Conversation 900-013

On April 18, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Rainer Barzel, Erich Feldweg, White House photographer, and members of the press met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:33 pm and 12:48 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 900-013 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 900-13 (cont'd)

                                                                        Conversation No. 900-13

Date: April 18, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:33 pm and 12:48 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

      President’s schedule
            -Meeting with Rainer Barzel
            -Press photograph
            -Duration

Barzel and Erich Feldweg entered at 12:33 pm. The White House photographer and members
of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting. Portions of this conversation are in
German.

      Arrangements for photograph
           -White House photographer
                -Brother
                -Meeting with President

      Barzel’s political stance
           -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] support
           -Support for US
           -Previous German leadership
           -Support from President
                  -NATO
                  -Western Europe, Germany
                  -Unilateral disarmament

      [German language spoken]

      President’s schedule
            -Welcoming of Barzel
                  -Kissinger
            -Trip to Europe
                                             -25-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        (rev. July-2012)

                                                              Conversation No. 900-13 (cont'd)

     German concerns
         -Youth
               -Germany
               -Italy
               -France
               -US
         -Leader class
               -Television [TV]
               -Newspapers
               -Professors
               -Weakness to enemy
         -New alliance

     President’s schedule
           -Trip to Europe

     Kissinger
           -Substitute for President

Kissinger, Barzel, and Felding left at an unknown time before 12:48 pm.

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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

I'm talking about the future.
I'm saying hello to you.
I'm saying hello to you.
You know, I know that the other day, Joey said it over here, it was kind of, it was a good review.
I think he wanted to do a commentary.
Oh, I heard that.
I heard it.
I was, uh, I was wrong.
I think it was wrong.
I think it was wrong.
I'll tell you.
I think it was wrong to put that shot across the mouth.
I'll give you the position to say that.
We have to check for pregnancy.
You know it, and I am the president of the International Organization for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Don't be mad at me.
You get rid of it.
Don't be mad at me.
You get rid of it.
Great.
Mike, thank you very much.
Can you run?
Thank you.
How are you?
He's fine.
Absolutely great.
Tell him I'm on the 24th.
I expect to see him.
May 24th.
Okay.
Anybody else?
I see you, Jim.
Okay.
Okay.
Make time.
It's better to see you.
Oh, yeah.
It takes years.
It takes years.
It takes years.
It takes years.
It takes years.
I want to speak quite frankly with you that we, of course, do stay out of the internal affairs, but we are aware of the fact that you and your personally and your party has taken a very strong
I go back to the days of Adenauer and Kiesinger and all the others, and I admire them all and I respect them.
I didn't want you to be in the town city when I told the soldier.
It would be an arm that can't.
I could see the opposition leader.
I said, I want you to be in the city without having a chance to say, well, I can tell you that we're interested in your views.
It's NATO, the future Germany, the Western Europe is now in state.
And the need to maintain our forces and our strength and our unity.
I'm not going to go on and on and on.
I must never say that.
That's what I expect.
So, for me, it's a great honor to be able to see you.
I would like to say, I don't want to do it anymore.
I know that you are busy, but I would like to ask you to come to me.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to you.
I remind you that there is a trance in the best policy in Germany since the beginning of the first world war.
It is indeed a very great honor for me, Mr. President, that you have taken the time to see me here today, and I really do wish to do more than just express my gratitude to you.
And I know how very busy you are, and I wish to keep up, take up more of your time.
It is a great privilege to be welcomed by you, Mr. President.
I have had talks with Mr. Kissinger and your other gentlemen, and I must say, I leave here with a deep feeling of satisfaction.
I do hope that your forthcoming visit to Europe will be a great success.
We in the free Western world must provide strong spiritual leadership, particularly to our youth.
And here I do see a very great chance in your visit to Europe.
Let me thank you most formally, Mr. President.
I do not wish to detain you any longer.
I know that you have important other appointments and important business today.
Let me express my...
My very best wishes for you personally, and I'm very grateful that you recall that there has been always a traditional West Baltic in Germany.
Well, let me say that if you're concerned about the youth,
It's very important.
I mean, I noticed the reading about the problems in Germany and England and France, and we haven't either.
And in some way, we must inform the young people of the state.
In some way, we must.
We must.
even if it's just the young people, but mainly, it seems to me, it's the leader class, you know, the accomplished.
Again, in those cases, the professors,
Those are the ones that are soft and they always believe the best about the enemy because they don't want to maintain the strength that the enemy would respect.
But I feel different than you do.
The other part I want to make is that, with regard to the building, it will not occur until the fall.
We'll have plenty of consultation with the government as far as the police.
Sometimes it's fall.
It's going to be a working trip, not just for the purpose of, you know, tuning glasses.
And we want something to come out of it, a new structure in the summer.
I mean, we want to get some new light into the other buildings.
New light.
New light.
And that means they're talking about the goals of the president.
Thank you so much.
Well, I'll keep them up here.
Your car out here.
None of that.
Thank you so much.
Next time he gets in, we're going to give you a little notice.
Thank you very much.
You talked to Henry, which is the boy, didn't you?
Yeah, yeah.
He's talking to me.
Thank you very much.
He thinks just like you do.
Thank you very much.
Thanks for your help.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Because we have to give something spiritual to the leadership of the foreign world.
I think that we have a great chance for it.
Thank you very much for having me.
And I don't want to take you any longer.
Also, I would like to speak for myself.
I would like to thank you very much.
I would like to thank you for your best wishes.
I remind you that there is a trance in the best policy in Austria, particularly since the First World War.
It is indeed a very great honor for me, Mr. President, that you have taken the time to see me here today.
And I really do wish to do more than just express my gratitude to you.
And I know how very busy you are, and I wish to keep up, take up more of your time.
It is a great privilege to be welcomed by you, Mr. President.
I have had talks with Mr. Kissinger and your other gentlemen, and I must say, I leave here with a deep feeling of satisfaction.
I do hope that your forthcoming visit to Europe will be a great success.
We in the free Western world must provide strong spiritual leadership, particularly to our youth, and here I do see a very great chance in your visit to Europe.
Let me thank you most formally, Mr. President.
I do not wish to detain you any longer.
I know that you have important other appointments and important business today.
Let me express my
Very best wishes for you personally, and I'm very grateful that you recall that there has been always the traditional West politic in Germany.
Well, let me say that your concern about the youth is...
Very important.
I mean, I noticed the reading about the problems in Germany and England and France, and we haven't either.
And in some way, we must inform the young people of the state.
In some way, we must.
We must.
even if it's just the young people, but mainly, as far as it seems to me, it's the leader class, you know, the impoverished.
Again, in those cases, they're professors.
right those are the ones that are soft and they always believe the message about the enemy because they don't want to maintain the strength that the enemy would respect but i feel different
The other part I want to make is that, with regard to the building, it will not occur until the fall.
We'll have plenty of consultation with the members of the office of the police on that this fall.
It's going to be a working trip, not just for the purpose of, you know, tuning glasses.
And we want something to come out of it, a new structure in the summer.
I mean, we want to get some new light into the other areas.
New light, big light.
And that means they're talking about the goals and the present time.
Thank you so much.
Your car out here.
Thank you so much.
All right.
Next time he gets in, I'm going to give you a little notice.
All right.
Thank you very much.
You talked to Henry, which is the boy, didn't you?
Yeah, yeah.
He's talking to me.
Thank you very much.
He thinks just like you do.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for your help.
Thank you.