About this recording
525-1
- President Richard M. Nixon
- Rose Mary Woods
- John D. Ehrlichman
- H. R. Haldeman
- Ronald L. Ziegler
- Henry A. Kissinger
- Alexander P. Butterfield
- Marjorie P. Acker
June 17, 1971
Conversation No. 525-1
Date: June 17, 1971
Time: 5:15 pm - 6:10 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Rose Mary Woods.
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 17s ]
HENRY A. KISSINGER ENTERED AT 5:16 PM
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
**********************************************************************
Woods left and John D. Ehrlichman and H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 5:17 pm.
Pentagon Papers
-Administration response
-John N. Mitchell’s court efforts
-William P. Rogers’ statement
-Need to win court case and public relations case
-John B. Connally
-Rogers’ statement
-Quality
-Lyndon B. Johnson comments
-Possible press conference
-Bryce N. Harlow's role
-Kissinger's previous call to Lyndon B. Johnson
-Effect on administration
-Personnel
-Connally
-Spiro T. Agnew
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Gen. George A. Lincoln
-General view of President's position
-Connally
-Attack on Presidency
-Attack on Nixon and Johnson
-Rebuttal by administration
-Media coverage
-Criteria for New York Times coverage
-Desirability of comment by President
-Possible space
-Rogers’ statement
-Letters to Senators
-Legality of comments
-Court case
-Kissinger's statement
-Quality
-Content
-Need for comment by President
-Proper scope
-Outline
-Scope
-Preparation
-Coverage by \"Northeastern press\"
-New York Times
-President's comments on security
-Follow up
-Debriefing of employees
-Enforcement of security laws
-Responsibility of office heads for security
-Timing of administration counter
-Connally's action
-Meeting with staff
-Treasury Department relations with the press
-Consequences of leaks
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Privacy]
[Duration: 35s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7 Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
******************************************************************************
-President's remarks
-Issuance of memorandum
-Content
-Ehrlichman’s role
-Times use of press cards
-Mitchell
-Reprinting problem
-Times action
-Haldeman’s follow up to Congress
-Daniel Ellsberg's story
-Washington Star
-Kissinger’s remembrance of Ellsberg
-Vietnam service
-General demeanor
-International Security Affairs [ISA] background at the Department of
Defense
-John J. McNaughton
-Intellect
-Change of political opinion
-Contact during transition
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
***********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Privacy]
[Duration: 17s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
-Contact with Henry A. Kissinger
-Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT] speech by Kissinger
-Ellsberg heckling
-\"Murder in Laos\" article
-Obtaining documents
-Research and Development Corporation [RAND] copies of Vietnam story
-Ellsberg action compared to Alger Hiss and Whitaker Chambers action
-Reason for Ellsberg action
-Reason for Times action
-Opposition to President’s Vietnam policy
***********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Privacy]
[Duration: 15s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
**********************************************************************
-Administration response
-President's comments
-Ehrlichman's role
-Haldeman's role
-Remarks
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Kissinger's comments at North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] lunch
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Response
-Remarks by President
-Content of papers
-Principle of secrecy
-Times determination of national interest
-Embarrassment of Johnson and John F. Kennedy
-Defense of principle
-Reaction to loss of security Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
-President's legal obligations
-Reasons for the law
-Congressional mandate
-Kissinger memo
-Declassification procedures
-Case before Supreme Court
-Possible action by the President
-Need for remarks by President
-Impact
-Rogers’ statement
-Impact
-Content
-Political predispositions of authors, et al.
-Conviction of Johnson
-Relation to Joseph McCarthy era
-Prosecution for advice
-Times’ previous view
-Lack of content
-Stewart J.O. Alsop editorial
-Times previous stance on security of communication
-Adlai E. Stevenson, III and Kennedy
-Use by administration
-Timing
-Need for running battle
-Ronald L. Ziegler and Herbert G. Klein view
-Restriction of Times reporters
-Attacks from other papers
-McCarthy era analogy
-Richard M. Helms comments
-Times interpretation of morality
-Stevenson
-Johnson
-Selective embarrassment
-Times interpretation of First Amendment rights
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Times wrongdoing
-Times responsibility
-Johnson's action
-Robert S. McNamara
-Rebuttal
-Position as president of the International Bank of Reconstruction
and Development [World Bank]
-Loyalty to Johnson Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
-McGeorge Bundy comment
-Attack on Johnson
-Kennedy
-Ngo Dinh Diem death
-Henry Cabot Lodge and Kennedy's role
-William Moyers
-Diem death
-President's revelation
-Constraints of lawsuit
-Diem death
-President's knowledge
Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 5:17 pm.
Legislation
-Defeat of anti-war bills
-Margin
Ziegler left at an unknown time before 6:13 pm.
Pentagon Papers
-Bombing halt file
-Relation to Lyndon B. Johnson’s statement
-Attempts to obtain it
-Tom Charles Huston recollections
-Brookings role
-Implementation of Huston plan
-Johnson's concern
-Timing of bombing
-Content
-W. Averell Harriman
-Effects of release
-Johnson’s reaction
-Harlow contact with Johnson
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Upcoming Vice Presidential trip
-Harlow's attendance
-Harlow's role
-Agnew
-Korea
Pentagon Papers Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
-Agnew's role
-Recent performances
-Ehrlichman contact with Agnew
-Future Agnew role
-Robert J. Dole
-Agnew attacks on Times
-Nelson A. Rockefeller attacks on Times
-Role of advertisers
-Bonwit Teller
-Administration attack
-Role of sources
-Treasury Department role
-Council Economic Advisers [CEA]
-George P. Shultz
-Connally
-Maurice H. Stans
-Elliot L. Richardson
-George W. Romney
-John A. Volpe
-Rogers C.B. Morton
-John N. Mitchell
-Ken Martin (“Ken”) Worthy [?]
-Morton contacts
-Morton
-Melvin R. Laird
-Rogers
-Willingness to join attack
-Ending backgrounders
-\"Good\" reporters
-Max Frankel
-Mitchell
-Stans
-Connally
-Dole
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Republican National Committee contact with Times
-Franklyn C. Nofziger
-Effect on Stewart Lurie
-Effect on columnists
-Other contacts with Times
-Ziegler's tactics
-Return of calls
-Kissinger action Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
-National Security Council [NSC] staff
-Media fallout
-Need for perseverance
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Position
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Contact with Times competition
-Daily News
-Jerry Greene action
-Chicago Tribune reaction to Times story
-Bill Mullen (?) reaction
-James S. Copley, Richard Wilson, William Randolph Hearst, Jr. reaction
-Contact with Hearst
-Los Angeles Times reaction
-Policing of press
-Times and White House relationship
-Future relations
-Access to Oval Office
-Upcoming trips
-Times travel courtesies
-Eastern liberal press
-White House contact with Clark M. Clifford
-Extent of information from
-Congressional statements
-Effect on Hubert H. Humphrey
-Humphrey comments
-Effect of Vietnam study on behavior
-Effect on Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Support for McNamara
-Times material on Kennedy administration activities
-Use by President
-Henry Cabot Lodge's role
-Ngo Dinh Diem file
-Kennedy activity
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Lodge evidence
-Lodge position on release of evidence
-Kennedy’s communication with Lodge
-Consequences of coup
-Action against the Times
-Severity of Times transgression
-Press double standard
-Expected Times actions Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
-White House files
-Kissinger staff checks
-Set up of files
-Helmut (“Hal”) Sonnenfeldt
-Access to Kissinger conversations with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Sonnenfeldt duties
-William A.K. (“Tony”) Lake access
-Edmund S. Muskie reaction to Times story
-Humphrey reaction
-Johnson's position
-Support for Ted Kennedy
-Support for Humphrey
-McNamara's statement
-Humphrey knowledge of Vietnam activities
-Johnson
-Agnew exposure to White House tactics
-Humphrey statement
-\"Need to known\" doctrine
-Johnson's Vietnam judgement
-US actions
-Rogers and Laird
-World War II
-Korea
-Vietnam
-President’s questions
-Tactics
-Kissinger’s recollection
-\"Purpose\" of U.S. action
-Methods
-Goals
Drug policy statement
-Play in media
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Rochester trip
-Kenneth B. Keating invitation
-Congressional contacts during trip
-Keating
-Performance
**********************************************************************
Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
[Duration: 49s ]
INDIA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
**********************************************************************
Pakistan
-Life magazine issue
US and Federal Republic of Germany relations
-Willy Brandt
-Kissinger’s conversation with Egon Bahr
-Purchase of aircraft
Pentagon Papers
-Effect on White House enemies
-Haldeman
-Need for White House attack
-Reduction of ambassadorial access to Times
-D. Kenneth Rush
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Arthur K. Watson
Kissinger left at 6:05 pm.
Haldeman and Ehrlichman left at 6:07 pm.
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 6:07 pm.
[Signing of documents]
President's schedule
-Rochester schedule
-Action folders Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
Marjorie P. Acker entered at 6:09 pm.
Rose Mary Woods’ schedule
-Executive Office Building [EOB] meeting with President
The President, et al. left at 6:10 pm.
Date: June 17, 1971
Time: 5:15 pm - 6:10 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Rose Mary Woods.
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 17s ]
HENRY A. KISSINGER ENTERED AT 5:16 PM
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
**********************************************************************
Woods left and John D. Ehrlichman and H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 5:17 pm.
Pentagon Papers
-Administration response
-John N. Mitchell’s court efforts
-William P. Rogers’ statement
-Need to win court case and public relations case
-John B. Connally
-Rogers’ statement
-Quality
-Lyndon B. Johnson comments
-Possible press conference
-Bryce N. Harlow's role
-Kissinger's previous call to Lyndon B. Johnson
-Effect on administration
-Personnel
-Connally
-Spiro T. Agnew
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Gen. George A. Lincoln
-General view of President's position
-Connally
-Attack on Presidency
-Attack on Nixon and Johnson
-Rebuttal by administration
-Media coverage
-Criteria for New York Times coverage
-Desirability of comment by President
-Possible space
-Rogers’ statement
-Letters to Senators
-Legality of comments
-Court case
-Kissinger's statement
-Quality
-Content
-Need for comment by President
-Proper scope
-Outline
-Scope
-Preparation
-Coverage by \"Northeastern press\"
-New York Times
-President's comments on security
-Follow up
-Debriefing of employees
-Enforcement of security laws
-Responsibility of office heads for security
-Timing of administration counter
-Connally's action
-Meeting with staff
-Treasury Department relations with the press
-Consequences of leaks
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Privacy]
[Duration: 35s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7 Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
******************************************************************************
-President's remarks
-Issuance of memorandum
-Content
-Ehrlichman’s role
-Times use of press cards
-Mitchell
-Reprinting problem
-Times action
-Haldeman’s follow up to Congress
-Daniel Ellsberg's story
-Washington Star
-Kissinger’s remembrance of Ellsberg
-Vietnam service
-General demeanor
-International Security Affairs [ISA] background at the Department of
Defense
-John J. McNaughton
-Intellect
-Change of political opinion
-Contact during transition
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
***********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Privacy]
[Duration: 17s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
**********************************************************************
-Contact with Henry A. Kissinger
-Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT] speech by Kissinger
-Ellsberg heckling
-\"Murder in Laos\" article
-Obtaining documents
-Research and Development Corporation [RAND] copies of Vietnam story
-Ellsberg action compared to Alger Hiss and Whitaker Chambers action
-Reason for Ellsberg action
-Reason for Times action
-Opposition to President’s Vietnam policy
***********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Privacy]
[Duration: 15s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
**********************************************************************
-Administration response
-President's comments
-Ehrlichman's role
-Haldeman's role
-Remarks
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Kissinger's comments at North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] lunch
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Response
-Remarks by President
-Content of papers
-Principle of secrecy
-Times determination of national interest
-Embarrassment of Johnson and John F. Kennedy
-Defense of principle
-Reaction to loss of security Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
-President's legal obligations
-Reasons for the law
-Congressional mandate
-Kissinger memo
-Declassification procedures
-Case before Supreme Court
-Possible action by the President
-Need for remarks by President
-Impact
-Rogers’ statement
-Impact
-Content
-Political predispositions of authors, et al.
-Conviction of Johnson
-Relation to Joseph McCarthy era
-Prosecution for advice
-Times’ previous view
-Lack of content
-Stewart J.O. Alsop editorial
-Times previous stance on security of communication
-Adlai E. Stevenson, III and Kennedy
-Use by administration
-Timing
-Need for running battle
-Ronald L. Ziegler and Herbert G. Klein view
-Restriction of Times reporters
-Attacks from other papers
-McCarthy era analogy
-Richard M. Helms comments
-Times interpretation of morality
-Stevenson
-Johnson
-Selective embarrassment
-Times interpretation of First Amendment rights
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Times wrongdoing
-Times responsibility
-Johnson's action
-Robert S. McNamara
-Rebuttal
-Position as president of the International Bank of Reconstruction
and Development [World Bank]
-Loyalty to Johnson Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
-McGeorge Bundy comment
-Attack on Johnson
-Kennedy
-Ngo Dinh Diem death
-Henry Cabot Lodge and Kennedy's role
-William Moyers
-Diem death
-President's revelation
-Constraints of lawsuit
-Diem death
-President's knowledge
Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 5:17 pm.
Legislation
-Defeat of anti-war bills
-Margin
Ziegler left at an unknown time before 6:13 pm.
Pentagon Papers
-Bombing halt file
-Relation to Lyndon B. Johnson’s statement
-Attempts to obtain it
-Tom Charles Huston recollections
-Brookings role
-Implementation of Huston plan
-Johnson's concern
-Timing of bombing
-Content
-W. Averell Harriman
-Effects of release
-Johnson’s reaction
-Harlow contact with Johnson
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Upcoming Vice Presidential trip
-Harlow's attendance
-Harlow's role
-Agnew
-Korea
Pentagon Papers Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
-Agnew's role
-Recent performances
-Ehrlichman contact with Agnew
-Future Agnew role
-Robert J. Dole
-Agnew attacks on Times
-Nelson A. Rockefeller attacks on Times
-Role of advertisers
-Bonwit Teller
-Administration attack
-Role of sources
-Treasury Department role
-Council Economic Advisers [CEA]
-George P. Shultz
-Connally
-Maurice H. Stans
-Elliot L. Richardson
-George W. Romney
-John A. Volpe
-Rogers C.B. Morton
-John N. Mitchell
-Ken Martin (“Ken”) Worthy [?]
-Morton contacts
-Morton
-Melvin R. Laird
-Rogers
-Willingness to join attack
-Ending backgrounders
-\"Good\" reporters
-Max Frankel
-Mitchell
-Stans
-Connally
-Dole
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Republican National Committee contact with Times
-Franklyn C. Nofziger
-Effect on Stewart Lurie
-Effect on columnists
-Other contacts with Times
-Ziegler's tactics
-Return of calls
-Kissinger action Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
-National Security Council [NSC] staff
-Media fallout
-Need for perseverance
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Position
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Contact with Times competition
-Daily News
-Jerry Greene action
-Chicago Tribune reaction to Times story
-Bill Mullen (?) reaction
-James S. Copley, Richard Wilson, William Randolph Hearst, Jr. reaction
-Contact with Hearst
-Los Angeles Times reaction
-Policing of press
-Times and White House relationship
-Future relations
-Access to Oval Office
-Upcoming trips
-Times travel courtesies
-Eastern liberal press
-White House contact with Clark M. Clifford
-Extent of information from
-Congressional statements
-Effect on Hubert H. Humphrey
-Humphrey comments
-Effect of Vietnam study on behavior
-Effect on Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Support for McNamara
-Times material on Kennedy administration activities
-Use by President
-Henry Cabot Lodge's role
-Ngo Dinh Diem file
-Kennedy activity
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Lodge evidence
-Lodge position on release of evidence
-Kennedy’s communication with Lodge
-Consequences of coup
-Action against the Times
-Severity of Times transgression
-Press double standard
-Expected Times actions Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
-White House files
-Kissinger staff checks
-Set up of files
-Helmut (“Hal”) Sonnenfeldt
-Access to Kissinger conversations with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Sonnenfeldt duties
-William A.K. (“Tony”) Lake access
-Edmund S. Muskie reaction to Times story
-Humphrey reaction
-Johnson's position
-Support for Ted Kennedy
-Support for Humphrey
-McNamara's statement
-Humphrey knowledge of Vietnam activities
-Johnson
-Agnew exposure to White House tactics
-Humphrey statement
-\"Need to known\" doctrine
-Johnson's Vietnam judgement
-US actions
-Rogers and Laird
-World War II
-Korea
-Vietnam
-President’s questions
-Tactics
-Kissinger’s recollection
-\"Purpose\" of U.S. action
-Methods
-Goals
Drug policy statement
-Play in media
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Rochester trip
-Kenneth B. Keating invitation
-Congressional contacts during trip
-Keating
-Performance
**********************************************************************
Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
[Duration: 49s ]
INDIA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
**********************************************************************
Pakistan
-Life magazine issue
US and Federal Republic of Germany relations
-Willy Brandt
-Kissinger’s conversation with Egon Bahr
-Purchase of aircraft
Pentagon Papers
-Effect on White House enemies
-Haldeman
-Need for White House attack
-Reduction of ambassadorial access to Times
-D. Kenneth Rush
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Arthur K. Watson
Kissinger left at 6:05 pm.
Haldeman and Ehrlichman left at 6:07 pm.
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 6:07 pm.
[Signing of documents]
President's schedule
-Rochester schedule
-Action folders Conv. No. 525-1 (cont.)
Marjorie P. Acker entered at 6:09 pm.
Rose Mary Woods’ schedule
-Executive Office Building [EOB] meeting with President
The President, et al. left at 6:10 pm.