen to the message that you want to mention to me.
Yeah.
No.
I'll try not to, you know, uh, listen out to the other guy.
Yeah.
And we're set.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The day before, Paul has a pretty good hand on this.
We had a show just a few minutes ago.
It was light.
It was easier.
It was easier.
It was easier.
It was easier.
He's in the basement and he has some terrible food.
He's there for the last time.
So he can discuss the show, whichever he chooses.
So I'm going to leave it for me and I'll talk to him too when he comes.
I don't have a chance to.
Is that what it is?
Is that a piece of paper?
As far as the dinner itself is concerned, there's a couple of things I'd like to know.
to check away.
We were talking about the significant citations that got these individuals to the end.
The way these things are working and the direction they're taking is that it's significant.
It was working on it.
That's the difference between you and our people who read it.
Anyway, it recognizes the individual's loyal, dedicated service.
And all in all, this is a recommendation that's going on
A couple of other people.
We don't give the citations out at this time.
The reason is basically a couple of reasons.
You may be charged by the 24th of this month with a collaboration where they will be charged something.
All right.
You're charged in advance and court motions haven't gone through.
All right.
Let it go.
All right.
And we're just going to come up with the gifts that you have on the bottom of the book.
Yeah.
The general flow of the evening part of the day.
I will have your briefing for the men, and this makes it steep for the women.
I know you want to do your briefing at the State Department.
The facility, the facilities at the State Department for the number of men, which will be close to 600 people, count all of the UNLVs, go back to the 1965 when we might have just as much room, and some people who escaped were found.
We're talking in terms of 1,000-1,200 people total for this event at night.
Uh, ideally, you and Mrs. Nixon would shake hands with everyone.
Practically, it would take you three hours, and then you couldn't do it.
The compromise seems to be Mrs. Nixon to shake hands with her ladies on the eighth floor, and you shake hands with the men downstairs.
And I don't think we'll have that time at that time, yes sir.
It would be, you know, they'd lie down at night.
They don't get in the White House at all then, that way.
Well, they'll get in the White House.
Um, you know, that...
I don't think they can control what I said.
Assuming that you shake the hands of everyone at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, all the men, they have their cranes in the White House, that's what they deserve.
That's just a briefing that we haven't seen before.
We got something they're taking back to their hotel, Hill Hotel, the corporation's waiting for them.
All right.
We're bringing you back on a bus around 7 o'clock at night.
Open up.
Yeah.
Perhaps all three floors.
This is Jason's suggestion, too, even though we're in the second floor.
Third.
All right, good.
And they have been around the place for about 45 minutes.
With drinks.
With drinks and everything.
We would not be there.
No, sir.
All right.
About 7.45, the men would be, or the men and their wives, would go out here to the big tent.
That's where they have a huge tent with a stake inside it.
And at least he did well.
I think realistically, it's going to take about an hour and 15 minutes.
Maybe it was a little longer for Tim.
Because I didn't want to march on a green car band in colors like the Ford did.
And then individual service groups performing during courses in between, such as the Army cars.
And there's even these POW cars that they put together.
And they want to sing their POW.
And at the conclusion of the dinner, we move right into the show, which falls at the end.
It runs about an hour and 15 minutes.
Originally, our concept was no press coverage.
But you're already going to see, they aren't going to be in the White House that quick.
Not in-house or in a truck.
Not in the house with the cocktails.
Is that right?
Or do you think they requested it?
That's the place not to have it, otherwise the press would be outside and cover the entertainment.
Is that right?
Or do you have someone right now?
I don't know.
I think they wanted us to have it.
I think you're absolutely right.
Is that the DVD?
I don't think so.
All right.
There have been inquiries already about covering this.
They are receiving more and more.
Yeah.
Well, even besides that, yeah.
There are 76.
Now, I understand that Paul has been taking the request by one of the media.
I think we should put together a good press plan, honestly, provided we have a general approval for everything that's outside.
Yeah, I think we're gonna have to work that out, I think.
With regard to attendees, we thought we should limit, very, very strictly, to half.
Besides the returning of the staff, there are dates.
Just the general chiefs, Kissinger, Haig, Scowcroft,
Don Hughes, Rogers, Rogers, Laird, Laird, and .
Yeah.
And just completely .
And of course, these individuals reviewed their lines.
I think it will be very evident to everyone why we can't.
As far as the men themselves are concerned, not all are married.
Mrs. Nixon, my mother, yes, sir, was generally agreed that we allow them to bring a guest.
And they may be a mother or a date or a sister or something like that.
I guess it makes me feel inappropriate.
For some circumstances, you know, if a man doesn't have an appropriate female companion, which may be the case with a man whose wife is a godmother, or any brother or his father.
Anybody who hates one of them, bring one.
Bring one.
Would you like to see Cromwell?
Do they have any?
Do you have any?
Oh, yes, sir.
Well, I would say I don't need them now.
I will need them by 2 o'clock.
I don't give them that length of time.
I want two months.
That's just free participation.
I think that's not all.
Just free remarks, sir.
Many of them don't speak English.
They have to be translated in a handshake.
I've got to receive.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
70 people, most spouses.
Yes, sir.
That number is a hard number.
I'm used to it.
I'm used to it.
But that was a good answer.
There wasn't any pressing opportunities.
There wasn't any pressing.
Oh, sure.