477–13

Conversation No. 477-13

Date: April 12, 1971
Time: 4:30 pm - 5:22 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Victor and Patricia (Pratt) Lasky and an unknown man [Stephen B.
Bull?]

Greetings

The unknown man [Bull?] left at an unknown time before 5:22 pm

P. Lasky
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******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 14s ]

Conv. No. 477-12 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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


Lasky’s book on President
-Coverage
-Administration
-Possible title
-The Man and the Myth
-Writings on President
-Knowledge of President
-1948 to present
-Alger Hiss case
-Outline
-President’s preparation for office
-Difficulties in 1968
-Internal situation
-Vietnam
-Middle East
-Economy
-Dangers
-Inflation/depression
-Emphasis
-Dramatic moments
-Crisis handling
-Publication schedule
-Possible paperback edition
-1972 campaign
-President’s approaches to problems
-Handling
-Risks
-Vietnam
-Economy
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Economy
-Confidence
-Controls
-Inflation
-Business community
-Inflation
-Growth Conv. No. 477-13 (cont.)
-Rate
-Administration’s emphasis on steadiness, responsibility
-Growth
-Peace
-Foreign policy
-Avoiding extremes, sudden shifts
-Controversy
-Wage and price controls
-Cabinet
-President’s policies
-Office of Price Adminstration [OPA]
-Effect on US economy
-Foreign affairs
-Nuclear equality
-US advantages
-Inflation
-Harmful actions
-”Diet”
-Unemployment
-Inflation
-Optimism
-New York Times financial writers

Vietnam
-Vietnamization
-Troop withdrawals
-Vietnamization
-Timing
-General William C. Westmoreland
-Comparison with Korea
-South Vietnamese
-Theory
-Troop withdrawals
-President’s announcements
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-US military
-South Vietnamese
-President’s policy
-Timing
-Melvin R. Laird
-1969 trip to Vietnam
-Recommendations
-President’s meeting with General Nguyen Van Thieu Conv. No. 477-13 (cont.)
-Midway
-Announcements
-First withdrawals
-Difficulty
-Defense Department
-Thieu
-South Vietnamese
-Pentagon
-US policy
-Steady course
-Flexibility
-Troop levels
-Support for President
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Establishment
-Criticism of the President
-Overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem
-John F. Kennedy
-Partition of Laos
-W[illiam] Averell Harriman
-American involvement
-Kennedy
-Beginnings
-1963
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Diem
-Laos
-Ho Chi Minh Trail
-Diem
-Consequences
-Establishment
-US withdrawal
-”Domino Theory”
-President’s statements
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-November 3, 1969
-Cambodia [April 30, 1970]
-April 7, 1971
-Support for President
-Compared with previous administrations
-Life
-Opposition to President
-Television networks Conv. No. 477-13 (cont.)
-Columnists
-Kissinger
-”Guilt complex”
-Spanish Civil War
-Comparison with Vietnam
-General Francisco Franco
-Isolationism
-Foreign involvements

Israel
-Compared with Vietnam
-Support for President’s policies
-Yitzhak Rabin
-Golda Meir
-[V.?] Lasky’s visit to Israel
-Liberals
-View of Israel
-J. William Fulbright
-Statement
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield

Middle East
-Prospects
-[V.?] Lasky’s visits
-Negotiations
-Israeli/Egyptian conflict
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Jordan
-US policy

US position in world
-Jordan
-Cambodia
-Trust in US
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-Vietnam
-Future
-Indonesia
-Thailand
-Philippines
-Japan
-Trust in the US abroad
-American spirit Conv. No. 477-13 (cont.)
-Vietnam
-Withdrawal
-Pacific area
-South Vietnam
-Future of US
-Future of Middle East
-American spirit
-US role in world
-World peace
-World freedom
-Germany and Japan
-Economic power
-Military power
-Europe
-USSR
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Establishment
-America’s role
-Vietnam
-Need for American strength
-Economy
-Military strength

Middle East
-Jordan
-Kissinger
-Israel
-West Bank
-Golan Heights
-Dodoc Kibbutz
-Liliuri [sp?] Gardens
-Golan Heights
-Syrians
-Jordanians
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-Libyans
-Israel/Egypt
-USSR/US
-Chief of Israeli intelligence
-Israel
-Relations with Arab neighbors
-Internal situation
-US commitments to Conv. No. 477-13 (cont.)
-President’s successor
-US policy
-Vietnam
-US obligations

Staff
-Kissinger
-Relationship with the President
-V. Lasky’s books on
-Kissinger’s books
-Memoranda to John N. Mitchell on Vietnam
-1968 campaign
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Log
-President’s concerns
-Cabinet
-Task forces
-Arthur F. Burns’ role
-Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration
-Program
-Domestic Council
-Purpose
-Burns
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Economic Council
-Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
-Foreign Affairs Council
-Domestic Council
-National Security Council [NSC]
-Council on International Economic Policy
-Peter G. Peterson
-Importance

US purpose in world
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-Military balance
-Consequences to US economy
-Supersonic Transport [SST]
-Exploration
-Connection to greatness
-Historical experience
-SST/space
-Scientific research Conv. No. 477-13 (cont.)
-Need for outward look
-General Charles A. J. M. de Gaulle’s statement on France
-War
-Need for great enterprises
-Environment
-Standard of living
-Minorities
-Great enterprises
-World power
-US role
-Benevolence, dynamism
-Competition
-Trade policy
-Productivity
-SST
-Transportation
-SST
-President’s relations with Congress
-Welfare reform
-Revenue sharing
-Government reorganization
-Goals
-Appointees
-William J. Casey

President’s disappointments
-Inflation
-Unemployment
-Vietnam
-USSR

V. Lasky’s book publication schedule
-Possible developments
-PRC
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US foreign relations
-President’s PRC initiative
-State Department
-Soviet/PRC radio broadcasts
-Isolation
-Trade/travel announcements
-Recognition Conv. No. 477-13 (cont.)
-United Nations [UN]
-Taiwan
-Future
-PRC, USSR, and the US
-Dangers of isolation
-State Department
-Kremlinologists
-USSR
-Recognition
-Relations with PRC/USSR
-Ping-pong team visit
-State Department
-USSR
-Taiwan
-President’s conversation with Chow Shu-kai
-Difficulites
-UN
-President’s position

V. Lasky’s book publication schedule
-Timing
-Contents
-President’s possible contribution to book
-Unofficial

Young people
-Problem
-Inherited
-View of society and the world
-Disaffection with the “system”
-Global phenomenon
-President’s talks at colleges and universities
-Futility
-Need for US success
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-Vietnam
-Economy
-Benefits of living in US
-Comparison with other countries
-President’s own travels
-PRC
-Vietnam
-Draft Conv. No. 477-13 (cont.)
-Need for introspection
-Vietnam
-Environment
-System
-Spirit
-Solutions
-Excuses
-Need for introspection
-Self reliance

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 4:30 pm

President’s schedule
-Albee [sp?] [Surname unknown]

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 5:22 pm

Democrats
-Laos
-Effect
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Demonstrations
-Position on Vietnam
-Economy
-Timing
-Vietnam

Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:30 pm

President’s schedule
-Meeting with William P. Rogers

Bull left at an unknown time before 5:22 pm
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V. Lasky’s lawyer
Democrats
-Unknown man’s book on Muskie
-George S. McGovern
-Harold Himmelman
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Vietnam Conv. No. 477-13 (cont.)
-Vietnam
-V. Lasky’s columns
-Johnson

Staff
-President’s address on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
-Kissinger
-Support for President
-Vietnam
-Carl Sandburg
-Book on Civil War
-General William T. Sherman
-Vietnam
-Rogers
-Troop withdrawal
-Public opinion

Presentation of gifts
-Golf

V. Lasky’s schedule

The Laskys left at 5:22 pm