Secret White House Tapes

838–19

About this recording

838–19
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • Russell E. Train
  • John Busterude
  • Beatrice "Bettie" Willard
  • Richard M. Fairbanks
  • John D. Ehrlichman
  • Oliver F. "Ollie" Atkins
  • William E. Timmons
  • Stephen B. Bull
  • Manolo Sanchez
January 11, 1973
Conversation No. 838-19

Date: January 11, 1973
Time: Between 11:03 am and 1:00 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with members of the Council on Environmental Quality [CEQ]; Russell E.
Train, John A. Busterud, Beatrice \"Betty\" Willard, Richard M. Fairbanks, III, and John D.
Ehrlichamn. Members of the press and the White House photographer were present at the
beginning of the meeting.

Greetings
-Environmentalists

Press photograph

CEQ suggestions
-State of the Union environmental message
-Water bill
-Press relations
-World-wide environmental concerns
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Japan
-Great Britian
-United Nations [UN]
-Previous State of the Union reports
-Status update
-Public relations outlook

Plan to submit State of the Union in ten installments
-Foreign policy, defense, environment
-Length
-State of Union messages
-Possibility of optimistic orientation
-US wealth
-US technology
-Interior Department
-National Parks
-27-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

Government reorganization
-Council for Natural Resources
-Earl L. Butz
-Secretary of the Interior
-Secretary of Agriculture
-Butz
-Qualities
-Ehrlichman
-Butz
-Rogers C. B. Morton
-Butz
-Responsibilities
-Morton

Herman Kahn
-Domestic Council, Raymond K. Price, Jr’s staff
-Zero population growth rebuttal
-Doomsday
-The President’s opinion

Daniel P. Moynihan
-President's population message
-Growth theories

Growth study of US population
-Zero population growth effects
-Schools
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Hospitals
-Problems
-Herbert Stein's involvement
-Hospital beds
-Hill-Burton program
-University dorm space
-Stein
-George P. Shultz
-Richardson
-Schools
-West Point
-28-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

-Naval Academy
-Air Force Academy
-Numbers of graduates
-Pressure on defense budget
-Richardson

Intelligence services
-Activities
-New York Times


*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 3s]

BUDGET

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************


-James R. Schlesinger

Armed services
-Tactical air units
-Army
-Navy
-Air Force

Education
-Teachers
-Numbers
-Carlos P. Romulo
-Lawyers
-Doctors
-Social Scientists
-White collar education
-Kahn
-29-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

Pollution regulation
-William D. Ruckelshaus
-Land issues
-State guidelines
-Controversy
-CEQ position
-Regionalism

Planning for the future
-Price
-Land use
-Suburbia
-Rural reaction
-Santa Rosa, California
-Valley of the Moon
-Colorado
-Olympics
-Squaw Valley
-Land use

Tricia Nixon Cox and Edward R. F. Cox’s trip to Europe
-Rome
-Pope Paul VI
-Yugoslavia
-USSR
-Leningrad
-Moscow

Amsterdam
-Planned communities
-Bucharest

Challenges in dealing with the environment
-Resources
-Cities
-Idealism
-Volunteerism
-Blacks
-Puerto Ricans
-30-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

-Public housing
-Miami, Florida
-Conditions
-Emphasis on individual responsibility
-Environmental education
-Example of population errors
-Thomas Malthus
-Population concerns
-South America
-England
-Japan
-Budget concerns
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]

Spiro T. Agnew entered at 11:38 am.

Introduction of Agnew to Train, et al.

Train, et al. left at 11:39 am, Agnew remained and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered.

President's meeting with CEQ members
-Environment
-Train
-Budget concerns
-CIA
-Defense Intelligence Agency [DIA]
-Intelligence community
-Richard M. Helms

Intelligence services
-Quality
-Schlesinger

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:39 am.

Ollie Atkins
-Photograph

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:14 pm.
-31-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)


Schedule

State of the Union Address

Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins entered at an unknown time after 11:39 am.

State of the world address

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

Vietnam negotiations
-Henry A. Kissinger
-International press corps

US foreign relations
-Middle East
-Joseph J. Sisco
-William P. Rogers
-Anwar el-Sadat
-Agnew's visit to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
-King Hussein of Jordan’s visit to US
-Golda Meir’s visit to US
-Hussein
-Possible trip to Middle East by Agnew
-Sadat
-Diversion from Vietnam negotiations
-Unknown name [Sahdik?]
-International oil consortium
-Saudi Arabia
-Kuwait
-Shah of Iran
-Energy crisis
-Agnew’s trip to Middle East
-Diversion from Vietnam negotiations
-Timing
-Reaction of press
-Results
-Effect
-Agnew’s visit to Nguyen Van Thieu
-32-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

-Results
-Press relations
-Israeli's
-Rogers
-Abba Eban
-Moshe Dayan
-Yitzhak Rabin
-Meir
-Question of Agnew's possible trip
-Timing
-Inauguration
-Meir
-Results

Bombing of North Vietnam
-Rationale
-Kissinger
-Congressional relations
-John E. Moss

Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger
-Cease-fire
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Thieu

North Vietnamese actions
-Quang Tri
-Destruction in South Vietnam

Agnew's schedule
-Speaking engagement in John F. Kerry's district
-Paul W. Cronin
-Issues
-War
-Erosion of values
-New Orleans sniper incident
-Congressional encroachment on executive privilege
-Schedule of speaking engagement
-Lincoln Club engagement
-33-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

-California

Vietnam negotiations
-Congress
-Effect
-Kissinger
-Criticism of the administration
-1968 campaign
-Congress
-Democrats, Republicans
-Kissinger
-Schedule
-Congress
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Robert J. Dole
-Rogers
-Melvin R. Laird
-Negotiations
-President's attitude
-Cease-fire
-POWs
-Thieu
-South Vietnam
-Congress
-Apology
-William B. Saxbe
-Charles M. Mathias, Jr.
-Jacob K. Javits
-Mathias
-News article on Vietnam
-B52 navigator
-US servicemen in Vietnam
-Loyalty
-Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope

Congress
-Mathias
-Letter of serviceman
-Possible opposition in Republican primary
-[First name unknown] Spizak [?]
-34-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

-Saxbe
-Donald D. Clancy
-Samuel L. Devine

Middle East
-Possibility of Agnew's trip
-Israel
-United Arab Republic [UAR]
-UN
-Possibility of war
-Buffer zones
-Sadat
-Israeli's
-Golan Heights
-Syria

Agnew's responsibilities
-Intergovernmental relations
-Chicago
-California
-Congressional invitations
Democratic senators

Congressional relations
-Mathias's letter from Vietnam serviceman
-Press relations
-Thomas H. Moorer
-Laird
-World War II
-World War I

Agnew's schedule
-Vietnam negotiations
-Congressional reactions
-Charles W. Colson
-William J. Baroody, Jr.
-Haldeman
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-35-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

Agnew left at 12:14 pm.

Agnew
-Question of Agnew's Middle East trip
-Agnew's staff
-Procedures for broaching subject
-President's experiences with Sherman Adams
-Kissinger
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Sadat
-Rogers

Report on Democrat Caucus

Haldeman talked with William E. Timmons at an unknown time between 12:14 pm and 1:00 pm.

[Conversation No. 838-19A cont’d]

[See Conversation No. 35-132]

[End of telephone conversation]

Democrat Caucus meeting
-Vietnam resolution
-Cabinet members' testimony before Congressional Committees
-Rogers
-Foreign Relations Committee
-J. William Fulbright
-“Halfbright”
-Impoundment of funds
-John V. Tunney
-Meeting
-Tom C. Korologos
-Impeachment
-Cartoons in Washington Post
-Congress
-Problems

Agnew
-36-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

-Confidentiality
-Vietnam
-Intergovernmental relations
-Speeches
-Franklin Delano Roosevelt
-Compared to Harry S. Truman
-Press relations
-Effort
-Effectiveness

Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger
-Bombing
-Staff questions
-Kissinger
-Phone call
-Cable
-Proposal
-Agreement
-Timing of announcement
-Kissinger
-Finalize agreement
-Announcement
-Timing
-Haig
-Hanoi
-Kissinger
-Press relations
-Phone calls
-Haig

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:14 pm.

Food order

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:00 pm.

Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger
-John A. Scali
-37-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

-Rogers
-Laird
-Rogers
-Compared to Kissinger
-Communication
-Democrats
-Rogers's testimony before Senate Foreign Relations Committee
-Kissinger
-Haig
-Bombing
-Bryce N. Harlow
-Lag time
-Reaction to bombing
-Press relations
-Kissinger's return
-Richard T. Kennedy
-Possible announcement
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Haig
-Thieu
-Bombing suspension
-US goals
-Cease-fire
-POWs
-Possible reaction
-Ziegler
-Kissinger's role
-Rogers
-Agreement
-William H. Sullivan
-Protocols
-Rogers's attitude about negotiations
-People's Republic of China [PRC] communique
-Chou En-Lai
-Mao Tse-Tung
-Role in negotiations

President's foreign travel
-Secretary of State in official party
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-38-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

-John A. Volpe
-PRC and USSR trips
-Rogers's role
-Foreign trips
-Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
-Kissinger
-Europe
-Romania
-Canada
-Mexico
-USSR
-PRC
-Pakistan
-Iran
-Warsaw
-Future schedule
-Europe
-Future trips
-State Department role
-Possible schedule

Future visits to US
-Edward R. G. Heath
-Georges J. R. Pompidou
-Emperor of Japan
-USSR
-Heath

Vietnam negotiations
-Haldeman
-Kissinger

President's schedule
-Florida
-Camp David
-Kissinger
-Colson

Appointments
-Colson
-39-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

-Baroody
-Herbert G. Klein
-Frank Stanton
-Red Cross
-George D. Webster
-Office of Emergency Preparedness [OEP]
-William J. Casey
-CIA
-Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC]
-Colson
-Ehrlichman
-Klein
-Ehrlichman's view
-\"Meet the Press\"
-Credibility
-Lewis A. Engman appointment
-Ehrlichman
-Webster
-Colson

Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
-Johnnie M. Walters
-Randolph Thrower

Shultz

Vietnam negotiations
-Agreement
-Thieu
-Media role
-Agnew speech on negotiations

President's schedule
-Florida
-Haig
-Kissinger
-State of the World message
-Inaugural address
-40-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 838-19 (cont’d)

Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger
-Social events
-Congress
-Timmons
-Briefings

Haldeman left at 1:00 pm.
Secret White House Tapes |

838–19

This recording is currently not available on millercenter.org. To listen to it, please email Mike Greco at mdg4u@virginia.edu

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