815–6

Conversation No. 815-6

Date: November 24, 1972
Time: 8:21 am - 8:56 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

Second term reorganization
-George W. Romney
-Forthcoming meeting with Ehrlichman
-Length
-Forthcoming meeting with the President
-Meeting with Ehrlichman
-Announcement of departure
-Romney’s Plans
-Leaks to public
-Republican-oriented civic group
-Common Cause model
-Announcement of Cabinet departures
-Timing
-Congress
-Melvin R. Laird
-Romney’s successor
-Undersecretary of Department of Housing and Urban
Development [HUD]
-Recess appointment
-Confirmation
-Richard C. Van Dusen
-Timing
-Congressional hearings on HUD
 -5-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-08)

Conversation No. 815-6 (cont’d)

-Recess appointment
-William Proxmire
-Van Dusen
-Romney's suggestions
-Meeting with the President
-Newspaper article
-James T. Lynn
-Resignation
-John A. Volpe
-Forthcoming meeting with Ehrlichman
-First-term Cabinet
-Domestic field
-William P. Rogers
-Ambassadorship
-Changes in Cabinet
-Rogers
-Retention
-Vietnam negotiations
-Middle East
-Domestic Cabinet
-James D. Hodgson
-Romney
-Other assignments
-Ambassadorship to Italy
-Timing
-1972 election
-Graham A. Martin
-Performance
-Compared to Volpe
-Dealings with Italians
-Volpe’s Relationship with the President
-Italian politics
-Left wing
-Volpe’s relationship with the President
-State Department
-Italian politics
-Left wing
-The President’s forthcoming meeting with Volpe
-Volpe’s departure
-Volpe’s performance
 -6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-08)

Conversation No. 815-6 (cont’d)

-Cabinet comments


******************************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

-1972 Election
-Italian-American vote
-Charles W. Colson’s comments
-Public appearances

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
******************************************************************************


Second term reorganization
-Volpe
-Retention
-Departure
-Ambassadorship to Italy
-Acceptance
-Other cabinet members
-Qualifications

Vietnam negotiations
-Settlement agreement
-Henry A. Kissinger
-North and South Vietnamese intransigence
-Expectations
-1972 election
-Kissinger’s view
-Wires, cables
-San Clemente
-The President’s November 3, 1969, Cambodia [April 30, 1970], and
May 8, 1972 speeches
-North Vietnamese repudiation
-October 8, 1972
-US bombing
-Nguyen Van Thieu repudiation
-Separate peace between US and North Vietnam
 -7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-08)

Conversation No. 815-6 (cont’d)

-Prisoners of War [POWS]
-US forces withdrawal
-The President’s November 23, 1972 message to Thieu
-Thieu’s future
-Public expectations
-Talks resumption
-Timing
-1972 election
-North Vietnamese message
-North Vietnamese position
-October 1972
-US deadline
-Timing
-1972 election
-Kissinger’s view
-Public expectations
-Kissinger’s meeting with Le Duc Tho
-Tone
-Kissinger’s recent meeting with [Lt. Gen. T.N.J. Suharto and Adm.
Malik] in Brussels
-State Department
-Thieu
-Tenure
-Coercion to accept
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Possible recall for consultations

Second term reorganization
-Announcements
-Format
-The President’s conversations with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Camp David
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s view
-Symbolism
-Press briefing
-Hangar
-Laurel Lodge
-The President’s schedule
-November 27, 1972
-Richard G. Kleindienst
 -8-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-08)

Conversation No. 815-6 (cont’d)

-Hand-outs
-Statements
-Introductions
-The President's role
-Ziegler
-Details, biographies
-Photograph session
-Secretary of State
-Rogers
-Secretary of Defense
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Statements by designees
-Lunch
-Photograph session
-Television [TV]
-Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
-Conflict of interest, confirmation
-Conference room
-John W. Dean, III
-Lunch
-Staff briefings
-Timing
-John A. Scali
-Kissinger
-Haldeman
-Department of Transportation
-Italian-American nominee
-Announcements
-The President's role
-Master of ceremonies
-Photograph session
-Camp David
-Introductions
-Lunch
-Ziegler's briefing of press
-Foreign affairs
-Domestic affairs
-Laird
-Richardson
-Under Secretaries
 -9-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-08)

Conversation No. 815-6 (cont’d)

-Roy L. Ash
-Scali
-United Nations [UN] ambassadorship
-Decision
-Kissinger's support
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Paris
-Ehrlichman’s forthcoming conversation with Kissinger
-George H.W. Bush
-White House
-State Department
-Scali’s qualifications
-Italian American background
-Ehrlichman’s forthcoming conversation with Haldeman
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Forthcoming meeting with Ehrlichman
-Robert J.Dole
-Relations with Ehrlichman
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Second term
-Domestic policies
-Special assignments
-Tone
-Staff
-Edwin L. Harper
-Possible assignment
-Benefits for Agnew
-Political orientation
-Loyalty
-Unknown person
-Changes
-Forthcoming meeting with Ehrlichman
-Indian problems
-Complexity
-Interior Department
-Bureau of Indian Affairs [BIA]
-Interior Department
-Under Secretary
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Compared to Rogers C. B. Morton
 -10-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-08)

Conversation No. 815-6 (cont’d)

-Toughness
-Value
-Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
-Compared to Patricia R. Hitt
-Morton
-Robert J. Hitt
-Department of Transportation
-Under Secretary
-Robert Hitt
-Relationship with Frederic V. Malek
-Experts
-Assistant Secretary
-Compared to Robert E. Nidecker
-West Point
-Loyalty
-Patricia Hitt
-Morton
-Relationship with Malek
-Politics
-Personal relations
-Administration
-Interior Department
-Under secretary
-Morton
-Justice Department
-Solicitor General
-Robert J. Bork
-Kleindienst's reaction
-Changes
-Kleindienst’s view
-The President’s possible conversation with Kleindienst
-Watergate
-Prosecution
-Appearance
-Henry E. Petersen
-Judgeship
-Criminal division
-Kleindienst
-Departure
-Timing
 -11-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-08)

Conversation No. 815-6 (cont’d)

-Haldeman
-John N. Mitchell’s possible conversation with Kleindienst
-Appointment
-Problems
-Mitchell
-International telephone and telegraph [ITT]
-Haldeman
-Departure
-Delays
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Louis Patrick Gray, III
-Kleindienst
-Departure

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 8:21 am.

The President's schedule
-Milton Pitts

[Letter to Kissinger?]
-Alexander P. Butterfield

The President’s schedule
-Forthcoming trip to New York City
-Wall Street
-Timing
-Mudge, Rose, Guthrie and Alexander
-Family
-Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
-Kissinger

Alexander P. Butterfield and an unknown woman entered at 8:53 am.

Letter
-Typing
-Spacing
Butterfield and the unknown woman left at an unknown time before 8:56 am.

The President's schedule
-Trip to New York City
 -12-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-08)

Conversation No. 815-6 (cont’d)

-Timing
-Meeting with Mudge, Rose, Guthric and Alexander
-First Family
-Leonard Garment
-Departure

Bull left at an unknown time before 8:56 am.

Nixon Library
-The President’s note
-Mudge, Rose, Guthrie and Alexander
-The President’s home [in Yorba Linda, California]
-Confidentiality

The President replayed the dictation to Robert Devaney.

Nixon Library
-Property
-Trade-off
-Confidentiality
-The President’s conversations with John H. Alexander, Randolph H.
Guthrie
-F. Edward Hebert
-Camp Pendleton
-National site

The President replayed the dictation to Devaney.

Nixon Library
-Property

Ehrlichman left at 8:56 pm.