717–10

Conversation No. 717-10
 4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)




Date: May 2, 1972
Time: 11:19-11:40 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

J. Edgar Hoover
-President's call to Lyndon B. Johnson
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Death
-Announcement
-Timing
-Notification of President

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 11:24 am.

-President's statement
-Wire stories
-Criticism
-President's statement
-Written statement
-Oral statement
-Publicity
-Family
-Burial
-Instructions
-Family
-Arlington National Cemetery
-President's orders
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Kennedys
-Robert F. Kennedy
-Parents
-Possible relocation
-Memorial service
-Clyde A. Tolson
-Ceremonies
-The President’s view
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Capitol Hill
-White House
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 717-10 (cont.)

-John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
-National Cathedral
-Dean Francis B. Sayre
-Catholic Cardinal
-Sayre
-The President’s view
-Arlington National Cemetery

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time before 11:25 am.

Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Telephone call

Butterfield and Ziegler left at 11:25 am.

An unknown person talked with the President at 11:26 am.

[Conversation No. 717-10A]

President's Schedule
-Haig

[End of telephone conversation]

Hoover
-Memorial service
-Public response
-Place
-Congress
-Arlington National Cemetery
-Amphitheater
-Tolson
-Call from Haldeman
-Charles W. Colson
-Meeting with President
-Cancellation
-President's meeting with delegation from the Rebild National Park
Society of Denmark
-Memorial service
-Place
-Arlington National Cemetery
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 717-10 (cont.)


Haig entered at 11:27 am.

Haldeman left at 11:27 am.

Vietnam
-Meeting with North Vietnamese
-Message from Henry A. Kissinger
-Value
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Negotiations
-North Vietnamese positions
-Troop withdrawal date
-Nguyen Van Thieu overthrow
-South Vietnamese notification
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Thieu
-William J. Porter
-Forthcoming walkout at plenary session
-Private meeting announcement
-Public expectations
-Kissinger's statement
-Kissinger
-Return to US
-Soviets
-Position
-The President’s view
-Haig’s view
-Negotiations
-North Vietnamese posture
-Soviet Summit
-Soviet reaction to strikes
-US military action
-Blockade
-Soviet Summit
-Possible cancellation
-Air strikes
-Haig’s view
-Bombing
-Haiphong
-Closing of port
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 717-10 (cont.)

-Soviet ships
-Haiphong
-Mining
-South Vietnamese
-Soviets
-Possible assistance to US
-Incentive
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] announcement
-Reaction to bombing
-Kissinger's assessment
-Risks to Summit
-B-52 strikes
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Plans
-Time
-Extent
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Air strikes
-Carriers
-Extent
-Impact on North Vietnam
-Stories


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 13s ]


INTELLIGENCE


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


-Military situation
 8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 717-10 (cont.)

-President's public relations advisors
-Colson, John A. Scali, Ziegler
-Negotiations
-John D. Erhlichman’s view
-Negotiations
-News reports
-Marvin L. Kalb
-Kissinger on coalition government
-Kissinger's position
-Press reports
-Sources
-Peace groups
-Press
-State Department
-Divisions within Administration
-Lyndon B. Johnson's Administration
-Clark M. Clifford
-President's position
-Note to Thieu
-Delivery
-US support

Ziegler entered at 11:38 am.

Meeting with President

Vietnam
-President's note to Thieu
-North Vietnamese invasion
-Course of battle
-Spirit of South Vietnamese
-Thieu's leadership
-US support
-Delivery
-Coalition government
-State Department statement
-Press reports
-Denials
-Gerald L. Warren

Haig and Ziegler left at 11:40 am.
 9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 717-10 (cont.)