Conversation No. 475-21

Date: April 8, 1971
Time: 1:12 pm - 2:00 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler, Bryan Lewis, Jenifer Pine, James Little, Erich
Hoffman, Harmon Carswell, Susan Horsley, Carol Eags, and Amy Gellis; the White House
photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting

     Greetings

     [General conversation]
          -Texas
          -Missouri
          -Introductions
          -Stephens College
          -University of Texas
          -Hometowns
                -Austin
                                                   31

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     Photo session
          -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
          -Ziegler

     University of Texas football
          -Gift to the President
                -Picture                                              Conv. No. 475-20 (cont.)
          -[Forename unknown] Wooster [sp?]
          -Notre Dame

     Interested in politics

     Presentation of gifts
          -Paper weight
          -Presidential Seal

     Pictures

     Mood of country

Lewis, et. al. left at 1:17 pm; Ziegler remained

     President’s remarks at end of speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
          -Surprise
          -President’s decision to include remarks
                -Timing

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 1:18 pm

                 -Notes
           -Staff
           -Decision
                 -Timing
           -Check with military aides
                 -Major General James D. (“Don”) Hughes
                 -Sergeant Karl Taylor’s son
                      -Name
                      -Age
                      -Kevin Taylor
                            -Salute
                 -Hughes’ response
                                              32

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)




     Dinner for W. Clement Stone, April 8, 1971
          -Foster G. McGaw, American Hospital Supply Corporation
          -Neal Ball
                -Appointment to Ziegler’s staff
          -McGaw
          -Ball’s qualifications
                -Deputy Press Secretary                          Conv. No. 475-21 (cont.)

     President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
          -Extemporaneous nature of conclusion
                -Press
                      -United Press International [UPI]
                      -Washington Post
          -Story on Shirley Taylor
                -UPI
                -Son

     President’s meeting with K. Taylor
          -Brother
          -Karl (“Skipper”) Taylor, Jr.
                -Nickname “Skipper”
          -Possible news story
          -”Skipper”
          -Kevin Taylor’s salute
          -Hughes
          -”Skipper”

Ziegler left at 1:23 pm

     Poll results after President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7,l971
           -Rating
                 -Figures
                 -Compared to Columbia Broadcasting System’s [CBS] “60 Minutes”
           -Tricia Nixon

     President’s schedule, April 9, 1971
          -Paul W. McCracken
                -Composition of council
                      -George P. Shultz
          -David M. Kennedy
                -Trip
                                            33

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              -California
         -John B. Connally
         -Church service
              -Duration
              -Phil Watts
              -Dr. John Harper
              -Pictures
              -Hughes                                             Conv. No. 475-21 (cont.)
              -Secret Service
              -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
              -Watts
              -Mrs. Nixon
              -President’s instructions to Haldeman
              -Dean Burch
              -Camp David
         -Cabinet meeting

    Camp David
        -Weather


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 52s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

******************************************************************************


    Support for President by staff
        -Difficulties

    President’s meeting with William J. Casey
         -Postponement
         -Schedule
               -[April 14, 1971]
         -Swearing-in ceremony
               -[Casey as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission]
         -Leonard W. Hall
                                              34

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



          -Bernard J. (“Bunny”) Lasker
          -Fred C. Scribner, Jr.

     Domestic briefing for administration wives, April 8, 1971
         -Mrs. Nixon
         -John D. Ehrlichman and Mrs. Nixon

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:23 pm         Conv. No. 475-21 (cont.)

     President’s schedule

     Gordon C. Strachan and family
         -Arrival
         -Background
               -Attorney for Nixon, Mudge

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:36 pm

     Strachan
          -Background
          -Work on staff
               -Jeb Stuart Magruder
               -Herbert G. Klein
                     -Schedule
                     -Speeches

     State visits
           -Henry A. Kissinger’s review
           -Changes in schedule
           -King [Moulay] Hassan II
                  -April
           -Josep Broz Tito
           -General Lon Nol
                  -August
           -Emilio Garrastazu Médici
                  -September
           -Tito
                  -Schedule
                  -October
           -Yakubu Gowon
                  -October
           -Indira Gandhi
                                                35

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



               -November
          -King Malik Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Saud
               -May or June
          -Willy Brandt
               -June
          -Leopold Sedar Senghor
          -Anastasio Somoza Debayle
               -State dinner                                           Conv. No. 475-21 (cont.)
               -Anniversary
                     -Twenty-fifth
               -Nicaragua
                     -Guillermo Sevilla Sacasa
               -Schedule
                     -Rogers
          -Thailand
          -Somoza Debayle
               -Graduation exercises
               -Luncheon with Maurice H. Stans
               -Dinner with President
          -Juan Velasco Alvarado
               -[Unintelligible name]
               -July
          -Lon Nol
               -Health
          -Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan
          -Emperor Hirohito of Japan
               -Kissinger
               -Schedule
               -Textile negotiations

Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:23 pm

     Introduction of Strachan and parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Dempsey

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:36 pm

Strachan and Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey entered at 1:36 pm; the White House photographer was
present at the beginning of the meeting

     Greetings

     Residence
                                                  36

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

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                                             (rev. 9/08)



             -California
                   -Santa Rosa
                   -Valley of the Moon

     Education
         -Law school
               -University of Southern California
               -Berkeley                                          Conv. No. 475-21 (cont.)

     Photo session
          -Atkins

     Tour of White House grounds
          -Rose Garden
          -Tulips

     Presentation of Presidential gifts
          -Presidential Seal
          -Cufflinks

     Rose Garden

Strachan and parents left at 1:40 pm

     Strachan and parents

     President’s meeting with White House staff members
          -Unstructured basis

     Domestic briefing for administration wives, April 8, 1971
         -Complaints by unknown man
         -Upcoming briefing for Congressional wives at State Department

     Staff
             -Enthusiasm
             -Appointment of staff members
             -Need for loyalists
             -President’s speeches

     Press
             -Impact on administration families
             -Need for new staff
                                         37

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 9/08)




News summaries
    -President’s instructions to Haldeman
          -Read and take action
    -President’s forthcoming interview by editors
    -Significance
    -”For your information”
    -President’s wish to focus on important matters       Conv. No. 475-21 (cont.)

President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
     -Exercise at end
     -Effort in preparation
     -Staff
     -Story
     -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
     -Staff
     -Theodore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt
     -Story
     -Anecdote form

Administration women
    -President’s briefing
    -Attitude of wives
    -Social events
    -Women in general
          -Gossip
          -Attitude
    -Virginia H. Knauer
          -Loyalty to President
          -Professor “Higgins”
          -Role in government
    -Women in general
          -Clothes
          -Conversation
          -Social events
    -Social events
    -Idanell (Brill) (“Nellie”) Connally
    -Wives of Italian and Nicaraguan ambassadors
          -Giulia (Rossi) Ortona
          -Doña Lillian Somoza de Sevilla Sacasa
                -Somoza’s daughter
                                              38

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                                     Tape Subject Log
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******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National Security]
[Duration: 14s ]

                                                                Conv. No. 475-21 (cont.)
    FOREIGN AFFAIRS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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              -D. L. S. de Sevilla Sacasa
         -Wife of British ambassador
              -Catherine (Dove) Freeman

    Domestic briefing for administration wives, April 8, 1971
        -Value

    Vietnam
         -President’s speech, April 7, 1971
               -Conclusion
               -Poll results
               -Rogers’ view
               -Administration’s policy
         -Hugh Scott
         -Emotion
         -Intellectuals

    President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
         -President’s credibility
         -Effectiveness
         -Camera work
               -President’s pause
               -Impact
         -Chart
               -Effectiveness
               -Rogers’ chart
                                            39

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 9/08)



                  -Graph
                  -Use of illustration of soldier
        -Audience
             -CBS
        -Ziegler’s report on press reaction
             -Possible criticisms by press
             -Laos
             -Credibility                                         Conv. No. 475-21 (cont.)
        -Connally’s response
             -Defense of Lyndon B. Johnson
        -Previous administration’s policies
        -Responsibility for involvement in Vietnam
        -1972 campaign
        -Charts
             -William L. Safire
             -Kissinger’s draft
             -Casualties
        -Rogers’ response
             -Contribution
             -Emotional impact
        -Reaction by “doves”
        -Possible poll by television
        -Opinion Research Corporation [ORC]
             -Tom Denham [sp?]
                    -Support for President
             -Release of results
                    -Timing
             -George H. Gallup
             -Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr.
                    -President’s decision to review case
             -Demonstrations
             -Haldeman’s conversation with Denham [sp?]
             -Distribution of results to Senators and Congressmen
             -Republican National Committee

Polls
        -White House relations with ORC
             -Haldeman’s conversation with Denham [sp?]
                   -Refusal to tamper with figures
                   -Selective use of figures
        -David R. Derge and Charles E. Benton
        -Reactions to Calley actions by President
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                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



          -Popular reaction
          -Calley case
          -Strength in Presidency
                -Contrast with Congress
                -Calley
                -Vietnam
                -Personal approval
          -Possible overstatement by President                 Conv. No. 475-21 (cont.)
                -Democratic Caucus
          -Approval of war
                -Figures
                -”Hawks”

     President speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
          -Polarization on Vietnam
          -Demonstrations
                -Supporters
                -Opponents

     President’s schedule
          -Florida
          -King [Moulay] Hassan II
          -Florida
          -Demonstrations
          -Daughters of the American Revolution [DAR] dinner
          -King Hassan II dinner
          -Florida
          -Chamber of Commerce meeting
          -Time-off period
                -Shultz

Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:40 pm

     David Rockefeller
          -Luncheon with President
          -President’s schedule

Bull left at an unknown time before 2:00 pm

     President’s schedule
          -Stone dinner
                -Questions and answers session
                                                41

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 9/08)



                  -Duration of dinner
                  -President presiding
             -Breakfast
             -Remarks at Stone dinner
                  -Questions and answers session
                        -Media response

     Polls                                                       Conv. No. 475-21 (cont.)
             -Rating on President’s speech on Southeast Asia
             -Emotion

Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:40 pm

     President’s schedule
          -Date
          -Executive Office Building [EOB]
          -Briefing
          -Stone dinner
                -Questions and answers session
          -Breakfast

Bull and Haldeman left at 2:00 pm