705–15

Conversation No. 705-15

Date: April 10, 1972
Time: Unknown after 4:00 until 4:41 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman; the recording began at an unknown time while
 41

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 705-15 (cont.)


the meeting was in progress.

White House staff
-[John D. Ehrlichman]
-Henry A. Kissinger
-George W. Romney
-John A. Volpe
-Kenneth R. Cole, Jr. and George P. Shultz
-Utilization
-Talk with Haldeman


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1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


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


The President's schedule
-Foreign policy
-Speeches
-Hugh Scott- Michael J. Mansfield meeting
-Changes
-Upcoming trip to the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Peter G. Peterson
-Arthur F. Burns-John B. Connally meeting
-Departure time for trip to Canada
-Leaders meeting
-Press conference
-Wednesday
-Scott-Mansfield meeting
-Breakfast meeting
-Caucus
-Timing
-Tuesday
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 705-15 (cont.)


-Leaders meeting
-Meeting with Connally
-Burns
-Length
-Smithsonian conference
-Connally
-Herbert Stein’s memorandum
-Leaders meeting
-Cabinet meeting
-Reason
-A picture
-Unknown person’s location
-A conference
-Preparation for speech
-Timing

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 4:15 pm.

Speech for Kissinger's review
-Delivery
-The President’s remarks
-Return to the President

Butterfield left at 4:16 pm.

The President's schedule
-A picture
-Connally and Peterson
-Changes
-Trip to Canada
-Timing
 43

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 705-15 (cont.)


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 11s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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

-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon's attendance at James F. Byrnes's funeral
-Call to Maude (Busch) Byrnes
-Harry S. Dent
-Strom Thurmond

Connally
-Unknown person's qualifications for unknown job

The President's schedule
-Politics
-Camp David
-Connally's possible presence
-Trip to Texas
-Trip to Florida
-Mrs. Nixon

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 13s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


-Camp David
-Compared with Florida
 44

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 705-15 (cont.)


-Weather
-Facilities
-Relaxation
-Televised press conference
-Likelihood
-Speech
-Vietnam
-Questions and Answers [Q&A] session

Vietnam
-Public relations efforts
-Kissinger, John A. Scali and Ronald L. Ziegler
-Hawks
-Speech
-Value
-Domestic impact
-Administration's policies
-Domestic support
-Impact on North Vietnam and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-USSR
-Berlin Treaty
-Kissinger
-North Vietnam
-Speech
-William L. Safire's draft
-US actions
-US destroyers
-B-52s
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Kissinger’s suggestion
-Possible South Vietnamese collapse
-Impact on Soviet trip
-Possible US loss of South Vietnam
-The President’s previous conversation with Kissinger
-Impact on US foreign policy
-Credibility of US in world
-Middle East and Europe
-Need for risks
-Stakes for US
-Cabinet officers' understanding
-Connally
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 705-15 (cont.)


-William P. Rogers
-Melvin R. Laird
-Rogers
-US actions
-Necessity
-Speech draft
-Phrase, “The Guns of April”
-[Barbara Tuchman, The Guns of August]
-Public knowledge of book
-Haldeman’s view
-Safire

Foreign policy
-White House staff
-Kissinger’s earlier statement
-Biological Warfare Treaty
-The President's remarks at signing ceremony
-Authorship
-Contents
-Louis Pasteur
-Significance
-The President's remarks at ceremony
-Intent
-Gerard C. Smith and William C. Foster
-Arms control
-Soviet line

Speechwriters
-Understanding of the President's policies
-Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and Kissinger
-Ability
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-The President’s view
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Safire
-Lee W. Huebner
-Problems
-Quality of writing

Vietnam
-US actions
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 705-15 (cont.)


-Concentration on issue
-Politics
-Polls, trial hunts
-Domestic issues
-International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
-Charles W. Colson
-Clark MacGregor
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Domestic response
-Compared with Laos operation
-Decisive victory
-US commitment
-Saigon
-Critics
-Lack of patriotism
-Fears

Economy
-Unemployment
-Retail sales
-Wholesale Price Index [WPI]
-Consumer Price Index [CPI]
-Ehrlichman
-Food prices
-Drop
-Mansfield's statement
-Middleman
-News summary
-Public relations efforts

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:16 pm.

The President's schedule
-Meeting with Kissinger's parents
-Arrival
-Presidential gifts
-Money clip
-Compact

Bull left at an unknown time before 4:41 pm.
 47

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 705-15 (cont.)


-Meeting with Connally


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 35s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

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


Haldeman’s responsibility
-White House staff

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 4:16 pm.

Domestic issues
-Confusion
-Connally's advice
-Polls
-Influence on Lyndon B. Johnson and the President
-The President’s view
-Vietnam
-Article by Robert B. Semple, Jr. in New York Times
-Possible contacts in White House
-Robert H. Finch
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Price
-Leonard Garment

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 4:41 pm.

Vietnam
-White House attitudes
-Conversations with press
-Kissinger
-Support for the President
 48

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 705-15 (cont.)


-Cabinet
-Laird
-Rogers
-Support

Haldeman left at 4:41 pm.