444–14

Conversation No. 444-14

Date: June 12, 1973
Time: 12:45 pm - 1:15 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Raymond K. Price, Jr.

Price’s schedule
-President’s address to nation about Watergate investigations, April 30, 1973
-Statements about Watergate investigations, May 22, 1973

President’s forthcoming address to nation announcing price control measures
-President’s forthcoming economic policy meeting
-Tone
-Strength, positivity

-Content

-Status and prospects

-Beginning and end of speech

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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 444-14 (cont’d)

-Use of superlatives
-Food, clothing, housing
-Food prices
-Jobs, wages
-Food prices
-Inflation
-Global demand, bad weather
-Europe
-Actions
-Price freeze
-Wages
-Current exemption from freeze
-Duration
-Temporary measure
-Free economy
-Possible effects
-Boom contrasted with bust
-Black markets, rationing, price increases
-Recession
-Congress
-Free market economy
-Price freeze
-Duration
-Temporary nature
-Phase IV
-Phase I, Phase II, Phase III
-Gasoline prices
-White House actions
-Congressional action
-Possible effects
-Congress
-Necessity for action
-Possible vetoes
-Costs to American people
-Need for public support

Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft talked with the President between 12:52 pm and 12:54 pm.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 444-14 (cont’d)


[Conversation No. 444-14A]

[Begin telephone conversation]

[See Conversation No. 40-29]

[End telephone conversation]

President’s forthcoming address to nation announcing price control measures
-Content
-Congressional relations
-Tone
-Strength, positivity
-Content
-Goals
-Removal of controls
-End of speech
-Vietnam
-Peace
-Significance
-US-Soviet Union relations
-Soviet Summit
-Shared responsibility
-Opportunity
-Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
-1955
-“Prosperity without war and without inflation”
-Format
-Tone
-Level of detail
-Phase III
-Public awareness
-George P. Shultz’s role
-Ability as salesman
-Herbert Stein’s role
-Goals of speech
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 444-14 (cont’d)

-Communication of White House action, care
-Compared to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s closing of banks in 1933
-Price freeze
-Exemptions
-Rents, interest, wages

-Public attention

-Congressional action

-Phase IV

-Compared to Phase III

-Education of public

-Timing of communication initiatives

-Forthcoming of Leonid I. Brezhnev meeting

-Possible radio talks

-Frequency, schedule

-Subjects

-Budget, food, world markets
-Compared to political campaign
-Number
-Press relations
-Contrasted with television [TV] address
-Price’s preparation

-Program

-Conclusion, introduction of speech

-Possible meeting with President

-Draft review

-Timing

-Length

-Drafts

-President’s review


Watergate
-Firing of H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
-Eisenhower’s relationship with President
-John W. Dean, III

-White House response

-Haldeman’s possible response

-Use immunity

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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 444-14 (cont’d)

-Compared with transactional immunity
-Grand jury
-Compared to James McCord
-Press relations
-President’s possible resignation

-President’s knowledge

-Ervin Committee hearings

-Media coverage

-Dean and Jeb Stuart Magruder

-Veracity
-Motives
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman, John N. Mitchell

President’s forthcoming address to nation announcing price control measures
-Tone

-Confidence

-Jobs, money, meat prices


Price left at 1:15 pm.