Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 900-009
Date: Wednesday, April 18, 1973 at 12:12 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Volpe, John A.; Bull, Stephen B.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/900-009

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:03] Get out of the car.
[0:05] I see him.
[0:06] You see, he's the leader of the only good Germans.
[0:08] The Bronx.
[0:09] That's all he's got.
[0:10] Well, if he knows that he'll be in, he's only going to be in unless he sees me.
[0:16] Yeah, this is good.
[0:17] Oh, yeah, they had him this morning.
[0:21] This is all very difficult in his presence.
[0:24] This is an experience I...
[0:27] I shall perish for the rest of my life.
[0:29] I'm not going to waste any time just telling you that it's been just a fascinating experience and awfully hard work.
[0:35] I haven't slowed down, I haven't stopped to do it, but I have really made the rounds, and the prime minister, I had the lunch with Bill, and he just said, that's just a job we're doing, you know.
[0:55] Oh, he's the first strong prime minister we've had.
[1:00] I visited him in three weeks.
[1:02] I spent an hour with him.
[1:04] Well, it was Craig and Conrad.
[1:05] No, they're not going to pass it.
[1:08] They should have visited me.
[1:11] They're going to pass it.
[1:13] You know, you never even get to see me.
[1:15] And so I've seen every one of them before in my life.
[1:17] And I've seen Morrow.
[1:18] I've seen Hunter Brown.
[1:20] All the old, old people.
[1:22] So, you know, they're crumbled.
[1:23] Of course, I spent an hour with him.
[1:24] And these have been honored.
[1:25] And now, now, and now, and now, and now, and now, and now, and now.
[1:28] And it's the man.
[1:30] And it's just man to man, you know.
[1:32] There's no nothing.
[1:33] Of course, they let their hair down.
[1:34] I said, look, take my hat off as an ambassador now.
[1:37] Yeah.
[1:37] That's, you know, what do you have to do with that?
[1:42] But I settled with that.
[1:44] Now, remember you and I talked about Polish, American, Polish ancestry.
[1:50] I sent two names to Henry, which he's, I think, sent to the FBI.
[1:58] And one of them is a...
[2:00] I did it about ten days ago.
[2:02] One of them is a General Dulackey.
[2:05] And I'll leave you his file, Mr. President.
[2:09] He's still in the service.
[2:10] It's a question, Mr. President, of whether you want to maintain it still as a part-time post with a man coming over every couple of months, six weeks...
[2:25] I suppose this is probably about the only way... Only way you could go without raising hell.
[2:31] Raising hell.
[2:33] Now, a man in the service, I don't imagine that would be possible unless he retired first.
[2:38] He's in the service now?
[2:39] He's still a gentleman in the service, yes.
[2:45] I say they're both damned as men.
[2:49] These credentials are excellent.
[2:53] I've checked this out with Cardinal Crowe and a few people who want to know, and Cardinal Crowe, these two men in particular, he recommended very, very, very highly.
[3:05] Very highly.
[3:08] Now, there are others like Aloysius Majewski, you know, the president of the Polish-American Alliance.
[3:18] But these two people here are not associated with any of the groups.
[3:26] They're well-known by the groups, but they're not pro-Polish-American Alliance or pro-Polish-American Congress and so forth.
[3:33] And they, neither one of them, I'd say that the boss looks awfully good to me, and I have watched that operation a little bit.
[3:42] I've talked to Cardinal Wright, I had lunch with him.
[3:45] Ah, you're right.
[3:46] I had lunch with Bishop Monsinkas at the Fielder.
[3:49] At the old college.
[3:52] And I've seen Cardinal Ramon, he'll be a tremendous help to me.
[3:55] I've had him at the... You ought to do the best you can.
[4:02] Well, I will be, sir.
[4:03] Hale, let's face it, you can't do it.
[4:05] They have this separation.
[4:07] You tell your government, good job, John.
[4:09] You're a Catholic.
[4:10] You don't want to use it.
[4:11] You ought to kill it there.
[4:14] Well, I will be able to, Mr. President, with your permission, but at least for me, I'll see.
[4:26] Vice President, shall we go to the first meeting?
[4:30] Just wanted to talk to you.
[4:33] Yeah, just a minute.
[4:34] It's a simple check, John.
[4:36] I was just going to talk to you.
[4:39] Ah, just this, uh, I think it's a question of...
[4:44] I think it's a question of...
[4:47] I think it's a question of...
[4:52] But I said, that doesn't mean that there's a Captain Lehman.
[4:57] No, no, sir.
[4:59] I have all done it.
[5:01] Don't forget it.
[5:02] Don't let them convince you.
[5:03] You're good.
[5:05] You're good.
[5:05] I play it right flat out.
[5:07] And you tell me what I want to do.
[5:09] that somebody's got to report to the back of the mix.
[5:11] This guy's from the back.
[5:13] He is the best crime in the history of his history.
[5:16] The best.
[5:16] And you told me, I said that.
[5:18] I told you that this morning, almost.
[5:20] But I know the rest.
[5:21] I know Bon Bon and Columbo and all the rest.
[5:24] But this guy is a cut above them all.
[5:26] He's a character, a character, too.