Conversation: 418-005
Prev: 418-004 Next: 418-006Start Date: Friday, March 9, 1973 7:15 PM
End Date: Friday, March 9, 1973 8:05 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Rebozo, Charles G. ("Bebe"); Kissinger, Henry A.; White House operator; Downey, William; Ziegler, Ronald L.; Meskill, Thomas J.Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On March 9, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, William Downey, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Thomas J. Meskill met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 3:05 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 418-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 418-5
Date: March 9, 1973
Time: Unknown between 2:15 pm and 3:05 pm
-19-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-3 (cont’d)
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
President’s schedule
The President talked with Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo between 2:15 pm and 2:18 pm.
[Conversation No. 418-5A]
[See also Conversation No. 37-69]
[End of telephone conversation]
Public relations
-Crime speech
-Name of slogan
-Clean Air Act, Safe Streets Act, New Federalism
-Patrick J. Buchanan, William L. Safire, [unintelligible name]
-Legislative package
-Request for capital punishment
-Congress
-Criminal code revision
-Need for phrasemaker
-Herbert G. Klein [?]
-Editor
-Work with Ehrlichman
-Crime speech
-Ehrlichman’s edits
-Cop killers
-Criminal penalties
-Ehrlichman's work load
-Importance of work
-Hugh Scott
-Cabinet meetings
-Compared to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s cabinet
-William P. Rogers [?]
-20-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-5 (cont’d)
-President’s use of rhetoric
-John A. Scali
-John A. Volpe
-Phrasemaking
-Scali
-Domestic Council
-Speech writing
-Crime speech
-Ehrlichman
-Taxes and spending
-Education
-Family budget
-Phrasemaking
-Spiro T. Agnew's contributions
-Television [TV]
-Rogers
-Critique
Agnew
Problems of leadership
-Compared to John B. Connally, Nelson A. Rockefeller
-President as Vice President under Eisenhower
-Role of Vice President
-Cabinet
Crime Speech [?]
Appointments
-New appointments
-Ambassadors
-Pool of 40 candidates
-New career appointees
-Blacks
-Labor unionists
-Black appointments
-Compared to State Department
-Foreign Service Officers [FSO]
-Career compared to non-career appointments
-21-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-5 (cont’d)
-Limits
-Iceland, Malta, Yugoslavia, Venezuela,
-Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Dominican Republic
-Difficult assignments
-Hold-overs
-Australia
-Marshall Green
-Belgium
-Robert Strauz-Hupe
-France
-John Irwin
-India
-Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
-Iran
-Richard A. Helms
-Italy
-Volpe
-Spain
-Adm. Horacio Rivero
-Turkey
-William B. Macomber, Jr.
-Contributors
-Problem for Maurice H. Stans
-Careerists
-Rogers
-Contributors
-Priority
-Replacements
-Strausz-Hupe'
-Conservatives
- Rivera
-Philip K. Crowe, John D. J. Moore
-Thomas Burns
-Career Service
-Labor Background
-George Meany
-Blacks
-22-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-5 (cont’d)
-Careerist from State Department
-Strausz-Hupe, Rivero [?], Burns
-Replacements
Manolo Sanchez and Fina Sanchez
-Pay
-Source of funds
-Residence appropriations
-Interior Department
-Civil Service
-GS level
-Base pay
-Room and board
-Overtime
-Total pay
-Fina Sanchez
-Compared to domestic work
-Starting pay
-Increases
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
-Bonus
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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-Total pay
-Increase
Kissinger entered at 2:35 pm.
John Downey
-23-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-5 (cont’d)
-Mother’s illness
-President’s message
-Chou En-lai
-Release from prison
Call to Downey’s brother
Kissinger talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 2:46
pm.
[Conversation No. 418-5B.]
[See Conversation No. 37-70]
[End of telephone conversation]
-Release from prison
-Hong Kong
-Press statement
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Ronald L. Ziegler
People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Release of prisoners
-Robert J. Flynn, Philip E. Smith
-Downey
Pay raises
-Sanchez, Kissinger
-PRC Dr. K. E. Bruce appointment
Head of liaison office
-State Department’s recommendation
-Edwin W. Martin
-Ambassador to Burma
-President’s experience
-Latin America
-Brazil
-Malcolm Smith, “John F. Kennedy’s 13 Great Mistakes in the
-24-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-5 (cont’d)
White House”
-Liaison office
-Transportation
-Military plane
-Peking
Edwin Martin
-Misidentification
Bruce
-Appointment to the liaison office
-Back channel communication
-State department officers
-Alfred L. Jenkins, John H. Holdridge
-Announcement
Press conference
-Announcements
-Liaison office appointments
-USSR visit
-State visits
-Tanaka
-Connection with PRC announcement
-Prisoners’ release compared to liaison office
-Bruce’s appointment
Bruce
-Age
-Compared to Chou En-lai
Messages
-President’s letter
-Kissinger’s letter to Chou En-lai
-Bruce
Announcement
-Bruce
-25-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-5 (cont’d)
The President talked with William Downey at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 2:46 pm.
[Conversation No. 418-5C]
[See Conversation No. 37-71]
Health of Downey’s mother
Announcement
-Kissinger call to Ziegler
Kissinger talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 2:46
pm.
[Conversation No. 418-5D]
[See Conversation No. 37-72]
Announcement
-Prisoners’ release
-Downey
-Timing
-Wording
-Request to Chou En-lai
-Downey's mother
-Illness
-Thomas J. Meskill
-Connecticut
-Appeal
-Ziegler
Telephone call to Meskill
The President talked with the White House operator at 2:46 pm.
[Conversation No. 418-5E]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-5 (cont’d)
[See Conversation No. 37-73]
[End of telephone conversation]
Call to Meskill
-Reasons for call
Announcement
-Downey
-Ziegler
Kissinger talked with Ziegler at an unknown time between 2:46 pm and 2:53 pm. The President
can be heard in the background.
[Conversation No. 418-5F]
[See Conversation No. 37-74]
Downey
-Private message to Chou En-Lai
[End of telephone conversation]
Release of Downey
-Announcement
-State Department’s role
-Method of Appeal
-Edward Kennedy
-Letters, telephone calls
-Meskill
-Telephone calls
-Credit
-Announcement
-Ziegler
-Telegram
-Announcement
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-5 (cont’d)
-PRC
-Announcement
-Selective release
-[unintelligible name]
-Howard K. Smith
-New York Times
-Washington Post
-New York Times
-Call to Charlie Daniel
-Handling
-President's message to Chou
Meeting with. Rogers
-Reasons
-Report on trip
-Cabinet meeting
-Rogers’ statement
-US commitment
-Ehrlichman
-Spiro T. Agnew
Foreign Aid
-Congress
-Pakistan
-India
-Weapons
-Armored personnel carriers [APCs]
-Spare parts, repaired equipment
-David Packard
-Contract
-Delegation
-Kenya
-Uganda
-Size
-Evacuation
-Thomas P. Melady
-Idi Amin
-28-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-5 (cont’d)
-Letters
-Melady’s return
Ziegler's Announcement
Kissinger left at an unknown time after 2:46 pm.
Downey release
-Kissinger’s skills
Kissinger entered at an unknown time before 2:53 pm.
President's press conference
-Timing
-Announcement
-PRC
-Bruce
Kissinger left at 2:53 pm.
******************************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
Public relations
-Strategy
-Plan
-Vetoes
-George H. W. Bush
-Spokesperson
-Janet Johnson
Bush
-New York City mayoral election
-Primary
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-29-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-5 (cont’d)
-William T. Cahill
-John N. Mitchell
House Campaign Committee
-Robert C. (“Bob”) Wilson
-Resignation
-Clarence (“Bud”) Brown, Jr.
-Succession struggle
-Wilson’s staff
-Compared to Agnew’s staff
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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President's schedule
-Republican Congress members
-Meeting with President
-Cabinet room, Oval Office [?]
-Freshmen
-Function on Saturday
-William E. Timmons
-Evening at the White House
-Camp David
-Church service
-Shamrock presentation
-Gift
-Ashtray
The President talked with Meskill between 3:00 pm and 3:02 pm.
[Conversation No. 418-5G].
[See Conversation No. 37-75]
[End of telephone conversation]
-30-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-2010)
Conversation No. 418-5 (cont’d)
Public relations
-Budget
-Statements
-Cabinet meeting
-Plan
-President's public appearances
Advance work
-Press conferences
-Radio speeches
-Meetings with Congress members
-William J. Baroody, Jr.
-Outside assistance
-Meeting with Charles W. Colson
H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman left at 3:05 pm.