Conversation: 338-042
Prev: 338-041 Next: 338-043Start Date: Thursday, May 11, 1972 4:04 PM
End Date: Thursday, May 11, 1972 4:51 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); [Unknown person(s)]Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:11:47
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:41:18
NARA Description:
On May 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:04 pm and 12:51 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 338-042 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 338-42
Date: May 11, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:04 and 12:51 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President dictated a memorandum for the files.
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 32s ]
41
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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Henry A. Kissinger entered at 12:51 pm.
Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Report
-Bridges
-Damage
-Soviet Summit
-Haiphong Harbor
-Instructions
-Soviet ships
H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 12:53 pm.
-Damage
-Bridges
-Petroleum, oils, and lubricants [POL]
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. cable
-USS Newport News
-Shelling
-Air strikes
-POL
-Power plants
-Destruction
-Impact
-Le Duc Tho (?)
-Blockade
-Soviet protests
-Mines
-Soviet shipping
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-Propaganda efforts
-Leaflets
-North Vietnam offensive
-An Loc
-Casualties
42
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-42 (cont.)
-Kontum
-An Loc
-Tanks
-Destruction
-Number
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 12:53 pm.
Refreshments
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 1:12 pm.
Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Intensity
Soviet Union
-German treaties
-Relations with Hanoi
-North Vietnam public statements
-Tone
Vietnam
-William P. Rogers
-Public statements
-Contents
-Kissinger’s view
-Press conference
-Meeting with the President
-Purpose
-Advisability
-Purpose
-Legality of blockade
-Soviet reply
-Legislation on Vietnam
-President's peace offer
-Soviet statements
-Melvin R. Laird
-Rogers
-Public statements
-Legality
-Criticism of Soviets
43
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-42 (cont.)
-Peace offer
-Interpretation
-Kissinger’s view
-Forthcoming testimony on Capitol Hill
-Business Council
-Press conference
-Blockade
-Soviet ships
-Kissinger’s previous conversation with Jerzy Michalowski
-Soviet public statements
-Tone
-President's Soviet trip [Soviet Summit]
-Warsaw stopover
-Approval
-Significance
-Announcement
-Kissinger meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Summit
-Camp David
-Possible incident concerning Soviet ships
-President's meeting with Nikolai S. Patolichev
-Soviet response to President's previous speech
-US air strikes
-Limitations
-Air strikes
-Damage
-Soviet Summit
-Cancellation
-Likelihood
-German treaties
-Ratification
-Willy Brandt’s role
-Plenary sessions
-US position
-President's meeting with Foreign Trade Minister [Patolichev]
-Cancellation
-Likelihood
-President's meeting with Patolichev
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Significance
-Soviet Union, Iran comparison
-Mohammed Reza Tahlavi [Shah of Iran]
44
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-42 (cont.)
-Kissinger meeting with Dobrynin
-Purpose
-Rogers
-Public statements
-Administration line
-Soviet response
-Advisability
-Kissinger’s view
-Effect
Kissinger left at 1:12 pm.
Vietnam
-Soviet Summit
-Cancellation
-Timing
-Soviet intentions
-President's position
-Cancellation
-US reactions
-Public opinion
-President's critics
-Haldeman’s view
-President's press conference
-Scheduling
-Timing
-Soviet summit
-News reports
-Robert B. Semple, Jr.
-John B. Connally
-New York Times
-John F. Osborne
-Wall Street Journal
-Effect
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 44s ]
45
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 338-42 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
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President's schedule
-Camp David
-Meeting with Rogers
-Meeting with Wilbur D. Mills
-Camp David
Vietnam
-Support for the President
Haldeman left at 1:29 pm.