498–11

Conversation No. 498-11

Date: May 13, 1971
Time: 2:15 pm - 3:35 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT] negotiations
-Kissinger's previous conversation with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Forthcoming announcement
-Wording
-Politburo
-Potential problems
-Dobrynin
-US options
-Possible changes
-Kissinger view
-Timing
-Gerard C. Smith
-Wording
-Antiballistic Missle [ABM] and Strategic Arms reductions
-The President’s view
-Public pronouncements
-Private Messages
-William P. Rogers
-Smith, Rogers
-Soviet acceptance
-Protocol
-Wording
-Kissinger's conversation with Dobrynin
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-Timing
-Scope of agreement
-Potential future problems
-Kissinger’s view
-Smith's negotiations

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:15 pm Conv. No. 498-11 (cont.)

The President's Schedule
-Forthcoming meeting

Bull Left at an unknown time before 2:34 pm

SALT negotiations
-Forthcoming Announcement
-Wording
-Timing
-Possible effect
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Wording
-Dobrynin

John D. Ehrlichman, Peter G. Peterson, and James M. Roche entered at 2:34 pm

Greetings
Kissinger left at 2:34 pm

Dumping[?]
-Status

A camera
-Origin

American cars

[Unintelligible]

Agenda
-Safety
-Environment
-Peterson
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Environment and safety
-President’s views
-Use in a speech
-Ehrlichman
-Proponents
-Motives
-Public statements Conv. No. 498-11 (cont.)
-Proponents
-Concerns over motives
-Administration policy
-House and Senate
-Programs
-Effect on U.S. business
-Automobile industry
-European and Japanese competition
-Ehrlichman, William D. Ruckelshaus

Safety
-Proponents
-Seat belt rules
-Possible effect
-Administration policy
-Air bags
-Tests
-Administration policy

Automobile industry
-Roche’s role
-General Motors
-Perception
-White House views
-Ehrlichman
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Cooperation
-Position
-Anti-pollution efforts
-Safety efforts
-US record
-Legislation in Florida
-Enforcement of drunk driving laws
-Improper maintenance
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
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-Inspections
-Air bags
-Durability and reliability
-Critics
-Extremity
-Congress
-Forthcoming White House action
-Ehrlichman Conv. No. 498-11 (cont.)
-Goals
-Effects
-Jobs
-Germany and Japan
-Air bags

Government regulations
-1973 safety standards
-Passive restraints seat belts
-Air bags
-Seat belts
-Air bags
-Current review at the White House
-Department of Transportation [DOT]
-A letter
-An unnamed man
-John A. Volpe's position
-Air bags
-White House handling
-Reconsideration process
-Manufacturers
-June 14, 1971 deadline
-The President's response
-Economic impact
-A California lawyer for General Motors [GM]
-Congress
-Air quality
-Hearings
-Ruckelshaus
-Legislation
-Public opinion
-Economic impact
-White House position
-Air bags, seat belts, and shoulder harnesses
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

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-Use by public

Safety
-US cars
-Drivers
-Germans
-Accident rate
-Germany Conv. No. 498-11 (cont.)
-England
-Japan
-US
-Compared with losses in Vietnam
-Number of cars
-The President's driving
-California
-Freeways

Auto industry
-White House contacts
-Flanigan
-Ehrlichman
-Meeting with Henry Ford II
-Roche's May 13 meeting with Ehrlichman
-Japan
-Possible White House Action
-Flanigan, John B. Connally
-Position
-Roche's trip to Japan
-Capacity
-Exports
-Future
-People’s Republic of China [PRC], Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Thailand
-The President’s view
-US
-Trade barriers
-Korea
-Automobile industry development
-Latin America
-Automobile industry development
-PRC

US and Japanese economic relations
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
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-Currency valuation
-Investment restrictions
-Import restrictions
-Future
-Peterson’s view
-US strategy
-Japanese steel
-Use in automobiles Conv. No. 498-11 (cont.)
-Possible US import restrictions
-Possible Japanese response
-US auto exports
-Restrictions in Japan
-Taxes
-Cadillac cost
-Possible future actions
-GM and Isuzu Cooperation
-Restrictions in Japan
-Shared Technology
-Environment
-Safety
-Car Design
-GM
-Japanese expectations
-Kiichi Miyazawa
-Isuzu

US economy
-Goals
-Concepts
-Business Council
-Areas of concentration
-Competitiveness
-Technology
-Areas of concentration
-Energy, water, medicine
-Possible action by government
-Research and development
-Private sector
-Space program
-Breeder reactor
-A previous cabinet briefing
-Costs
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

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-Results
-Desalinization
-Costs
-A previous briefing
-Department of Interior saline water program
-Dr. Edward E. David, Jr.
-Compared with programs in Germany, England, Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics [USSR], Japan Conv. No. 498-11 (cont.)
-Possible private sector cooperation with government
-Government subsidies
-Domestic council
-Supersonic transport [SST] comparison
-USSR, PRC
-Japan, Great Britain, West Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium
-High technology
-Private sector action
-Compared to Department of Interior, Department of Agriculture
-SST comparison
-Water desalinization programs
-Health programs
-X-rays
-Vaccinations
-Possible studies
-Business, scientists, Harvard, Stanford
-Japan, USSR, Great Britain, Germany, France

[Unintelligible]

-Future status
-Economic standing
-The President's forthcoming meeting regarding North Atlantic Treaty
Organization [NATO]
-Compared with US economic status in 1945
-Germany, Japan
-Great Britain, Italy, France
-Compared with Europe in 1970's
-The President’s view
-Trade
-Government subsidies
-Productivity, labor costs
-Attitude of government
-Attitude of public
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

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-Compared with Great Britain
-Labor costs
-Edward R.G. Heath
-British economy
-Effect of labor costs
-Unions

Ehrlichman left at 3:18 pm Conv. No. 498-11 (cont.)

-Conference Board
-[first name unintelligible] Sheppard [sp?]
-Sandy Treadwell[?]
-A study commission
-Business Council
-Possible study
-Staff capability
-Members
-A possible study
-Schools of business
-University of Chicago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT],
Stanford University, University of Southern California [USC]
-A previous study[?]
-Scientists
-Dr. Charles Salin[?]
-Public opinion
-Peterson's experience on White House Conference on Youth
-Colorado
-Zero growth
-Social aspect
-Technology
-Jobs
-Service economy
-Future
-Compared with Great Britain
-Needs
-Basic industries
-An unnamed French writer
-Japan
-Automobiles
-US
-Chemicals
-Services
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

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-Other countries
-Steel
-Textiles
-Results
-George P. Shultz
-Results for US
-Peace
-Prospects Conv. No. 498-11 (cont.)
-Biblical translation
-Agriculture
-US position
-Farmers
-Steel, auto, chemical, radio, and camera manufacturing
-Japanese competition
-Panasonic televisions
-Radio Shack[?]
-Motion picture industry
-The President's knowledge
-Future
-British and French films
-SST
-Possible competition from USSR, France
-Results
-Public opinion
-Older Americans compare to younger Americans
-Growth
-Redistribution
-Youth
-Great Depression
-Wendell Willkie campaign in 1940
-New Deal policies
-Experience in communist societies
-USSR, Hungary, Romania, and Poland
-Possible campaign
-Exploration of the unknown
-Individual creativity
-Benefits
-Retirement
-Creativity
-Space program
-Future
-Purpose
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

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-Possible campaign
-Focus
-Building
-Individual growth
-Compared with California redwoods
-Youth
-Views on redistribution and growth
-Peterson's experience Conv. No. 498-11 (cont.)
-Contradiction of public service and materialism
-Influence of press
-Influence of educational system
-Influence of television
-Influence of educational system
-Influence of churches
-Fundamentalists
-Orthodox Jews
-Influence of teachers
-Influence of churches
-Influence of television
-Reading habits

Farewells

Lee Sprague
-Army Corps of Engineers
-Possible meeting with the President

Farewells

Peterson and Roche left at 3:35 pm