657–1

Conversation No. 657-1

Date: January 26, 1972
Time: 5:05 pm - 6:17 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
[Recording begins while the conversation is in progress]

Vietnam
-Press response to the President’s peace plan proposal speech, January 25, 1972
-Benjamin C. Bradlee
-Donald Oberdorfer, Jr.
-North Vietnam’s reaction to publication of terms
-US negotiating
-Strategy
-Seven points
-Liberals
-Kissinger’s press conference, January 26, 1972
-Public and private positions
-North Vietnam’s reaction to publication of terms
-William J. Porter
-Hardline
-Ceasefire
-1970
-North Vietnamese goals
-US surrender
-Communist government in South Vietnam
-Self-determination
-Public relations
-Kissinger’s forthcoming message to Porter
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Message
-Message from the President
-Support for the President’s Vietnam speech
-Media response to the President’s peace proposal speech
-North Vietnam’s reaction to publication of terms
-US public relations plans
-US surrender
-US negotiating strategy
-William Moyers
-Washington Post
 2

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)


-New York Times
-Editorial
-Tone
-Forthcoming briefing by Kissinger
-Timing
-Content

Page Belcher and the White House photographer entered and Kissinger left at 5:12 pm.

Photograph session

Visit from Dutch Prime Minister [Berand W. Biesheuvel]

[Photograph session]

The White House photographer left at 5:12 pm.

Tulsa Hospital
-Clark MacGregor
-Cost
-Meaning

[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:12 pm and
5:14 pm.]

[Conversation No. 657-1A]

[See Conversation No. 19-122]

[End of telephone conversation]

Tulsa Hospital
-Belcher’s talk with MacGregor
-Signing
-History

[The President talked with MacGregor between 5:14 pm and 5:15 pm.]

[Conversation No. 657-1B]

[See Conversation No. 19-123]
 3

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)



[End of telephone conversation]

Mary C. Higgins
-Call from the President
-Support for the President
-1962 California gubernatorial campaign
-The President’s comments to the press
-Belcher’s comment to Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Religion
-Beliefs regarding the President’s future in politics
-Death
-Cancer
-Call from the President
-Performance as Belcher’s assistant
-Rose Mary Woods’s view
-Marital status

Political friendship
-Belcher’s support for the President

Agriculture Department
-Earl L. Butz
-Clifford M. Hardin
-Butz
-Ezra Taft Benson
-Belcher’s support
-Butz
-Clarence D. Palmby

The President’s 1952 fund
-Belcher’s telegrams
-Dwight D. Eisenhower, Republican National Committee, Robert A. Taft, Sr.
-Belcher’s speech
-The President’s Checkers speech
-Congressional dealings
-Scandal
 4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)


Agriculture
-Butz
-Farm spending
-Congressional relations
-George D. Aiken
-Jack R. Miller
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Reserve bill
-Defeat
-Vote
-Milton R. Young
-Carl T. Curtis
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-George S. McGovern
-Veto
-Costs
-Purchase, storage
-House of Representatives
-Committee
-Floor
-Republican votes
-Belcher’s schedule
-New York
-Butz
-Talk with Belcher, January 25, 1972
-Hyde H. Murray
-Hardin
-Butz
-Call to Belcher
-Farm bill
-Costs
-Belcher’s efforts
-Farm losses
-Welfare
-Agricultural support
-Congressional voting
-Miller
-Belcher’s voting record
-Miller
-Vietnam
-Belcher
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)


-Congressional support for administration
-Senate
-Henry L. Bellmon
-House of Representatives
-House leadership
-Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends and Barber B. Conable, Jr.
-Support for Belcher
-Butz
-Leadership meetings
-The President’s Vietnam peace proposal speech
-Goldwater
-Belcher’s attendance
-Belcher’s past contacts with Presidents
-Present administration
-Compared to Eisenhower Administration
-Golf

Golf

Belcher’s health
-Blood pressure
-Doctors’ advice
-Golf
-Golf
-Partners
-Arends
-Ford
-Lobbyists
-Age
-Golf
-Doctor’s advice
-Courses
-Florida, Air Force Academy

Congressional relations
-Past contacts with White House
-Voting record
-Farm bills
-Political effect on Belcher
-Ford
-Miller
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)


-Young
-Butz
-Criticism
-Hardin
-Benson
-William J. Scherle
-Request for resignation
-Orville L. Freeman
-Democrats
-Farmers
-Belcher’s career
-Belcher’s father
-Position
-Ross Rizley
-Farm bill
-Hardin
-Benson
-Joseph W. Martin, Jr.
-Hardin
-Support
-Democrats
-Carl B. Albert
-Republicans
-Belcher’s actions
-Effect on the President, Hardin
-Introduction
-Bipartisanship
-Amendments
-White House desires
-Sugar bill
-Pesticide bill
-Committee vote
-Floor vote
-Hardin
-Reason for leaving
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Privacy]
[Duration: 3s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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-Replacement
-Ralston-Purina job


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Privacy]
[Duration: 4s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


-Age
-Contact with Belcher
-Corn prices
-Butz
-Ralston-Purina
-Confirmation
-Relations with Belcher
-Meetings
-Frequency
-William R. Poage
-Poage
-Relations with Belcher
-House agriculture committee
 8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)


-House agriculture committee
-Scherle
-Wiley Mayne
-H[arold] R. Gross
-Miller
-John H. Kyl
-Scherle
-Mayne
-Harold E. Hughes
-Miller
-John Sherman Cooper
-Miller
-Belcher’s role
-John C. Whitaker

Stephen B. Bull [?]entered at an unknown time after 5:15 pm.

The President’s schedule

Bull [?] left at an unknown time before 5:48 pm.

Belcher’s support of administration
-Whitaker
-Opinion on politics
-Bryce N. Harlow
-Belcher’s wife and Harlow’s father
-Belcher’s efforts to contact the President
-The President’s word
-Whitaker
-Butz
-Farm bills

Football
-Belcher

Murray, Butz and MacGregor entered at 5:48 pm.

Whitaker’s schedule

The President’s relationship with Belcher
-Butz contact
 9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)


-House agriculture committee
-Belcher’s support for the Administration
-Political effect
-Hardin

Farm Bill
-Belcher’s opinion
-Budget increase
-Future relationships
-Poage
-Miller
-Reelections
-Curtis
-Scherle
-Forthcoming breakfast meeting
-1972
-Miller
-Announcement

Tulsa Hospital
-Governor [David Hall]
-Signing
-Public relations
-The President’s meeting with Belcher
-Signing of mortgage guarantee
-St. John’s Hospital
-Catholics

Whitaker entered at 5:55 pm.

Agriculture
-Whitaker
-Belcher
-Contact with the President
-1972
-Congressional leadership meeting
-Belcher’s attendance
-Political cheerleading
-Benefits
-Goldwater
-Football metaphor
 10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)


-Cattle import from Italy
-Quarantine
-Duration
-Location
-New Jersey
-Belcher’s outlook
-Politics
-Corn prices
-National Wheat Growers Association
-Denver
-American Farm Bureau Federation [AFBF]
-Butz’s talk with unknown person
-Administration program
-Popularity
-Oklahoma
-Bellmon
-Belcher’s talk with AFBF
-Milk producers
-Cattlemen
-Corn prices
-Prospects
-Acre reduction in feed grains
-Forthcoming farmers’ intentions report
-Timing
-Changes
-Spending
-Butz’s talk with the President, November 1971
-Bill
-Political effect in Senate
-Long range plans
-Need for secrecy
-Soviet package
-Foreign policy
-Farm vote
-Maurice H. Stans
-Farmers’ vote
-Albert H. Quie
-John Zwach
-Quie
-Meetings
-Dairy farmers
 11

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)


-National Farmers Organization [NFO]
-National Farmers Union [NFU]

Congressional relations
-Belcher
-Harlow
-The President’s contacts with Congressmen
-The President’s morale
-Votes
-Belcher
-Clement F. Haynsworth
-G. Harrold Carswell
-[Unknown person]
-Belcher
-Power behind the scenes
-The President’s contact with Congressmen
-Belcher
-Prior support
-Contacts in Congress
-Belcher’s philosophy
-Rural development legislation
-Forthcoming message
-Humphrey
-White House strategy
-Belcher’s support for administration
-Contact with the Administration
-Administration’s requests
-Gratitude
-Benson
-Belcher
-H. Carl Andersen of Minnesota

Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:55 pm.

Belcher’s staff
-Gifts
-Money clip
-Presidential seal
-Previous visit from Biesheuvel

Bull left at an unknown time before 6:16 pm.
 12

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)



Vietnam negotiations
-Hanoi’s reaction to US proposal

Letters to Democrat presidential candidates
-Ford
-Albert
-Budget plan
-F. Edward Hebert
-George H. Mahon
-Gillespie V. Montgomery
-Albert
-John W. McCormack
-Congressional majority
-Hugh Scott and Ford

Belcher, et al. left and Alexander P. Butterfield and Stephen B. Bull entered at 6:16 pm.

Nomination for the President’s signature

The President’s schedule
-Forthcoming telephone call

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 6:16 pm.

Delivery of item

Coat

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 6:17 pm.

Item for the President’s signature

Dr. W. Kenneth Riland

Belcher
-Air Force One
-Relationship with the President

Telephone call
-Kissinger
 13

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 657-1 (cont.)



The President, et al. left at 6:17 pm.