354–31

Conversation No. 354-31

Date: October 6, 1972
Time: 2:35 pm - 3:22 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and Henry A. Kissinger.

Greetings

George S. McGovern's recent foreign policy speech

People's Republic of China [PRC]
-William P. Rogers
-India, Japan, Soviet Union
-Abram J. Chayes and McGovern's advisers

Vietnam negotiations
-Draft of document
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-US intentions
-Haig

Haig's trip to South Vietnam

The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 3:22
pm.

[Conversation No. 354-30A]

Charles W. Colson's office
-McGovern's comments on PRC

[End of telephone conversation]

Haig’s visit to South Vietnam
-1968
-Committee
 17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Tripartite membership
-Thieu
-Discussions with Haig
-National Liberation Front [NLF]
-Tripartite committee
-Thieu’s view
-Participants
-Committee on National Reconciliation
-Proposed government
-Thieu
-Haig’s view
-South Vietnamese bureaucrats
-Tripartite Committee
-Reaction
-Communist proposal
-Possible consequences
-Implementation of proposal
-Thieu’s conversation with Haig
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Haig
-Thieu
-Bunker’s view
-South Vietnamese election
-Committee of National Reconciliation
-Thieu
-Administration proposal
-Electoral commission
-Administration proposal
-North Vietnamese reaction
-Pham Van Dong
-Thieu’s reaction
-Recognition of North Vietnam
-South Vietnam
-South Korea
-Park Chung Hee
-US efforts in Vietnam
-Military efforts
-Public relations
-Effect on peace process
-Soviet Union
-PRC
 18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Thieu
-The President’s view

US action in Vietnam
-Bombing
-Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
-South Vietnamese military
-Haig’s view
-Effect of US peace settlement
-Ability
-Kissinger’s view
-III Corps
-Vietnamization
-Melvin R. Laird’s view
-Air support
-McGovern
-Thieu
-Position
-Haig’s view
-US peace proposals
-Thieu
-Election supervision
-South Vietnam
-Governance of area
-Elections
-Cease-fire
-Cambodia
-Laos
-North Vietnamese troop withdrawal
-Laos, Cambodia
-South Vietnam
-North Vietnamese reaction
-South Vietnam possible agreement
-Haig
-Political issue
-Outcome
-North Vietnamese reaction
-Effect on US
-Bombing
-Thieu's possible response
-Tripartite Committee
 19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-North Vietnamese troops
-Government of National Concord
-Possible press reaction
-Pitfalls
-Collapse of South Vietnam
-Kissinger’s view
-Need for North Vietnamese concessions

McGovern
-Statement on the PRC
-Asian security
-Peking
-US recognition
-Japan
-Economic policy proposal
-PRC
-Possible effect

Vietnam peace proposal
-US public opinion
-Withdrawal of forces
-Cease-fire
-Saigon
-Kissinger
-Haig’s trip to Vietnam
-Coalition government
-Potential problems
-Assessment
-Coalition government
-US military
-South Vietnamese situation
-Timing of US withdrawal
-Effect of withdrawal
-Kissinger’s view
-Haig’s view
-Possible redeployment of US troops
-South Vietnamese relations with the US
-The President’s view
-Kissinger’s view
-US support
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
 20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-The President’s schedule
-John H. Holdridge
-US ambassadorship
-Unknown admiral
-Thailand
-Thieu
-National Committee of Reconstruction
-Timing
-North Vietnam
-Proposals
-Coalition government
-US public opinion
-The President’s position
-Settlement
-Coalition
-Electoral commission
-Haig’s view
-Communists
-Stability
-Effect of timing
-Possible future developments

Le Duc Tho

Kissinger’s schedule
-Unknown woman
-Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo

Kissinger and Haig left at 3:22 pm.