246–7

Conversation No. 246-7

Date: April 7, 1971
Time: 12:16 pm - 2:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Melvin R. Laird, William P. Rogers, and Henry A. Kissinger

John D. Ehrlichman and George P. Shultz

Vietnam
-Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
-Conversation with Laird
-Richard M. Helms
-National Security Council [NSC]
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
 13

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Jacob K. Javits
-Story in Washington Post, April 7, 1971
-Republicans
-Withdrawal from Vietnam
-North Vietnamese
-Troop withdrawals
-Military’s reaction
-President’s position Conv. No. 246-5 (cont.)
-Negotiations
-Timing
-Kissinger
-John Sherman Cooper’s call to Kissinger, April 6, 1971
-Troop withdrawal
-Timing
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Jack R. Miller’s approach
-POWs
-Negotiations
-Possible Congressional action
-President’s options
-Draft bill
-Status
-John C. Stennis
-Withdrawal date
-Possible effects
-Discussions
-Options
-Laird’s forthcoming testimony
-Military’s reaction
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-National mood
-President’s forthcoming speech
-Congress’ role
-Vietnamization program
-Troop withdrawals
-World Wars I & II, Civil War
-Troop withdrawals
-Rate
-President’s forthcoming announcement
-Military operations
-Message to Ellsworth F. Bunker
-General Nguyen Van Thieu
 14

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Thieu’s conversation with Bunker
-Troop withdrawals
-Rate
-Thieu
-President’s message to Nguyen Cao Ky
-NSC
-Withdrawal rate
-Bunker Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
-Laird’s conversation with Thieu, Bunker, General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Following announcement
-President’s forthcoming announcement
-Official comments
-North Vietnamese military capability
-Laos
-Cambodia
-United States’ military dispositions
-Troop withdrawals

Latin people


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1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


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-Military’s reaction
-President’s policies
-Cambodia
-Views of Cooper, Frank F. Church, Javits
-Moorer’s comments regarding Edmund S. Muskie, Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-President’s forthcoming speech
-Television
 15

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Charts

Ronald L. Ziegler and members of the press entered at 12:49 pm

President’s schedule
-Latin ambassadors
-Photo session
Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
President’s forthcoming speech
-Preparation of speeches

Ziegler and the members of the press left at 12:50 pm

Time magazine

Vietnam
-President’s forthcoming speech
-Chart
-John F. Kennedy
-US military presence
-Congress
-Republicans
-Democrats
-Vietnamization
-Comments
-Carl B. Albert
-Foreign policy making
-Responsibility
-Possible actions
-Draft bill
-Dr. David K. E. Bruce
-Negotiations
-POWs
-President’s responsibility
-Albert, Charles M. Teague, Gerald R. Ford

Congress
-Clark MacGregor’s views
-Revenue sharing
-Government reorganization
-Laird’s forthcoming conversation with Ehrlichman and Shultz
 16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-Agreement with President
-Joint Chiefs of Staff
-Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr.

Rogers and Laird left at 1:00 pm
Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Charts
-Additions
-Troop withdrawals
-Dates
-Woods’ revisions
-Possible changes
-Troop withdrawals
-US casualties
-Forthcoming enemy activity
-Rogers’ views
-Possible changes
-Kissinger’s forthcoming briefing
-Topics
-Casualties
-Air sorties
-Possible press questions
-POWs
-Laird’s possible reaction
-Residual force
-Laird’s view
-POWs
-United States’ policy
-Possible Congressional action
-President’s comments to Laird
-President’s responsibilities
-Donald H. Rumsfeld’s comments in staff meeting, April 7, 1971
-Javits
-Charles H. Percy
-Political ambitions
-Laird, Rogers
 17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



[H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the President between 1:15 pm and 1:16 pm]

[Conversation No. 246-7A]

President’s schedule

[End of telephone conversation]
Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
Vietnam
-Support of President’s policies
-Laird and Rogers
Rogers
-Foreign Service


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National Security]
[Duration: 29s ]


FOREIGN AFFAIRS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


-Views regarding Vietnam

Haldeman entered at 1:20 pm

Vietnam
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Changes
-Preparation
-Woods

MacGregor
 18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



Rumsfeld
-Relations with the New York Times and Washington Post
-Tenure in office
-Forthcoming trip to Europe with Robert H. Finch
-Role with administration
-Comments in staff meeting April 7, 1971
-Vietnam
Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
Vietnam
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Kissinger’s forthcoming briefings
-Robert B. Semple, Jr., Chalmers Roberts, Joseph W. Alsop
President’s schedule
-Unknown newsman

Karl (“Skipper”) Taylor, Jr.
-Nickname “Skipper”

[Pause]

Vietnam
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Content
-Shirley Taylor, sons Karl and Kevin
-Possible effect
-Laird, Rogers

Kissinger left at 1:30 pm

-Poll
-President’s policy
-Calley

[Pause]

-Opinion Research Corporation [ORC]

[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and
1:30 pm]

[Conversation No. 246-7B]
 19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



Call to Major General James D. (“Don”) Hughes

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Polls
-President’s policy
-Calley Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)

[The President talked with Hughes between 1:30 pm and 1:31 pm]

[Conversation No. 246-7C]

Sergeant Karl Taylor
-Medal of Honor citation

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Polls
-Results
-Calley
-Elmo Roper
-Claude Robbins [sp?]
-George H. Gallup
-Dwight L. Chapin
-President’s policy
-Troop withdrawals
-ORC
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]

[Hughes talked with the President between 1:36 pm and 1:37 pm]

[Conversation No. 246-7D]

Medal of Honor citation

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Polls
-ORC
 20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Democratic caucus
-President’s policy
-Gallup
-Withdrawal issue
-Forthcoming demonstrations
-Forthcoming demonstrations
-Possible administration response
-Polls Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
-National mood
-Laos, Cambodia
-Calley
-Possible effect of President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Calley
-Ehrlichman, Shultz
-Son Tay raid
-General Douglas MacArthur

Laird
-Conversation with President
-Haldeman’s forthcoming conversation with Ehrlichman
-Stanley R. Resor
-Tenure in office
-Possible replacement
-Robert F. Froehlke
-Haldeman’s forthcoming conversation with Laird, April 8, 1971

Vietnam
-Public opinion on withdrawal
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Kissinger
-Calley

Revenue sharing
-President’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-Congress
-Program problems
-Presentations
-Edwin L. Harper, Shultz
-Slogans
-Domestic Council
-Laird’s possible meeting with Ehrlichman and Shultz
-Presentation
 21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)




Vietnam
-Emmett Dedmon’s comment
-Polls
-Calley
-Haldeman’s conversation
-[Forename unknown] Derge [sp?]
-Haldeman’s conversation with Thomas Veneman Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)
-Calley
-President’s policy
-President’s forthcoming speech, April 7, 1971
-Timing
-Polls
-Forthcoming call to unknown pollster
-Chapin
-Derge
-Polls

Revenue sharing
-Ehrlichman and Shultz
-Selling administration’s program

Briefings
-Length
-Kissinger, Ehrlichman, Shultz
-Points
-John B. Connally
-Paul W. McCracken

Vietnam
-Polls
-Disclosure

Rumsfeld
-Role with administration
-Finch
-Comments in staff meeting April 7, 1971

Peter G. Peterson

Vietnam
-Polls
 22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Possible release
-Timing
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Effect
-Military services
-Views of Douglas L. Hallett and Patrick J. Buchanan
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Calley Conv. No. 246-7 (cont.)

Domestic Council
-Shultz
-Public relations
-Ehrlichman
-Herbert G. Klein
-Edward L. Morgan

Public relations
-President’s personality
-Connally’s views

Revenue sharing
-President’s conversation with Laird
-Ehrlichman, Shultz

President’s schedule
-Briefing April 8, 1971
-Media

Haldeman left at 2:00 pm