338–41

Conversation No. 338-41

Date: May 11, 1972
Time: 11:43 am-12:40 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

Vietnam
-Blockade
-Press reports
-Confusion
-President's meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Discussion
-Polish language and Russian language
-Soviet summit
-Cancellation
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Public response
-Blockade
-Polls
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Comments about Harry S. Truman
-Democrats
-Opinion Research Corporation [ORC] poll
-Network coverage
-Albert E. Sindlinger and ORC polls
-New York Times and Washington Post coverage
-New York Times advertisement
-Drafting
-Sindlinger (?)
-Hugh Scott and Robert P. Griffin
-Television appearance
 32

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)


-Defense of the President

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 11:43 and
11:49 am.

[Conversation No. 338-41A]

[See Conversation No. 24-75]

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Blockade
-Supporters of the President
-Criticism of Democrats
-Scott
-Defense of the President
-Notification of Senate
-Possible leaks
-Military considerations
-Opponents
-The President’s view
-Scott
-John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
-Roles in Vietnam
-Opposing senators
-Network coverage
-Melvin R. Laird press conference
-Television coverage
-Scott
-Rhetoric
-Press conference
-Criticism of media
-Effect on Capitol Hill

The President talked with Scott between 11:49 and 11:51 am.

[Conversation No. 338-41B]

[See Conversation No. 24-76]

[End of telephone conversation]
 33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)


Vietnam
-Blockade
-Public support
-Radio shows
-Local polls
-Publicity efforts

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 11:51 and
11:56 am.

[Conversation No. 338-41C]

[See Conversation No. 24-77]

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Blockade
-Public opinion
-Change
-Polls
-Increase
-Glenn J. Beall, Jr.
-Call to Colson
-Montgomery County, Maryland
-Change in opinion
-Richard S. Schweiker
-Support for the President
-Spontaneity
-Networks
-Criticism
-Scott, Griffin
-Report on polls
-Criticism
-Credit
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Frank Stanton
-Reports
-Hue battle
-CBS
-Dan Rather
 34

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
-Howard K. Smith
-Qualified support
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Democratic critics
-Mervin Field poll
-Los Angeles Times
-Approval rating
-Conclusion

The President talked with Griffin between 11:56 and 11:57 am.

[Conversation No. 338-41D]

[See Conversation No. 24-78]

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Blockade
-Public support
-A letter
-Polls
-Scott and Griffin
-Today show
-Face the Nation appearance
-Local polls
-Church
-National City Christian Church [Washington, DC]
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Minister
-Support for the President
-Letter to the President
-Church service invitation
-Denomination
-Whittier, California
-Doctrine
-Compared with Presbyterians
-Location
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Thomas Circle [Washington, DC]
-Press reports
-Warnings of possible World War III
 35

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
-People's Republic of China [PRC] protests
-Effect on foreign policy
-President's PRC trip
-Soviet Summit
-Progress
-Letter to the President
-Parents of killed-in-action [KIA]
-Parents of Air Force enlistee
-Public support
-Tone
-Bakersfield City Council
-Democrats
-Letter and wires to the President
-President, Dakota State College, Madison, South Dakota
-College president
-National Rifle Association [NRA]
-Power
-Cuban exiles
-Rolando (?) Espinosa of Miami
-Cubans
-Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
-Letters to the President
-Mufreesboro, Tennessee parents of enlistee
-College Republicans
-Scottsdale College
-Democrats, liberals
-Carl and Edna [Surname unknown]
-President, Central Missouri State College
-Warren [Surname unknown]
-Louis P. Harris poll
-Results
-Sindlinger and ORC polls
-Publicity
-Messages to the President
-Democrats
-Max Barash
-Poem
-Young woman
-Television
-Western Union
-Frank L. Rizzo
-James Drury
 36

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
-William E. Brock, III
-John Wayne
-Omar N. Bradley
-Mrs. Bradley
-Democratic affiliation
-Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor
-Letters to Congressmen
-Number
-Number for the President
-Ratio
-Messages to the White House
-Democrats
-Silence
-George S. McGovern
-Statements
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Statements
-Barry M. Goldwater statement
-Dr. Carl McIntyre
-Rally for the President
-John Birch Society
-Statement
-Democrats in Congress
-Impeachment resolution
-John Conyers, Jr.
-Ronald V. Dellums
-Bella S. Abzug
-William Ryan
-Shirley Chisholm
-Emanuel Celler’s view
-Protests
-Prayer vigil
-[Forename unknown] Murphy
-Location
-Purpose
-The President’s view
-Criticism by a doctor
-Madison, Wiscosin
-Size
-Albuquerque protesters
-Haldeman’s view
-Television coverage
 37

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
-Appearance
-Slogans
-Demonstrations
-Radicalism
-Moderates
-Alienation
-Cambodia
-Kent State
-Wisconsin
-University of Minnesota
-Prayer vigil
-Harold E. Hughes
-Paul N. McCloskey
-Abzug
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Alan Cranston
-Kennedy
-William P. Rogers
-Meeting with the President
-Reason
-A press story
-John B. Connally
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Kissinger
-Business Council
-Testimony
-Press conference
-Handling
-Meeting with the President
-Purpose
-Press conference
-Handling
-Answer to Soviets
-Handling
-Laird
-Congress
-Legislation
-Funds predictability
-Rogers
-Administration line
-Soviet Summit
-Eagerness to make an appearance
 38

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
-Laird
-Kissinger
-Legislative funds cut-off
-Senate
-House of Representatives
-Peace offer
-Offensive military action

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time after 11:57 am.

[Converstion No. 338-41E]

-Copy of Congressional resolution
-Location

[End of telephone conversation]

-Offensive capability
-Surveillance
-Kissinger
-Delays
-Blockade
-Soviet reply
-Statement
-Summit possibility
-Meeting with Patolichev
-Democrats
-Polls
-Results
-Field
-Questions
-US stakes in Vietnam
-Communists
-Support
-Scott
-Beall
-Frank F. Church

The President talked to an unknown person at an unknown time before 12:40 pm.

[Conversation No. 338-41F]
 39

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
Kissinger’s location
-Meeting

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Public relations
-Advertisements
-Herbert G. Klein
-Republican publications
-Attacks on media
-Network executives and editors
-Propaganda
-News stories

Rockefeller
-Talk with the President
-New York Times story
-Terence Cardinal Cooke
-News stories
-American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
-Washington Post
-New York Times

A news story
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Polls
-Telegrams and letters

Vietnam
-President's policies
-Polls
-Publicity
-Questions
-Results
-Change in opinion
-Support for the President
-Hawkish sentiment
-Percentages
-Compared with Cambodian action
 40

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-41 (cont.)
**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 16s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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Vietnam
-Blockade
-Support for the President
-Laird
-Rogers
-International law
-Kissinger
-Meeting with Congressional leaders
-Schedule

Colson and Haldeman left at 12:40 pm.