331–16

Conversation No. 331-16

Date: April 19, 1972
Time: 10:11 am - 12:17 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

Greetings

Henry A. Kissinger

Sequoia cruise
-Weather

White House staff
-Kissinger
-Quality of work
-Staff
-Position papers
-Options for the President
-Thoroughness
-Compared with Cabinet officers and White House staff
-Robert H. Finch
-Clark MacGregor
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Charles W. Colson
-Kissinger
-George P. Shultz
-MacGregor
-Colson

Vietnam
-William P. Rogers
-Call to Haldeman
 21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-British statement in support of bombing
-Call to British Foreign Minister
-Call to Mitchell Sharp
-Canada's position
-Bombing
-Invasion
-Briefing of congressmen
-Democratic caucus
-Melvin R. Laird
-Statements

John B. Connally
-Meeting with Haldeman
-Donald McI. Kendall
-Resignation as Secretary of the Treasury
-Decision
-The President's policy on Vietnam
-Haiphong
-National economy
-Importance of confidence
-International economy
-Trade
-Relationship with the President
-Work with White House staff
-Current problems
-Decision-making
-Under Secretary
-Lack of authority
-Connally's decision-making methods
-Relationship with the President
-Fear of erosion
-Connally's departure
-Reasons
-Relations with White House staff
-Relations with Cabinet officers
-Possible conflicts
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Idanell (Brill) (“Nellie”) Connally
-The President's trip to Texas
-Conversation with Connally
-Invitation
-Announcement of resignation
 22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-Timing
-The President's Soviet trip
-Departure
-Timing
-Conditions
-Help for the President


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 26s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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-Departure
-Return to Texas
-New York
-Johnson
-Texans
-Timing
-1972 election
-Clifford M. Hardin
-Future relations with the President
-Advisory capacity
-Advantages for the President
 23

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 20s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 10:25 am.

Vietnam
-United Press International [UPI] story
-Troop withdrawals
-Possible announcement
-Timing
-Report from Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Schedule
-Commitment
-Ziegler's statement
-Troop withdrawals
-Schedule
-Sources
-Haig's report
-Kissinger's opinion
-Paul N. (“Pete”) McCloskey
-Rogers's statement
-Laird's statement
-Senate
-Laird’s statement
-Comments by Ziegler
-Reflection of the President's views
-Phrasing
-Demonstrations
-Type of crowd
-Weather
-Television reporters
-George S. McGovern supporters
-George C. Wallace
 24

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-Support for bombing
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Casualties

Ziegler left at 10:30 am.

-News stories
-Connally
-Sources
-White House staff
-Conversations with press
-Problems
-William L. Safire
-John A. Scali

Department of the Treasury
-Successor to Connally
-Paul A. Volcker
-Confirmation by Senate
-Problems
-1972 election
-Shultz
-Connally's opinion
-Strengths
-Expertise
-Loyalty to the President
-Free market philosophy
-Support for Shultz
-Volcker
-Charls E. Walker
-Office of Management and Budget [OMB] head
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Connally's support
-Shultz
-Qualifications
-Relations with Arthur F. Burns
-Timing of appointment
-The President's press conference
-The President's Soviet trip
-Distraction from Connally's departure
-Connally's departure
-Announcement
 25

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-The President's handling
-Connally's future relationship
-Advisory role
-Advantages
-Loss of platform
-Support for the President
-Possible reasons for resigning


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 12s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

*****************************************************************


Connally
-Health
-Nellie Connally
-Departure from administration
-Timing
-The President's trip to Texas
-Current week
-Problems
-Vietnam news stories
-Return from Texas
-The President's Soviet trip
-Publicity
-Future role with administration
-Counsel to the President
-David M. Kennedy
-Finch
-Best position
-Declaration of support for the President


*****************************************************************
 26

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)



BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 32s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

*****************************************************************


-Departure
-News stories
-Democrats
-Speculation
-Stories of disaffection
-Impact on economy
-New Cabinet post
-Rogers
-Secretary of State
-Vice Presidency
-Attorney General
-Ehrlichman
-Departure
-Health
-Timing
-1972 election
-Financial future
-Department of the Treasury
-Control
-Theoretical presidency
-Problems
-Compared with Johnson
-Relationship with the President
-Concern for details
-Domestic economy
-Current situation
-Future problems
-Inflation
-Future rates
-1973
-November 1972
 27

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-Food prices
-Shultz
-Congress
-Debt ceiling
-Conflicts with Congress
-Tax reform
-Increases
-Congress's position
-Connally's position
-Spending freeze
-Spending freeze
-Social Security
-Protests
Russell B. Long
-MacGregor
-Criticism
-Congress
-Taxes, appropriations
-Deficit
-Social Security
-Vietnam
-Government workers
-The President

Tax reform
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Cooperation with the President
-Letter

Connally
-Departure from administration
-Possibility of remaining
-Cabinet members
-State Department
-Vice Presidential position
-Availability
-Departure
-Timing
-Personal finances


*****************************************************************
 28

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)



BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 59s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11

*****************************************************************


Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Image in press
-Publicity

Connally
-American Society of Newspaper Editors [ASNE]
-Vietnam
-Critics
-Vietnam
-Views
-Attitude toward the President
-Departure from administration
-Timing
-Conversation with Haldeman
-The President's trip to Texas
-Kissinger’s forthcoming trip to Moscow

Soviet Union
-Kissinger's trip to Moscow
-Rogers
-Haig
-Message from Soviets
-Rogers
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger's trip to Moscow
-US bombing of Vietnam
-Summit
-Haldeman's discussion with Rogers
-Kissinger
-Canada
 29

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-Biological warfare treaty
-Kissinger announcement
-Timing
-Press reports
-Ziegler
-Kissinger
-Murray Marder
-David Kraslow
-Rogers
-Publicity
-Kissinger
-Soviet Agreement
-Press conference
-Time
-Hostility of press
-Questions
-Secrecy of Kissinger's mission
-Vietnam
-Troop withdrawal
-Conversation with congressmen

Connally
-Departure
-The President's trip to Texas
-Shultz
-Ziegler
-Ehrlichman
-John N. Mitchell
-Planning
-Announcement
-Ehrlichman
-Treasury Department
-Narcotics division
-Ehrlichman's option paper
-Tax reform
-Shultz

National economy
-Deficits
-Shultz, Connally, Kissinger and Weinberger
-Memorandum
-1973 and 1974 budgets
 30

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-Current legislation
-Defense cuts
-Base closings
-Special revenue-sharing
-House Resolution [HR] 1
-Social Security and Medicare
-Welfare
-Costs
-Federal budget
-White House position
-Shultz
-Meeting with the President
-Connally
-Memorandum from the White House
-Position on HR 1
-Memorandum to Ehrlichman on administration's position
-1972 election
-Defense spending
-Costs
-Decisions
-Moscow summit
-Vietnam
-Offensive
-Base closings
-Revenue-sharing
-Passage in Senate
-Chances
-Ehrlichman's assessment
-The President's veto
-Special and general revenue-sharing
-Retroactivity
-HR 1
-Welfare bill
-Social Security and Medicare Bill
-The President's veto
-Revenue-sharing
-Shultz's position
-Purpose of a letter to Congress
-HR 1
-Federal budget
-HR 1
-Connally
 31

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-Ehrlichman
-Shultz
-Social Security
-Defense spending
-Moscow summit
-Kissinger
-Belt tightening
-Arms limitation
-Increase in taxes
-Publicity
-Base closings
-Shultz
-Meeting with the President
-Ehrlichman
-Connally
-Contacts with Haldeman
-Memorandum
-A veto by the President
-Scheduling of the President's work on budget
-Texas trip
-Connally
-Conversation with the President
-Politics of federal budget
-Ehrlichman
-Shultz
-HR 1
-MacGregor
-White House opposition
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Shultz
-Revenue-sharing
-Problems
-Political benefits
-Property taxes
-Benefits
-Vietnam
-Defense spending
-Cuts
-Kissinger's handling
-Laird and [David] Kenneth Rush
-Problem of leaks
 32

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

Vietnam
-Conclusion of war
-Time
-Air war
-1972 election
-The President's victory
-Future action
-Blockade
-Bombing
-POW release
-Impact on war

Defense spending
-Cuts
-Air Force
-Shultz

Kissinger's trip to Soviet Union
-Secrecy
-Kissinger's location
-Camp David
-The President's location
-Announcement

The President talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 10:30 and 11:20 am.

[Conversation No. 331-16A]

Meeting with the President
-Discussion of Kissinger's cover story

[End of telephone conversation]

Soviet Union
-Kissinger's trip to Moscow
-Cover story
-New York
-Vacation
-Health
-Speculation

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 10:30 and 11:20 am.
 33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)



[Conversation No. 331-16B]

-Senate
-Vietnam

[End of telephone conversation]

People's Republic of China [PRC] table tennis team reception
-Chinese translators
-Incident related by Kissinger
-Scali's reaction
-Absence
-Selection
-Rose Garden ceremony
-Absence

Kissinger entered at 11:20 am.

-Telephone
-Haldeman
-Scali
-Boycott
-Selection
-Scali
-State Department
-Tour
-White House conflicts with State Department
-US table tennis team
-Unknown member
-Absence
-Appearance
-Publicity
-Statement by the President
-Television
-Scali
-Rose Garden
-New York Daily News
-Photograph
-Scali
-Responsibility
 34

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

Kissinger's secret trip to Moscow
-Cover story
-Camp David
-Problems
-Ziegler
-Kissinger's schedule
-New York
-Meetings
-Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG]
-Distraction of press
-Camp David
-Kissinger's schedule
-Dinner with newspaper editors
-Katharine L. Graham
-Cover story
-Trip to Camp David
-Plausibility
-Haig report
-Press speculation
-Troop withdrawal
-Meeting with Haig
-Bureaucracy
-Trip to Paris
-Trip to Camp David
-Ziegler's statement
-Guest list
-The President's schedule
-Domestic issues
-Ehrlichman
-White House staff
-Distraction
-Ehrlichman, Shultz
-Kissinger's presence
-Ziegler's statement
-Calls from press
-Kissinger's departure
-Time
-Kissinger's schedule
-Party
-Trip to Camp David
-The President's schedule
-Ziegler's and Gerald L. Warren’s knowledge
 35

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-The President's schedule
-General staff meeting
-Shultz and Ehrlichman
-Kissinger's absence
-Domestic subjects
-Budget planning
-Shultz
-Connally
-Cover story
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Haig
-The President's schedule
-Editors meeting
-Trip to Camp David
-Staff schedule
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Trip to Camp David
-Ehrlichman
-Graham
-Shultz
-Haldeman
-Kissinger
-Meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and Kissinger's trip to Camp David
-Kissinger’s trip to Andrews Air Force Base
-Staff meetings
-Troop withdrawal
-Scheduling
-Graham event
-Transportation
-Arrangements
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Graham event
-Shultz
-Connally
-Rogers
-Trip to Camp David
-Kissinger's trip to Camp David
-Helicopter
-Kissinger's schedule
-Public statements
-The President's meeting with top staff
 36

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-Emphasis
-Cancellation of dinner appearance
-Ehrlichman
-Public statement
-Dealings with Rogers
-Discussion of Vietnam with Soviets
-Kissinger
-Meeting with North Vietnamese
-Haldeman’s meeting with Rogers

Vietnam
-Naval actions
-Soviet ships
-Haiphong
-Laird's concerns
-Destroyer
-Manila
-Newspaper coverage
-Mine loading
-Soviets
-Perceptions of US actions
-Private message
-Ships
-Bombing
-North Vietnam
-Continuation
-Carriers
-7th Air Force
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.’s cancellation
-Carriers
-Number of sorties
-Protective reation
-Thanh Hoa
- D-Day, 1944
-Winston S. Churchill's account
-Number of air sorties
-Number of British air strikes
-Number of planes
-B-52s
-Bomb load
-Compared with World War II
-Concentration of forces
 37

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-World War II
-D-Day
-Second landing
-Deception of Germans
-Churchill's account
-Repetition of operations
-Massive reaction
-Impact on North Vietnam
-Soviet reaction

Soviet Union
-Earl L. Butz's meeting with Brezhnev
-Brezhnev's comments
-Jacob D. Beam's response
-Vietnam
-Response to invasion
-Butz
-Soviet intelligence
-Beam

Vietnam
-Bombing
-Soviet response
-Impact on North Vietnam
-The President's message
-North Vietnamese response
-Counterproposal
-The President's response

Soviet Union
-Kissinger's trip
-Cover story
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Trip to Camp David
-Schedule
-Rogers
-Kissinger's meeting with the President

Kissinger left at 11:47 am.

-Dealings with Rogers
 38

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-Call to Rogers
-Timing
-Haig
-Haldeman's meeting with Rogers
-Brezhnev's message
-Secrecy of meeting
-Explanations of reasons for meeting
-Meeting place
-Time of Haldeman's call
-Urgency
-Problems
-President Of Pakistan [Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]
-Public disclosure
-Ziegler's statements
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman at Camp David
-Kissinger's presence
-Shultz's presence
-Purpose of meeting
-Connally
-Knowledge of trip
-Trip to Camp David
-Budget
-Planning session
-Weinberger
-Ziegler's statement
-Length of stay
-Haldeman
-Kissinger
-Haldeman's conversation with Ziegler
-Staff meeting
-Travel
-Haig's presence
-Graham’s dinner
-Domestic news
-News summary

International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case
-Peter M. Flanigan's testimony
-New York Times story
-Handling
-Edwin Reinecke and Edgar Gillenwaters
-Testimony
 39

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-Testimony
-Jack Gleason
-Harry D. Steward
-Senate debate
-Testimony
-Flanigan
-Gleason
-Written interrogatories

Vietnam
-Democrats
-McGovern
-Antiwar speeches
-Reception
-Press reports
-Press
-Opposition to war
-Television
-Coverage of demonstrations
-Kissinger's views
-Coverage of Laird testimony before Senate Foreign Relations Committee
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Coverage of demonstrations
-Opposition
-Harvard University
-Violent demonstration
-Kissinger's reaction
-New York Times story
-University of Wisconsin at Madison
-University of California at Berkeley
-Democratic mayor of Alexandria, Louisiana
-Switch to Republican party
-Reasons
-Hawks
-Reagan
-Messages of support for the President
-Condemnation of North Vietnamese invasion
-John C. Stennis
-Support for bombing
-Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
-Soviet ships
-Army of the Republic of South Vietnam [ARVN]
 40

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-Opposition
-Press reports
-UPI
-Harvard
-Center for International Studies
-Fire
-Columbia University
-Stanford University
-Strike
-University of Wisconsin at Madison
-CBS film
-Bombing
-Campus demonstrations
-Time of year

Soviet Union
-Kissinger's trip
-Rogers's role
-Haldeman's call to Rogers
-Purpose
-Meeting with Soviet
-Possible meeting with North Vietnamese
-Haldeman's conversation with Connally
-Trip to Camp David
-Shultz
-Connally
-Conversation with Haldeman
-Meeting with the President

Connally
-Resignation as Treasury Secretary
-Timing
-Announcement from White House
-Press play
-Soviet summit
-Planning
-Shultz
-Timing
-Soviet trip
-Support for the President
 41

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 23
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 24s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 23

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-Attitude
-Campaign
-Budget
-Compared with Shultz

Budget
-Meeting with Ehrlichman and Shultz
-Defense issues
-Soviet trip
-Cuts
-Timing

HR 1
-Chance of passage in Congress
-Ehrlichman's views
-The President's budget

Revenue-sharing
-Chance of enactment
-MacGregor
-Administration's view of bill
-Social Security
-Separation of issues

National economy
-Connally's outlook
-Leadership
-Improvements
-Compared with 1960
-Peak
 42

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-1972 election
-Prediction in the Kiplinger Letter
-Optimism
-Improvement in California
-Housing starts
-Unemployment
-Rate
-Base
-Boom
-Stock market
-Improvements
-War issue
-Current level
-Improvements
-Rate
-Peak
-Timing
-1000 points
-Democratic National Convention
-Impact
-Stock brokers
-Haldeman's blind trust
-Quarterly Report
-Holdings
-Gains
-Production
-Yachts
-Television sets
-Spending
-Travel
-Retail sales
-Spring
-Money supply
-Burns
-Shultz
-Predicted performance as Treasury Secretary
-Compared with Connally


*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 26
 43

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 25s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 26

*****************************************************************


Connally
-Talk with Haldeman
-Vietnam
-Haig
-Meeting with the President
-Time

Soviet Union
-Kissinger's trip
-Haldeman's call to Rogers

The President's schedule
-Meeting with Connally
-Time
-Haldeman's call to Rogers
-Haldeman's meeting with Connally
-Haldeman's and Ehrlichman's trip to Camp David
-Meeting with Connally
-Time
-Meeting on non-public education
-Report
-Press story
-Briefing
-Clarence Walton
-Length
-Meeting with Jerry V. Wilson and Washington, DC police officers
-Past practice
-Instructions to Ehrlichman
-Meeting with Clifford D. Carlson
-Length
-Charlotte T. Reid
-Meeting with Wilson
-Publicity value
 44

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 331-16 (cont.)

-[Walter E. Washington]
-Ehrlichman's arrangements
-Meeting on non-public education
-National coverage
-Meeting with Wilson
-Coverage
-[National Catholic Education Association meeting]
-DC crime rate
-Coverage
-1971 demonstrations
-National scope
-Meeting with Wilson
-Ehrlichman
-Graham
-Joseph A. Califano, Jr.

Haldeman left at 12:17 pm.