123–2

Conversation No. 123-2

Date: April 20, 1973
Time: 8:39 am - 10:35 am
Location: Cabinet Room

The President met with William J. Casey, George P. Shultz, William P. Clements, Jr., Richard G.
Kleindienst, Joseph T. Sneed, John C. Whitaker, Stephen A. Wakefield, Earl L. Butz, J. Philip
Campbell, Frederick B. Dent, William N. Letson, Peter J. Brennan, Richard F. Schubert, Caspar
W. (“Cap”) Weinberger, Frank C. Carlucci, James T. Lynn, Floyd H. Hyde, Claude S. Brinegar,
Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr., Anne L. Armstrong, George H. W. Bush, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., David R.
Gergen, John D. Ehrlichman, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, Raymond K. Price, Jr., William E.
Timmons, Herbert Stein, and Kenneth W. Clawson; the White House photographer was present
at the beginning of the meeting

Cabinet meeting
-Attendees
-Roy L. Ash
-Cabinet members
-Agenda
-Energy and economy
-Shultz
-Ehrlichman
-Stein

Need for officials to speak out on pending legislation
-Armstrong
-Bills
-Number
-Effect on budget
-John S. Guthrie, Jr.
-Value of previous efforts
-Importance
-Success
-Economic Stabilization Act
-Cabinet efforts
-Sustaining vetoes
-Congress’ intent
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Price freeze
-Wage and price freezes
-Wage contracts
-Effect of national press
-Impact

Energy
-Administration’s efforts
-Reasons
-Public statements
-Issues
-Price
-Environment
-Self-sufficiency
-President’s message to Congress
-Supply
-Effect of time
-Shultz’s talks with foreign finance ministers


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 17s ]


OIL RESERVES

SAUDI ARABIA


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

[To listen to the segment (1m24s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-620.]

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-Oil imports
-Projections
-Problems
 4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Necessity
-US energy policy
-Domestic resources
-Price incentives
-Environment
-Research and development
-Present needs
-Oil imports
-Policy changes
-Need for domestic self-sufficiency
-Efforts
-Rising prices
-President’s energy message
-Elimination of import restrictions
-Problems
-Reasons
-License fee system
-Development of US refining capacity
-Reasons
-Problems
-Price increases
-William E. Simon
-Solutions
-Tariffs
-Effect on future domestic production
-Deep water ports
-Importance
-Reasons
-Thomas W. (“Teddy”) Gleason and Longshoremen
-Oil companies’ reaction
-Effect on trade
-Development of domestic oil resources
-Leasing on continental shelf
-President’s policies
-Alaska
-Prospects
-Pipeline
-Delays
-Application of investment tax credit
-Exploration
-Taxation of foreign source income
-Oil industry opposition
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Continental shelf
-Natural gas
-Effect of current price regulation
-Effect of deregulation of new gas
-Coal
-Supply
-Environmental problems
-Legislation
-Research and development
-Nuclear power
-Procedures in building plants
-Compared to Europeans
-Problems
-Environmentalism
-Failure to build Supersonic Transport [SST]
-Coal mining
-Effect on landscape
-Undeveloped land
-Nuclear power
-Opposition
-President’s home in San Clemente
-Consolidated Edison’s plant in New York
-Administration’s record
-Future policies
-Alaska pipeline


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Canada

[To listen to the segment (33s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-620.]

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-Effects on economy
-Trade-offs
-Situation
-Potential crisis
-Commentators
-Joseph W. Alsop
-Effect of President’s proposed actions
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Supplies
-Prices
-Administration plans
-Research
-Development of domestic resources
-Coal
-Oil
-Natural gas
-Nuclear energy


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Nuclear power

[To listen to the segment (26s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-620.]

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-Bureaucracy
-Environmentalists
-Administration’s energy policy
-Choices


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Oil producers

[To listen to the segment (5m48s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-620.]

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-Supplies
-Breeder reactor
-Antitrust laws
-Kleindienst and Sneed meeting with Charles J. DiBona
-Enforcement
-Research and development
-President’s message
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Funding
-Possible effect of federal program
-Meeting with energy producers
-US capability
-Oil
-Geothermal energy
-Companies’ interests
-Financial cooperation with government
-Antitrust problems
-Networks’ response to cable television

National economy
-Stein’s forthcoming speech
-Employment
-Disposable income per capita
-Consumption per capita
-Gross National Product [GNP]
-Rate of growth
-Percentage
-Sustainable growth policies
-Problems with an expansionary economy
-Administration’s budget policies
-Effect on growth
-Monetary policy
-Inflation
-Popular expectations
-Wage and price freeze
-Consumer Price Index [CPI]
-Food
-Meat
-Increases compared to non-food goods
-Monthly comparisons
-Phase III
-Possible changes
-Cost of Living Council [COLC]
-Legislation
-Situation in August 1971
-President’s actions
-Freeze
-Unemployment
-Youth
-Situation in 1972
 8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Problems
-Boom economy
-Employment
-Inflation
-Current situation
-Suggested actions
-President’s policies
-Sectors of the economy
-Phase III
-President’s and Brennan’s meetings with building trades union leaders
-George Meany
-Food prices
-Compared to other prices
-Statements by Cabinet members
-Ceiling on meat prices
-Possibility of freeze
-Increase in food production
-Employment
-Administration policies
-Future CPI
-Farm income and food prices
-Agricultural exports
-Productivity
-Present economy
-Administration’s policy to control inflation
-Monetary policy
-Federal budget
-COLC
-Agricultural supplies
-Meat versus fish
-President’s friend
-Anecdote

Energy
-Administration’s efforts
-Reaction
-Requirements projected to 1985
-Sources


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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 15s ]


MIDDLE EAST


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

[To listen to the segment (19m8s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-620, E-
621.]

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Watergate
-Kleindienst
-Grand jury’s actions
-Press reports
-President’s meeting with Kleindienst on April 15, 1973
-John N. Mitchell
-Henry E. Petersen’s role
-Staff cooperation
-Grand jury
-President’s orders for complete investigation
-Harry S Truman
-Alger Hiss case
-L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] activities
-Difficulties of self-investigation
-Mitchell
-Possible statements by officials
-Rights of accused
-Grand jury process
-Value
-Leaks
-Court reporter
-Jurors
-Prosecutors

President’s schedule
 10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Easter


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Cambodian crisis

[To listen to the segment (1m35s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-621.]

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[General conversation/Unintelligible]

The President, et al. left at 10:35 am