330–31

Conversation No. 330-31

Date: April 10, 1972
Time: 3:10 pm - 3:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

Vietnam
-North Vietnam
-Private talks
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] talks
-South Vietnam’s survival
-Soviets
-Responsibilities in Vietnam
-US message to PRC
-US propaganda line
-Spokesmen
-Congressmen and Senators
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
-Fact sheet
-Clark M. Clifford’s statement
-Buckley
-B-52 strikes
-Targets
-Hanoi’s attitudes
-Impact of strikes
-Madam Nguyen Thi Binh
-Statements
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Karl E. Mundt's statement
-William J. Porter's statement
-Publicity
 36

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)

-Scheduling and timing
-Porter’s statement
-B-52 strikes
-Negotiations
-Proposal
-US restraint
-Private channels
-Soviets
-Agreements

The President's schedule
-Options
-Camp David

Vietnam
-Political losses
-Appearance of ferocity
-Hanoi
-Soviet Union
-Encouragement to adversaries
-Deterioration of domestic support
-Impact
-The President's speech
-Soviet Union
-Demonstrations
-Letters from the President
-Perception of the President's strength
-Domestic support
-Confusion
-Washington Star report
-An Loc
-Caution of the President's opposition
-George S. McGovern
-Michael J. Mansfield
-Trip to PRC
-J. William Fulbright
-Fear of taking on the President

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 3:10 pm.

Unknown article that Buckley should read
 37

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 3:55 pm.

-The President's speech
-Timing
-Moderate tone
-Defense of policies
-Points to make
-Kissinger’s opinion
-Talking points for John A. Scali, Charles W. Colson
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Thrust of speech
-US role
-Support for South Vietnam
-Text of speech
-Aggressive tone
-Patriotic appeal
-Timing
-B-52 strikes
-Effectiveness
-North Vietnamese objectives
-Attacks on Saigon
-Real goals
-Vo Nguyen Giap
-US bombing
-Laos
-Cambodia
-Casualties
-Military Region One
-Weather
-Gunshots
-An Loc
-South Vietnamese army
-Creighton W. Abrams
-Performance
-US attacks
-Tanks
-Kissinger’s reports
-Weather
-Hoang Xuan Lam
-Number
-Casualties
 38

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)

-B-52s
-Binh
-Airfield
-Petroleum, oil, and lubricants [POL] dumps
-Intensity
-Photographs
-B-52s
-North Vietnamese expectations
-Unknown persons' performance
-Election year
-Dien Bien Phu
-1964
-1968 and 1972
-US bombing
-Naval gunfire
-Populated areas
-Number of ships
-Destroyers
-Cruisers
-Airplanes
-Numbers
-B-52 strikes
-Number
-Talking points
-Scali and Herbert G. Klein
-Clark MacGregor
-Domestic criticism
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Humphrey
-Proposals
-Gridiron meeting
-Constitutional amendment
-The President's conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

The President's Canadian trip
-Draft of speech
-Substance
-Disarmament statement
-William L. Safire
-US-Canadian relations
-Statements
-Speech
 39

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)

-Role of superpowers
-Peking and Moscow
-Long-range interests of superpowers
-Arms limitations
-Progress
-Goals
-Restraint on arms export
-Last drafts
-Kissinger’s input
-The President's phraseology
-Changes
-Impact
-Tone
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin's reaction
-PRC
-State Department
-Analysis

US-Soviet relations
-Central Europe
-Détente
-Mutual dependence
-Democrats

Israel

Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-Problems
-Schedule
-Democratic convention
-Draftees in Vietnam
-Timing of announcements
-Haiphong

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 3:10 and 3:55
pm.

[Conversation No. 330-31A]

Call to Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
 40

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)

The operator placed the call on hold at an unknown time; the President and Kissinger conferred.

Vietnam
-Change in policy
-South Vietnam

The President talked with Haig at an unknown time.

Vietnam
-Troop ceiling in 1969

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-Rate
-Total numbers
-Timing
-Goal by July 30
-Domestic issues
-PRC
-Soviets
-Dealings with US
-Dobrynin
-Kissinger’s message to Egon Bahr
-Prospect of relating message to Soviets
-Text
-Bahr
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Dealings with Germans
-Letter to unknown person
-Receipt by Rolf Pauls
-Reporting through channels
-Summit
-Need for German settlement by Soviets
-Pressure by PRC
-Shanghai communiqué
-Scali
-Democratic convention
-Outcome of Vietnam war
-The President's reputation
-South Vietnam
 41

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 330-31 (cont.)

-Fighting capacities
-Compared with Laos
-Control of offensive
-Abrams
-Tacair uses
-Performance
-Washington Special Action Group [WSAG] meeting
-Reaction to the President's policies
-North Vietnamese offensive
-US bombing
-Necessity
-Impact on Southeast Asia and US foreign policy
-Thailand and Indonesia
-Democrats
-Possible lines of criticism

The President's meeting with Kissinger's parents
-Time
-Location

Kissinger left at 3:55 pm.