332–35

Conversation No. 332-35

Date: April 25, 1972
Time: 10:50 am - 12:50 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. Haldeman and Ronald L. Zielger.

News story
-Impact

Refreshment

US-Soviet relations
-Henry A. Kissinger's trip
-Helmut (“Hal”) Sonnenfeldt
-Ronald L. Ziegler's inability to reach Sonnenfeldt

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 10:50 am.

Refreshment
 38

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)




Sanchez left at an unknown time before 11:06 am.

US-Soviet relations
-Kissinger's trip
-Drama
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Secrecy
-Success
-Speculation as to Kissinger's location
-Paris
-Camp David
-Ziegler's briefing
-Time
-Possible questions
-Gerald L. Warren
-The President's decision on Vietnam policy
-Announcements
-Impact
-White House morale
-Opposition confusion
-The President's statement
-Time
-Announcement on television
-General situation in Vietnam
-Announcement
-Kissinger’s trip
-Soviet summit
-Ziegler's statement
-Vietnam
-The President's television address

Vietnam
-The President's supporters
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Attacks on Democrats
-Madam Nguyen Thi Binh's letter to Congress
-Advantages for administration
-Reaction of doves
-Rhetoric
-Congress
-Charge of support of enemy
-Winston Lord
 39

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Robert A. Taft, Jr.
-Attacks on Democrats
-Repudiation of North Vietnamese and Madam Binh letter
-Reports in New York Times, Washington Post and news networks
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC], Columbia Broadcasting
System [CBS], and United Press International [UPI] reports
-The President's challenge to opponents
-Demand for repudiation of Binh letter
-Charles S. Gubser's statement

The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 10:50 and 11:06 am.

[Conversation No. 332-35A]

Dinner for congressmen
-Call to Clark MacGregor
-Invitation to Gubser
-Statement on Vietnam

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Binh letter
-Comments
-Wayne L. Hays
-Alexander [first name or surname unknown]

The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 10:50 and 11:06 am.

[Conversation No. 332-35B]

Dinner for congressmen
-Invitations
-Hays
-Refusal to issue invitation
-MacGregor
-Number

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Binh letter
-Comments
 40

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Taft
-Challenge to Edward M. Kennedy
-The President's speech
-Ziegler's announcement
-Contents
-Appeal to hawks
-Press reactions
-Washington Post editorials
-Soviet summit
-Risks
-The President's decision
-Time
-Warren
-Camp David
-Kissinger's meeting in Moscow
-Time
-Camp David
-Ziegler's announcement
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin's statement
-Change of wording
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Andrei A. Gromyko
-Kissinger

Ziegler left at 11:06 am.

-White House staff
-The President's conversations with Charles W. Colson and MacGregor
-Colson's analysis of Kissinger's trip
-Negotiations
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Justification
-Publicity
-Colson's concern
-Publicity
-Continuation of bombing
-Publicity
-Conditions for cessation
-Wording
-Handling of critics
-MacGregor
-Colson
-Strategy
 41

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-The President's speech
-Discussion with Kissinger
-Rhetoric
-Length
-Compared with November 3rd and Cambodia speeches

Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 11:06 am.

Tobacco

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 11:17 am.

Vietnam
-The President's speech
-Approach
-Previous speeches
-Binh letter
-Reaction
-A. Eric Sevareid
-Contents
-Peace proposal
-Colson's reaction
-Kissinger
-The President's speech
-Conclusion
-Formulation
-Secrecy from staff
-US bombing
-Wording of statement
-Quotability
Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson's wording
-Follow-up
-Haldeman's role
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Public release
-Congress
-Resolutions
-Marches
-Calls to networks
-Poll
-George H. Gallup and Louis P>Harris
-Trial heats
-Questions
 42

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Bombing
-Compared with Gallup-type questions
-Support for the President
-Release
-Other polls
-Gallup
-Harris
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-Questions
-Moscow summit

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 11:17 am.

-Ziegler's announcement of the President's speech
-Kissinger’s concern
-Soviets
-Brezhnev
-Delays in announcement
-Time

Ziegler left at 11:20 am.

-Kissinger’s concern
-Speech
-Drafts
-John K. Andrews, Jr.
-William L. Safire
-Methods of review
-Kissinger
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Leonard Garment
-Problems
-Ziegler
-Desire for concensus
-Problems

Kissinger
-Press briefing
-Trip to Florida with the President
 43

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Unknown actress
-Haig
-Schedule
-Fontainebleu Hotel
-Publicity

The President's schedule
-Trip to Florida
-Time
-Meeting with Kissinger
-The President's speech
-Lord
-Accuracy of certain points
-Creighton W. Abrams's report
-Trip to Florida
-Arrangements
-Time
-National Basketball Association [NBA] playoffs
-The President's speech
-West Coast time
-Announcement
-Interruptions
-Reception
-NBA playoffs
-Audience
-Size

Kissinger's trip
-Sonnenfeldt
-Ziegler's knowledge
-Secrecy
-Cover story
-Sonnenfeldt
-Trip to Camp David
-Paris
-Sonnenfeldt
-Activities
-Summit
-Liberals' views
-Risks from bombing
-Risks of future in Vietnam
-The President's reelection
 44

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



Vietnam
-Public relations efforts
-Colson
-Attacks on media
-The Vice President
-The President's speech
-Media reception
-Attacks on networks
-Contents
-Kissinger’s trip
-Melvin R. Laird
-Troop withdrawals
-Peace offers
-Soviet summit
-The President's speech
-Washington Post
-Reaction of opponents
- Washington Post
-Phone calls
-John D. Ehrlichman's call to Katharine L. Graham
- Washington Post editor
-Calls from Congressmen and Senators


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 57s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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


Vietnam
-Kissinger's trip to Moscow
-Timing of announcement
-Colson's and MacGregor's concern
-Goldwater's speech
-Bombing
-Goldwater's speech
 45

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Timing of information given to Goldwater
-Rejection of North Vietnamese demand
-The President's statement
-Kissinger's briefing
-Colson and MacGregor
-Washington Star
-Support
-Current situation
-The President's speech
-Announcement
-Timing
-Bad news
-Abrams
-Support of South Vietnam
-Binh letter


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 42s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

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


-The President's domestic position
-Diplomacy
-Kissinger's upcoming trip
-Summit
-Resumption of bombing
-Kissinger
-Congressmen
-The President's supporters
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham

US-Soviet relations
-Kissinger's trip
-Cover
-Camp David
 46

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Discovery

The President's schedule
-A graduation
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Ceremony
-Location

Vietnam
-Binh letter
-Patrick J. Buchanan memorandum
-Inclusion in speech
-Haldeman's advice
-The President's speech
-Length
-Troop withdrawals
-Bombings
-The President's policies
-Kissinger
-Justification for actions
-Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope's comments

The President's forthcoming speech
-Trip to PRC

Vietnam
-The President's speech
-North Vietnamese invasion
-Failure
-Abrams's views
-Impact on Congress and public opinion
-South Vietnam
-Evacuation of US forces
-North Vietnamese invasion
-Stakes in war
-Aid of Soviet Union
-Success
-Consequences
-Risks of other wars
-US goals
-Peace offers
-Consequences of failure
-Risks
 47

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-1972 election
-Costs of failure
-US foreign policy goals
-South Vietnam
-Trips to PRC and Moscow
-Respect for US and the presidency
-The President's successors
-Dangers of defeat in South Vietnam
-Text
-Haldeman's opinion
-Tone
-The President's goals
-Victory
-Impact on critics
-Desire to surrender
-The President's supporters
-Encouragement
-Trip to Moscow
-Peace talks
-The President's speech
-Safire
-The President's mark
-Revisions
-Andrews

H. R. Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 11:20 am
and 12:00 pm.

[Conversation No. 332-35C]

[See Conversation No. 23-59]

The President conferred with Haldeman at an unknown time during the conversation.

Ziegler
-Press briefing
-Press reaction

Haldeman talked with an unknown woman at an unknown time.

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler at an unknown time.

[End of telephone conversation]
 48

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)




Press
-Ziegler's briefing
-Question
-Kissinger's trip
-Credibility
-Public opinion
-Support for secrecy
-Ziegler's answer
-Plausibility

Vietnam
-The President's leadership
-John B. Connally's views
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Contrast in styles

The President's schedule
-Dinner for congressmen
-Reward for supporters
-Laird
-[Thomas S.?] Kleppe
-Invitation

H. R. Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 11:20 am and
12:00 pm.

[Conversation No. 332-35D]

-Rogers C. B. Morton
-Invitation

[End of telephone conversation]

Kissinger and Ziegler entered at 12:00 pm.

Press
-Ziegler's handling
-Secrecy of Kissinger's trip
-Kissinger's veracity
-Ziegler
-The President's call
-Ziegler's response
 49

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Haldeman
-Publicity
-Scali
-Anecdote
-Ziegler's announcement
-Reading of statement
-Kissinger's briefing
-Press reaction
-The President's contacts with Brezhnev
-Brezhnev's title
-Mao Tse-tung's title
-William P. Rogers
-Reception for Kissinger
-Cordiality
-Discussion of Vietnam
-Benefits of meeting
-Rogers
-Vietnam
-Speculation
-Proper approach
-The President's goals in Vietnam
-Use of secret channels
-Meeting with Brezhnev
-Results
-Peter Lisagor
-Press reactions
-Compared with PRC trip briefing
-Kissinger's call to Graham
- Washington Post editorial
-Moscow summit
-Mistakes
-Moscow summit
-Reception for Kissinger
-Graham
-Philip L. Graham
-Death
-Washington Post editorial
-Views of eastern establishment
-Washington Post, New York Times, Time, Newsweek, and networks
-Call to Rogers
-Kissinger's trip to Moscow
-Discussions
-North Vietnamese delegate's trip
 50

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Kissinger's briefing of press
-Laird and Connally
-Notification
-Connally's reaction to Kissinger's trip
-Soviets
-Naval strikes
-Preparations
-Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.
-Attacks
-Shore batteries
-Haig
-Range of guns
-Destroyers
-Zumwalt
-Destroyers
-Number
-Air strikes
-B-52s
-Targets
-Accuracy
-Intensity
-Destruction of targets
-Warehouses
-Docks
-Power Plant
-Accuracy
-Message to Brezhnev
-Binh letter
-Air strikes
-North Vietnamese losses
-Men
-Figures
-Laotian operation
-Military Region Three
-Military Region Four
-North Vietnamese invasion
-Units in south
-Army Of The Republic Of Vietnam [ARVN] units
-Losses
-North Vietnamese losses
-Saigon and Hanoi
-US attacks on north
-Power plants
 51

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants [POL] dumps
-Docks
-US strikes
-Nuclear weapons
-South Vietnamese chances
-Kissinger's meeting with Brezhnev
-Significance
-Statements on bombing
-North Vietnamese invasion
-Soviet aid
-Brezhnev's reaction
-Soviet knowledge
-Extent of offensive
-Soviets
-Willy Brandt
-Soviet Summit
-Importance for Soviets
-Politburo meeting
-Kissinger's meeting with Yuli M. Vorontsov
-The President's message
-The President's trip to Moscow
-Divisive issue
-Kissinger’s meetings in Moscow
-Reception
-Press reaction
-Kitchen Cabinet
-Trips to Moscow
-Books and articles by reporters
-Clarence Fickiue [sp?], editor
-Cleveland Plain Dealer

-Press
-Kissinger's briefing
-Duration
-Press reaction
-The President's speech
-Announcement
-The President's decision on something
-Kissinger's report

Kissinger's trip to Moscow
-List of those who went
-Release
 52

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)




Ziegler left at 12:28 pm.

US-Soviet relations
-Kissinger's trip
-Meetings with D. Kenneth Rush and Connally
-Connally's reaction
-The President's speech
-Kissinger's briefing
-Points to make
-Rejection of North Vietnamese terms
-Appeal to hawks

Vietnam
-Negotiations
-Cease-fire proposal
-Reaction
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Negotiations
-North Vietnamese invasion
-Conditions for resumption
-Kissinger's briefing
-Haig
-Zumwalt
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Richard M. Helms
-Rush
-Helms
-Response to Soviet trip
-Soviet trip
-Significance
-Negotiations
-Soviet transmittal of US messages

The President's schedule
-Trip to Florida
-Kissinger's presence
-Necessity
-Itinerary
-Arrangements
-Kissingers visitors
-Itinerary
-Dinner
 53

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Publicity
-Unknown person
-Gifts to Kissinger
-Kissinger's presence
-Necessity
-Itinerary
-Return trip
-Weekend
-Publicity

Vietnam
-The President's efforts
-Air strikes
-Targets
-Soviet Union
-PRC
-North Vietnamese invasion
-Soviet Summit
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] agreement
-Benefits
-Possible cancellation
-Kissinger's call to Graham
-Kissinger's call to Ronald W. Reagan
-Air strikes

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 21
[Privacy]
[Duration: 7s ]

REAGAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 21

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

-Call to Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Kissinger's call to Reagan
-The President's courage
-Soviets
 54

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



Kissinger left at an unknown time after 12:28 pm.

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 22
[Privacy]
[Duration: 7s ]

REAGAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 22

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

-Possible call to Barry M. Goldwater
-Bombing
-Polls
-Public approval
-Gallup
-Wording of questions


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 19
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 57s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 19

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


The President's schedule
-Possible meeting with Richard and Karen Carpenter [singing group]
-Lunch with Ken [surname unknown]
-Support for the President
-Tour of Oval Office
-Tricia Nixon Cox, Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

H. R. Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:40 and 12:46
 55

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



pm.

[Conversation No. 332-35E]

-Arrangements
-Tricia Nixon Cox, Mrs. Nixon and Julie Nixon
Eisenhower
-Tour of White House
-Oval Office
-Rose Garden
-Greeting by First Family

[End of telephone conversation]

-First Family
-Meetings with celebrities

Vietnam
-Negotiations
-The President's strategy
-Bombing
-Intensity
-Purpose
-North Vietnam
-Negotiations
-Cease-fire
-Thieu's resignation
-Cease-fire
-Conditions
-Withdrawal of US Troops
-Muskie's Comments
-Soviet Summit

Andrews entered at 12:46 pm.

Andrews's meeting with the President
-Time

The President's speech
-Andrews's revisions

Haldeman left at 12:47 pm.
 56

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Length
-Further questions
-Figures and facts
-Verification
-Lord
-Distribution of draft
-Limitations
-Lord
-Ziegler
-Haldeman
-Kissinger
-Draft
-The President's review
-Time
-Preparation

US-Soviet relations
-Kissinger's trip
-Secrecy

Andrews left at 12:50 pm.