656–17

Conversation No. 656-17

Date: January 26, 1972
Time: 12:14 pm - 12:57 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rose Mary Woods.

The President’s schedule
-Recent meeting with Barend W. Biesheuvel

Woods’s schedule


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 16s ]
 30

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 656-16 (cont.)



END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


Speeches
-The President’s Vietnam peace proposal, January 25, 1972
-Woods’ conversation with Joseph Woods
-Length
-Preparation
-Possible story
-Henry A. Kissinger
-[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson
-Theodore Roosevelt
-Editing


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 9s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


[The President talked with Cornelius A. Scott at an unknown time between 12:14 pm and 12:22
pm.]

[Conversation No. 656-17A]

[See Conversation Nos. 19-99 and 19-100; one item have been withdrawn from 19-100]

[End of telephone conversation]
 31

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 656-17 (cont.)


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 11s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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


The President’s schedule
-Telephone calls
-Wiley T. and Mrs. Buchanan
-Murray M. and Nancy Chotiner
-Family
-Possible note to Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-John W. McCormack
-Wife’s death
-Possible overnight stay at White House
-The President’s forthcoming trip to the People’s Republic of China
[PRC]
-Kissinger
-Letter from John J. McCloy
-Advisor to Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament
-Judge G. Harrold Carswell
-Thank you note
-Dan L. Beebe
-Letter
-Editorials
-Correspondence
-Visits by friends
-Mrs. Olive Marshburn
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower’s wedding
-Church services
-Kennedy Center tickets

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 12:22 pm.
 32

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 656-17 (cont.)


-White House tour
-Western White House
-Herbert W. Kalmbach


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 39s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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


White House gifts
-Paperweight
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-John R. (“Tex”) McCrary
-Box
-Thomas A. Pappas
-Greek Orthodox Church head

White House dinner for DeWitt Wallace, January 28, 1972
-Guest list
-Pappas
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
-Emil (“Bus”) and Patricia R. Mosbacher
-Alice Roosevelt Longworth
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Edward W. Brooke
-John J. Rhodes

Woods left at 12:25 pm.
 33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 656-17 (cont.)


Kissinger briefing
-Quality
-Outline
-Clarity, feeling
-The President’s letter
-Television coverage
-Still photographs
-The President’s communications
-US intentions
-Recap of the President’s position outlined in Vietnam peace proposal speech,
January 25, 1972
-Negotiation progress
-Duration
-Details of secret negotiations on Vietnam
-Comment by J. William Middendorf, II [?]
-Helen A. Thomas
-Travel
-Airplanes and airports
-July 1971
-PRC

Kissinger entered at 12:27 pm.

-New York Times editorial
-Hanoi
-Duration
-Hugh Scott and Gerald R. Ford meeting with press
-Exchange of Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Cease-fire
-Cease-fire
-US position
-George S. McGovern
-Overthrow of Nguyen Van Thieu
-US aid
-Confidentiality of channel
-Effect
-India-Pakistan War
-Truthfulness of administration
-Relations to other governments
-PRC
-Eight point proposal
 34

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 656-17 (cont.)


-Compared to nine point proposal
Reparations

Woods entered at 12:32 pm.

Gift from head of Greek Orthodox Church
-Greek junta
-Catholics
-Mrs. Nixon
-Catholics
-Value
-Disposition
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Pappas
-“Handling” of gifts

Woods left at 12:34 pm.

Kissinger’s briefing
-Tone of questions
-The President’s point at congressional leaders meeting
-North Vietnam’s war aims
-Overthrow of South Vietnam government
-Michael J. Mansfield amendment
-John F. Kennedy
-Initial involvement in war
-McGovern opposition
-Reason for criticism
-Nature of proposal
-Complications
-Reasons
-North Vietnamese outline
-Compared to US proposals
-POWs, ceasefire, withdrawal
-Political components
-Pace of negotiations progress
-Reason for criticism
-Critics of administration’s policy
-The President’s April 7, 1971 speech
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Tone
 35

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 656-17 (cont.)


-Politics
-Timing of publicity
-Scott
-Peter Lisagor
-David Kraslow
-Domestic politics
-The President’s meeting with congressional leaders
-Mansfield amendment
-Effect on negotiations
-New developments in negotiations
-Publicity
-Thieu resignation
-Nature of governments
-Timing of the President’s Vietnam peace proposal speech
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Possible effect
-December 1971
-Congress
-Need for unity
-Release of terms
-Difference in proposals
-Nine points
-Compared to seven points
-Cease-fire provision
-Cease-fire in principle
-Eight points
-Disputes
-Withdrawal
-Deadline
-Overthrow of Thieu
-Installation of North Vietnam allied government
-US support
-Political aspects
-US view toward particular governments
-August 16, 1971 proposal
-Thieu resignation
-Electoral commission
-Formation
-Press reaction

Legislative leaders meeting
 36

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 656-17 (cont.)


-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s demeanor
-Ziegler’s schedule
-The President’s Vietnam peace proposal speech
-Terms
-Timeline
-Clarity

Agnew
-Objections to administration’s proposals
-Staff briefing comments
-Withdrawal and ceasefire
-Leak of proposals

Kissinger’s briefing
-Reading of secret notes of Vietnamese meetings
-Purpose
-Folders
-Speeches

Public relations
-Kissinger’s talks with Ziegler and the President
-Press
-Congress
-Vietnamese
-Kissinger telephone call
-Brian MacDonald
-Fast in LaFayette Park
-Background
-Reaction to proposals
-Possible statement
-Death of wife, Alice MacDonald
-Ziegler telephone call
-[Forename unknown] Marino [sp?] of St. Joseph’s College
-Reaction to proposals
-Voting record
-Administration strategy
-PRC trip
-Kissinger briefing
-Effect on McGovern
-Effort toward unity
-Press coverage
 37

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 656-17 (cont.)


-New York Times
-Scott and Ford
-Scott’s comment about surrender
-Attack on liberals
-Paul N. (“Pete”) McCloskey, Jr.
-Roger H. Mudd
-Brooke
-Statement
-Mudd
-The President’s State of the Union address
-Influence
-Previous evening’s speech
-Length
-Delivery
-Pace
-Tone
-John A. Scali
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Charles W. Colson’s group
-Reaction to criticism
-William P. Rogers
-New proposals
-US stance
-Congressional leadership meeting

Ziegler left at 12:56 pm.

-Kissinger’s briefing
-Ziegler’s view
-Peaceniks
-Administration reaction
-Kissinger’s briefing, January 26, 1972
-Television coverage
-Radio
-Extemporaneous speech
-Effect of television
-Text of proposals

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 12:56 pm.

Return telephone call from Ronald W. Reagan
 38

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 656-17 (cont.)



Butterfield and Kissinger left at 12:57 pm.