Conversation: 478-007
Prev: 478-006 Next: 478-008Start Date: Tuesday, April 13, 1971 4:17 PM
End Date: Tuesday, April 13, 1971 5:18 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.; Scali, John A.; White House photographer; Bull, Stephen B.; [Unknown person(s)]; Sanchez, ManoloRecording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:51:22
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:48:48
NARA Description:
On April 13, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, John A. Scali, White House photographer, Stephen B. Bull, unknown person(s), and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:17 am and 12:18 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 478-007 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 478-7
Date: April 13, 1971
Time: Unknown between 11:17 am and 12:18 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
President’s conversation with Charles W. Colson
Henry A. Kissinger and John A. Scali entered at 11:19 am; the White House photographer was
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present at the beginning of the meeting
Scali on payroll
Photograph
Scali’s assignment
-Orientation
-Difficulties
-First weeks
-Contribution
-Long-term
-Differences from previous career
-Senior consultant
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Taking initiative
-Colson
-Responsibilities
-Herbert G. Klein
-Staff meetings
-Outgoing matters versus internal ones
-Decision making
-Foreign policy
-Kissinger
-Peter G. Peterson
-International economic policy
-Speeches
-Kissinger
-Relationship with
-Kissinger
-Importance
-Responsibilities
-Television commentators
-John W. Chancellor
-Priorities
-Networks
-Wire services
-Radio
-Columnists
-Magazines
-Networks
-Importance
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-Wire services
-Columnists
-Stewart M. Hensley
-Arthur P. Henderson
-Hensley
Scali’s assignment
-Analysis of television industry Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
-Kissinger
-Klein
President’s People’s Republic of China [PRC] initiative
-Scali
-Background
-Press corps
-State Department
-Announcements
-Timing
-State Department
-Foreign Service
-Kremlinologists
-Charles E. (“Chip”) Bohlen
-Llewellyn E. (“Tommy”) Thompson, Jr.
-William P. Rogers
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-State Department
-USSR
-Aleksei N. Kosygin
-US policy
-Ping-pong team
-Forthcoming announcement [Relaxation of trade and travel restrictions with the
PRC, April 14, 1971]
-Publicity
-Dangers
-USSR
-Ping-pong team
-US goals
-Benefits
-Announcement, April 14, 1971
-Ping-pong team
-US relations
-Thaw
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-Warsaw
-Chinese
-Compared to Soviets
-USSR
-Ping-pong team
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Announcement
-State Department Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
-President’s Position
-Rogers
-President’s initiative
-National Security Council [NSC]
-President’s 1969 world trip
-Dangers
-NSC
-Critical areas
-Sensitivity
-Scali’s recommendations
-Ping-pong team
-President’s image
-Demonstrators
-Vietnam
-Farsightedness
-President’s schedule
-Visit to San Diego
-Camp Pendleton
-Timing
-Demonstrations
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 15s ]
FOREIGN VISIT
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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-Timing
-News stories
Kissinger’s schedule
-Scali’s briefing Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
-Peterson
President’s schedule
-Camp Pendleton visit
Scali’s role
-Advocacy
-Preparation for Ziegler’s briefings
-Benefits
-Announcement of relaxation of PRC trade and travel restrictions
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.
-Wire
-Television
-Framework
-Possible changes
-Atmosphere
-Access to President
-Possible use
-Consultant
-Possibilities
-Speech
-Television
-Problem
-Kissinger
-State Department
-State/Defense Department
-Ziegler
-Robert J. McCloskey
-Coordination
-Haldeman
-Need to study problems
-Timing
-Pressure
-Value
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-Ideas
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-William L. Safire
-Klein
-Richard A. Moore
-Location
-Ziegler
-Colson Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
-Moore
-Price
-Safire
-Relationship with Kissinger
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 4s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
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Scali’s role
-Summary
-Emotions
-Issues
-Publicity
-Carl M. Yastrzemski
-Goals
-News stories
-Foreign policy
-PRC initiative
-Significance
-Press
-Credit for Administration
-Vietnam
-Relation to PRC initiative
-Issues
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-PRC
-US initiatives
Scali’s office
-Location
-Executive Office Building
Scali and Haldeman left at 11:46 am Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
Henry Cabot Lodge
Scali
-Forthcoming Kissinger briefing
-Summit meeting
-Need for confidentiality
-Haldeman
-George P. Shultz
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Dobrynin
-Schedule
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] negotiations
-Need for confidentiality
-PRC
US/USSR relations
-Kissinger’s meeting with Dobrynin’s replacement
-Berlin
-[David] Kenneth Rush’s meeting with Pyotr A. Abrassimov
-Timing
-Arrangements
Lodge
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National Security]
[Duration: 11s ]
THE VATICAN
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END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
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-General Nguyen Van Thieu
-Lieutenant General Duong Van (“Big Minh”) Minh Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
-Forthcoming trip to Vietnam
-Health
-Beverly, Massachusetts
-New York establishment
-New England upper class
-Harvard University
-Cambridge, Massachusetts
Eastern establishment
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Opinion
-Boston
Vietnam
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
[Duration: 14s ]
THE VATICAN
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
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-PRC/USSR relations
-North Vietnam
-Negotiations
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-Hanoi
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[National Security]
[Duration: 2m 41s ] Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
THE VATICAN
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
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PRC/Taiwan
-Lodge’s view regarding US/Japanese initiative
-United Nations [UN] representation
-State Department
-Sponsorship
-Dual representation
-US policy
-John B. Connally’s views
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
[National Security]
[Duration: 56s ]
PRC
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
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Japan
-Textiles
-Eisaku Sato
-Armin H. Meyer
Peterson’s trip to Far East
-David M. Kennedy Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
-Marshall Green
-Taiwan
-Korea
Korea
-William J. Porter
-Assignment
-Green
State Department
-William H. Sullivan
-Reorganization
-Scope
-Assistant secretaries
-Resignations
-Replacements
-Promotions
-Secretary
Cabinet
-Resignations
-Melvin R. Laird
-Rogers
-Career aspirations
-John N. Mitchell
-Martha (Beall) Mitchell
-Maurice H. Stans
-George W. Romney
-John A. Volpe
-James D. Hodgson
-Shultz
-Elliot L. Richardson
-State Department
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State Department
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Richardson
-Qualifications
-Career
-Conditions
-Resignations
Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
Defense Department
-Resignations
-David Packard
President’s second term
-Changes in government
-First term
Vietnam
-Kissinger’s conversation with Frank F. Mankiewicz
-Democrats
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Robert F. (“Bobby”) Kennedy
-Troop levels
-Kissinger’s call from McGeorge Bundy
-USSR
-Kissinger’s response to Bundy
-Moral issue
-Deadline for withdrawal
-Negotiations
-Issue
-Withdrawal
-North Vietnam
-Deadline for withdrawal
-US options
-Cease fire
-Deadline
-Bombing
-Withdrawal
-Bombing
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Cease fire
-Residual forces
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-Bombing
-USSR
USSR
-Summit
Vietnam
-Bombing Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
Bundy
-Telephone calls to and from Kissinger
-Career
Secretaries of State
-President’s conversation with Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo, 1967
-Dean G. Acheson
-John Foster Dulles
-Bundy
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-1960 recommendation
Bundy
-Career
-Qualifications
-Harvard University
-Haldeman
-Shultz
-Liberal position
-William P. Bundy
-Call to Kissinger regarding Vietnam
Vietnam
-Mankiewicz’s views
-Bundy’s defense of administration’s Southeast Asia policy
-Bombing
-Robert S. McNamara
-Compared with Bundy
-Mankiewicz’s views
-Liberal
Press
-Time
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-Ziegler
-Newsweek
-Hugh S. Sidey
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:46 am
President’s schedule
-Ziegler Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
Bull left at an unknown time before 12:16 pm
Press
-Phone calls to Kissinger
-Ziegler
PRC
-Press
-US initiatives
-Timing
-President’s position
-USSR
-US relations
-Vietnam
-North Vietnam
-Chou En-lai’s visit to Hanoi
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Negotiations
Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:46 am
Ziegler’s schedule
-Location
-Cabinet briefing
Bull left at an unknown time before 12:16 pm
PRC
-Intervention
-Laos
-Cambodia
-Administration’s position
-State Department
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******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[National Security]
[Duration: 5s ]
Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
******************************************************************************
-North Vietnam
Press
Vietnam
-Bundy’s reaction
-Mankiewicz
-Reaction to Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr.
-Calley case
-President’s role
-George C. Wallace
-Ronald W. Reagan
1972 elections
-President’s re-election
-Foreign policy
-Economy
-Research and Development [RAND] Corporation Board
Stock market
-Rise
-Howard Stein
Vietnam
-Kissinger’s possible conversation with Stein
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-President’s speech on Southeast Asia, April 7, 1971
-Press reaction
-Structure
-Emotion
-Congress
-President’s speech, April 7, 1971
-Impact
-Compared with President’s November 3, 1969 speech Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
-Withdrawal issue
-Resignation
-Possible consequences of a loss of Vietnam
-Public reaction
-Casualties
-Calley
-Negotiations
-Settlement
USSR
-Summit meeting
-SALT negotiations
-Summit meeting
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-USSR/US relations
-Brezhnev’s position
-Summit meeting
-Possible trip to Moscow by President
-Attitude of Russians toward Americans
-Symbolism
-SALT negotiations
-Non-aggression pact
-Dobrynin
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[National Security]
[Duration: 22s ]
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
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-European Security Conference
-Negotiations
-US policy
Conv. No. 478-7 (cont.)
President’s re-election
-Importance
-Connally
-Tenure
-Qualifications
-Richardson
-Connally
-Richardson
-Cabinet
-Connally
-Qualifications
Bull and an unknown man entered at an unknown time after 11:46 am
President’s schedule
-Ziegler
-Yastrzemski
-Press
Kissinger left at 12:16 pm
-Wire service
-Open Door Hour
Bull and the unknown man left at an unknown time before 12:18 pm
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:16 pm
Unknown activity
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:18 pm
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