623–19

Conversation No. 623-19

Date: November 23, 1971
Time: 3:10 pm - 4:33 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rogers C. B. Morton, John D. Ehrlichman and John C. Whitaker; the
White House photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the
meeting.

Arrangements for photograph

[Unintelligible]

Cypress Swamp in Florida
-Government purchase of rights
-Announcement

The Nation
-The President
-Morton’s view
-Economy
 31

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



-Vietnam
-Casualties
-Spirit
-The President’s view
-Lyndon B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy

Morton's previous trip in the west
-Publicity
-Interest groups
-State officials
-Resource groups
-Conservationists
-Mining groups
-Timber groups
-Oil groups
-Weyerhaeuser Corporation

An unknown woman entered at an unknown time after 3:10 pm.

The President's schedule
-Francis W. Sargent
-Delay in meeting

The unknown woman left at an unknown time before 3:57 pm.

Morton's previous trip in the west
-Itinerary
-States
-Water development
-Grazing fees
-Employment
-Environment and pollution concerns
-Geographical areas of concern
-Youth
-Morton’s view
-Water development
-Projects
-Central Utah
-Central Arizona
-Central Valley in California
-Garrison Diversion in North Dakota
 32

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 623-19 (cont.)


-Oahe Project in South Dakota
-Indian water
-Funding
-Kennedy and Johnson
-Future
-Western interests
-Projects
-Prioritization
-Indian water
-Politics
-Congress
-Alan Bible
-Future programs
-Sewage systems
-Politics
-The President’s view
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Water pollution
-Need for important programs
-Appropriations
-Funding backlog
-Corps of Engineers
-Department of the Interior
-Priorities
-Phoenix
-Central Valley
-Utah
-Garrison
-Oahe
-Washington
-Utah

Indians
-Militants
-Morton’s view
-Appropriations
-Department of the Interior
-Bureau of Indian Affairs [BIA]
-Elliot L. Richardson
-The President's football coach
-Department of the Interior
 33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 623-19 (cont.)


-Staffing
-Louis R. Bruce and Harrison Loesch
-Relationship
-Morton’s view
-Industrial development
-Roads
-Electricity, running water and telephones
-Development of infrastructure
-Highway Trust Fund
-The President's program
-Morton's actions
-Political constituency
-Development of plans
-The President’s view
-Blue Lake
-Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
-Department of the Interior
-Legislation
-Bureaucracy
-Bruce
-Morton’s view
-Loesch
-Morton’s view
-Barbara (“Bobbie”) Greene
-BIA
-Possible changes
-Living conditions
-Modern conveniences
-Use of appropriations
-Development of infrastructure
-Militants

US territories
-1967 legislation regarding governments of Virgin Islands and Guam
-Johnson
-Comptroller
-Secretary of the Interior
-Morton’s experience with the territories
-Virgin Islands and Guam
-Morton's discussions
-State Department
 34

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 623-19 (cont.)


-Need for cooperation among federal agencies
-Corruption
-Virgin Islands
-Samoa
-Governor
-Micronesia
-Stewart Udall
-Development of self-government
-Walter J. Hickel's speech in Saipan
-US commitments
-Micronesian reaction
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Franklin Haydn Williams
-Loyalty
-Morton's forthcoming trip
-Goals of trip
-Appropriations
-The President’s view
-Kissinger
-State Department
-US policy
-Okinawa
-Hickel
-Peace Corps
-Teachers
-Communists
-Office of the Territories
-Elizabeth P. Farrington
-Reorganization
-Micronesia
-Hickel
-Local control of the government
-High Commissioner
-Edward E. Johnston
-Morton’s view
-Hiram L. Fong
-Johnston’s tenure in office
-Hawaii
-Morton’s view
-Fong
-Johnston
 35

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 623-19 (cont.)


-The President’s view
-Morton’s view
-Hickel
-Allocation of funds
-Micronesian Congress
-Continental Airlines
-Dealings with Interior Department
-Morton’s view
-Pan American Airways
-Najeeb E. Halaby
-The President’s view
-Japanese
-Morton's forthcoming trip
-Kissinger
-Arthur W. Hummel, Jr.
-Travel budget
-Hickel
-Itinerary
-Governor of Samoa
-The President’s view

Travel by Administration officials
-William P. Rogers


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 12s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:10 pm.

Sargent
 36

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 623-19 (cont.)


Bull left at an unknown time before 3:57 pm.

Environment
-Importance
-Pollution
-Economic stimuli
-Construction of new plants and hardware
-Great Lakes
-Importance of issue
-Morton's previous meeting with Russell E. Train
-Credit for the President
-Letters to William D. Ruckelshaus
-Lack of interest in environmental issues
-Possible speech by the President
-Compared to previous speeches on issues
-Cambodia
-Economy
-National Association of Manufacturers [NAM]
-Public relations
-Appeal to women
-Appeal to youth
-Muskie's bill
-State of the Union speech
-The President's accomplishments
-Ehrlichman
-Train, Ruckelhaus, Morton, and the Department of Commerce
-Ruckelshaus
-Criticism by Morton and Maurice H. Stans
-Development of policy
-Possible legislation
-Muskie and Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-1972 campaign
-Administration's record
-Environment compared to economy and Vietnam
-Need for emphasis
-Morton's previous meeting with William Berry [?]
-Water pollution
-Administration policy
-Proposed meeting of Ehrlichman, Train, Morton, and Ruckelhaus
-Stans
 37

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 623-19 (cont.)


Bull and an unknown man [White House photographer?] entered at an unknown time after 3:10
pm.

-Unknown man

Sargent entered at 3:57 pm.

Big Cypress Swamp

Photograph opportunity
-Morton

Bull and the unknown man left at an unknown time before 3:58 pm.

Colson's note

Morton's schedule
-Press

Morton and Whitaker left at 3:58 pm.

James W. McLane
-Colson
-Richardson


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 46s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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


US foreign policy
-Vietnam
-President’s forthcoming trip to the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
 38

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 623-19 (cont.)



Economy
-Massachusetts
-California
-The President’s view
-California compared to Massachusetts

Sargent
-Relations with White House
-Ehrlichman

Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Views regarding Earl L. Butz

Welfare
-House Resolution [HR] 1
-Sargent's conversation with Richardson
-Abraham A. Ribicoff Amendment
-Support
-HEW
-Richardson
-Performance
-Ribicoff's view
-The President’s view
-Compared to Robert H. Finch
-HR 1
-The Administration’s position
-Ribicoff Amendment
-Budget
-Republican Governors Conference in Puerto Rico
-Russell B. Long

Pending legislation
-Tax Bill
-Campaign financing provisions

Welfare
-Proposed statement by Sargent
-Richard B. Ogilvie
-Welfare reform
-Revenue-sharing
 39

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 623-19 (cont.)



Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 3:58 pm.

Refreshment

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 4:33 pm.

Welfare
-HR 1
-Charles H. Percy Amendment
-Long

Revenue-sharing
-Wilbur D. Mills's program

States' problems
-New York City
-Rockefeller and Ronald W. Reagan
-Massachusetts taxes
-Sargent’s view
-Welfare
-Social Security
-Education
-Property tax
-Education
-Administration action
-Possible tax reform
-Property tax
-Massachusetts
-States’ role in funding education
-Revenue-sharing

Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 3:58 pm.

-Congress
-Mills

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 4:33 pm.

-HR 1
-Revenue sharing
 40

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 623-19 (cont.)


-Public opinion

Sargent's letter to the President
-Quincy Shipyard closing
-Employment
-Ehrlichman's handling


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 7m 56s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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


Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:58 pm.

Mississippi
-William L. Waller
-John Bell Williams
-Defeat of [James] Charles Evers
-John C. Stennis

Bull left at an unknown time before 4:33 pm.


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 8m 14s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

*****************************************************************
 41

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 623-19 (cont.)




Presentation of gifts by the President

David [Surname unknown]

Sargent's concerns
-White House actions

Sargent and Ehrlichman left at 4:33 pm.