Secret White House Tapes

938-003a

About this recording

938-003a
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • Alexander M. Haig
  • UNKNOWN
  • George P. Shultz
  • Roy L. Ash
  • Herbert Stein
  • John B. Connally
  • John T. Dunlop
June 12, 1973
Conversation No. 938-3

Date: June 12, 1973
Time: 3:05 pm - 4:49 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Spiro T. Agnew’s schedule

Flowers John D. Ehrlichman’s letter to President, June 11, 1973
-Contents

-Reference to Haig

-Confidentiality

-Watergate

-Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
-Possible resignation

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 3:05 pm.

Vietnam negotiations

-Message to Saigon

-Timing

-Translation

-Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft


The unknown man left at an unknown time before 3:15 pm.

[Pause]

Watergate
-Leonard Garment

-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s views

-Possible leaks

-3-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-White House

-Judgment

-Haig’s views

-Loyalty


White House staff
-Agnew

-Bryce N. Harlow

-Criticism of Agnew

-George P. Shultz

-William E. Simon

-Roy L. Ash

-Future of Administration

-Cole

-Possible resignation

-Melvin R. Laird

-Haig’s role

-President’s schedule

-President’s role

-Ehrlichman

-Possible motivation

-Institutions

-Change

-Energy policy

-John B. Connally

-Laird

-Elliot L. Richardson

-White House staff morale

-Haig’s staff
-Laird

-Harlow

-Ash

-Shultz

-Duties
-Possible resignation

-Connally

-Laird

-4-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-Connally
-Briefings
-Relationship with President
-William P. Clements, Jr.
-Conversation with Haig, June 12, 1973
-Conversation with Connally, June 11, 1973
-Connally
-Role in administration
-Reorganization
-Institutions
-Change
-Energy
-[Charles J. DiBona]
-Staff
-Relations with Simon
-Simon
-Ehrlichman’s letter
-President’s assessment
-Laird
-Staff roles
-Recent press conference
-Haig’s conversation with Laird
-Tone
-Team building
-Richardson
-Conversation with Haig
-Tone
-Garment
-Contacts with press
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Unknown source
-Judgment
-Haig’s view
-Loyalty
-Richardson
-Haig’s forthcoming conversation with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
-5-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

Shultz, Ash, Herbert Stein, Connally, and John T. Dunlop entered at 3:15 pm.

Vietnam negotiations
-Communiqué

-Saigon

-Timing

-June 13, 1973
-Saigon

-December 1972

-January 1973

-Henry A. Kissinger’s schedule
-Paris
-Saigon
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Message from President
-Number
-Terms
-January 27, 1973 agreement
-Strengthening
-Infiltration
-Loas, Cambodia
-Kissinger’s efforts
-North Vietnam
-Thieu
-North Vietnam’s position
-US position
-Scowcroft

-Bilateralism

-US public opinion

-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-End of war

Cambodia
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] negotiations
-Timing
-Bombing
-Haig’s conversation with Gen. John W. Vogt, Jr. June 12, 1973
-6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-Military situation

-Compared to 90 and 60 days ago

-Political aspects

-Funding

-Duration

-Communiqué

-Effect on congressional leaders


Laos
-Military situation
-Infiltration

South Vietnam

Vietnam negotiations
-Communiqué

-North Vietnamese, South Vietnamese positions

-Leonid I. Brezhnev visit

-Congress

-Aid to South Vietnamese, North Vietnamese
-Thieu
-President’s efforts
-Missing in Action [MIA]
-Kissinger’s schedule

-Paris

-Time difference

-US Response

-Effect of congressional action

-Cambodian bombing

-Progress

-Peace with honor

-South Vietnamese position

-Trade

-North Vietnamese position

-Soviet Union, PRC relations with US


President’s schedule
-7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-Brezhnev visit
-Agreements
-Sensitivity
-Trade
-Outlook
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] II
-Principles
-Offensive weapons

National economy
-Presidential address
-Price freezes
-Possible freeze
-Post freeze program
-President’s forthcoming speech
-President’s recent conversation with Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Possible price freeze
-Wages
-Exclusion from rigid controls
-Condition
-Settlements
-Phase III
-Export license regulations
-Possible congressional action
-Public law [PL] 480
-Agricultural products
-Trading with the enemy act
-Deletion
-Phase IV
-Standards
-Possible price freeze
-Gasoline, food prices
-Ceilings
-Enforcement
-Briefings
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
-Meat
-8-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-Recent letter from William D. Farr
-September 1973
-1974
-Meat
-Worcestershire sauce, mustard

-Price ceilings

-Post freeze action

-60 days
-Cost of Living Council [COLC]
-President’s experience with Office of Price Administration [OPA]
-P-3, P-5 wage scale
-Price controls
-Grocery stores
-Bureaucracy
-Food
-Lettuce
-Current status

-Strawberries, produce, meats, butter, eggs

-Nutmeg, spices

-Implementation

-Connally’s view

-Companies

-Number

-Sears-Roebuck

-Butter

-Ceilings

-Adjustments

-Duration

-Food czar

-Post freeze action

-Butter surplus
-Secretary of Agriculture
-Price support
-Pending agricultural legislation
-Farm Bill
-Food and gasoline prices
-Tone
-9-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-Farm legislation
-Export controls
-Future policy
-Political difficulty
-Agricultural legislation
-Possible changes
-Farm organizations
-Milk producers
-Co-operatives [Co-ops], associations
-Meat, vegetables
-General Motors Corporation [GM], American
Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial
Organizations [AFL-CIO]
-Price controls
-Senate bill

-House Committee

-Possible veto

-President’s recent meeting with Congressional leaders
-Gerald R. Ford
-Milton R. Young
-Henry L. Bellmon
-Possible price freeze
-Food and gasoline prices

-Stabilization

-Administration spokesman

-Inflation

-Control

-Supply and production

-Export controls

-Price ceilings

-Farm legislation
-Foreign exports
-Bread
-Tax on wheat

-Pending legislation

-Administration’s position

-Cost

-10-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-Four year period
-Department of Agriculture
-Announcement
-Effect on budget
-Full employment

-Donald H. Rumsfeld quote

-Bread

-Symbolic importance

-Price

-Tax on wheat

-Pending farm legislation
-President’s program
-Public support
-Possible price freeze
-Food and gasoline prices
-Stabilization
-Possible Congressional support
-John L. McClellan, John Young, John C. Stennis, George H. Mahon,
William R. Poage, James O. Eastland, J. William Fulbright, Wilbur D.
Mills, Robert J. Dole
-Timing
-Farm legislation
-Dairies
-Congressional vote
-60-day freeze
-Possible veto
-Possible changes
-Earl L. Butz
-Dairy price support
-Butter
-Possible veto
-Re-evaluation of existing legislation
-Surpluses compared to shortages
-Possible veto
-Democrats in House of Representatives
-President’s recent leadership meeting
-Poage
-11-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-City Democrats
-Minimum wage bill

Vetoes
-Congressional relations
-Strategies in face of possible override
-President’s recent conversation with Ash

-Spending

-1969 tax bill

-Media interpretation

-Harlow, Timmons, Laird

-Congressional leaders

-Ford, Hugh Scott
-Connally’s view

-Compromise

-Veterans’ bill

-Education bill

-Agriculture bills

-Minimum wage bill

-Possible vetoes

National economy
-Possible freeze

-Phase IV

-Food and gasoline price stabilization, ceiling

-Necessity
-Use of term “stabilize”

-President’s recent conversation with Price

-Price controls

-Purpose

-Management

-Duration

-Points

-Briefing paper

-Price

-President’s and Frank Nixon’s experience

-Property

-12-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-Compared to Connally’s ranch

-Lemon orchard

-Southern California

-Oil fields

-Grocery store

-Donkey allusion

-Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [SPCA]

-Quaker

-President’s program
-Public attention
-Goal
-Post freeze program
-Phase III

-Gasoline

-60-day price freeze
-President’s activities
-President’s conversation with Price
-Public appearances
-Campaign

-Timing

-Radio talks

-Newspapers
-Possible Cabinet speeches

-Public relations

-Government action

-Post freeze program

-Least permanent program

-Possible Congressional action

-Television [TV] [Watergate hearings]

-Spending, trade bill, tariff

-Goals
-Farm legislation
-Pending minimum wage legislation
-Possible veto
-Possible Congressional actions
-George Meany’s views
-Timmons
-13-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-90-day price freeze
-Phase II

-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield’s statement

-Agriculture and minimum wage bills

-Effect on prices

-Budget

-President’s program

-Leadership

-Possible Congressional response


Congressional relations
-Farm legislation

-Prospects

-Approach

-Peanut lobby

-Effect on southern supporters

-Butz’s views


Connally’s schedule
-Departure

National economy
-President’s program
-Connally’s assessment
-Food prices
-John B. Connally and Idanell (Brill) (“Nellie”) Connally

Connally’s schedule
-Cabinet and leadership meetings

National economy
-President’s program
-Public relations
-Leaks

-Shultz and Connally

-Compared to advisors program

-Options

-14-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)


Connally

-Schedule

-Cabinet meeting

-Role in administration
-Cabinet, leadership meetings
-Brezhnev dinner
-Advisement
-Shultz’s, Stein’s, and Laird’s roles
-Laird
-Military

-Schedule

-Preferences


Connally left at 4:26 pm.

National economy

-Farm legislation

-Administration position

-Lack of statement

-Effect of possible veto

-Sustenance

-Prior legislation

-Cotton

-Cotton

-Butz’s views
-Working style
-Clifford M. Hardin
-Previous bill
-President’s telephone call to Allen J. Ellender
-Possible Domestic Council action
-Stein
-Laird’s role
-Congressional experience
-Butz
-Possible veto
-Compared to minimum wage legislation
-15-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-Peter J. Brennan

-Views of Food Advisory Committee

-Dissemination

-Post freeze program
-Phase III
-Compared to gasoline, food
-Companies
-Number
-Pre-notification
-Implementation
-Possible price freeze
-Duration
-January 10, 1974

-Expansion of number of companies

-Price standards

-Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies

-Mandatory nature

-Accounting and legal aspects

-Briefing

-Duration

-Post freeze program

-Congressional relations

-Wages

-Pre-notification
-President’s conversation with Frank E. Fitzsimmons, June 11, 1973
-Fitzsimmons
-Brennan

-Meany

-Contract

-President’s meeting with Labor-Management Committee, June 11, 1973
-Value
-Possible responses
-Paul Hall
-Fitzsimmons
-Possible price freeze
-Labor leaders
-Wages
-16-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-Businessmen
-Phase II

-Fitzsimmons

-Hall

-Seafarers union

-Phase II

-Compared to post freeze program

-Price commission

-Food and gasoline prices

-Compared to Phase III

-Pre-notification

-Business community

-Labor

-Wages

-Phase III

-Possible price freeze

-Food and gasoline prices

-Scott’s poll of Republicans, June 12, 1973

-Democrats’ position

-Public relations [PR]

-President’s forthcoming radio talks

-Timing

-Media coverage

-Topics

-Budget, trade, taxes, food prices, energy
-Aid to Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT], and Harvard

Shultz’s schedule
-Honorary degree
-Princeton University

-Controversy

-Shultz’s reception

-Standing ovation
-Campus situation compared to Cambodia invasion and May 8 bombings

Stein
-Education
-17-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-Williams College, University of Chicago

Dunlop
-Education
-University of California, Berkeley

Edward W. Carter
-Broadway-Hale stores
-Possible conversation with Shultz
-University of California chancellor

-Shrewdness


National economy
-President’s program
-President’s conversation with Leslie C. Arends on debt limits, budget deficits
-Media criticism concerning administration’s policies
-Hobart Rowen, Washington Post
-1972

-Inflation

-Spending

-Pace

-Public sector

-President’s program


President’s schedule
-Brezhnev

Camp David
-President’s trip to California
-Invitations to staff
-Shultz’s schedule
-Pool
-Pool and sauna
-Aspen Lodge

-Brezhnev

-Red Oak, Birch, Dogwood, and Maple Lodges

-Birch Lodge

-18-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. July-2012)

Conversation No. 938-3 (cont’d)

-Brezhnev

-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin

-Bugging


Secret Service

-Hotel

-Bugs

-Discovery


Stein, Ash, and Dunlop left at 4:48 pm.

Forthcoming Brezhnev visit

-Dinners

-Cabinet

-Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense
-Embassy
-Van Cliburn
-Cabinet
-Blair House reception
-Attorney General [?]’s request
-Businessmen

-Cabinet

-Harry S. Dent

-Butz

-State Department

Shultz and Haig left at 4:49 pm.
Secret White House Tapes |

938-003a

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