392–1

Conversation No. 392-1

Date: December 18, 1972
Time: Unknown between 4:13 pm and 5:50 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman.

[This recording began while the meeting was in progress.]

Press relations
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s briefings
-Mistakes
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Herbert G. Klein
-Kissinger’s briefings
-Preparation
-Ziegler
-Memoranda
-Points
-Ziegler’s briefing
-Vietnam negotiations
-Saigon and Hanoi
-Prolonging talks and war
-Kissinger’s briefing

Second term reorganization
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower

Press relations
-Unknown woman reporter
-Life
-Conversation with Ziegler [?]
-Washington Post
-Interviews
-Helen Smith
-Washington Post
 -2-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)

Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)

-The President’s conversation with Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Philadelphia Bulletin
-Press pool
-Washington Star
-White House social events
-Cabinet
-Timing
-Helen Thomas
-Press room
-Washington Star
-Ziegler

Second term reorganization
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Job duties
-Thomas

Kissinger’s press relations
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Vietnam negotiations
-Denial of conversation
-Telephone
-John F. Osborne
-Nicholas P. Thimmesch
-Executive
-Kissinger’s sensitivity
-Kissinger’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-The President’s conversation with Kissinger
-Enemies
-Respect
-Kissinger’s sensitivity
-Foreign policy
-The President’s trips to the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and the
Soviet Union
-Personal terms

Vietnam negotiations
-Charles W. Colson’s view
-North Vietnam’s strategy
 -3-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)

Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)

-South Vietnam
-Cut off of US aid
-Kissinger
-Vulnerability
-Settlement agreement
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Kissinger
-Vulnerability
-Settlement agreement
-Resignation
-Kissinger
-Mistakes
-[Oriana Fallaci] interview
-“Peace is at hand” comment
-“Peace is at hand”
-Hanoi’s publishing of peace terms
-1972 election
-Difficulty with North Vietnam, Thieu
-Continuation of talks
-1972 election
-The President’s address, “Look to the Future”
-Need for reassurance
-The President’s conversation with Haldeman
-Emotions
-Foreign policy
-First term
-The President’s credibility
-Public opinion
-Midwest, Far West, South
-Kissinger
-Press relations
-Public mail
-Telegrams
-Cambodia
-Press relations
-Joseph C. Kraft, Peter Lisagor
-Readership
-The President
-Law firm
 -4-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)

Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)

-Rowland Evans and Robert D. Novak
-Readership
-Congress
-Reston, Kraft
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Departure
-Return
-Kissinger’s resignation
-Home
-Arlington
-The President’s credibility
-Kissinger’s credibility
-Compared to George S. McGovern’s and Hanoi’s credibilities
-Kissinger’s press relations
-Newsweek
-New York Times
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s telephone call to Ehrlichman
-Purpose
-White House staff unity
-Kissinger’s resignation
-Kissinger’s sensitivity

Kissinger
-Intelligence
-Compared to William P. Rogers
-Intelligence Quotients [IQs]
-Tactics, strategy
-Nelson A. Rockefeller

Budget
-New York Times article by Eileen Shanahan
-Spending limitation
-Congressional relations
-Plan of Allen J. Ellender
-Vote
-Congressional relations
-Reform
-Credit
 -5-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)

Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)

-Vote
-The President’s credibility
-1972 election
-Effect of campaign
-Vietnam negotiations

Saul Pett
-Book [The Instant It Happened]
-Associated Press [AP]
-Possible meeting with the President

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:13 pm.

The President’s schedule
-Pett
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

Package
-Delivery to Map Room
-Mrs. Nixon

The President’s schedule

Bull left at an unknown time before 5:50 pm.

Ehrlichman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 4:13 pm and 5:50 pm.

[Conversation No. 392-1A]

Package
Delivery to Map Room
-Emil (“Bus”) Mosbacher, Jr. [?]

[End of telephone conversation]

The President’s schedule
-1972 election
-California
 -6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)

Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)

Vietnam negotiations
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Kissinger
-Congressional relations

Kissinger’s press relations
-Kissinger’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-White House staff unity
-Fallaci interview
-Effect
-Compared to “Peace is at hand”
-Tape recording
-Haig

Press relations
-Experience
-Trust
-Osborne, Thimmesch
-Los Angeles Times
-AP
-United Press International [UPI]
-AP
-Osborne
-Hugh S. Sidey
-John P. (“Jack”) Sutherland of US News and World Report
-Frank Cormier
-Tape recorder
-Washington Post
-Katharine L. Graham’s telephone call to Ehrlichman
-Press pool
-Exclusives
-White House social events
-New York Times
-Washington Post
-Washington Star
-Kansas City Star

The President talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 4:13 pm and 5:50 pm.
 -7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Aug.-08)

Conversation No 392-1 (cont’d)

[Conversation No. 392-1B]

Kissinger’s schedule

Vietnam War
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Report
-Timing

Washington Special Action Group [WSAG]

[End of telephone conversation]

Kissinger
-Conversation with the President

Haldeman and Ehrlichman left at 5:50 pm.