Secret White House Tapes

711–14

About this recording

711–14
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • H. R. Haldeman
  • Henry A. Kissinger
  • UNKNOWN
  • Charles W. Colson
April 18, 1972
Conversation No. 711-14
33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)




Date: April 18, 1972
Time: 12:21 pm - 1:46 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

The President’s schedule
-Meeting with People’s Republic of China [PRC] table tennis team

Tricia Nixon Cox
-Trip to University of Maryland
-William P. Rogers
-Advisability
-Radicalism
-Trips
-William and Mary College
-Detroit
-Cobo Hall
-Demonstrators
-Avoidance
-First Family
-Purpose
-University of Maryland
-Scheduling
-Mistakes
-Bombing in Vietnam
-Demonstrators
-Purpose
-Violence
-Arrests
-Public appearances
-Demonstrations
-Campuses
-Problems
-Fieldhouse
-Comparisons to other events
-Schedule
-Haldeman's review
-Demonstrations
-The President’s trip to Canada
-Protests
34

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)




Henry A. Kissinger entered at 12:28 pm.

Soviets
-Statements
-Contents
-Approval

PRC
-Statements
-Relation to US bombing in Vietnam
-Hanoi and Haiphong
-Visit of table tennis team
-Scali
-Table tennis team
-Press reactions
-Sympathy for enemy
-President’s view

Vietnam
-Melvin R. Laird testimony
-Effectiveness
-Exchange with J. William Fulbright
-Interruptions
-Foreign Relations Committee
-Caliborne Pell
-Public opinion
-Lack of support
-Press reports
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] News
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.
-Editorializing
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Comment by Charles D. Hamilton
-Compared with British press
-British Broadcasting Corporation [BBC]
-Shanahan [sp?] [first name unknown] piece
-British
-Kissinger’s meeting with George R.S. Baring [Earl of Cromer]
-Support for the President and administration
-News stories
-Soviets
35

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)




Tricia Nixon Cox
-Trip to University of Maryland
-Demonstrations
-Scheduling
-Mistakes
-Catcalls
-Introduction
-Crowd reaction
-The President's previous experience with crowds

People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Report on Soviet trip
-Timing
-Discussion of Vietnam
-Chou En-lai [?]
-The President’s trip to Moscow
-Reaction to Kissinger’s trip to Moscow
-Discussion of US-PRC relations
-The President’s instructions to Kissinger
-Soviet summit
-Vietnam
-PRC statements


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National security]
[Duration: 29s ]

PRC

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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


Agnew
-Statements
-Previous conversation with Haldeman
36

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)




The President's schedule
-Meeting with Earl L. Butz and Kissinger
-Timing
-Picture
-Termination

Kissinger left at 12:36 pm.

Tricia Nixon Cox's schedule
-Attendance at sporting events
-Introduction
-Rogers
-Public appearances
-Experience
-Comparisons

The President's schedule
-Public appearances
-Capitol visit, April 17, 1972
-Protests
-Agnew
-Confrontation with protesters


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 51s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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


Vietnam
-Protests
-March in Washington, DC
-Date
-Event, April 15, 1972
37

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-Milton Pitts
-Organization
-Size
-Arrests
-Pitts's comments
-Appearance of protesters
-Events, April 22, 1972
-Washington, DC
-Other cities
-Build-up
-National student strikes
-Haldeman’s view
-Public reactions
-Interests
-Teacher incitement

Certificates
-Pictures
-Preparations

Press
-Meeting with reporters
-Wilson [first name unknown], Herbert E. Kaplow and Helen A. Thomas
-Arrangements

Vietnam
-Protests
-Campuses
-Issues
-Protesters
-Rogers and Laird
-Testimony
-Questions
-Cabinet officers
-Appearance before Congressional committees
-John B. Connally

Charles W. Colson
-Meeting with the President
-Timing

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:36 and 12:47 pm.
38

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)




[Conversation No. 711-14A]

Request that Colson join them

[End of telephone conversation]

The President's meeting with table tennis teams
-American team
-Women
-The President’s view
-Korean
-Blacks
-Hippie
-Absence
-Handshakes
-Trip to PRC
-Match with PRC team
-Losses
-Compared with PRC players
-PRC team
-Physical condition
-Compared with Americans
-Physical appearance of American team
-Sports teams
-Tennis and basketball
-Blacks

Colson entered at 12:47 pm.

Vietnam
-Administration's counterattacks against critics
-Agnew
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Drafting of speech
-Christine Jorgenson [?]
-Houston speech
-Food prices
-Speechwriter
-Speechwriters
-Kenneth W. Clawson
-Abilities
39

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-Laird and Rogers testimony
-Transcripts
-Readiness
-Rogers
-Briefing of senators
-Morale
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Resolution for Senate
-North Vietnamese invasion
-Colson's role
-Critics' disadvantages
-Victory of administration
-Edmund S. Muskie statement
-President’s view
-Need to attack
-Accusation to treason
-Defense of enemy
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Compared with Laos, Cambodia and Tet
-Compared to Lyndon B. Johnson administration
-US peace offers
-Number of withdrawals
-US determination to win
-Colson's role
-Kissinger’s support
-Attack on critics
-Muskie
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Edward M. Kennedy
-George S. McGovern
-President’s instructions
-Critics
-Muskie
-McGovern
-Administration assistance
-Attacks
-Humphrey
-Agnew
-United Nations [UN] suggestion
-PRC and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Membership in UN Security Council
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
40

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-Democrats
-Mood of nation
-Misleading
-Polls
-The President's policies
-Disregard of summit and election
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Leonard Garment
-Peace
-Superpowers
-US motives
-US deliberation
-Stewart J.O. Alsop
-Rogers and Laird
-Support for the President
-Reevaluation
-The President’s relationship with Rogers
-New York Times article [?]
-Call from Colson
-Cabinet
-The President's calls
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Charles E. Wilson
-Conversation with the President
-John Hannibal
-Eisenhower
-Rogers
-Initiative
-Polls
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-Hawkishness
-Increase
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Condemnation
-Senate
-Accusations against Senate
-Clifford P. Case, Jacob K. Javits and J. William Fulbright
-Use of rhetoric
-Anticommunism
-The President’s instructions to Colson
-The President's speeches
-Kissinger
41

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-Need for strong talk
-William J. Porter
-Rogers
-Press
-Hostility for administration
-Counter-rhetoric
-Name calling and toughness
-Speechwriters
-Price and Lee W. Huebner
-Buchanan
-Kenneth L. Khachigian
-Hawks
-Noel Cook
-Robert J. Dole
-Clawson
-Rogers
-Testimony
-Reception
-Table tennis match attendance with Tricia Nixon Cox
-Reception
-Television coverage

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 57s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11

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

Vietnam
-The President's supporters
-Joseph L. Vicites [?] of Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
-Statement
-Herbert R. (“Chief”) Rainwater
-Charge against Democrats
-Desire for US loss
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Resolution by Goldwater
42

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-Appeal for Democrats' support
-House Resolution [HR]
-Condemnation of North Vietnam
-Support for the President
-Wording
-Kennedy and McGovern
-Entrapment
-Language
-The President's critics
-Attacks by administration
-Condemnation
-Ads
-Draft with Colson
-Networks
-Harassment
-Cronkite
-Attacks by administration
-Human Events
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
-Goldwater
-Use of White House materials
-Support for the President
-Public sentiment
-Sindlinger poll
-Sindlinger's attitude on foreign policy
-Hawkishness
-North Vietnamese invasion
-Sympathy for the President
-The President's peace offers and conditions
-North Vietnamese violations
-Sindlinger poll
-Public anger at North Vietnam
-Percentage


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 29s ]
43

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12

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


Vietnam
-North Vietnamese invasion
-Critics of the President
-Reticence
-Administration response
-Kennedy
-Public opinion
-Hostility
-Sindlinger
-Timing of new poll
-Attacks by administration
-Newsweek
-Public support for the President
-[Arnold] Eric Severeid
-Statement on the news
-Public opinion
-Support for the President
-Press hostility and fears
-Cambodia invasion
-Media reports
-War as issue
-Lessening personal involvement
-Draft calls and casualties
-Cambodia
-Kent State University
-Laos
-Photojournalism
-North Vietnamese invasion
-South Vietnamese performance
-Press reports and photography
-Battlefield proficiency
-North Vietnamese soldiers
-Enchainment to seats of tanks
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower's report to the President
-Unknown Associated Press [AP] reporter
-Press reports
-Purpose
44

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-Casualties

International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case
-Latest news
-Peter M. Flanigan letter
-Executive session
-Disputes in committee
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
-Reaction of Kennedy and John V. Tunney
-Lack of agreement
-White House staff testimony
-Herbert G. Klein, William E. Timmons, John D. Ehrlichman
and Colson
-Republican position in committee
-John N. Mitchell
-Advantages
-Ervin
-Robert C. Mardian
-Edward J. Gurney, Roman L. Hruska and Marlow W. Cook
-Statement
-Kennedy
-Democrats
-Questions
-Armco Steel
-American Airlines
-DC subway lines
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Disadvantages of position
-Ervin's position
-Flanigan
-Opposition to Kennedy and Tunney
-Clark MacGregor
-Testimony
-Jack Gleason
-Hugo L. Black memorial service
-Harry D. Steward
-C. Arnholt Smith
-Recommendations for job of San Diego US attorney
-Background
-Link with Robert H. Finch
-Gleason
-Delays
45

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-Flanigan
-Departure from town
-Latest options
-Delays
-Senate debate
-Timing
-Maneuvering
-Charles McC. Mathias, Jr.
-MacGregor
-Contacts with committee
-Flanigan testimony
-Benefits for administration


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 18m 50s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13

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


War issue
-Appeals to patriotism
-Rogers

Haldeman and Colson left at 1:46 pm.
Secret White House Tapes |

711–14

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