854–17

Conversation No. 854-17

Date: February 13, 1973
Time: 9:48 am - 10:52 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

Colson’s trip to Romania and Soviet Union
-President's telephone call
-Lobbying
-Departure
-Weather
-First stop
-London
-Ambassador’s residence
-Mr. and Mrs. Walter Annenberg
-Moscow
-Leningrad
-Bucharest
-Ambassador
-Romanians
-Soviet Union
-Physical appearance
-Moscow
-Leningrad
-Americans
-Tour sights
-Monuments
-Palaces in Leningrad
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 854-17 (cont’d)

-Galleries
-Kremlin
-Factories
-Contact with people
-Bucharest
-Freedom
-Compared to Soviet Union
-Lack of restraint
-Poland
-Israel
-Soviet Union

Manolo Sanchez [?] entered at an unknown time after 9:48 am.

Greeting [?]

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 10:52 am.

Colson’s trip
-National or ethnic traits
-Prejudice
-Jews
-Irish
-Alcohol
-Italians
-Jews
-Personalities
-Abilities
-Israelis
-Compared with other Jews
-Strength
-Jews
-Participation in Vietnam War
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Air Force enlistment
-Desk jobs
-Government work
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 854-17 (cont’d)

-Deferments
-College students
-Deserters
-Canada
-Sweden
-Television [TV] interviews
-Amnesty

News summary
-Martin Schram
-“TRB” [Richard Strout]
-Dan Rather
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.’s interview
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Transcript
-Administration
-Relations with TV advertisers
-Dishonesty
-Conciliation

Public attitudes
-Antagonism to administration
-“Doves”
-Support
-Middle
-Right wingers
-Reaction to press
-Schram
-Cronkite
-Mail

Press relations
-“TRB”
-Christian Science Monitor
-Richard Strout
-Writer
-John F. Osborne
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 854-17 (cont’d)

-The New Republic
-The National Review
-Human Events
-Relevance
-New York Times
-Washington Post
-Human Events
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Left wing view
-Martin Z. Agronsky show
-Relations with administration
-News summary
-Liberals
-Washington
-Press Corp
-Amnesty, peace with honor
-Rev. Theodore S. Hesburgh
-Notre Dame
-Religious people
-Forgiveness
-Catholic Church
-Colson’s view
-Confession
-Sin
-Weakness
Public relations
-President’s image
-Strength, toughness
-1972 election
-Soft-line
-Public demand for hard-line policies

Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Return
-Associated Press [AP]
-Appreciation of President, US
-TV coverage
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 854-17 (cont’d)

-Film clips
-Impact
-Prime time specials
-Jack Perkins
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
-Capt. James A. Mulligan, Jr.
-Capt. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr.
-Col. Robinson Risner
-Pilot
-Appearance on return
-Salute
-President's conversation with Mrs. Mulligan
-Bombing
-Opposition
-Necessity
-Effectiveness
-Public support
-Air Force propaganda
-Loss of aircraft
-B-52 bombers
-Publicity
-Heroism
-President’s conversation with Ronald L. Ziegler
-POW wives
-Privacy
-Time story
-POW support for President
-Telephone call from Col. Robinson Risner
-News coverage
-Extent
-Impact of return
-Return
-Appearance of POWs
-Vietnam settlement
-Ticker-tape parade
-POW wives
-Today Show
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 854-17 (cont’d)



-POW support for the President
-Release
-Terms
-John Sherman Cooper, Frank F. Church, Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield,
George S. McGovern, Charles H. Percy
-Pride
-Vietnam settlement
-Fragility
-South Vietnam
-Laos
-Cambodia
-Missing in action [MIAs]
-Hope for release
-“Oriental mentality”
-Bill Anderson
-Chicago Tribune
-Article
-Release due to President
-McGovern
-Loyalism
-“TRB”
-Rather
-Schram
-Washington Star
-Photograph
-Statement on release
-Everett Alvarez, Jr.
-Character
-Courage
-Compared to draft resister, deserters
-Canada

Amnesty
-Hugh Scott's views
-Opposition
-Attitude of deserters
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 854-17 (cont’d)

-Hardship cases
-Deserters
-Jews
-Affluent families
-Supporters and abettors of deserters
-Press relations
-William J. Baroody, Kenneth Clawson
-Colson’s attitude
-John V. Lindsay
-Quotations
-Circulation
-Philadelphia
-McGovern
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Reconciliation
-Prolonged debate
-“Doves”
-Domestic social programs
-Hospitals
-Housing for elderly
-Divisiveness
-Treatment of deserters
-Leniency
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Attacks on right
-John Donnelly
-Iron Cross
-Harry S. Truman
-John F. Kennedy
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Consensus
-Kennedy
-Unity
-Invitations to White House
-Attacks
-Johnson
-Opposition to President
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 854-17 (cont’d)

-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Respect
-Weak leadership
-Attacks on administration
-Fundamental change in political attitudes
-Necessity
-Access to administration


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

1976 election
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Candidacy
-Speaking tour
-Finances
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Percy
-Spiro T. Agnew
-John B. Connally
-Reagan
-Southern support
-Compared to Agnew
-Southern Republicans
-Rockefeller
-Reagan
-Qualifications for office
-Agnew
-Rockefeller
-Ages
-Reagan
-Rockefeller
-Connally
-Agnew
-President
-Campaigning
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 854-17 (cont’d)



[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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Personnel appointments
-Meeting with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, and George P.
Shultz
-Labor Department
-Peter J. Brennan
-Shultz
-Undersecretary
-Shultz
-Subordinates
-Brennan
-Approval of promotions
-Control
-Shultz’s criticism
-Qualifications
-Subordinates
-Ehrlichman
-Managerial type
-Shultz
-Dealings with Brennan
-Political loyalty
-Competence
-John W. Larson
-Interior Department
-Interview by Colson
-Background
-Frederic V. Malek
-Political experience
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
-Systems analyst
-Compared to Robert S. McNamara
-Don Alexander
-Lawyer
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 854-17 (cont’d)

-Cincinnati
-George D. Webster
-Shultz’s disapproval
-Undersecretary of Commerce Department
-Frederick B. Dent
-Sensitivity of job
-Congressional relations
-Shultz
-Input on appointments
-Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]
-Problems
-Unemployment statistics

News summary
-Employment
-President’s conversation with Reagan

Economy
-Hobart Rowen
-Complaints
-Wall Street
-Devaluation
-Impact on Wall Street

[A transcript of the following portion of the conversation may be found in RG 460, Box 172,
pp.1-10.]

Manolo Sanchez [?] entered at an unknown time after 9:48 am during the transcribed portion.

Consume

Sanchez [?] left at an unknown time before 10:52 am during the transcribed portion.

[End of transcribed portion.]

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:48 am.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-10)
Conversation No. 854-17 (cont’d)

President’s schedule
-Meeting with Shultz
-William E. Timmons
-Ronald L. Ziegler

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:52 am.

Personnel appointments
-Meeting with Shultz, Ehrlichman, and Haldeman
-Brennan's Labor Department
-Number
-Malek
-Assistant secretaries
-Conflict with Brennan
-Shultz
-Undersecretaries
-Solicitor General of Labor [?] [Richard F. Schubert] [?]
-Qualifications
-Donald F. Rodgers
-Political loyalty

President’s schedule

Colson left at 10:52 am.