714–14

Conversation No. 714-14

Date: April 20, 1972
Time: 12:30 pm - 1:07 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Haig’s physical condition

Message for Henry A. Kissinger
-Receipt
-Reply

Kissinger’s trip to Moscow
-Possible results
-Summit
-The President’s memorandum to Kissinger
-Problems
-Purpose
-Kissinger’s discussion with Haig
-Nguyen Van Thieu
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-Plenary session
-Date
-Vietnam
-Soviet participation in settlement
-Secret meeting
-Date
-Announcement
-De-escalation of bombing
-Hanoi area

Vietnam
-Bombing of North Vietnam
-B-52s
-Fighter-bombers
-B-52s
-Targets
-Supply
-Petroleum, Oil, Lubricants [POL]
-Surveillance
-Start of raids
-Frequency
-Intensity
-Weather
-South Vietnam
-Southern I Corps and II Corps
-Binhdinh Province
-Hue
-Area of Vietminh strength
-Binhdinh Province

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:30 pm.

Refreshment

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:56 pm.

Vietnam
-South Vietnam
-Area of North Vietnamese-Viet Cong strength
-Area of fighting
-North Vietnam
-Number of troops in South Vietnam
-South Vietnam
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-Republic of Korea operations
-Current fighting
-Route 19
-Ankhe Pass
-Casualties
-III Corps
-An Loc
-Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] battalion
-North Vietnamese attacks
-Dou Tien [sp?]
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Duration
-South Vietnamese performance
-21st Division
-Commander, Brig. Gen. Nguyen Van Minh
-An Loc
-ARVN battalion
-Casualties
-North Vietnamese casualties
-Air sorties
-B-52 strikes
-Morale of North Vietnam
-Tanks
-Destruction
-South Vietnamese success
-Air sorties
-B-52s
-Number
-Gunships
-South Vietnam
-Performance
-Losses
-Impact on morale
-Guerrilla action
-I Corps
-Ultimate result
-Press reports
-Editorials in Washington Star
-Smith Hempstone, Jr.
-Vice President's Spiro T. Agnew’s speech
-Language
-Unknown army Lieutenant Colonel
-Criticism of press
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-The President's commendation
-Press
-Treatment
-Agnew’s criticisms in speech
-J. William Fulbright
-References to Ho Chi Minh
-Congress
-Presidential candidates
-Edmund S. Muskie, Edward M. Kennedy and Hubert H. Humphrey
-Past statements
-Democratic caucus
-Resolution
-Publicity
-Battle reports
-Misinterpretation
-Fire bases
-Observation posts [OPs]
-Mission
-North Vietnamese offensive
-An Loc
-Holding
-Necessity
-Bombing
-Compared to Verdun
-Thieu
-Losses
-II Corps
-Towns
-Retention
-Kontum
-North Vietnamese offensive
-South Vietnamese retreats
-Resistance
-Problems
-Soviets in World War II
-Germans in World War I against Russians
-I Corps
-1st Division commander
-Damage to North Vietnam
-Casualties
-Fire Base Bastogne
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Air strikes
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-Value
-Psychology
-Kissinger in Moscow
-North Vietnamese supplies
-Purpose
-Destruction of pacification and Vietnamization
-Soviets
-Possible role
-Pressure on North Vietnam
-Trade-off
-Bombing halt
-Prisoners of war [POW] exchange
-Effect on 1972 election
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Blockade
-Timing
-1972 election
-POWs
-Effectiveness
-Studies
-Circumvention
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Soviets
-Benefits
-Counterattacks
-Effects on North Vietnamese morale
-Wounded veterans
-Social problems
-POW testimony
-Loss of young men
-Desertions
-Lack of training
-Bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong
-Effect on North Vietnamese morale
-Effectiveness
-Compared with 1968 strikes
-Bombing halt
-Techniques
-Target selection
-Robert S. McNamara
-Restraints
-B-52s
-Impact on ground troops
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 7/07)



-Warning
-Resolution of House Democrats

The President's return call

William P. Rogers
-Conversation with Haig

Rose Mary Woods entered at 12:56 pm.

-Rogers's trip to Camp David
-Problems
-John D. Ehrlichman
-H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Kissinger

Haig left at 12:57 pm.

The President's schedule
-American Society of Newspaper Editors [ASNE] reception
-Duration


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m 23s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


The President’s schedule
-Tricia Nixon Cox
-Woods's call

Woods talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:57 and 1:07 pm.

[Conversation No. 714-14A]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

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(rev. 7/07)




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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 55s ]


[See Conversation No. 23-50; one items has been withdrawn from the conversation.]

Woods conferred with the President.

Woods talked with Tricia Nixon Cox.

[End of telephone conversation]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


The President's schedule
-Camp David
-Helicopter
-Time

Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Woods's call
-Woods's presence at Camp David

Woods left at 1:07 pm.