859–34

Conversation No. 859-34

Date: February 21, 1973
Time: 12:05 pm - 12:37 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with James Keogh.

Greetings

Keogh's travels
-Mexico City, Guadalajara
-Budget hearings
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



-West Germany
-Eastern Europe, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Length

United States Information Agency [USIA] budget
-Hearings
-Keogh's evaluation
-William J. Fulbright
-Attempts to cut
-Tactics
-Support
-Gale W. McGee
-University of Nebraska
-Budget cuts
-Importance of USIA
-Keogh's approach to Congress
-Frank J. Shakespeare
-Congressional relations
-Statements

Keogh
-Approach to operation
-Publicity
-Purpose of USIA

USIA
-Booklet
-President’s second term
-Keogh’s authorship
-Fulbright's comments
-Purpose
-Fulbright
-Criticism

US position in world
-Europe
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



-Japanese

USIA
-Love, respect for US
-Prisoners of War [POWs] story
-Publicity
-POW return
-Support for President
-Feedback

USIA magazine
-Paris
-Information Document
-Story on President's reelection
-Stories
-Woman's liberation
-Lesbians
-Blacks
-Revolutionaries
-Responsibility
-Paris office

Press relations
-Time magazine
-Cover story
-Immorality
-Maurice F. Granville’s story
-Length
-Playboy, Esquire
-Newsweek
-Saturday Evening Post
-Sensationalism
-Decline
-Look
-Sensationalism, scandal
-Pornography
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



-Decline
-Life
-Editorials
-Decline
-Time
-Reporting
-Offbeat American stories
-Editor
-Henry Grunwald
-Liberal establishment
-New York
-Jewish
-Contents
-Homosexuality
-Publicity
-Immorality
-America's image abroad
-Compared to PRC

Henry A. Kissinger entered at 12:15 pm.

Shakespeare
-Outspokenness
-Controversy

Keogh's job
-Mission
-USIA
-Positive view of America
-Objectivity
-Balanced view of US
-State-owned television [TV]
-TV, magazines
-Time, Newsweek
US image abroad
-Paris, Europe
 -48-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



-Time, Newsweek
-Distortions
-New York Herald-Tribune
-European edition
-Washington Post, New York Times coverage
-Bias
-USIA
-Balance
-Foreign audiences
-Understanding US foreign policy
-Vietnam
-Press accounts

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:15 pm.

Refreshments

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:37 pm.

State Department
-Statements
-Apologies compared to explanations

Shakespeare
-Loyalty
-Directorship of USIA
-Eastern Europe
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Lack of understanding
-Resignation
-Compared to Keogh
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



USIA
-Foreign criticism of Vietnam War
-December bombing
-Peace settlement
-William J. Fulbright
-Release of supporting telegrams
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-World respect
-Effect of December bombing
-Importance
-USIA
-POWs
-Publicity
-Role
-Vietnam
-Defense
-Emphasis on positive
-\"World Report\"
-Kissinger
-Excerpts
-World leaders
-News summary
-Congressional objections
-Vietnam
-Nature of report
-Exchange program
-State Department
-John Richardson, Jr.’s oversight
-Program review
-US representatives
-Leonard Bernstein
-Black Panthers
-Fundraiser
-Orchestras
-Trips abroad
-Pittsburgh
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



-Cleveland
-Indianapolis
-Los Angeles
-Support for President
-Anti-American people
-Leonard Bernstein
-Inauguration
-Peace mass
-Bombing halt
-Representatives abroad
-Trade fairs
-Exhibits
-Congress
-Commercial exchange
-Eastern Europe
-Production tours
-Selection

Fulbright scholars
-US students
-African and Latin American students
-Attitudes
-Experience in US
-Revolutionaries
-Changes in programs

Peace Corps
-Anti-Americans
-Demonstrations by volunteers
-Micronesia
-Spiro T. Agnew’s travels
-Afghanistan, Tunisia, Nepal

Keogh
-Role in USIA
-Implementing foreign policy
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



-Shakespeare
-Statements
-State Department’s role
-Reduction
-National Security Council [NSC] meetings
-Topics of discussion
-European initiative
-Compared with Shakespeare
-Energy problems
-Strategic Arms Limitations Talks [SALT]
-Involvement in decisions
-Effectiveness at USIA
-Oversight committee
-Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis
-Frank Stanton [?]
-Appointments
-Chairman
-Lewis
-Leonard Wrench
-Democrat
-Support for President
-James A. Michener
-Democrat
-Legislative mandate
-Public relations
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Robert J. McCloskey
-State Department

USIA
-Keogh's role
-Strategy
-Cooperation with Kissinger and President
-State Department
-Balance
-Media
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



-Capitol Hill
-Emphasis on positive
-Anti-Americanism
-US citizens abroad
-Media coverage
-Profit to foreign leaders
-Domestic politics
-USIA response

Mexico
-President Luis Echeverria Lavarez
-President’s conversation with Richard M. Helms
-Helms’ conversation with Echeverria
-Mutual affection between US and Mexico
-Expressions of support
-Salvador Allende
-Speeches

Answer to anti-Americanism
-Balance
-USIA mission

Unknown person entered at an unknown time after 12:15 pm.

Message
-Congress [?]

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 12:37 pm.

Intellectuals
-Anti-Americanism

US image
-Foreign media
-Need for respect
 -53-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov.-09)
Conversation No. 859-34 (cont’d)



People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Pro-America propaganda
-Circulation

USSR film
-Anti-American
-Drugs

PRC film
-Contents
-Table tennis
-US cities
-Williamsburg
-Washington
-Detroit
-Los Angeles

PRC
-Ideology compared with practice

USIA
-Selling

Kissinger meeting with President

Keogh meetings with NSC
-Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft
-Efficiency

Keogh and Kissinger left at 12:37 pm.