526–2

Conversation No. 526-2

Date: June 18, 1971
Time: 8:45 am - 9:38 am
Location: Oval Office

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

Pentagon Papers
-Upcoming statement by President
-Content of written message
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Public relations
-Support for war
-Content of message to National Security Council [NSC]
-Content of message to be submitted by staff
-Preparation
-Effect of consensus
-Need for chief writer
-Buchanan
-Role for press conferences
-Media memorandum
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Content
-Need for confidentiality in negotiations
-Declassification
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)




Awarding of honorary degrees
-President Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal
-Reflection on \"Today's\" schools
-Harvard University
-University of California at Los Angeles [UCLA]
-Accomplishments of Sedar Senghor
-Haldeman’s experience on Board of Regents of UCLA
-Role of recipients
-Value of honorary degrees
-Senghor accomplishments
-Compared to some US mayors
-Size of Senegal
-Heads of Black African states
-Haldeman’s view
-Attractiveness as honorary degree candidates
-Honorary degrees

Pentagon Papers
-Statement by President
-Efficacy
-Nixon administration role in Vietnam
-Ehrlichman
-Bombing halt
-Request for Henry A. Kissinger and Haldeman meeting
-Consequences
-Administration strategy
-Two issues
-Relationship of content to administration’s policy
-Seriousness of security breach
-Need for clear focus of administration strategy
-William E. Timmons
-Support for administration
-Among publishers
-James S. Copley
-Carl T. Curtis opposition
-Rationale
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor
-Promotion
-Gale W. McGee
-Congressional strategy
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Timmons
-Relationship to Alger Hiss case
-Potential headlines
-President's support during Hiss case
-Issues
-Attack on New York Times
-Kissinger statement
-Ronald L. Ziegler Conv. No. 526-2 (cont.)
-Use of Kissinger on Rochester trip
-Hypothetical attack on liberals
-Joseph McCarthy
-Statement by President
-Content
-Impact
-Constraints due to court case
-Use of national television
-Nature of audience
-Herbert G. Klein
-Position of press
-Freedom of press
-Klein and Ehrlichman role
-Impact of statement concluding a briefing
-Domestic emphasis
-Domestic policy
-Comparison with Birmingham remarks
-Use of national audience
-Personal letter to editors and television producers
-World War II classified documents
-Korean classified documents
-Washington Post story
-Dwight D. Eisenhower [?]
-Source
-Implication
-Post use of Pentagon Papers
-Administration reaction to use of documents
-Klein’s outlook
-Use of Kissinger
-Effect on Senators or Congressmen
-Air Force One
-Possible comments
-Timing of fight with Times
-Effect of court decisions
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Charles W. Colson
-Use in Congress
-McGee
-Image of White House action
-Political impact of Times story
-Involvement of Democratic Presidents
-John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson
-Franklin D. Roosevelt Conv. No. 526-2 (cont.)
-Harry S. Truman
-Confidential advice
-Effect on current negotiations
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Middle East
-Berlin negotiations
-Weighing of good story against US interests
-Rationale for statement
-Report of President's statement
-Robert J. Dole statement
-Content
-Political nature of the battle
-Dole statement
-Content
-Partisan play by Democrats
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Humphrey statement
-Johnson
-Dole statement
-Effect on Johnson
-Opposition to Vietnam War
-Robert H. Finch
-Return from Chicago
-Views
-Freedom of the press
-President’s relationship with the Times
-Future relationship
-George P. Shultz
-Times reaction
-Peter Lisagor reaction
-Restriction of Times
-Coverage
-John F. Kennedy
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Herald Tribune subscription
-Subtlety of attack
-Comparison with Spiro T. Agnew attacks
-Timing of Presidential statement
-Relation to judicial process
-Daniel Ellsberg story
-Current play
-Ellsberg disappearance Conv. No. 526-2 (cont.)
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] visit
-Leak of Kissinger recollections
-Ellsberg actions in Vietnam
-Kissinger and Ellsberg visits
-Santa Monica Outlook story
-Source
-Kissinger’s view
-Leslie H. Gelb
-Ellsberg
-Kissinger backgrounder on Air Force One
-Ehrlichman outline for statement
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman meeting
-Timing of statements by President
-Relation to court case
-Dole statement
-Response to order from President
-Partisan political impression
-Press reaction to administration response
-Press reaction to lack of response
-Ehrlichman
-Kissinger backgrounder
-Possible comments
-Timing
-Florida trip
-Air Force One to Rochester

Drug policy
-Drug policy statement
-Media play
-Dr. Jerome H. Jaffe
-Organization
-Personnel moves
-Shultz report
-Allen J. Ellender
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Hospital staffing
-Early Jaffe moves
-Hospital closing
-Effect
-Shultz's report
Vietnam
-Coverage of casualties
-Walter Cronkite statement Conv. No. 526-2 (cont.)
-Other reporters' statements
-Coverage of anti-war amendments in Congress
-Wording of reports

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 9:28 am.

Schedule
-Letters
-Memorandums

Butterfield left at 9:31 am.

-Arrival of President Senghor of Senegal

Pentagon Papers
-Kissinger backgrounder
-Benefits of statement

President Senghor

Pentagon Papers
-Kissinger backgrounder
-Ehrlichman
-Notification of press

President's schedule

Pentagon Papers
-Effect on administration
-Reaction by administration
-Administration response
-Dwight L. Chapin
-Humphrey
-Dole attack
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Kissinger's role

Haldeman left at 9:38 am.