878–19

Conversation No. 878-19

Date: March 13, 1973
Time: 5:22 pm - 5:45 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with William J. B. Dorn, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr. and Max L. Friedersdorf.

Greetings

Chairmanship of Veterans’ Affairs Committee

Seating

Veterans
-Legislation

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time before 5:45 pm.

Refreshments

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:45 pm.

Veterans

Defense budget
-Attempted cuts
-Republicans, Democrats
-Southern Congress members
 -39-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 878-19 (cont’d)


-Impact on Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Soviet Union
-Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions [MBFR]
-Europe
-US successes
-US negotiations with Soviet Union
-SS-9s
-Effect of unilateral cuts
-Mendel Rivers
-Dorn's support for President
-Volunteer army concept
-Vietnam settlement
-Tendency for disarmament after war
-John J. McCloy
-New York friends
-US military strength
-Effect on Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Peace
-Disarmament
-1933 horse cavalry units
-High school principle
-Dorn’s recollection
-Adolf Hitler
-Panzer tanks
-West Point
-Dorn’s brother
-Gen. Billy Mitchell
-Court martial
-John E. Rankin
-President’s experience on House Un-American Activities Committee
[HUAC]
-Speeches
-Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
-Meeting with Rankin
-Dorn’s military service
-Slapping incident in Sicily
-Drew Pearson's reporting of incident
-Prolonging of war
-Leadership qualities
 -40-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 878-19 (cont’d)


-Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gen. Omar N. Bradley
-Army commander
-Movement
-Gen. Douglas MacArthur
-President’s wish to meet
-Dorn’s military service
-Message runner
-Breakthrough in 1944
-Bradley
-Gas
-Siegfried Line
-Maginot Line [?]
-Defense cuts
-Congress
-US position in 1940
-Cavalry
-Germany
-France
-Impact on chances of peace
-US strength
-Vietnam settlement
-Soviet Union
-PRC
-Opportunity for peace

Vietnam settlement
-December 1972 bombing
-Effect
-Lyndon B. Johnson's meeting with Dorn, Olin E. (“Tiger”) Teague, Rivers
-Bombing
-Haiphong [?]
-Duration of war
-1968 election
-Johnson’s potential escalation of bombing
-Eugene J. McCarthy

Budgetary problem

Veterans
 -41-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 878-19 (cont’d)


-Committee
-President's bills
-Avoidance of veto
-Vietnam and disabled veterans
-Separate legislation
-Prisoners of war [POWS] return
-Reminder of patriotism, veterans
-Bills before Congress
-Problems
-Conference committee
-Cooperation between Congress and President
-Pressure from veteran organizations
-Work with Dorn
-Cost
-Help for Vietnam and disabled veterans
-Dependents’ provisions
-Veterans medical system
-Vietnam veterans
-Increased aid
-POWS
-President's talk with Col. Robinson Risner and Capt. Jeremiah A.
Denton, Jr.
-Years in solitary confinement
-Meals
-Disabled, jobless veterans
-Dissension, discontent
-Report recommendation
-Disabled veterans’ benefits cuts
-Leak to press
-Disloyalty
-Embarrassment to President
-Work of committee
-Dorn contacts with Cole
-News summary
-President’s support
-Dorn's Republican counterpart
-John P. Hammerschmidt
-Veterans bill
-Senate passage
 -42-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 878-19 (cont’d)


-Veto
-Dependants of disabled veterans
-Medical care
-Provisions
-Dependents of deceased Veterans
-Cemeteries
-Costs
-Sponsors of legislation
-Social Security increase
-Allowable income
-Partisanship on committee
-Medical care provisions
-Compromise
-Separation from other bills
-Budget busting
-Veto
-Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO]
-Public support
-Letters to committee
-Constituents
-Social Security increase
-Bill in 1950s
-House of Representatives
-Senate additions
-Cost
-Hugh Scott and Gerald R. Ford
-Irresponsibility
-1950's Senate handling of legislation
-Robert A. Taft, Harry F. Byrd, Jr., Walter George
-House of Representatives

Workings of Congress
-Coordination
-Election cycle
-Senate
-Problems
-Ken Waring
-Southern Democrats
-Spending
 -43-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2010)
Conversation No. 878-19 (cont’d)


-Teague
-Nikita S. Khruschev
-Spending

Veterans bill
-Cuts
-Social Security Medical provisions of bill
-Drug treatment programs
-Vietnam veterans
-Dishonorable discharge
-Senate
-Additions
-Costs
-Pensions [?]
-Support for President

Photograph

Reception in Caucus Room
-Invitation
-Frederick B. Dent
-South Carolina

Years in Congress
-Work with President, Johnson, and John F. Kennedy
-William E. Timmons

Dorn et al., left at 5:45 pm.