Conversation No. 246-007
Date: April 7, 1971
Time: 12:16 pm - 2:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Melvin R. Laird, William P. Rogers, and Henry A. Kissinger
John D. Ehrlichman and George P. Shultz
Vietnam
-Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
-Conversation with Laird
-Richard M. Helms
-National Security Council [NSC]
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
Page | 14
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Jacob K. Javits
-Story in Washington Post, April 7, 1971
-Republicans
-Withdrawal from Vietnam
-North Vietnamese
-Troop withdrawals
-Military’s reaction
-President’s position
-Negotiations
-Timing
-Kissinger
-John Sherman Cooper’s call to Kissinger, April 6, 1971
-Troop withdrawal
-Timing
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Jack R. Miller’s approach
-POWs
-Negotiations
-Possible Congressional action
-President’s options
-Draft bill
-Status
-John C. Stennis
-Withdrawal date
-Possible effects
-Discussions
-Options
-Laird’s forthcoming testimony
-Military’s reaction
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-National mood
-President’s forthcoming speech
-Congress’ role
-Vietnamization program
-Troop withdrawals
-World Wars I & II, Civil War
-Troop withdrawals
-Rate
Page | 15
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-President’s forthcoming announcement
-Military operations
-Message to Ellsworth F. Bunker
-General Nguyen Van Thieu
-Thieu’s conversation with Bunker
-Troop withdrawals
-Rate
-Thieu
-President’s message to Nguyen Cao Ky
-NSC
-Withdrawal rate
-Bunker
-Laird’s conversation with Thieu, Bunker, General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Following announcement
-President’s forthcoming announcement
-Official comments
-North Vietnamese military capability
-Laos
-Cambodia
-United States’ military dispositions
-Troop withdrawals
Latin people
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Privacy (D) reviewed under PRMPA regulations 04/15/2019. Segment
cleared for release.]
[Privacy]
[246-007-w001]
[Duration: 17s]
Mark [?] [Surname unknown]
-Comment made regarding ambassador to Barbados
-Women and happiness
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Page | 16
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-Military’s reaction
-President’s policies
-Cambodia
-Views of Cooper, Frank F. Church, Javits
-Moorer’s comments regarding Edmund S. Muskie, Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-President’s forthcoming speech
-Television
-Charts
Ronald L. Ziegler and members of the press entered at 12:49 pm
President’s schedule
-Latin ambassadors
-Photo session
President’s forthcoming speech
-Preparation of speeches
Ziegler and the members of the press left at 12:50 pm
Time magazine
Vietnam
-President’s forthcoming speech
-Chart
-John F. Kennedy
-US military presence
-Congress
-Republicans
-Democrats
-Vietnamization
-Comments
-Carl B. Albert
-Foreign policy making
-Responsibility
-Possible actions
Page | 17
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Draft bill
-Dr. David K. E. Bruce
-Negotiations
-POWs
-President’s responsibility
-Albert, Charles M. Teague, Gerald R. Ford
Congress
-Clark MacGregor’s views
-Revenue sharing
-Government reorganization
-Laird’s forthcoming conversation with Ehrlichman and Shultz
Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-Agreement with President
-Joint Chiefs of Staff
-Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr.
Rogers and Laird left at 1:00 pm
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Charts
-Additions
-Troop withdrawals
-Dates
-Woods’ revisions
-Possible changes
-Troop withdrawals
-US casualties
-Forthcoming enemy activity
-Rogers’ views
-Possible changes
-Kissinger’s forthcoming briefing
-Topics
-Casualties
-Air sorties
-Possible press questions
-POWs
Page | 18
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Laird’s possible reaction
-Residual force
-Laird’s view
-POWs
-United States’ policy
-Possible Congressional action
-President’s comments to Laird
-President’s responsibilities
-Donald H. Rumsfeld’s comments in staff meeting, April 7, 1971
-Javits
-Charles H. Percy
-Political ambitions
-Laird, Rogers
[H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the President between 1:15 pm and 1:16 pm]
[Conversation No. 246-7A]
President’s schedule
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Support of President’s policies
-Laird and Rogers
Rogers
-Foreign Service
******************************************************************************
[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-015. Segment declassified on 01/10/2018. Archivist: MAS]
[National Security]
[246-007-w004]
[Duration: 29s]
William P. Rogers
Page | 19
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Pakistan
-Support of Administration policies
-Henry A. Kissinger’s opinion
-Views on Biafra and Pakistan
******************************************************************************
William P. Rogers
-Views regarding Vietnam
Haldeman entered at 1:20 pm
Vietnam
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Changes
-Preparation
-Woods
MacGregor
Rumsfeld
-Relations with the New York Times and Washington Post
-Tenure in office
-Forthcoming trip to Europe with Robert H. Finch
-Role with administration
-Comments in staff meeting April 7, 1971
-Vietnam
Vietnam
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Kissinger’s forthcoming briefings
-Robert B. Semple, Jr., Chalmers Roberts, Joseph W. Alsop
President’s schedule
-Unknown newsman
Karl (“Skipper”) Taylor, Jr.
-Nickname “Skipper”
Page | 20
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
[Pause]
Vietnam
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Content
-Shirley Taylor, sons Karl and Kevin
-Possible effect
-Laird, Rogers
Kissinger left at 1:30 pm
-Poll
-President’s policy
-Calley
[Pause]
-Opinion Research Corporation [ORC]
[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and
1:30 pm]
[Conversation No. 246-7B]
Call to Major General James D. (“Don”) Hughes
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Polls
-President’s policy
-Calley
[The President talked with Hughes between 1:30 pm and 1:31 pm]
[Conversation No. 246-7C]
Sergeant Karl Taylor
-Medal of Honor citation
Page | 21
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Polls
-Results
-Calley
-Elmo Roper
-Claude Robbins [sp?]
-George H. Gallup
-Dwight L. Chapin
-President’s policy
-Troop withdrawals
-ORC
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
[Hughes talked with the President between 1:36 pm and 1:37 pm]
[Conversation No. 246-7D]
Medal of Honor citation
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Polls
-ORC
-Democratic caucus
-President’s policy
-Gallup
-Withdrawal issue
-Forthcoming demonstrations
-Forthcoming demonstrations
-Possible administration response
-Polls
-National mood
-Laos, Cambodia
-Calley
-Possible effect of President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
Page | 22
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Calley
-Ehrlichman, Shultz
-Son Tay raid
-General Douglas MacArthur
Laird
-Conversation with President
-Haldeman’s forthcoming conversation with Ehrlichman
-Stanley R. Resor
-Tenure in office
-Possible replacement
-Robert F. Froehlke
-Haldeman’s forthcoming conversation with Laird, April 8, 1971
Vietnam
-Public opinion on withdrawal
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Kissinger
-Calley
Revenue sharing
-President’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-Congress
-Program problems
-Presentations
-Edwin L. Harper, Shultz
-Slogans
-Domestic Council
-Laird’s possible meeting with Ehrlichman and Shultz
-Presentation
Vietnam
-Emmett Dedmon’s comment
-Polls
-Calley
-Haldeman’s conversation
-[Forename unknown] Derge [sp?]
-Haldeman’s conversation with Thomas Veneman
-Calley
Page | 23
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-President’s policy
-President’s forthcoming speech, April 7, 1971
-Timing
-Polls
-Forthcoming call to unknown pollster
-Chapin
-Derge
-Polls
Revenue sharing
-Ehrlichman and Shultz
-Selling administration’s program
Briefings
-Length
-Kissinger, Ehrlichman, Shultz
-Points
-John B. Connally
-Paul W. McCracken
Vietnam
-Polls
-Disclosure
Rumsfeld
-Role with administration
-Finch
-Comments in staff meeting April 7, 1971
Peter G. Peterson
Vietnam
-Polls
-Possible release
-Timing
-President’s forthcoming speech April 7, 1971
-Effect
-Military services
-Views of Douglas L. Hallett and Patrick J. Buchanan
Page | 24
White House Tapes of the Nixon Administration, 1971-1973
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Calley
Domestic Council
-Shultz
-Public relations
-Ehrlichman
-Herbert G. Klein
-Edward L. Morgan
Public relations
-President’s personality
-Connally’s views
Revenue sharing
-President’s conversation with Laird
-Ehrlichman, Shultz
President’s schedule
-Briefing April 8, 1971
-Media
Haldeman left at 2:00 pm