470–5

Conversation No. 470-5

Date: March 19, 1971
Time: Unknown between 9:25 am and 11:15 am
Location: Oval Office

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

Dr. James R. Schlesinger
-Ehrlichman’s previous conversation with Bryce N. Harlow
-Confirmation as Under secretary of Interior
-Gordon L. Allott
-Ehrlichman’s conversation with Harlow
-”8:00 group”
-Harlow’s view
 3

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Allott
-President’s wishes
-Harlow
-Allott
-Possible meeting with President
-Senate Appropriations Committee meeting
-Supersonic Transport [SST]
-Timing Conv. No. 470-3 (cont.)
-Attendance at leadership meeting, March 22, 1971
-Clark MacGregor
-Hugh Scott
-Relations with Schlesinger
-Background
-Research and Development [RAND] Corporation in Santa Monica
-University of Virginia
-Confirmation of Under secretary of Interior
-Effect of background
-Allott
-Conversation with Harlow
-Effect of background
-Allott’s concerns
-Effect on administration proposal to Senate Appropriations Committee
-Harlow
-Allott
-Allott, Scott, Robert P. Griffin, Norris Cotton
-Allott’s forthcoming re-election campaign
-Rogers C. B. Morton
-Senate Interior Committee
-Possible alternatives
-William T. Pecora
-Experience
-Coast and Geological Survey
-Allott
-Melvin R. Laird’s suggestion
-Confirmation
-Strategy
-President’s position
-Type needed for job
-Morton’s position
-George P. Shultz
-Allott
 4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-President’s position
-Morton
-Decision on deputy
-Allott
-Cabinet officers and White House staff
-Morton
-Possible alternative position
-Confirmation Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Morton
-Possible alternative position
-Atomic Energy Commission [AEC]
-Kenneth E. BeLieu
-Background

Economy
-George W. Romney’s group
-A meeting, March 22, 1971
-Ehrlichman, Arthur F. Burns
-Council of Economic Advisors [CEA]
-Construction costs
-Wages and prices
-Inflation
-Paul W. McCracken
-Haldeman’s call
-Meetings attended
-Burns
-Construction wages
-A report to Ehrlichman
-McCracken’s talk with Haldeman
-March 22, 1971 meeting
-McCracken
-Burns
-John B. Connally
-Shultz
-Romney
-Burns
-Connally
-Romney
-Ehrlichman’s conversation with Romney
-Burns’ role
-March 22, 1971 meeting
-James D. Hodgson
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Burns
-Meeting with Cabinet members
-Meeting with President
-Romney
-John A. Volpe
-Winton M. (“Red”) Blount
-Maurice H. Stans
-Compared with Romney, Volpe, Blount, and Burns
Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Romney
-Unions
-March 22, 1971 meeting
-McCracken
-Significance
-Time
-Stans
-Ehrlichman


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Privacy]
[Duration: 29s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

******************************************************************************


Morton
-A meeting with Ehrlichman
-Schlesinger
-Allott
-[Forename unknown] Knowles [sp?]
-Morton’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-Choice of Under secretary of Interior
-Allott
-Future action
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



Economy
-Meetings
-Construction costs
-Wages and prices
-Romney
-Ehrlichman
-A report
-Herbert Stein and Frederick Deming Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-McCracken
-President
-Delivery

[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 9:25 am and
10:03 am]

[Conversation No. 470-5A]

Call to McCracken for Haldeman

[End of telephone conversation]

Cabinet

[Haldeman talked with McCracken at an unknown time between 9:25 am and 10:03 am]

[Conversation No. 470-5B]

Economy
-A report for March 22, 1971 meeting by CEA
-Delivery to President

[End of telephone conversation]

-McCracken’s response
-March 22, 1971 meeting
-Romney
-Significance
-Quadriad
-Burns, McCracken
-Connally and Shultz
-Shultz
-McCracken
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Burns
-Connally’s conversation with Burns
-Possible leaks
-Possible media reaction
-Effect on Administration
-Report
-Delivery to President
-Ehrlichman’s attendance Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Romney and Volpe
-Stans
-Burns
-Burns
-Inflation
-Taxes
-Relations with financial writers
-Administration policy
-Hobart Rowen
-Relations with Connally
-Significance
-Possible meeting with President
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Support for President’s policies
-Burns’ policies
-Shultz
-Relations with President
-Conversations with Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Principle compared with politics
-Relations with Rowen
-Possible meeting with President
-Rowen


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Privacy]
[Duration: 26s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

******************************************************************************
 8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)




Meetings

President’s schedule
-Clarine (Billingsley) Mills, daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren
-White House tour
Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
Economy
-March 22, 1971 meeting
-Ehrlichman’s attendance
-Stans
-Ehrlichman
-Forthcoming conversation with Stans
-Burns
-Romney and Volpe
-Ehrlichman
-Forthcoming conversation with Stans
-Burns
-Burns
-Compared with Connally
-Connally
-Institutional investment analysts meeting
-Peter M. Flanigan’s speech
-Edmund S. Muskie’s speech
-Support for President’s policies
-Flanigan’s speech
-Alan Greenspan’s speech
-Flanigan’s response
-Taxes
-Burns
-Shultz
-Martin C. (“Marty”) Anderson
-Burns
-Anderson
-March 22, 1971 meeting
-Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan’s memorandum
-Flanigan
-McCracken
-Outcome of President’s policies
-Budget proposals
-News stories
 9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Stock market
-Dow-Jones average
Cabinet
-William P. Rogers
-Romney and Volpe
-Stans and Clifford M. Hardin
-Frequency of meetings with President
-Attendance at social events Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Romney and Volpe
-Meetings
-Organization
-March 1971 meeting
-Future meetings’ purpose
-President’s position


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 28s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

******************************************************************************


Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:25 am

Mills family White House tour
-Son, daughter-in-law, State Senator Randy Carlson [?]
-Cabinet Room

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:03 pm

Cabinet
-Social events with President
-White House dinners, church, Camp David
-Value
-Use of Camp David
-Value
 10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)




Mills family tour
-A photo

Cabinet
-Meetings
-Frequency
-Length Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Ehrlichman
-President’s role
Mills, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Mills Dickson and children, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Young, and John S.
Davies entered at 10:03 am; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the
meeting

Greetings and introductions

A photo

Wilbur D. Mills

Photo arrangements

Gifts

Tour of White House

C. Mills, et al. left at an unknown time before 10:07 am

Unknown people [Carlson’s family?] entered at an unknown time after 10:03 am; the White
House photographer was present during the meeting

Greetings

Hawaii [?]

A photo

Gifts

Vacation in Washington

Randy [Carlson?]
 11

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)




The President, the unknown people [Carlson’s family?], and the photographer left at an unknown
time before 10:07 am

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 10:07 am

President’s schedule [?]
Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
Domestic Council
-White House staff
-Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
-An article concerning listing as White House staff in Congressional Directory
-Possible footnote

Butterfield left and the President entered at 10:10 am

A W. D. Mills granddaughter

President’s forthcoming call to W. D. Mills
-Value

The Cabinet and the President
-Previous meeting with Connally
-National Security Council [NSC] meetings
-Rogers
-Laird
-Rogers
-John N. Mitchell
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Stans
-Justification for meetings with the President
-Columnists, Washington, DC gossips
-Romney and Volpe
-Hardin
-Morton
-Choice of Under secretary of Interior
-Social events
-Frequency
-President’s view
-Church services
-Evenings at the White House
-Head of State dinners
 12

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Frequency
-Haldeman’s view
-Sub-Cabinet
-Possible future inclusion at social events
-Value
-Rocco C. Siciliano
-Wives
-Siciliano and wife’s attendance at Italian dinner Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Attendance at social events prior to President’s administration
-Siciliano’s experience
-Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration
-Haldeman’s view
-Possible future inclusion at social events
-Siciliano

Administration wives
-Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon’s program
-Value
-Briefings
-March 23, 1971 schedule
-A conflicting event
-Follow-up
-Number of Cabinet and sub-Cabinet wives
-White House staff wives
-Mrs. Nixon’s work

Cabinet
-Sub-Cabinet
-Possible future inclusion at social events
-Siciliano’s advice
-Social events
-Boats
-Camp David
-Meetings
-Purpose
-Frequency and length
-President’s role
-Length
-Upcoming meeting
-Ehrlichman’s role
-Agenda
-Length
 13

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-President’s role
-Possible briefing by Henry A. Kissinger
-Vietnam
-Rogers
-Interest
-Possible televised meeting
-Scheduling
-Eisenhower Administration experience Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-The President’s recollection
-The President’s position
-Romney and Volpe
-Eisenhower Administration experience
-Harlow
-Possible briefing
-Japanese experience
-Eisenhower experience
-Japanese experience
-Des Moines, Denver
-President’s position
-Volpe
-Subjects of discussion
-President’s experience
-Public opinion
-Possible televised meeting
-Past experience
-Cabinet meetings
-Structure
-Frequency
-Agenda
-Domestic issues
-President’s role
-Value
-Value
-Compared with use of Camp David
-Donald H. Rumsfeld, Shultz
-Frequency
-Meetings with Ehrlichman
-Location
-Ehrlichman’s and Shultz’s role
-Compared with NSC meetings
-National security affairs
-Kissinger
 14

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Rogers
-Laird
-Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
-Kissinger
-Meetings with the President
-Inclusion of others in meetings
-Staff participation Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Value
-Meetings with President

White House staff
-Meetings with President
-President’s view
-Flanigan
-John C. Whitaker
-Cole
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Ehrlichman and Shultz

Cabinet
-Romney and Volpe
-Meetings
-Topics
-Problems
-Compared with Shultz
-Compared with Kissinger
-Value of meetings with President

White House staff
-Meetings with President
-Cole, Whitaker, Edward L. Morgan
-Participation
-Purpose
-Whitaker
-Participation
-Shultz and Ehrlichman
-Frequency
-Donald E. Johnson
-Unnamed AEC official
-Value compared with President’s other meetings
-Congressmen and Senators
 15

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Businessmen
-Meetings
-Social events
-Administration wives gathering
-Mrs. Nixon
-Value
-Mrs. Nixon’s briefings
-Frequency Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Inclusion in Mrs. Nixon’s volunteer activities
-Value
-Husbands

President’s social schedule
-Value
-Outsiders

******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 12s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

******************************************************************************


Economy
-Meetings of Romney’s group
-Importance
-Burns
-Ehrlichman’s role at upcoming meeting
-Possible re-creation of cabinet committee
-Shultz
-Domestic Council
-Stans
-Hodgson
-Shultz
-Hodgson
 16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Influence
-Article in Nation’s Business
-Other articles
-Influence on Romney’s group

Cabinet
-History
-Abraham Lincoln Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Salmon [P. Chase?]
-Economic affairs
-Shultz
-Articles on influence
-A forthcoming speech in Chicago
-Connally
-Size
-Volpe and Romney
-Stans
-Reason for appointment
-Lyndon B. Johnson’s Secretary of Commerce
-General Bruce Palmer
-Alexander B. Trowbridge
-Current position

Businessmen
-National Alliance of Business [NAB]
-Meetings
-NAB
-The Homestead
-Meetings
-Leonard K. Firestone

Cabinet
-Meetings with the President
-Topics
-Administration wives’ program
-President’s schedule
-Possible meeting with wives
-Timing
-Sub-Cabinet meetings
-State Department
-Agenda
 17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Possible meeting with wives
-Mrs. Nixon
-Meetings at White House
-Adele (Langston) Rogers at State Department
-Martha (Beall) Mitchell at Justice Department
-Interior Department
-Value
-White House Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-White House staff
-Scheduling
-Ehrlichman’s view
-California

President’s schedule
-Coming week
-Meetings with mayors and dairymen
-Administration wives
-Social events
-March 22, 1971 interview with Howard K. Smith
-March 23, 1971 dinner with Edwin D. Etherington
-National Center for Voluntary Action
-Romney
-March 24, 1971 Republican picnic
-March 25, 1971 Stans dinner
-Reception
-March 26, 1971
-San Clemente
-Possible meeting with administration wives
-Scheduling
-Republican fundraiser, March 24, 1971
-Cabinet meeting, March 26, 1971

Mrs. Nixon’s schedule

President’s schedule
-California
-Timing
-Administration wives’ meeting
-Timing
-Cabinet meeting, March 26, 1971
-California
-Possible event en route
 18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Administration wives’ meeting
-Ehrlichman’s position
-A. Rogers
-M. Mitchell
-Cabinet meeting
-Administration wives
-Timing
-Mayors’ meeting Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Etherington dinner
-Timing
-Location
-Administration wives’ meeting
-Timing and location
-Etherington dinner
-Board of directors of Center for Voluntary Action
-Possible future dinner
-Robert H. Finch
-Etherington
-President’s acquaintance
-Romney
-Etherington’s meeting with Finch and Rumsfeld
-Romney
-Meeting with Etherington and Finch
-Possible board of directors’ dinner
-Size of board
-Scheduling
-Previous reception or dinner
-Charles B. (“Bud”) Wilkinson
-Max M. Fisher
-Effect
-President’s recollection
-Ehrlichman’s schedule
-Possible board reception
-Compared with NAB
-Possible board dinner
-Need for a decision
-Ehrlichman’s position
-Justification
-Effect
-Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.
-Possible White House reception
 19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-State Department dinner
-Romney

Ehrlichman’s schedule

President’s schedule
-Luncheon meetings
-Frequency Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Volpe
-J. N. Mitchell
-Romney
-Cabinet meetings
-Frequency
-Sub-Cabinet
-President’s supporters
-Value
-Richardson
-Schedule
-Stans
-White House dinner
-Richardson

Richardson
-Dinner parties
-White House staff
-Congressmen
-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW] staff
-Work at HEW
-Anne F. Richardson
-HEW auxiliary


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Privacy]
[Duration: 14s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

******************************************************************************
 20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



Ehrlichman left at 10:53 am

Ehrlichman’s work
-Compared with Kissinger and Rogers
-Volpe and Romney

President’s press contacts
-Press relations Conv. No. 470-5 (cont.)
-Administration efforts
-A story by Frank Cormier
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Schedule
-Ziegler
-Possible appearance at press briefing
-SST
-California
-One-on-one interview with Smith
-Follow-up questions
-Cormier
-Jerald F. (“Jerry”) terHorst
-Cormier
-Effect
-An unknown man
Cabinet meetings
-Previous meeting

[An unknown person talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 10:53 am and 11:15
am]

[Conversation No. 470-5C]

An unknown item
-Nellie L. Yates

George H. Gallup poll

[End of telephone conversation]

The President left at an unknown time before 11:15 am
 21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)