707–5

Conversation No. 707-5

Date: April 12, 1972
Time: 10:14 am - 10:26 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Hugh Scott, Gerald R. Ford, Clark MacGregor and William E. Timmons;
the recording began at an unknown time while the meeting was in progress.

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 10:15 am.

The President's schedule
-Forthcoming meeting with Congressional leadership
-Republicans
-Democrats
-John C. Stennis
-Samuel S. Stratton
-F. Edward Hebert
-George H. Mahon
-Charles M. Teague
-Michael J. Mansfield
-Carl B. Albert
-[Thomas] Hale Boggs
-Mansfield
-Views

Ford’s forthcoming trip to People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Ford’s forthcoming statement
 3

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 707-5 (cont.)


-Possible question
-Scheduling
-The President's Soviet trip
-The President’s view

Vietnam
-Forthcoming statements from Congressional leadership
-Troop withdrawals
-Statement by Scott
-Further statements
-Timing
-The President’s view
-Further withdrawals
-Congressional leadership
-Support for the President on air and naval power
-South Vietnamese forces
-Possible question about combat capabilities
-Ground fighting
-Air sorties
-Percentage
-Battle reports
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-South Vietnamese civilian support for North Vietnamese
invasion
-Scott's statement
-South Vietnamese performance
-Ziegler’s view
-Melvin R. Laird's, Thomas H. Moorer's and Abrams's reports
-The President’s view
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Soviet support
-The President’s view
-Soviet weapons
-Soviet Summit
-Possible questions regarding cancellation
-Civilians of South Vietnam
-Support of South Vietnamese government
-Buddhist support of government
-Significance
-Support of South Vietnamese government
-Negotiations
 4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 707-5 (cont.)


-French statement
-US interest
-The President’s view
-Administration's record
-North Vietnamese aggression
-Failure
-North Vietnamese responsibility
-William J. Porter
-Record
-Administration efforts
-Previous speech, January 25, 1972
-Private talks
-Discussion
-The President’s view
-US position
-The President’s view

Mansfield's and Scott's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Meeting with the President, April 11, 1972
-Questions on PRC
-The President's message to PRC leaders
-Scott's attendance at Oxford-Cambridge dinner
-Questions on PRC
-Public appearances after trip
-Sunday television talk shows
-Overseas Writers Club

Scott et al., left at 10:26 am.