334–2

Conversation No. 334-2

Date: April 25, 1972
Time: 3:35 pm - 4:20 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

Briefing

Vietnam
-Announcement on US troop levels
-Time
-Basketball game
-California
-News shows
-Ziegler's possible comments
-The President's report to nation
-Henry A. Kissinger’s return from Moscow
-Camp David
-Nguyen Van Thieu, Ellsworth F. Bunker, William J. Porter and Gen. Creighton
W. Abrams, Jr.
-Consultation
-Approval of announcement
-Changes in levels
 2

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 334-2 (cont.)

-May 1, 1972
-Negotiations
-Announcement
-Timing
-Kissinger's trip to Moscow
-Disclosure to press
-Ziegler's statement
-Secrecy
-Necessity
-Disclosure to press
-Soviet summit
-Crisis
-Answers to questions

Kissinger entered at 3:40 pm.

Ziegler's briefing
-Time

Ziegler left at an unknown time before 3:42 pm.

The President's forthcoming speech on Vietnam
-Draft
-Review
-Major point
-Doves, intellectuals
-Cambodia’s speech [April 30, 1970]
-November 3, 1969 speech
-Difference in tone
-Soviets
-Election
-Relation to Cambodia
-Cambodia
-Washington Post
-Problems
-Kent State University
-Appeal to hawks
-Doves
-Problems

John K. Andrews, Jr. entered at 3:42 pm.
 3

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 334-2 (cont.)

-Copy for Kissinger
-Review with Andrews and Winston Lord
-Quality of work

Andrews left at 3:45 pm.

-Kissinger's recommendations
-Changes
-Peace terms
-Hyperbole
-Doves
-Concern
-Soviets
-Hawks
-Clark MacGregor's survey
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Speaking engagement
-Tone
-Changes

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 3:45 pm.

Refreshment

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 3:55 pm.

Vietnam
-The President's speech
-Review with Kissinger
-First part of speech
-Casualties
-Timing
-Negotiations
-The President's offers to North Vietnam
-Casualties
-Statement on number from previous year
-Kissinger's changes
-Review by the President
-Negotiations
-North Vietnamese refusal to talk

Kissinger's health
 4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 334-2 (cont.)

-Trip to Moscow
-Time difference

Kissinger's trip to Moscow
-Call to Katherine L. Graham
-Publication of secret papers in Washington Post
-Kissinger's protests
-Graham's reaction

Vietnam
-The President's speech
-Kissinger's revisions
-North Vietnamese troop figures
-Battlefield reports
-Vietnamization program
-Deletions
-Future announcement
-Use of draftees
-US readiness to negotiate
-US proposals
-Bombing
-Public issue
-Statement on US objectives
-Critics

Ziegler entered at 3:55 pm.

Television networks
-Conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Request
-The President's speech
-Basketball game
-Scheduling
-Length of speech
-Delay in game

Ziegler left at 3:56 pm.

Vietnam
-The President's speech
-Kissinger's changes
-North Vietnamese victory
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 334-2 (cont.)

-Deletions
-Soviet assistance to North Vietnam
-Reference to Middle East
-Liberals
-US refusal to be humiliated or defeated or to surrender
-Deletions
-Soviets
-Tone
-US involvement
-Termination
-Deletions
-US as \"great power\"
-The President's responsibilities
-World leadership
-Stewart J.O. Alsop
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Evaluation
-Bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong
-Sherlock Holmes analogy
-Support
-Bombing
-Invitation to Moscow
-Frequency
-Kissinger’s trip to Moscow
-Hanoi and Haiphong
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Soviet Summit
-The President's forthcoming speech to retiring congressmen
-Kissinger's briefing for John B. Connally
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Cease-fire in place
-Reaction to proposal
-The President's conversation with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Porter
-Termination of war
-Possible bombing
-Kissinger's meeting with Dobrynin
-Meeting with Andrei A. Gromyko
-Soviets
-Assistance to US
-W[illiam] Averell Harriman, Lyndon B. Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 334-2 (cont.)

-Motives for settlement
-German Treaty
-Middle East
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Dobrynin
-Dealings with present Administration
-Interests of \"great powers\"
-Gromyko
-Brezhnev
-The President's speech
-Secrecy
-Leaks
-Ziegler, Haldeman, John A. Scali, William P. Rogers and Melvin R.
Laird
-Kissinger's changes
-Lord
-The President's review
-Rogers
-Discussion with Kissinger
-Rogers
-Involvement in PRC, Moscow, SALT and Berlin trips

SALT
-Discussion with Kissinger
-Negotiations
-Gerard C. Smith
-Haig
-Plenary sessions
-Rogers
-Discussion with Kissinger
-Anti-ballistic missiles [ABM]
-Smith
-Contacts with Kissinger
-Rogers and Laird
-Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
-Smith and Rogers
-Kissingers' trip to Moscow
-Paper
-Recall of Smith
-Wire from the President
-Rogers
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 334-2 (cont.)

-Schedule
-Announcement
-Military
-Publicity
-The President's trip to Florida
-Meeting with Smith and verification panel
-Time
-Kissinger's return to Washington

Ronald W. Reagan
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Soviets

Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Reaction to Kissinger's trip to Moscow

Vietnam
-The President's speech
-Draft
-Return to the President
-Dinner honoring congressmen
-Time

Kissinger left at 4:20 pm.