404–6

Conversation No. 404-6

Date: January 23, 1973
Time: Unknown between 9:29 am and 11:55 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

Vietnam settlement
-Col. Richard T. Kennedy's call
-Cabinet announcement
-Henry A. Kissinger's schedule
-Lon Nol
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Talking paper
-Kissinger meeting with National Security Council [NSC] staff
 -3-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Call to Kissinger
-Haig
-Kissinger's staff briefing

The President's meeting with Stephen B. Bull
-The President's schedule
-Congressional leaders meeting on budget
-William E. Timmons, John D. Ehrlichman, Haldeman
-Haldeman's conversation with Bull
-Ehrlichman
-Domestic Council

Lyndon B. Johnson’s funeral schedule
-Lyndon Johnson Library
-Arrival in Washington
-Andrews Air Force Base
-Motorcade to Capitol
-Conflicting meeting

The President's schedule
-Cabinet meeting
-Day of national mourning
-Congressional leaders meeting
-Press briefing
-Kissinger
-William P. Rogers
-Congressional leaders meeting
-Haig
-Lyndon Johnson’s funeral
-Congressional leaders
-Andrews Air Force Base
-The President's role
-Church service, Capitol
-Claudia A. (Taylor)(“Lady Bird”) Johnson
-Spiro T. Agnew's role
-Motorcade and funeral service
-Day of national mourning
-The President's speech
-Congressional leaders meetings and Cabinet meeting
-Budget
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-The President's broadcast
-Meeting
-Day of national mourning
-Timmons or Kissinger
-Ehrlichman and writers
-Speech
-William Carruthers
-Congressional leaders meeting
-Cabinet meeting
-Ehrlichman
-The President’s role
-Agnew
-Possible role
-The President's role in Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
-Ehrlichman, Domestic Council
-Bull
-The President's television [TV] speech
-Final draft delivery
-Cabinet meeting
-The President's briefing
-The President's speech
-Final draft delivery
-Congressional leaders meeting
-Cabinet meeting
-Taping of the President's speech
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Capabilities
-Speech writers
-Congressional leaders meeting
-Bipartisan
-Republicans
-Lyndon Johnson’s funeral
-The President's TV taping
-Domestic Council
-Cabinet meeting
-The President's role
-Haldeman's call to Claudia Johnson

Second term reorganization
-Lyndon Johnson’s letter writer
 -5-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Tom Johnson
-Claudia Johnson
-Possible ambassadorship
-Call to John B. Connally
-Possible United Nations [UN] delegation job
-Shirley Temple Black
-Call to Connally
-Lyndon Johnson’s letter writer
-Style
-Tom Johnson

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 9:50 am.

Vietnam settlement
-Statement to press

Haig entered at an unknown time after 9:50 am.

-Foreign policy
-The President's report to nation
-Status of negotiations
-Kissinger's report to President
-Press Office
-NSC

The President's schedule
-Cabinet meeting
-Purpose
-Jerry Persons [?]
-\"Big Five\" Congressional leaders
-Location
-Bipartisan Congressional leaders meeting
-Announcements
-Haig, Haldeman

Haig's schedule
-Nguyen Van Thieu

The President's schedule
-Bipartisan Congressional leaders meeting
 -6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Timmons
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Hugh Scott
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Goldwater, Humphrey
-Timing
-Kissinger's speech
-Johnson’s funeral
-Kissinger's speech
-Timing
-The President's TV speech
-Johnson funeral ceremonies
-Possible rewrite
-The President's speech on Vietnam settlement
-Location
-Buchanan, Richard A. Moore, William L. Safire, Ronald L. Ziegler,
Ehrlichman, Charles W. Colson and Timmons
-Support from Congress
-Compared to support for 1972 Moscow summit
-Johnson’s death
-Ehrlichman, Buchanan, Ziegler, Safire, public relations [PR] staff
-Cabinet meeting
-Congressional leaders meetings
-Bipartisan
-Republican
-Budget

Vietnam settlement
-The President's TV speech
-Location
-Congress
-Congressional relations
-Effect
-Peace
-Duration
-PR strategy
-Congressional support for the President's policies
-Request for TV time
-Ziegler's press briefing
-The President’s TV speech
 -7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Location
-Congress
-Ehrlichman's and Ziegler's view
-Supreme Court, Cabinet
-Oval Office
-Cease-fire
-Revisions
-Consultation with Congress
-Theiu
-Length
-Public release of agreement
-The President's briefing of Congressional leaders
-New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune headlines
-Press relations
-Congress
-\"Peace with honor”
-Reference to armed forces
-Possible Congressional response

Proclamations
-The President's signature

The President's statements on deaths
-Length
-Zielger's advice
-Revision of statement upon Johnson's death
-Editing

Ziegler left at 10:08 am.

The President's schedule
-Congressional leaders meetings
-Budget
-Vietnam settlement
-The President's speech on Vietnam settlement
-Location
-Johnson's funeral
-Wording
-References to Johnson
-Youth opinion of Lyndon Johnson and war
 -8-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Revisions
-Kissinger

Vietnam settlement
-Thieu
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-South Vietnamese
-Kissinger
-1972 election
-Timing

Press relations
-Kissinger
-Strengths
-John A. Scali, Kenneth W. Clawson, Ziegler, Safire, Buchanan, Price
-Rogers
-Relationship with Kissinger
-State Department role in Vietnam settlement
-Senate Foreign Relations Committee testimony
-Kissinger
-Ego
-Schedule
-Vietnam Settlement
-Kissinger's role
-Other White House staff
-Kissinger briefing
-Kissinger's role
-Domestic Council
-Human Events
-Kevin P. Phillips
-Vietnam settlement
-Kissinger's briefing of staff
-Key points
-Colson
-\"Doves\"
-Plans to date
-Buchanan
-Kissinger's briefing for staff
-Purpose
-Joseph Kraft, James R. (\"Scotty\") Reston
 -9-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Jerold L. Schecter, Time
-Possible retraction of story on Colson and John Mitchell
-Ziegler
-Jews
-Henry Grunwald and Schecter
-Kissinger's briefing

Middle East
-Kissinger
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Joseph Sisco
-Kissinger
-Judaism
-State Department
-White House role
-Kissinger
-1972 election
-Regional situation
-Golda Meir
-Anwar el-Sadat
-State Department
-Kissinger
-Israel
-US military aid
-Restraint
-USSR

Rogers
-Richardson
-Kissinger
-Departure from administration
-Date
-Kissinger's knowledge
-Replacement
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Connally
-Kissinger

Kissinger
-Relations with Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Director of Central
 -10-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-NSC meetings
-Frequency
-Richardson
-Melvin R. Laird
-Leaks
-Rush
-Rogers
-Kissinger
-Richardson, Rush
-Health
-Press relations
-Kraft
-Portrayals of the President, Kissinger
-Ego
-Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft
-Future position
-Press relations
-Abilities
-Negotiator

Vietnam settlement
-Rogers, State Department’s role
-The President's role
-Rogers
-Conversation with Haldeman
-Testimony
-Importance
-J. William Fulbright
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Tone
-EC-121
-Bombing

Press relations
-Bombing
-New York Times, Washington Post, and Washington Star
-Editorials, advertisements
-Devastation in Hanoi
 -11-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)


*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

-George S. McGovern
-Dan Rather
-Washington Post
-The President’s inaugural speech
-Kraft’s column
-1972 campaign
-McGovern

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************


Colson
-Calling and letter writing campaign

The President's letter to members of Congress
-The President's supporters
-Democrats, Republicans
-Purpose
-\"Doves\"
-New members
-Charles H. Percy
-Congressional resolution on Vietnam War
-Reelection chances
-The President's supporters and new members
-Non-supporters
-Carl B. Albert, Thomas P. (\"Tip\") O'Neill, Percy, Robert Taft, Jr.
-Percy
-Vote for Mansfield amendment
-Timmons, Tom C. Korologos

The President's letters to other groups
-Colson
-Labor leaders, veterans and military organizations, civilian organizations
-Preparation
 -12-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

Vietnam settlement
-The President's speech
-Location
-Congress
-Views of Haig, Haldeman
-Price
-Kissinger
-TV cameras
-The President's handling
-Participation of others
-Possible response
-Peace settlement
-Compared to cease-fire

The President talked with the White House operator at 10:47 am.

[Conversation No. 404-6A]

[See Conversation No. 36-68]

[End of telephone conversation]

Kissinger's advice
-People's Republic of China [PRC] trip
-The President's speech to Congress upon return from Soviet Union, 1972

Vietnam settlement
-The President's speech
-Content
-Cease-fire violations
-Fragility of peace
-Congressional relations
-Briefings for Congressional leaders
-The President's speech
-Location
-Oval Office
-Haig's view
-Capitol Hill
-Signal to Hanoi
 -13-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

Stephen B. Bull entered at 10:52 am.

Order [?]

Bull left at 10:53 am.

Vietnam settlement
-The President's speech
-Location
-Ziegler
-Price

Lyndon Johnson
-Death
-Age
-Compared to the President
-Conversation with Haig

Vietnam settlement
-Kissinger
-Message
-South Vietnamese
-Kissinger
-Press relations
-Ziegler
-Clawson
-Departure from airplane
-Day of national mourning
-Clawson
-Congressional leaders
-Briefing for White House staff
-The President's speech
-Location
-Congress
-Kissinger’s view

Price entered at 10:54 am.

-Ehrlichman, Ziegler, Buchanan, Moore, Roy L. Ash, George P.
Shultz, Timmons
 -14-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Content
-Day of national mourning
-Attendees
-Congress, government officials, Supreme Court Justices, diplomatic
corps
-Location
-Importance
-Congressional relations
-Wording
-Cease-fire
-Kissinger's draft
-Appreciation to Congressional supporters
-\"Peace with honor\"
-Public release of agreement
-The President's briefing of Congressional leaders
-Briefings for other Congress members
-Office of Congressional Relations
-Appeal to Deity [?]

An unknown woman entered at an unknown time after 10:54 am.

Dentist visit

The unknown woman left at an unknown time before 11:02 am.

Vietnam settlement
-The President's speech
-Location
-Congress
-Compared to Korean War
-The President's speech
-Congress
-Tone
-Ziegler
-Location
-Timing
-Speculation

Ziegler entered at 11:02 am.
 -15-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Ziegler's briefing
-Kissinger's report to President
-Statement by the President
-Announcement
-Timing
-Initialing
-Signing
-Congressional leaders
Mansfield, Albert
-Day of national mourning
-Lyndon Johnson’s funeral
-Price’s objection
-Sensitive point
-Agnew

Vietnam settlement
-Congressional relations
-Resolution of support
-Economic aid to South Vietnam
-The President's meeting with Congressional leaders
-North Vietnam
-Public release
-Thieu
-Reconciliation
-Military aid
-Economic aid
-Laos, Cambodia
-McGovern

Press relations
-Kraft
-Washington Post

McGovern
-Political left, right
-Oxford speech
-Attitude of followers
-Hatred

Vietnam settlement
 -16-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Press relations
-Response to the President's policies
-Attacks on the President
-The President's speech
-Pearl Harbor
-Impact
-Oval Office

Ziegler left at 11:32 am.

-Long-term compared to short-term
-Albert, Scott, Gerald R. Ford, Mansfield
-Call from Timmons to Albert
-Location of the President's speech
-Oval Office or Congress
-Call to Ford from Timmons
-Confidentiality
-Agreement with North Vietnam

Haldeman left at an unknown time before 11:44 am.

-Gerald L. Warren's briefing
-Ziegler's briefing
-Connally
-Location

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 11:31 am and
11:44 am.

[Conversation No. 404-6B]

[See Conversation No. 36-69]

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam settlement
-Melvin R. Laird [?]
-Rogers [?]
-Congressional relations
-Timmons
 -17-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Scott
-Laird
-Bryce N. Harlow
-The President's speech
-Intentions
-Soviet Union
-Cease-fire
-Thieu
-Congressional leaders' response
-1972 election
-Albert

Haldeman entered at an unknown time after 11:31 am.

Congressional relations
-Albert
-Ford
-Albert, Democrats

Call to Connally
-Purpose

Vietnam settlement
-The President's speech
-Kissinger
-Wording
-Draft
-Haig's schedule
- Kissinger

Haig and Price left at an unknown time before 11:55 am.

The President's schedule
-Yitzhak Rabin
-President's meeting with Congressional leaders
-Day of national mourning
-The President's meeting with bipartisan Congressional leaders
-Kissinger press briefing
-Cabinet meeting
-Meeting with bipartisan Congressional leaders
 -18-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Cabinet meeting on budget
-Lyndon Johnson’s funeral
-Kissinger's briefing
-Rabin
-The President's TV speech
-Ehrlichman's draft
-Cabinet meeting
-Lyndon Johnson’s funeral
-The President's speech on Vietnam settlement
-Cabinet meeting
-Church service
-Taping of the President's speech
-Congressional leadership meetings
-Republican
-Bipartisan

President's call to Connally

President's dictation machine
-Repair, malfunction
-Operation
-Larger machine
-Lincoln Sitting Room, the President's bedroom, EOB office
-Portable machine

Possible call to Agnew

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 11:31 am and 11:55 am.

[Conversation No. 404-6C]

Request [?]

[End of telephone conversation]

The President's dictation machine
-Operation

Vietnam settlement
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
 -19-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb-09)

Conversation No. 404-6 (cont’d)

-Decision to normalize relations
-Congressional relations
-Albert, Timmons
-Democrats
-Lyndon Johnson’s funeral
-The President's speech
-Location
-Congress
-Importance
-TV coverage of Lyndon Johnson’s ceremonies
-TV coverage of Nixon era
-Great Wall
-Studio in California
-PRC announcement
-Cambodia
-Price's opinion

The President's letter to Claudia Johnson
-Rose Mary Woods

Haldeman left at 11:55 am.