855–22

Conversation No. 855-22

Date: February 14, 1973
Time: 12:38 pm - 1:46 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

Photograph with unknown woman

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:38 pm.

Request for Washington Star

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:05 pm.

News stories
-Raising of flag for prisoners of war [POWs] return
-Charles Colson
-Washington Post
-Radio
-Television [TV]

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:38 pm.

Incorrect newspaper
-Washington Star-News

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:05 pm.

Presidential actions
-Gimmicks

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:38 pm.

Presidential actions
-Naturalness
-Raising of flag
 -40-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 855-22 (cont’d)


-Corsages
-Press coverage
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Corsages
-Raising of flag
-Press coverage
-Reports by John W. Chancellor, Walter L. Croncite, Jr.

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:05 pm.

Raising of flag
-Press coverage
-Mourning for Lyndon B. Johnson
-Claudia A. (“Lady Bird”) Johnson
-Agreement

POW return
-Raising flag compared to meeting POWs in Philippines
-Graciousness
-POW wives
-President’s handling
-Church statement
-Privacy for POWs
-Clark Field
-Rehabilitation
California
-Physical appearance
-Vietcong [VC] prisoners
-Publicity
-Stories of treatment
-Effect on aid to North Vietnam
-H. Ross Perot
-Prison cells
-Congress
-Communication from the administration
-Missing in action [MIAs]
 -41-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 855-22 (cont’d)


-Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and 1:05
pm.

[Conversation No. 855-22A]

Meeting with George P. Shultz and John T. Dunlop
-Devaluation of dollar
-New York Times correspondent
-Economic impact
-Imports
-Prices
-Phase III
-Statement by Shultz
- New York Times correspondent
-“Hatchet job”

[End of telephone conversation]

Shultz
-Press statement
-Economy

Prices
-Effects of devaluation of dollar
-Foreign cars
-Trips abroad by the American public

President's statements
-State of the union
-Multiple speeches
-Energy
-Written compared to spoken words
-Transitions
-Fuel shortages
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
 -42-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 855-22 (cont’d)


-Henry A. Kissinger
-Editing
-Conclusion
-Wording
-Transition
-Sentence structure
-Conjunctions
-David R. Gergen
-Quotes
-Presidential meaning
-Colorful language
-“Fair shake” compared to “competitive position”
-Shultz
-US exports
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Phrase-making
-Speechwriters
-Quality prose compared to quotable line
-Enduring value
-“Speech doctors”
-Hollywood
-S. Bruce Herschensohn
-Gergen
-Colorful phrases
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Editing
-Transitions
-Speechwriters
-Content
-Timeliness
-POWs
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Concluding paragraph
-Reminders
-Beauty of America
-Inaugurations
-PRC
 -43-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 855-22 (cont’d)


-President’s trip
-POWs
-Big issues
-Delivery
-Norman Vincent Peale
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham [?]
-Preachers
-Anecdotes
-Timeliness
-Ehrlichman
-Substance compared to style
-Phrase-making
-Editing

Press relations
-Bull
-Newbold (Newby”) Noyes, Jr.
-Meeting with President
-Ehrlichman
-Washington Star
-Blacks
-Support for President
-Washington Post
-Objectivity
-Meeting with President
-Reasons
-Value
-Support for President
-Letter to President
-Ehrlichman

Blacks
-President’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-1972 election
-Demands
-Handouts
-Appreciation from President
 -44-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 855-22 (cont’d)


-John F. Kennedy
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-News summary
-President’s accomplishments
-Public demonstration
-Speech
-Haldeman’s view
-Complaints
-Lukewarm support
-Kennedy
-Robert Elliott Thompson
-Hearst newspapers
-High ratings
-Assassination
-Press coverage
-Timing of civil rights promises

Past president
-Kennedy
-Rating
-Harry S Truman
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Foreign policy
-Personal appeal

Press relations
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Richard A. Moore
-William E. Safire
-John Reagan (“Tex”) MCCrary
-Kennedy
-Public relations [PR]
-Understanding
-Emotional reactions
-Moore
-Herschenson
 -45-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 855-22 (cont’d)


Ziegler entered at 1:05 pm.

Press relations
-Radio speech
-Film clip
-Request from networks
-Public reaction
-Film clip
-PRC, POWs
-Emotional appeal
-Length
-Environmental statement from radio speech
-Abraham Lincoln
-“Peace with nature”
-President’s record
-Television [TV]
-Value
-Radio speech
-Editing
-Gergen
-Radio speech film clip
-Delivery
-Teleprompter
-Speech typewriter
-Location
-Filming
-Length
-Typing speech
-Rose Mary Woods
-Timing
-Preparation

Ziegler left at 1:14 pm.

President's meeting with Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Timing
 -46-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 855-22 (cont’d)


President’s statements
-Moore
-Herschenson
-Ziegler
-Need for imagination
-McCrary
-Youth
-Ehrlichman
-Shultz

Meeting with President
-Anne L. Armstrong
-George H. W. Bush
-Subjects of discussion
-Bush
-Letter to President

White House social affairs
-Maurice H. Stans's recommendation
-President's opposition
-Dinners for contributors
-Number attending
-Elmer H. Bobst and wife
-State dinners
-Coordination with other dinners
-Problems
-Events for financial contributors
-Evening at the White House
-Members of Congress
-Alternative to Stans's idea
-Small dinners
-Stans
-Cabinet members
-Supplement with state dinners
-Golda Meir
-President's support
-Scheduling
 -47-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 855-22 (cont’d)


-Stans’s recommendation
-Briefing
-Dinners
-Black ties
-Stag dinner
-Wives
-Evening at the White House
-Stag dinner and briefing
-Number
-President’s statement
-Evening at the White House
-Shultz
-Ehrlichman
-Foreign policy
-Henry A. Kissinger
-William P. Rogers
-Entertainment
-Army Chorus
-President’s statements
-Number
-Shape of tables
-Location
-East Room
-State Dining Room
-Photographs
-Autographs
-Number of courses
-President’s appearance
-Cabinet officers
-Distribution at tables
-Celebrities
-Businessmen
-Stans
-Bush
-Herbert W. Kalmbach
-Invitations
-Scheduling
 -48-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 855-22 (cont’d)


-Governors dinner
-Golda Meir dinner
-Invitations
-Gridiron dinner
-Key Biscayne
-Departure
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Kissinger
-Troop withdrawal
-Governors dinner
-Golda Meir dinner
-Press conference
-Florida

President’s schedule
-Trip to Florida
-Weather
-Delays

White House social affairs
-Events for financial contributors
-Dinners
-Scheduling
-Press conference
-Date
-Governors dinner
-Nighttime
-Kissinger’s return
-California
-Thieu’s visit
-Events for financial contributors
-Dinners
-Scheduling
-Astronauts
-Veterans of Foreign Wars [FVW] Congressional dinner
-Coordination with White House dinners
-Evening at White House
 -49-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 855-22 (cont’d)


-Invitations
-Congress members
-Reception for President’s Congressional supporters
-Governors, Meir, Stans dinners

Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:14 pm.

President’s schedule
-Ziegler
-Film crew
-Meeting with Moorer

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:46 pm.

White House social affairs
-Evening at the White House
-St. Patrick’s Day
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon’s birthday
-Congress members
-Church service
-President’s trip to Florida
-Scheduling
-Gridiron dinner
-President’s absence
-Camp David
-Scheduling of Evening at the White House
-Church services
-Democrats
-Invitations
-Entertainment
-Church services
-Minister
-Variety
-Peale
-House chaplain
-Catholics, Jews
-Edger F. Magnin
 -50-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 855-22 (cont’d)



President’s schedule
-Long-range schedule
-Speeches, press conferences
-Radio speeches
-Releases
-Messages to Congress
-Live compared with tapes
-Announcement
-TV
-Newspapers
-Meeting with Moorer
-Long-range planning
-Church services, Evenings at the White House

Haldeman left at 1:46 pm.