375–5

Conversation No. 375-5

Date: October 26, 1972
Time: 10:01 am - 12:16 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4m 17s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time
between 10:01 am and 11:04 am.

[Conversation No. 375-5A]

[See Conversation No. 32-44]

[End of telephone conversation]

Haldeman talked with an unknown woman from Dwight L. Chapin’s office at an unknown time
between 10:01 am and 11:04 am.

[Conversation No. 375-5I]

[See Conversation No. 32-44B]

[End of telephone conversation]

[Conversation No. 375-5J]

[See Conversation No. 32-45]

[End of telephone conversation]


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

[Duration: 1m 54s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
-The president’s schedule
-Henry A. Kissinger’s forthcoming briefing
-Possible developments before election
-Press statements
-The president’s schedule
-Ohio
-Possible statements regarding Vietnam
-Lack of a statement
-Long Island
-“Peace with honor”
-Negotiations
-“Peace with honor”
-“Peace with surrender”
-Kissinger’s forthcoming statement
-Procedures
-Content
-Four party signatory compared to two party signatory
-Point of statement
-Tone
-Haldeman’s view
-Provisions of agreement
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-May 8, 1972 proposals
-POWs, cease-fire
-Coalition compared to self-determination for South Vietnamese
-Position
-The President’s involvement
-Press reaction
-US accomplishments
-Kissinger’s style

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 10:01 am and
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

11:04 am.

[Conversation No. 375-5B]

[See Conversation No. 32 – 46]

[End of telephone conversation]

-Cancellation of trip
-Implication
-Kissinger’s view
-McGovern’s strategy
-Nguyen Van Thieu

Haldeman talked with Chapin at an unknown time between 10:01 am and 11:04 am.

[Conversation No. 375-5C]

[See Conversation No. 32-47; one item has been withdrawn]

Vietnam peace settlement
-Kissinger’s statement
-Prospects for peace
-McGovern’s advisor’s criticism
-Timing of settlement compared to the 1972 election
-Haldeman’s view
-Kissinger
-Thieu
-Television [TV] appearance
-Haldeman’s handling
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s handling
-Public impression
-Political considerations
-Timing
-Character of settlement
-Compared with 1962 Laotian settlement
-Kissinger’s view
-Type of settlement
-Kissinger’s view
-Problems with public impression
-Thieu’s role
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-North Vietnamese pressure
-US
-Importance of Kissinger’s statement
-McGovern’s position on Vietnam
-Strategy
-Thieu
-Kissinger
-Timing of pact
-October 31, 1972
-Thieu
-Military
-Kissinger’s statement
-Nature of argument
-Translation issues
-Ambiguity
-Implementation of cease-fire

1972 campaign issues
-Administration strategy
-Patrick J. Buchanan’s view
-Response to corruption charges
-Reassurance of US allies
-The President’s view
-Aggressive policy
-Buchanan’s view
-Public sentiment
-Watergate
-Vietnam issue
-The President’s forthcoming speeches
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.’s office
-Campaign trip
-Farm speech, “Radio Address on the American Farmer”
-Schedule
-Motorcade
-Schedule
-Possible statement on defense
-Defense foreign policy issue
-Focus on defense issues
-McGovern's changes in positions
-Foreign policy
-Scheduling
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Ohio
-Price
-Kissinger
-Timing
-Administration position review
-Haldeman’s forthcoming meeting with Kissinger
-Domestic issues
-Washington Post story on the President's October 25, 1972 speech
-Compared to story on McGovern’s television speech
-Vietnam
-Implications of story
-Education
-Aid to parochial schools
-Busing
-Catholics
-TV
-Vietnam
-Options
-Vietnam peace settlement possibility
-Timing compared with the election
-possible public perceptions


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 8m 12s ]


Haldeman talked with Chapin at an unknown time between 10:01 am and 11:04 am.

[Conversation No. 375-5D]

[See Conversation No. 32-48; One item has been withdrawn]

[End of telephone conversation]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
 9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

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

House Resolution [HR] 1 legislation
-John D. Ehrlichman’s view
-Timing

Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
-Democratic Republic of Vietnam [DRV] [North Vietnam] strategy
-Thieu
-Desire to end war
-US response
-The President’s view
-October 31, 1972
-Bombing halt
-Kissinger’s position
-Meeting with Le Duc Tho
-The President’s response
-Haig
-American public
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Media commentator’s point, October 23, 1972
-Progress in negotiations
-Kissinger's conversations with Max Frankel,
Richard (“Dick”) Wilson, William F. Buckley, Jr.,
William White, Howard, K. Smith

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 10:01 am.

Food request

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 11:04 am.

White House schedule
-Daily strategy meeting attendance
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Colson
-Clark MacGregor
-Corruption issue
-8:15 am meeting
-MacGregor, Robert H. Finch, Donald H. Rumsfeld,
Peter M. Flanigan, Herbert G. Klein, Herbert Stein,
Caspar W.(“Cap”) Weinberger
 10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)


Kissinger and the Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
-The President’s view
-North Vietnamese actions

Harry S. Dent

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 10:01 am.

Telephone call request by William M. Colmer
-Administrative assistant [Trent Lott]

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 11:04 am.

Vietnam telephone poll
-The President’s request
-Release of prisoners of war [POWs]
-Cease-fire
-Non-communist government in South Vietnam
-Issue of bombing halt during negotiations
-Public reaction


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 8m 54s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10

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


Vietnam peace settlement
-McGovern’s position
-North Vietnamese position
-Issue of provisional government
-Possible impact of 1972 election
-Kissinger’s concerns
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Polls
-Haldeman’s recent conversation with Kissinger
-George H. Gallup
-Results
-Louis P. Harris
-Forthcoming results
-Timing of remaining polls
-North Vietnamese options
-Possible assassination of Thieu
-Possible bloodbath in South Vietnam
-McGovern’s position
-North Vietnam
-Thieu
-Administration poll
-Interpretation
-Public perception
-Thieu
-Administration efforts
-Type of settlement
-Kissinger's statement and briefing preparation
-John A. Scali, Ronald L. Ziegler
-Possible question and answer [Q&A] session
-Colson, Ehrlichman


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 12s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12

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Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 10:01 am and
12:16 pm.

[Conversation No. 375-5E]
 12

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

[See Conversation No. 32-49]

Haldeman talked with Chapin at an unknown time between 10:01 am and 12:16 pm.


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 9m 23s ]


[See Conversation No. 32-49; one item has been withdrawn]

[End of telephone conversation]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13

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Motorcade security
-Robert H. Taylor
-Speed
-Small towns
-Stopping for flowers from people
-Hecklers
-Communications between the President and driver
-Microphone
-Taylor
-Chicago
-Varying speed
-Locations of bands in relation to the President
-Possible plans for demonstrators
-Atlanta
-Richard B. Ogilvie, Charles H. Percy
-Location of press
-Highways compared with main streets
-Previous trip to Westchester County, NY
-Observers
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Crowd control
-Exposure to crowd
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14

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1972 campaign
-Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
-Kissinger's statement
-Scali
-Kissinger
-Advice
-Instructions for the staff
-Vietnam
-News summary
-Public perception
-Administration strategy
-Response to McGovern's Vietnam stance
-“Peace with surrender”
-Sabotage and campaign practices
-TV audience size for McGovern's speech

Haldeman talked with an unknown person on his staff at an unknown time between 10:01 am
and 12:16 pm.

TV audience share figures
-McGovern's speech on corruption
-Connally's broadcast

[End of telephone conversation]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)


McGovern's speech on corruption
-Audience for television broadcast
-New York
-Comparison to Connally's broadcast
-Share compared with rating


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 9m 37s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15

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1972 campaign and Vietnam
-Administration strategy
-POWs
-Amnesty
-Attacks on McGovern’s position
-Cease-fire agreement
-POWs
-The President’s plan compared with McGovern’s plan
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Press coverage
-McGovern’s approach
-Bombing halt compared with continuation of bombing
-Haig
-Public opinion and use of slogans

1972 campaign issues
-McGovern’s comments
-National defense
-Vietnam
-Welfare
-McGovern
 15

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Vietnam
-Amnesty
-Busing
-Parochial school aid
-Abortion
-National defense
-Plant closings, spending cuts
-Taxes
-Federal spending
-Welfare
-Presentation of campaign practices issue
-Administration efforts
-Press reaction
-MacGregor, Ziegler
-The President’s position
-Colson

Chapin talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 10:01 am and 12:16 pm.

[Conversation No. 375-5F]


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 58s ]


[See Conversation No. 32-50; one item has been withdrawn]

[End of telephone conversation]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16

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Watergate
-Colson’s analysis
 16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Effect on fund raising
-Effect on campaign workers
-Denials
-Ziegler, MacGregor, Robert H. Dole
-Effect on voters
-Lower middle class blue collar workers
-Understanding and care
-Issues of concern
-Amnesty
-Abortion
-Effect on upper income suburban voters
-Results of effect on fund raising and party workers
-Swing vote
-Voters’ perceptions of the President
-The President’s character
-Combined impact on voters
-McGovern’s previous speech, October 25, 1972
-Campaign fund irregularities
-International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
-Carpet manufacturers

US-Soviet Union wheat deal
-Allegation of illegal profits
-White House response
-Administration denials
-Advantages and disadvantages
-Wait and see attitude
-Administration defense
-White paper
-The president’s orders
-MacGregor, Agnew
-Defense against lying
-Washington Post article, October 25, 1972
-McGovern charges against the President and his administration
-Effect
-Lying
-The President’s role
-MacGregor
-Accusations of McGovern’s lying
-Proof
-Charges against Haldeman
 17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Evidence
-Ziegler, MacGregor
-Strategy of attack on Administration
-Administration strategy
-McGovern strategy
-Prominence of story after the election
-Weinberger’s view
-Post-1972 election investigation
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Libel suit

Chapin talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 10:01 am and 12:16 pm.

[Conversation No. 375-5G]

[See Conversation No. 32-51; one item has been withdrawn]

[End of telephone conversation]

1972 campaign and campaign practice allegations
-Political campaign and previous allegations
-Donald F. Nixon
-The President’s residences
-Watergate
-MacGregor as spokesman for response to McGovern’s allegations
-Agnew
-Dole
-Political nature of charges
-Line of defense
-Ziegler
-Vietnam
-Effect of McGovern’s charges on voters
-California
-Massachusetts
-Colson's staff
-1968 campaign

Vietnam issue
-North Vietnamese
-Cuban missile crisis
-Value
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)


The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 10:01 am and 12:16
pm.

[Conversation No. 375-5H]

Request for a meeting with Ziegler

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam issue
-Value to the administration compared with value to McGovern

The President’s forthcoming trip to West Virginia and Kentucky
-Arch A. Moore, Jr.
-Schedule

Speeches
-Radio address on Defense Policy, October 29, 1972
-Amnesty
-Volunteer army
-Israel
-Defense
-US supremacy
-Communism
-Job growth


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 19
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 8m 53s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 19

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Campaign practices charges
 19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Response
-Colson
-Articles
-Agnew
-Strategy
-MacGregor
-Political charges
-Political answer

Haldeman left at 12:16 pm.