Secret White House Tapes

557–1

About this recording

557–1
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • H. R. Haldeman
  • White House operator
  • Henry A. Kissinger
  • UNKNOWN
  • Ronald L. Ziegler
August 9, 1971
Conversation No. 557-1

Date: August 9, 1971
Time: 8:52 am - 11:47 am
Location: Oval Office

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

Weather

President's schedule
-David K.E. Bruce and Ellsworth F. Bunker
-William J. Porter
-Possible meetings
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Staff meeting

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 8:52 am and
8:55 am.

[Conversation No. 557-1A]

Kissinger's location

[End of telephone conversation]

President's schedule

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 22
[Personal Returnable
[Duration: 1m 13s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 22

**********************************************************************
2

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


Forthcoming legislation
-Appropriation bills
-Agriculture
-Rural sewage and water
-Aid to farmers
-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]
-Possible veto
-Blacks

President’s schedule
-Labor-management leaders
-West Coast longshoremen
-Strike
-Harry Bridges
-Coal
-Eastern longshoremen
-Construction
-Railroads
-Firemen, signalmen, shop crafts
-Automobiles
-Steel
-Transportation

Kissinger entered at 8:55 am.

Letter
-Kissinger to send to unknown person

President's schedule
-Bunker
-Porter
-Bunker
-Kissinger's schedule
-Possible meeting
-Press coverage
-Forthcoming Vietnam election

Vietnam
-Bunker’s return
-Purpose
-Election
3

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-Possible North Vietnamese interference
-Media coverage
-Political issue
-Democrats
-Clark M. Clifford
-New York Times article
-President’s intentions
-People's Republic of China [PRC] announcement
-Madame Nguyen Thi Binh
-Proposals
-Timing
-William A.K. (“Tony”) Lake
-Morton Halperin
-President’s comments to press
-Clifford
-Effect on negotiations

PRC
-W[illiam] Averell Harriman
-Visa
-Gardiner (sp?) Coles [?]
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Articles
-Chou En-lai
-Comments about the President
-New York Times
-Reminiscence

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Kissinger’s forthcoming trip to Paris
-India
-Foreign Minister
-Talks with Andrei A. Gromyko
-Relations with India
-Treaty of friendship and cooperation
-Announcement
-Provision
-Significance
4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 24
[National Security]
[Duration: 52s ]


INDIA


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 24

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


India
-Kissinger’s forthcoming talks with Indian Ambassador
-Relations with US and USSR
-US aid

PRC
-Chou En-lai
-Ideological stance
-North Vietnam


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 44s ]


PAKISTAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

**********************************************************************
5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-Reston
-Vietnam
-US troop withdrawal

Refreshment

The President left at an unknown time after 8:55 am.

Foreign policy
-Achievements
-Historical significance

PRC


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 23
[National Security]
[Duration: 8s ]


PAKISTAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 23

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


Foreign policy
-Congress
-Democrats
-India
-USSR

The President entered at an unknown time before 10:30 am.

-Democrats
-Clifford
-Republicans
6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-PRC
-Vietnam
-Possible US military action
-Clifford
-President's press conference
-Article
-Timing of printing

Vietnam
-Press coverage
-Forthcoming meeting with Bunker
-Forthcoming election
-Paris negotiations
-Consultations
-Paris negotiations
-Democrats


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 46s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


-Declaration of principles
-Publication
-Democrats
-Possible US military action
-North Vietnamese buildup
-Analogy to Tet offensive
-Air force
-Negotiations
-PRC
-Notification
-Timing
7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)



PRC
-US press
-Reston
-Forthcoming Presidential election
-The President compared to Democrats
-USSR
-New York Times
-Democrats
-USSR
-India
-Administration
-Pakistan
-Possible story
-Democrats
-Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting
-Congress
-Pakistan
-USSR

Japan
-New York Times editorial
-President's schedule
-Forthcoming visit with Emperor Hirohito
-Anchorage, Alaska
-Simile
-Visit with Georges J.R. Pompidou
-Effect on PRC
-Compared to trip to Japan
-Trade
-PRC
-USSR

India
-Kissinger’s forthcoming talks with ambassador
-Possible war
-Effect
-Development program
-USSR
-President’s friendship
-Possible war
8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-Effect on US position
-The President’s view
-Cambodia and Laos
-Interest in political settlement, refugees, aid to India
-National Security Council [NSC]
-William P. Rogers
-Joseph J. Sisco
-Washington Post and New York Times
-Rogers
-State Department
-Bureaucracy
-John F. Kennedy
-Forthcoming NSC meeting
-Timing
-Kissinger's schedule
-Forthcoming meeting with undersecretaries
-Rogers

PRC
-Rogers
-Kissinger
-State Department
-Bureaucracy
-New York Time and Washington Post
-New York Times
-Japan
-Harriman
-Taiwan
-United Nations [UN]
-Chiang Kai-shek
-Chou En-lai
-Comments to Reston
-USSR
-India

USSR
-Possible developments
-PRC
-Middle East
-Israel
-Democrats
9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-Possible summit in Moscow
-Relationship to PRC trip
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-President’s letter
-Summit
-Summit
-Timing
-Middle East
-Egypt
-India

Japan
-President's schedule
-Anchorage trip
-Timing
-Television
-Significance
-Gesture
-Emperor of Japan
-Ceremonial aspects
-Television

USSR
-India
-PRC
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-India
-Middle East
-1967 War
-Egypt
-Pakistan
-PRC
-[India]
-Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation
-India-Pakistan relations
-Congress

Vietnam

PRC
-Chou En-lai
10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-US press
-Speech
-Communist Party cadres
-USSR
-Comparison with PRC
-Voice of America [VOA]

USSR
-David Rockefeller
-Trip
-October [1917] Revolution
-President's 1959 trip

PRC
-Chou En-lai
-Islamabad

Democrats and Liberals
-New York Times, Washington Post, Life, Time, Newsweek
-Anti-ballistic missiles [ABMs]
-SALT
-Pentagon Papers
-Public support for the President
-September 1969 riots
-Vietnam troop withdrawals
-Peace plan
-1968 campaign
-Edith Efron's media study
-Charles W. Colson
-Efron
-Background
-TV Guide editor
-John P. Roche
-Analysis of press coverage
-Television networks
-Issues
-Position
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-The President
-Comparison of coverage
-American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
11

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-George C. Wallace
-Fred Dutton's book

PRC
-Announcement of forthcoming trip by President
-Reston
-PRC leaders’ view
-Rogers
-UN policy
-State Department
-Richard Rovere
-New Yorker
-Article
-US, PRC, and USSR
-Compared with New Republic
-Daniel W. Washburn
-TRB
-[Forename unknown] Goodwin
- Talk of the Town
-Vietnam
-Rovere article
-Democrats
-Youth
-Possible impact
-Press pool for trip
-Guests
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Adele (Langston) Rogers
-Chou En-lai, Mao Tse-tung's wife

Middle East
-Sisco
-Israelis
-Joseph C. Kraft
-Article
-Ceasefire
-Significance
-Rogers
12

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


PRC
-Forthcoming trip
-New York Herald-Tribune [?] article
-William H. Carruthers
-Political aspect
-Eugene J. McCarthy
-President's speech
-Television

1972 campaign
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Howard Stein
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Humphrey
-Eugene McCarthy
-Edward M. Kennedy
-McCarthy
-Youth crusade
-Kennedy
-Fitness for office
-Other candidates
-Mary McGrory
-Financing
-Personal Fund
-McGrory

New York Times article
-White House church services
-Author
-Identity
-Washington Post
-President’s instructions

Press
-1968 campaign
-Ronald L. Ziegler, Herbert G. Klein
-Humphrey
-Compared to 1960 and 1972 campaigns
-Unknown article
-Unknown person
-Capitol Hill
13

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-PRC announcement
-National economy news
-Article
-Unknown reporter
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Newsweek
-Victor Gold
-John A. Scali

Unknown person
-Views
-Textile quotas
-Busing


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 5m 1s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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


Support for President
-President as leader
-Kissinger
-PRC trip
-Winston Churchill
-Charles A.J.M. de Gaulle
-President as world leader
-Cambodia
-Laos
-Demonstrators
-de Gaulle
-Foreign policy
-Record evaluated
-[James] Harold Wilson
14

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)




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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[National Security]
[Duration: 6s ]


UNITED KINGDOM [UK]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9

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


-Richard H. Rovere

Substance abuse
-Alcohol
-Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Russians, British, Germans, Italians
-Chinese
-Japanese
-Compared to drug use
-Southern societies
-India
-Drugs
-Rovere
-Daniel Ellsberg
-Lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD]
-Health effects
-Ulcers
-Marijuana
-Stress
-Sedatives


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
15

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 14s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13

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


-Effects

Television networks
-Colson
-Domestic Council


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 11m 55s ]


Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 8:55 am and 10:30 am.

[Conversation No. 557-1B]

[End of telephone conversation]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14

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


-1968 campaign coverage
-Efron’s media study
-Commentators’ words fun and against
-The President’s compared to Humphrey
-ABC
-NBC
16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-USe policy on Vietnam War
-NBC
-Bombing halt
-White Middle class
-NBC
-CBS
-Black militants
-NBC
-The Left
-Demonstrators
-Efron’s conclusion
-Network reporters
-Democratic liberal politicians
-Humphrey
-Republican conservative politicians
-The President
-Efron
-ABC, CBS, NBC, coverage
-PRC trip
-Pentagon Papers
-1970 campaign
-Vietnam
-Biased reporting
-Scali
-Klein
-Ziegler
-Need for balance
-Efron’s study
-Newspaper editorial policy
-Coverage of Laos action
-Tone
-Leftists
-State Department, Department of Defense [DOD]
-John D. Ehrlichman
-George P. Shultz
-Press
-Universities
-Government bureaucracy

Kissinger left at 10:30 am.
17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 9m 18s ]


[Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 10:30 am and 11:12
am]

[Conversation No. 557-1C]

[End of telephone conversation]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15

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


President’s schedule
-Speech
-Congressional recess
-Return
-Golf trip
-George Meany
-Peter J. Brennan
-Radio speech
-Labor Day
-Length

Liberals
-Kissinger's friends

Efron
-Background
-TV Guide
-Media study on campaign coverage
-Historical Research Foundation
-Background
-New York Times magazine
18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-Look
-Time-Life correspondent
-Publications
-State Department
-Education
-Barnard College
-Columbia University
-Historical Research Foundation
-William F. Buckley
-Media study
-Television news
-1972 campaign
-Fairness Doctrine
-Vice President Agnew's allegations
-Public support
-Network officials’ response
-Tactics
-Alger Hiss case
-Whitaker Chambers
-Background
-Clytia Chambers
-Background
-Education
-Barnard College
-Howard University
--Buckley
-Media study
-Goals
-Media bias
-1968 campaign
-The Left and the Right
-1972 campaign
-Theory
-Analytical method
-Networks, Federal Communications Commission [FCC],
Congress citizens
-Possible Democratic reaction
-Buckley
-White House staff
-Klein
-Richard A. Moore
19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-Buckley
-Summary of study’s conclusions

President's schedule
-Efron


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 10s ]


[No conversation]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16

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


Press
-Televised press conferences
-Efron study
-Black militants
-Free speech
-Berkeley
-Environmentalists
-Consumer issues
-Vietnam
-Disarmament
-ABM
-Religion
-New York Times reporter
-Washington Post
-Judith Martin
-Haldeman's dinner at the Kennedy Center
-Unknown women
- Cave dwellers
-Tricia Nixon Cox's wedding
20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-Washington Post
-Mrs. Nixon
-New York Times story
-Japan
-Emperor Hirohito

President's schedule
-Kennedy Center opening
-Kennedy family
-John F. Kennedy
-Concert Hall
-Symphony concert
-Opera House
-Symphony concert
-Antal Dorati
-Liszt's Les Preludes
-Opera House
-Leonard Bernstein Mass
-Concert Hall opening
-Announcement
-Ziegler
-Opera House opening
-President’s box
-Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
-Abe Fortas
-Roger L. Stevens
-Mrs. J. Willard Marriott, Jr.
-Reception
-Advancemen

White House response to Efron's book
-Colson
-Pentagon Papers
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Walter H. Annenberg
-Serialization, syndication
-1968 campaign television coverage
-Congressional hearings
-Harley O. Staggers
-White House press relations
-Networks
21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-Government control
-Media
-Columnists
-Rovere
-Readership
-Article
-PRC trip

President's schedule
-Cyclemates II
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-Possible press conference
-Ziegler

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 10:30 am and
11:12 am.

[Conversation No. 557-1D]

Requested a meeting with Ziegler

[End of telephone conversation]

President's schedule
-Ehrlichman
-Shultz

National economy
-Time story
-John B. Connally
-Shultz, Arthur F. Burns
-Timing

Ziegler entered at 11:12 am.

President's schedule
-Forthcoming press conference
-Bunker meeting
-Routineness
-Vietnam elections
-President's statement
22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-Fairness
-Vietnam negotiations
-President's previous press conference
-Helen Thomas
-Possible office press conference
-Timing
-Forthcoming California trip
-Possible speech
-Timing
-September
-Congress
-Frequency
-Issues
-Pentagon Papers
-Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW] speech
-Declassification of World War II and Korea documents
-Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW] speech
-Knights of Columbus speech
-Vietnam elections
-India-Pakistan relations
-Bunker visit
-PRC
-Domestic
-Economy
-Length
-Forthcoming speeches
-Press coverage
-California trip
-Knights of Columbus
-VFW
-Pentagon Papers
-Limitation of subjects
-Last week's subjects
-PRC, Vietnam, national economy
-Possible press reaction
-Length
-President's preparation
-Issues
-Busing
-Ziegler's briefings
-National economy
23

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-Wage and price controls
-Vice President Agnew
-Time
-Trip
-1972 Republican ticket
-George H.W. Bush
-Robert H. Finch
-Connally
-Bush
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Bush
-Clark MacGregor
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Charles H. Percy
-John V. Lindsay
-Percy
-Illinois
-Trip
-Newsweek article
-Ambassador's wife
-Letter
-Gold

The press
-1968 campaign coverage
-Efron’s media study
-Commentators’ words for and against
-The President compared to Humphrey
-ABC
-NBC
-White middle class
-Black militants
-Author's background
-Humphrey compared to the President
-ABC
-Muriel F. (Buck) Humphrey
-Compared to Mrs. Nixon
-Comments about H. Humphrey


**********************************************************************
24

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)



BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 18
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 39s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 18

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


-Comments about the President
-Media bias


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 19
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 28s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 19

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


-Theory of parallelism
-Choice of film and interviewers
-Efron's conclusions
-Effort to defeat the President
-ABC, CBS, NBC
-PRC trip
-Writing press
-Television reporting
-Possible administration strategies
-Public attitude
-Efron study
-Congress, FCC
-Press objectivity
25

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


President's schedule
-Possible press conference
-Press reaction
-Timing
-Congressional recess
-President's trip to California
-Questions
-PRC
-President's preparation
-Location and format
-Cabinet Room
-Oval Office
-Kennedy
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Cabinet Room
-Press relations efforts
-Intensity
-Impact on presidency
-Beginning of term
-Barry M. Goldwater, Jr.
-The press
-White House press relations
-Possible questions
-1972 ticket
-Agnew
-Busing
-Congress
-Revenue sharing
-Wage and price board
-PRC
-Vietnam
-Elections
-Kissinger's reaction
-Bunker meeting
-Normal consultations
-Elections
-Internal matter
-National economy
-Foreign affairs
-PRC
-Vietnam
26

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


-Pakistan
-Rogers's announcement
-USSR-India treaty

Ziegler left at 11:45 am.

-Cyclemates II
-Oval Office
-Gifts
-Press coverage
-Press conference
-Timing
-Television
-Bunker meeting
-Kissinger

Foreign policy
-Presentation of positions
-Positive tone
-Substance
-Analogy to Secret Service
-Kissinger
-Kissinger
-Laos
-Cambodia
-Domestic considerations
-Negotiations
-Channels
-Possible revelation
-PRC
-President as leader
-November 3, 1969 speech

White House public relations
-Frank Leonard
-Maine
-Relations with press
-Franklyn C. (“Lyn”) Nofzinger
-Forthcoming meeting
-President’s note
-Monday mailing
27

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 557-1 (cont.)


- Journey for Peace
-Kiplinger letter
-Orientation
-Writing press
-Television
-Monday mailing
-Foreign policy
-Kissinger
-Ziegler
-Public relations
-Public statements
-Brevity
-Vietnam negotiations
-Seven points
-US position
-October 7, 1970 speech
-Response
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Ziegler
-The President
-Kissinger's position
-Negotiations
-Interference
-Polls
-Announcement
-Kissinger’s meetings

Haldeman left at 11:47 am.
Secret White House Tapes |

557–1

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