561–8

Conversation No. 561-8

Date: August 11, 1971
Time: 11:53 am - 12:51 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

Kent State University
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, jr.
-Meeting with Ehrlichman, August 11, 1971
-Possible calls to William Saxbe and Robert Taft, Jr.
-John N. Mitchell
-Clark MacGregor

Declassification order
-Possible story
-World War II
-Korea
-Lebanon
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Cuba
-John F. Kennedy
-Group recommendation
-Exemptions
-Intelligence sources
-On-going negotiations
 26

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-7 (cont.)


-Foreign relations
-Ehrlichman's possible backgrounder
-Press
-New classification system
-Off-the-record sessions
-Classified material
-Action of certain newspapers
-Classification authority
-Limitation
-Classified material
-Distribution
-Public's right to know
-National security
-On-going negotiations
-President's forthcoming trip to People's Republic of China [PRC]
-[New York Times] story
-Administration’s reaction
-Leaks
-Reaction of foreign government
-Leaks
-Pentagon Papers
-State Department story
-Unknown ambassador
-Henry A. Kissinger
-PRC concern
-Administration's prosecution of New York Times
-On-going negotiations
-Other governments' concerns
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-PRC
-Chou En-lai's interview with James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Chou En-lai's conversations with Kissinger
-Effect on US foreign policy negotiations
-President's conversations with foreign leaders
-Josef Broz Tito
-Nicolae Ceausescu
-Secrecy
-Agreements compared to negotiations
-[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson
-Col. Edward M. House's comments
-Attorney-client privilege
 27

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


-Labor negotiations
-Steel and rail strikes
-[New York Times case]
-President’s action
-Purpose
-President’s negotiating position
-Pentagon Papers
-Historical information
-Limitation on classification authority
-Copying of classified documents
-Xerox machine
-Presidential initiatives
-Need to know
-Backgrounding with classified documents
-Leak
-Effect on Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-New York Times
-Effect on negotiations
-Investigation
-Reporters’ efforts
-Polygraph
-William Beecher's call to unknown man
-President's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Administration’s openness
-National security information
-Protection
-Press
-Pages declassified
-Handling of President's papers
-Kissinger
-Distribution
-Need to know
-Debriefing
-Copying
-Xeroxing
-Pentagon Papers

Leak
-Unknown State Department official's conversation with Beecher
-Possible administration reaction
-Suspension
 28

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


-Transfer
-Aid to Liberia
-Ehrlichman's possible conversation with William P. Rogers
-SALT
-Polygraph examination
-Beecher’s story
-Declassification
-Cuba

Busing
-Edward L. Morgan's schedule
-Mayor of Dallas, Texas
-Mitchell
-Corpus Christi
-Austin, Texas
-Ronald L. Ziegler's press briefing
-Federal law
-Compliance
-South Carolina
-Reaction to Elliot L. Richardson's letter to Carl B. Albert
-Requirement
-Citizens' Committee response
-George P. Shultz

Ziegler entered at 12:18 pm.

-Ziegler's previous press briefing
-President's position
-Consequences of failure to support
-Federal bureaucracy
-Local plans
-Dual school system
-Morgan's schedule
-Ziegler's previous press briefing
-President's directive
-President's meeting with Mitchell and Richardson
-Richardson's letter to Albert
-Possible inquiries
-Content
-Ziegler's previous press briefing
-President's position
 29

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


-Racial balance
-Dual school system
-Desegregation
-Moral aspect
-George C. Wallace's statement
-Ziegler's previous press briefing
-John V. Lindsay
-George Meany
-Jim Naughton
-Republican Party
-Range of philosophies
-John B. Connally

Lindsay
-Ziegler's conversation with Mitchell
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Location
-Venezuela
-Ranch

Ziegler left at 12:23 pm.

Pentagon Papers case
-Krogh
-Daniel Ellsberg
-Strange bias
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Locksmiths
-Grand jury
-Grand Jury
-Timing
-Ellsberg arraignment
-Federal investigators
-Defense Department
-FBI
-J. Edgar Hoover
-Press
-Ehrlichman's conversation with Mitchell, August 6, 1971
-Report by Krogh's man
 30

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


Hoover
-Tenure in office
-Mitchell's views
-Possible conversation with President
-[Thomas] Hale Boggs
-Possible successor
-L. Patrick Gray
-Relationships
-[First name unknown] Brennan, William C. Sullivan
-Possible successor
-Gray
-Conversation with President after 1968 election
-1972 campaign
-Ellsberg investigation
-The President’s forthcoming conversation with Mitchell

Public service jobs
-President's instructions concerning discretionary money
-Illinois
-New Jersey
-California
-Formula

Martin C. (“Marty”) Anderson
-Possible role with administration
-Haldeman's conversation with President
-Special consultant
-Domestic Council
-Size of staff
-Budget
-Congressional relations
-Point of view

Administration's positions
-Revenue-sharing
-Welfare reform
-House Resolution [H R] 1
-Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO]
-President's schedule

Unknown man's letter to President
 31

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


-Availability of jobs in San Diego
-Ehrlichman's response
-Publicity
-Effect

Hand guns
-\"Saturday night specials\"
-President's conversation with head of National Rifle Association [NRA]
-Possible legislation
-Krogh

Pentagon Papers

Kent State University
-Support of unknown senators

Pentagon Papers
-Possible administration action
-Press coverage
-Timing
-Ehrlichman's possible conversation with Kissinger

President's schedule
-Possible press conference
-International monetary situation

National security
-Intelligence
 32

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 46s ]


INTELLIGENCE


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


-Rogers
-News leak
-Possible National Security Council [NSC] procedures
-Congress
-Laird
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Beecher's Story
-Jackson
-Jackson
-Ehrlichman's conversation with Laird
-SALT
-State and Defense Departments
-Possible NSC procedures
-Ehrlichman's possible conversation with Kissinger
-National Security Study Memorandum [NSSM]
-William H. Rehnquist's committee
-Classification guidelines
-President's procedures
-Need to know
-Debriefing
-Copying

Property Review Board
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Arnold R. Weber
-Possible successor
 33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


-Donald H. Rumsfeld

Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO]
-President's possible veto
-President’s view
-Administration's policy
-Legislation
-Albert H. Quie
-Views
-Samuel L. Devine
-Mexican-American deputy director

Ehrlichman's visit to Denver, August 10, 1971
-Schedule

Rogers C. B. Morton
-Meeting with John A. Love
-Colorado
-Department of Interior
-Location

Department of Agriculture
-Location
-Kansas, Nebraska
-Clifford M. Hardin
-Congress
-Clarence D. Palmby
-Possible new secretary

Interior Department
-Morton
-Walter J. Hickel
-Activities
-Television appearance

President's forthcoming meeting with Shultz
 34

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


Administration's programs
-OEO
-Revenue-sharing
-Welfare reform
-Pollution
-Consumers
-Education
-President's schedule
-National economy
-President's forthcoming program
-Cost
-Political aspect
-Revenue sharing
-Welfare reform

Welfare reform
-Question and answer session
-Ehrlichman’s response
-Possible Congressional action
-Compromise
-House bill
-Experimentation

National economy
-President's forthcoming program
-Federal pay raise
-Shultz
-Federal employee concerns
-Possible wage and price freeze
-Possible speech

Ehrlichman’s forthcoming press briefing

Pentagon Papers
-Press coverage
-Ellsberg
-Ellsberg's schedule
-National Students Conference
-Location
-Denver
-Attendees
 35

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 561-8 (cont.)


-George S. McGovern
-Birch E. Bayh, Jr.
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Earth Day

Ehrlichman left at 12:51 pm.