Secret White House Tapes

780–15

About this recording

780–15
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • H. R. Haldeman
  • Stephen B. Bull
  • Manolo Sanchez
  • Tricia Nixon Cox
  • Henry A. Kissinger
  • Ronald L. Ziegler
September 16, 1972
Conversation No. 780-15

Date: September 16, 1972
Time: 10:55 am - 12:50 pm
Location: Oval Office

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

The President's forthcoming speech at the Conference on International Narcotics
Control
-Length
-John K. Andrews, Jr.
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-The President’s view
-Duration of speech
-Haldeman’s view
-Content
-Phrasing
-Need for headline
26

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-The President's role in writing
-Haldeman’s view
-White House speechwriters' abilities
-State Department
-The President’s view
-Length
-Department of State briefings
-Television [TV] coverage
-International drug traffic
-Administration policy
-Speech-writing process
-Andrews
-Letter
-The President's efforts in writing speech
-Haldeman’s view
-Length
-Delivery
-Desired speech format
-Anecdotes
-Audience
-Compared to high school audience
-The President’s view
-Content
-Phrasing
-The President’s view
-Theme for the President's speech
-Press reports
-Reporters
-Headlines
-Speech writers
-Phrasing
-General audience
-The President's use of anecdotal speech
-International affairs audience
-Desired speech format
-The President’s view
-The President’s speech to International Monetary Fund [IMF]
-William L. Safire
-Timing

Speech writing
27

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Need for editor
-Importance of headline
-Price
-Editorial abilities
-Editor's role
-Haldeman’s view

The President’s forthcoming speech at the Conference on International Narcotics
Control
-Content
-Theme
-Length
-Effect on audience attention
-Washington, DC
-Audience
-Purpose of speech
-Format
-The President’s instructions to speech writer
-Anecdotal speech
-Recitation of the record on an issue
-Effectiveness
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Egil G. (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Wording
-Catch-phrases
-Accomplishments and goals
-International affairs audience
-Number of countries
-Drug control officials
-Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs
-Purpose
-Length

US foreign policy
-The President's recent conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
-William P. Rogers
-Interest in substance
-Rogers
-Interest in substance
-Concern about results
-Publicizing of results
28

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Compared to Kissinger
-Details
-Announcements
-Effect on campaign
-US-Soviet Union Trade Agreement
-Strategic Arms Limitation Agreement [SALT] II
-The President's policy
-Future promise in foreign affairs
-Compared to SALT I
-European Security Conference
-Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions [MBFR]
-US-Soviet Union trade agreement
-Final detail negotiations
-Positive news for the President's campaign
-Administration's accomplishments
-Compared to opposition's accomplishments
-George S. McGovern
-Positive campaign ideas
-Price and wage program
-News summary
-1966 program
-Chances of success
-Food prices
-Response
-Herb Stein
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Compared to Lyndon Johnson's guidelines
-Economic philosophy
-Walter W. Heller
-Food Prices
-Trickle-down effect
-Trickle-down effect on food prices
-Criticisms of the President
-The administration's control of other prices


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 59s ]
29

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)



END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


Foreign policy
-Timing of announcements
-The President’s schedule
-Washington, D.C.
-Kissinger's trip to Paris
-Vietnam peace negotiations
-Timing compared to the President's trip to West Coast
-Media coverage
-Kissinger’s Paris trip
-Vietnam peace negotiations
-Moscow visit
-Buildup of expectations

Watergate
-Tactics
-Kissinger
-News coverage
-Statements by the Cuban defendants
-News summary
-Public's belief in accusations
-Infiltration of communists
-John W. Chancellor
-McGovern response
-Direct challenge to Democratic National
Committee
-Communist influence

Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:55 am.

Julie Nixon Eisenhower's schedule
-Philadelphia
-Possible change in flights
-Camp David
-Secret Service notification
30

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Tricia Nixon Cox
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

First Family's schedule
-Changes
-The President's arrival at Camp David
-Hagerstown

Haldeman’s schedule
-Ehrlichman

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:14 pm.

Haldeman's schedule
-Meeting

Watergate
-Media coverage
-TV interviews of Watergate defendants
-Bernard Barker interview
-Informant role
-Communist conspiracy
-American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Coverage of Watergate
-Barker
-Defendant’s credibility
-Fear of McGovern
-Sell-out to Communists
-Henry Rothblatt
-Barker's lawyer
-Interview of defendants
-Fear of McGovern
-Compared to Manolo Sanchez
-Cover-up charges
-Barker
-New York Times interview
-Motivation for cover-up

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 10:55 am.
31

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)


Watergate
-TV coverage
-Cubans indicted in Watergate
-Fear of McGovern
-Communists
-Democratic Party
-Newspapers

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:14 pm.

McGovern
-Loyalty to US
-Cubans

Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 10:55 am.

Press relations
-Newspaper
-Cuba
-New York Daily News
-McGovern
-The President
-Democrats
-Communists

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:14 pm.

-1972 election
-McGovern
-Communism
-Vietnam
-Jane Fonda
-W. Ramsey Clark
-Jerry Rubin
-John V. Lindsay
-Support for McGovern
-Supporters
-Sanchez’s reading

1972 election
32

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Press releases
-The President’s financial statement
-Timing
-September 16, 1972
-Kissinger's press conference
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Seeing-eye dog
-TV coverage

The President's forthcoming speeches
-Conference on International Narcotics Control
-Reading
-TV coverage
-Response to speech
-Need for votes
-Radio talk on senior citizens
-Taxes
-Headline-grabbing theme
-Radio talks


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 13s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


The President's economic program
-Rise in personal income
-Retail sales
-Stock market
-Rise in profits
-Public psychology
-Effect of 1972 election
-Status of the market at present
33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Capability of rise in Dow Jones Average
-Concern over market

Stock market
-Newspaper coverage
-Washington Star
-Associated Press [AP] story
-[Sterling F. Green ?]
-Paris peace talks
-The President’s view
-Average stockholder
-Sale of International Business Machines [IBM] stock
-Kissinger's progress in Vietnam peace talks
-Predictions for future
-Discussion of rise in market
-Effect of more conservative government
-1972 presidential election

White House personnel
-John W. Dean, III
-Ehrlichman
-Haldeman
-Recruitment for the White House
-Frederic V. Malek
-Dean
-David R. Young, Jr.
-Ehrlichman
-Kissinger's office
-Work assignments
-Haldeman and Nixon’s vision
-Krogh
-Work assignments
-The President's meeting with tax experts
-John B. Connally
-George P. Shultz
-Stein
-The President’s view
-1968 election
-Opposition from Congress
-1968 election results
-Lack of mandate for the President
34

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Effect on policy-making
-Urban riots
-Hunger program

Future White House policies
-Conservative administration
-Cutbacks on programs
-Agricultural programs
-Cotton program
-Department of Health, Education and Welfare [HEW]
-Amount of outlays
-Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO]
-Education programs
-Child-care cutbacks
-Savings in budget
-Domestic Council staff
-New programs
-Benjamin Disraeli
-Ehrlichman
-Robert Blake biography [Disraeli]
-Party reform
-Effect of long period of reforms
-William Gladstone
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Lessons for Nixon’s second term
-New policies
-Government reorganization
-Connally
-Real gains of reform
-Needs of people
-Louis P. Harris's theory
-Desire not to improve
-Blake's analysis
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Ehrlichman's staff
-New programs
-American people's attitude
-End to experimental programs
-Retention of good programs
-Caspar W. Weinberger
35

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Study of budget
-City-orientation
-Compared to the President's philosophy
-Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
-OEO
-Instructions from the President


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 28m 11s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


Watergate
-Proper campaign response
-Avoidance of fatalism
-The President’s view
-White House actions to change situation
-International Telephone and Telegraph Corp. [ITT]

Kissinger
-Concern over policy image
-Mining
-Cambodia

Need to look forward
-Positive attitude


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 17s ]
36

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)



END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


George H. Gallup poll
-John S. Davies
-Contact with the White House
-Government work aspect of polling
-Gordon C. Strachan
-Importance of contacts within the White House
-Cooperation with the Gallup Poll organization
-The President's use of the Gallup Poll organization
-Possible leaks of poll information
-Disclosure of polls to the President
-Motivation of pollsters
-Jack N. Anderson
-White House connections with pollsters
-Gallup poll
-Harris poll
-Motivation for polling
-Ties to power
-Gallup poll
-Anderson story
-Source of story
-Anderson
-Possible prosecution
-Timing
-Joint Chiefs of Staff
-Charles E. Radford

White House use of executive powers
-Reasons
-The President’s view

White House relations with press in second term
-Press's attitude toward White House
-The President’s view
-Hugh S. Sidey
37

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-John F. Osborne
-News blackout
-Washington Post
-Government sources
-Business failure
-Effect of profits on editorials
-Charles W. Colson
-Trip to New York
-Effect on broadcasters
-Effect on news
-William S. Paley
-Frank Stanton
-The President's letter to Screen Actors Guild
-Ronald L. Ziegler press conference
-Barry Serafin
-Intimidation of networks
-White House concern
-Questioning of Ziegler
-Re-run question
-Network operations
-Entertainment and news divisions
-White House intimidation of the networks
-Division of news and entertainment
-Benefits of decrease in re-runs
-Viewers
-Actors
-Hollywood
-Filmmakers
-Haldeman’s view

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:55 am.

First Family schedule
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower's return
-Tricia Cox's return
-National Airport
-Edward R.F. Cox
-Cincinnati
-Mrs. Nixon
-Return time
38

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:14 pm.

The President's letter to Screen Actors Guild
-John Gavin
-Network practices
-Profits
-Station-ownership
-Profits for network

Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:55 am.

Tricia Nixon Cox telephone call

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:14 pm.

The President talked with Tricia Nixon Cox at between 12:14 pm and 12:19 pm.

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 15m 38s ]


[END OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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

Economic situation

World situation
-Effect of 1972 Presidential election
-Vietnam war
-North Vietnamese attack
-Effect
-Haldeman’s view
-Kissinger’s effects
-Negotiations
39

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Middle East
-Peoples Republic of China [PRC]
-Soviet Union relations
-Effect
-Focus
-Hypothetical Suez crisis
-Effect on polls
-Realities of international relations


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 21s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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


Henry Kissinger entered at 12:33 pm.

Recent press conference

Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:33 pm.

Refreshments

Sanchez and the President left at an unknown time before 12:35 pm.

Foreign policy
-Kissinger's recent press conference
-Europe
-Questions by Jews
-Soviet-Jewish emigration
-US-Soviet Union
-Trade agreement
-Abrehem A. Ribicoff Amendment
-US position
40

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Submission to Senate
-Jacob K. Javits

President entered at an unknown time before 12:35 pm.

-Length
-Crowd size
-European relations
-The President's message to European leaders
-New vitality
-Moscow
-Peking
-Cornerstone of US foreign relations
-Possible trip by the President to Europe
-Contact with European leaders
-New diplomacy
-Economic ties
-New basis
-Press interest
-Press coverage
-Effect on McGovern campaign
-McGovern withdrawal of troops from
Europe
-Introductory statement
-US-Soviet Union relations
-Visit
-Meeting with Secretary General [Leonid I. Brezhnev] and President
-Results of Moscow summit
-Future negotiations
-Personal contact between US-Soviet Union leaders
-August 1972
-Decision making


Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 12:33 pm.

-Press stories
-Relations with Soviet Union
-Negotiations
-Vietnam
-Handling of press
41

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)


Ziegler left at an unknown time before 12:35 pm.

-US-Soviet relations
-The President's messages to Brezhnev
-Economic relations
-European Security Conference and MBFR
-Stalemate problem
-The President's message to Brezhnev
-SALT II
-Economic negotiations
-Kissinger's contact with the President
-Progress
-Dates
-Categories
-Aleksai N. Kosygin
-Presence at meeting
-Brezhnev
-Vietnam negotiations
-Press questions
-Kissinger’s response
-Negotiations goals
-Ending of war
-Pace
-Le Duc Tho
-Transcript
-Desire to end war characterized

Israel
-Movement of troops into Lebanon
-Kissinger’s message to Israeli Charge D’Affairs
-Effect of troop movement
-Possible Egyptian response

Haldeman left at 2:35 pm.

-US aid
-Demarche
-Kissinger’s trip to the Soviet Union
-Appearance of collusion
-US-Soviet Trade agreement
42

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Possible action in Congress
-Treatment of Soviet Jews
-Foreign pressure on US
-Angela Davis
-US response
-The President’s message to Israel
-Israeli troops in Lebanon
-US aid
-McGovern’s Israel policy
-US talks with Egyptians
-Anwar El-Sadat
-Murder of Israeli athletes
-Egypt
-Syria
-Motives for action vis-à-vis Lebanon
-Conditions
-Inheritance from previous Administration
-The President’s international rule
-Support
-Compared with Eisenhower
-Roosevelt as world leader
-Concept of foreign policy
-Strength of US
-Winston S. Churchill
-Joseph V. Stalin
-Dominance
-Other Nations
-Brezhnev’s foreign policy
-Chou En-Lai
-Konrad Adenauer
-Gen. Charles A.J.M. De Gaulle
-Churchill
-[Meunie] Harold MacMillan
-Compared to Europe
-The President’s grasp of policy
-McGovern as president
-Effect on
-PRC
-Soviet Union
-McGovern’s position
-PRC reaction
43

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

-Unilateral US disarmament
-Effect on PRC


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 45s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9

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


Israel
-Kissinger’s possible message to Israeli Charge D’Affairs
-US position
-[Golda Meir]
-Movement of troops into Lebanon
-The President’s support of Israel
-Aid
-Rogers and Melvin R. Laird
-Rogers
-Gunnar V. Jarring mission
-Rogers and Laird
-February 1971
-Aid
-Airplanes


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10

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


Kissinger's schedule
-Invitation to Camp David
-Meeting on Vietnam negotiations
44

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)

Kissinger left at 12:50 pm.
Secret White House Tapes |

780–15

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