158–18

Conversation No. 158-18

Date: December 29, 1972
Time: 12:13 pm - 12:37 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 237-22]

Vietnam War
-Cessation of US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Announcement
-Press relations
-US bombing
-Demonstration
-Dean Francis B. Sayre
-White House
-Administration response
-Infiltration
-Demeanor
-Liberals
-Colson’s viewing on television [TV]
-Establishment
-Attire
-American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS]
-Press conference
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] special, December 28, 1972
-Tone
-Charles Collingwood
-Comments on breakdown of negotiations
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Ambiguities
-Options
-Resumption of negotiations
 -23-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)

Conversation No. 158-18 (cont’d)


US bombing of North Vietnam
-December 28, 1972
-Plane losses
-Sorties
-Targets
-Effect
-Effect
-Damage
-Recovery
-Compared to World War II
-Japan
-Soviet Union
-Germany
-Britain
-France
-Damage
-Communists
-Recovery
-Cessation north of 20th Parallel
-Report from Saigon
-Washington Post
-The President’s meeting with Colson
-Washington Star
-Washington Post articles
-US bombing of North Vietnam north of 20th Parallel
-Effect
-Damage
-B-52s
-Hanoi
-Civilians
-Reports from Saigon
-Washington Star
-Announcement
-Gerald L. Warren
-Tone
-Negotiations
-North Vietnam
-Public relations [PR]
 -24-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)

Conversation No. 158-18 (cont’d)

-US bombing
-Effect on negotiations
-Liberals’ view
-Pressure on US
-Liberals’ view
-Necessity
-Negotiations
-Liberals’ view
-Effect
-Public opinion
-“Nixon’s done it again”
-New Majority, “Hawks”
-North Vietnam
-White House
-Possible op-ed article in New York Times
-Television [TV]
-Letters
-Telephone calls
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-Collingwood
-Commentary
-Paper [“Things They Would Like to Forget”]
-Distribution
-Congress, editors, broadcasters, opinion leaders
-Effect
-Criticism
-Herbert G. Klein
-“Nixon’s done it again”
-Effect
-Possible op-ed article in New York Times
-J. Anthony Lukas [?]
-John A. Scali
-Possible meeting with Colson
-Kissinger’s concern
-The President’s relationship with Kissinger
-Kissinger’s conversation with journalists
-US bombing of North Vietnam north of 20th Parallel
-The President’s decision
-William P. Rogers’s schedule
 -25-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)

Conversation No. 158-18 (cont’d)

-Melvin R. Laird’s schedule
-Reaction of White House staff
-Scali
-Victory for the President
-Ability as “salesman”
-Meeting with Colson
-Timing
-Secrecy
-PR
-Liberals’ view
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-“Nixon’s done it again”
-Pressures on US
-Credibility
-Resumption of negotiations
-Instruction for Colson
-Scali
-Timing
-Announcement
-“No comment” instruction
-Warren
-Compared to Ronald L. Ziegler
-Kissinger
-PR
-Scali
-Leaks
-Ambassadorship to United Nations [UN]
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s view
-Ambassadorship to UN
-Daniel L. Schorr
-Judgment on announcement
-Background
-White House
-Resumption of negotiations
-North Vietnam
-Deep background
-Unknown person
-Bernard and Marvin L. Kalb
 -26-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)

Conversation No. 158-18 (cont’d)

-Howard K. Smith
-Stewart M. Hensley
-Leaks
-Resumption of negotiations
-Tone
-“Serious”
-Instruction for Colson
-Labor leaders
-Congressional relations
-William E. Timmons
-Telephone call to leaders
-Kissinger’s calls to leaders
-Negotiations
-John C. Stennis
-F. Edward Hebert
-Gerald R. Ford
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Hugh Scott
-PR
-Labor leaders
-Statements
-Negotiations
-Breakdown
-Liberals’ view
-1972 election
-[Arnold] Eric Sevareid
-Telephone calls
-Dan Rather
-Harry Reasoner
-Effect
-Commentators
-Colson’s call to Scali
-Colson’s call to the President
 -27-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)