394–3

Conversation No. 394-3

Date: January 5, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:02 pm and 12:36 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

Vietnam negotiations
-Press relations
-Television [TV] news coverage
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Congress
-“End-the-war fulminations”
-Balance
-John G. Tower
-Robert J. Dole
-US bombing North of 20th Parallel
-Hospital
-W. Ramsey Clark
-John F. Kennedy
-Bay of Pigs
-Colson’s office
-Press relations
-Congressional relations
-Colson’s recent conversation with John A. Scali
-Scali’s conversations
-[North Vietnam]
-James Roosevelt
-Democrats
-Samuel Rayburn
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Foreign policy
-Scali
-The President’s recent bipartisan leadership meeting
-Colson’s possible role
-The President’s bipartisan leadership meeting
-Foreign policy
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Rowland Evans and Robert D. Novak
 -4-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept.-08)

Conversation No. 394-3 (cont’d)

-Public opinion
-US bombing north of the 20th Parallel
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-The President’s bipartisan leadership meeting
-Purpose
-Statements by the President and Kissinger
-Time
-Congressional relations
-The President’s bipartisan leadership meeting
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-October 8, 1972 agreement
-Cessation of US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-November 1972
-North Vietnam’s military tactics
-Resumption of talks
-Tone
-Cessation of US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Haiphong, Hanoi
-Duration
-Prisoners of War [POWS]
-US withdrawal
-Cease-fire
-Public opinion
-William E. Timmons
-Personality
-Clark MacGregor
-Colson’s conversation with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Attack line
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Charge [against Democrats]
-US withdrawal
-POWs
-The President’s objectives
-Peace
-Cease-fire
-Cambodia, Laos, Indochina
-Compared to opponents’ objective
-US
-Southeast Asia, world
-Idealism
 -5-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept.-08)

Conversation No. 394-3 (cont’d)

-Cease-fire
-Morality

White House staff
-Congressional relations
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s view
-Timmons
-The President’s role
-The President’s conversation with Haldeman
-Need for meeting
-1972 election
-Workload
-Second term reorganization
-Colson’s work with John D. Ehrlichman
-New Majority

Second term reorganization
-The President’s schedule
-Roy L. Ash
-Dr. Edward E. David, Jr.
-Colson’s schedule
-1972 election
-Meeting with Roosevelt

Watergate
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
-Possible plea
-Colson’s meeting with Ehrlichman
-Colson’s role
-Conversations with the US Attorney
-Colson’s role
-Contacts with [William O. Bittman]
-US Attorney
-Hunt’s cooperation
-Hunt’s loss of [Dorothy Hunt]
-Jeb Stuart Magruder
-Haldeman
-Howard Hunt
-Family
-Dorothy Hunt
 -6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept.-08)

Conversation No. 394-3 (cont’d)

-Children
-Possible clemency
-Jail sentence
-Duration
-Justification
-Howard Hunt’s family
-Dorothy Hunt
-Children
-Timing
-Christmas
-Justification
-Howard Hunt’s family
-Colson’s involvement
-Deniability
-Roles
-John N. Mitchell
-Magruder
-Haldeman
-John W. Dean, III
-Knowledge
-The President's knowledge
-Motives
-Plan to disrupt Republican National Convention
-Howard Hunt
-Possible clemency
-Justification
-Timing
-Burglars
-Cubans
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-Colson’s involvement
-Deniability
-Justification
-Howard Hunt’s family
-Colson’s conversation [with William O. Bittman]
-The President’s awareness
-Timing
-Christmas
-Howard Hunt’s finances
-Taxes
 -7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept.-08)

Conversation No. 394-3 (cont’d)

-Bittman
-Colson’s efforts

Congressional relations
-Attitudes
-The President’s conversation with Colson
-Democrats
-Division
-1972 election
-Republicans
-Attitude
-Leadership
-Hugh Scott
-The President’s meeting with Haldeman
-Senators
-Leadership
-Scott
-Charles H. Percy
-The President’s meeting with Henry A. Kissinger
-Recent trip
-Report
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Timing
-Christmas 1972
-Effect
-“Hawks”
-Colson’s conversation with Kissinger
-Tone
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Vietnam negotiations
-Success
-Anti-Ballistic Missiles
-Judges
-Vietnam negotiations
-Future
-The President’s view
-The President’s bipartisan leadership meeting

Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger’s “peace is at hand” comment, October 26, 1972
 -8-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept.-08)

Conversation No. 394-3 (cont’d)

-Effect
-1972 election
-Public relations [PR]
-Success or failure
-The President’s responsibility
-Congressional relations
-The President’s bipartisan leadership meeting
-John A. Scali
-North Vietnam infiltration
-Timing
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] reports
-Scali
-Buildup
-Lyndon B. Johnson [?]
-Colson’s conversation with an unknown person
-Kissinger
-Publicity
-Leaks
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Justification
-Possible North Vietnam offensive

The President’s schedule
-Bipartisan leadership meeting
-Remarks

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:02 pm.

-Refreshment
-Consumme

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:36 pm.

Colson talked with Holly Holm at an unknown time between 12:02 pm and 12:36 pm.

[Conversation No. 394-3A]

[See Conversation No. 35-91]

[End of telephone conversation]
 -9-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sept.-08)

Conversation No. 394-3 (cont’d)


Watergate
-U.S. Attorney [Harold H. Titus, Jr.]
-[Earl J. Silbert]
-Background
-Justice Department
-1964
-1970
-Career
-Success, failure
-Titus
-Reappointment
-Burglars
-Plea
-Congressional relations
-Immunization
-Lying
-The President’s current meeting with Colson
-Colson’s relationship with Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Colson’s conversation with DeVan L. Shumway
-Ehrlichman
-Mitchell
-Perjury
-Congressional relations

Congressional relations
-Timmons
-Telephone call from Colson

Colson left at an unknown time before 12:36 pm.