377–7

Conversation No. 377-7

Date: October 29, 1972
Time: 9:20 am - 9:30 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

The President’s forthcoming briefing on surrogates
-William P. Rogers
-Vietnam
-Instructions for Haig
-Service in Vietnam by Haig
-Sacrifices
-Interest by administration
-Ending of wars
-Kind of settlement necessary to prevent new war
-Consequences of other type of settlement
-Comparison of administration and George S. McGovern plan
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Return
-End of war compared with end of US involvement
-North Vietnamese
-Cambodia
-Laos
-Prevention of communist takeover
-Self-determination
-Election
-Coalition government
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug-03)

-Means to defend South Vietnam
-Economic assistance and military replacements
-Vietnamization
-Quality of South Vietnamese equipment
-The President’s view of the McGovern Plan
-Withdrawal of Americans
-Withdrawal of arms
-Communist takeover
-Blood bath
-Prospects for success of cease-fire
-Timing
-Settlement
-Type
-Strength of Vietnam
-US position
-Settlement
-Type
-End of killing
-The President's role in settlement
-The President’s November 3, 1969 speech
-Action in Cambodia, Laos
-Blockade and mining of Haiphong harbor, May, 1972
-“Peace with honor “compared to “peace with surrender”
-Communist South Vietnam compared to noncommunist South
Vietnam
-Return of POW's
-Amnesty
-The President’s recent remarks

Negotiations
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-North and South Vietnam

Vietnam
-Negotiations
-North Vietnam
-South Vietnam
-The President’s possible conversation with Thieu
-Letter
-Timing
-1972 election
-Acceptance of terms
 6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug-03)

-Thieu’s view of Henry A. Kissinger


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[National security]
[Duration: 3s ]

INTELLIGENCE

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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-Thieu’s role
-South Vietnam
-1972 election
-Letter to Thieu from the President
-Tone
-Haig’s view
-Thieu’s position
-Haig’s briefings
-George Meany
-Timing
-New York
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Walt W. Rostow
-Paul C. Warnke, October 28, 1972
-Haig’s experience
-1967
-Support for the President
-[McGovern]
-The President’s previous support for
John F. Kennedy, Edward G. (“Pat”)
Brown
-Foreign policy
-Comparisons
-Souvanna Phouma
-The President’s view
-Memorandum
 7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug-03)

-Possible US aid to North Vietnam
-Consequences
-Analogy to Japan
-Credibility
-Thieu
-Possible visit from US representative
-Kissinger
-Haig
-Adm. John J. McCain, Jr.; William F. Buckley, Jr.,
Sir Robert Thompson
-Conclusion of war
-Timing
-The President’s view
-Haig’s view
-Thieu

Haig left at 9:30 am.