On February 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Arthur F. Burns, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:07 am to 10:59 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 670-007 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 670-7
Date: February 14, 1972
Time: 10:07 am - 10:59 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with John D. Ehrlichman and Arthur F. Burns.
People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
-The President’s departure
-Timing
-Length
-Arrival time
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 670-6 (cont.)
-World changes
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] trip
-Arms control
-Importance
-Future impact
-Chinese
-Japanese
-Indonesians
-Concern for Chinese neighbors
-Importance of arms control
-Use of individuals
-Mao Tse-tung
-Chou En-lai
-Mao Tse-tung
-Chiang Kai-shek
Economy
-Ehrlichman
-Domestic Council
-George P. Shultz
-Interest rates
-Money supply
-Timing
-M-1
-New York board
-Alfred Hayes
-Assistance from Administration
-David Rockefeller
-Unknown person
-Relationship to Burns
-Possible disciplinary action
-Prices
-Instability
-President’s instructions to Burns
-November 1972
-William McChesney Martin, Jr.
-President’s recollection
-Interest rates
-Banks
-Money supply
-Possible increase
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)
-Amount
-M-1, M-2
-Milton Friedman
-Ideas
-Comparison to war
-Budget
-Controls
-Burns
-Testimony
-Opinion on strong factors
-Retail sales
-Rising prices
-Taxes
-Unknown man
-Reform
-Value added tax [VAT]
-Property taxes
-Schools
-John B. Connally
-Cut
-Congress
-VAT
-Corporate income tax
-Property tax
-Corporate tax
-Individual tax
-Property tax
-VAT
-Burns’s support
-Timing
-Tax bill
-Reform
-Normal operations
Busing
-White House position
-Bipartisan committee
-Neil H. McElroy committee
-Support
-Commission
-Courts
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)
-State level
-Possible crisis
-McElroy Commission
-Burns
-Parochial schools
-Public schools
-Comparisons and differences
-Private school committee
-Public schools
-Blacks
-Public schools
-Problems stated
-Constitutional amendments
-Howard H. Baker, Jr.
-William E. Brock, III
-Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
-Robert P. Griffin
-Thomas N. Downing
-Norman F. Lent
-Thomas J. (“Tom”) Steed
-John G. Tower
-Elliot L. Richardson
-John N. Mitchell
-Possible explanation of problems to Congress
-Scheduling
-Meeting
-Briefing papers
-Ehrlichman
-Baker
-Grasp of subject matter
-Griffin
-Different approach
-Baker
-Position of Administration opponents
-John V. Lindsay
-Edward M. Kennedy
-George S. McGovern
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Changes on the issues
-Black education
18
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)
-Quality
-The President’s view
-Brown vs. Board of Education
-Meaning
-Segregated education
-Quality education
-Black children
-Neighborhood breakdown
-Churches
-Schools
-Friends
-Forced transportation
-Opportunities
-Choices
-Legal restrictions
Appointments
-Andrew F. Brimmer
-President’s previous conversation with William P. Rogers
-Ehrlichman
-Shultz
-St. Lawrence Seaway
-Panama Canal
-Ambassadorship
-Sweden
-Black
-Jerome H. Holland
-Europe
-Length
-Sweden
-Desirability
-Black
-Africa
-Frederic V. Malek
-Sweden
-Responsibilities
-Finland
-Rogers
-United Nations [UN]
-Malek
-Gathering of European ambassadors
19
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)
-Latin America
-Europe
-Potential for safety
-Holland
-Problems
-Finland
-State Department
-Central Bank of Sweden
-Austria
-Europe
-Location
-West Germany
Budget
-Stimulation
-Money
-Contractor
-Pay in advance
-1972-73 financial transfers
-Burns’s plan
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Report to the President
-Accomplishments
-Buying hardware
-Fred C. Foy
-Koppers Corporation
-Press conference
-90,000 jobs created
-California
-White House budget stimulation
-Buying hardware
-747s
-Production
-Number
-Weinberger
-Reports to a committee
-Monthly compared to weekly
-Burns’s view
-Contractors
-Shipping
-Airplanes
20
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)
-Transactions
-Weinberger
-Weekly reports
-John B. Connally
-Defense
-Robert C. Moot
-Weinberger
-Shultz
-Cabinet officers
-Weekly reports
-Created for the President and Weinberger
-Budget figures
-State Department
-Connally
-John A. Volpe
-Rohr Industries
-Contract (Hardware)
-San Diego
-Urban Mass Transit experiment
-Amount
-California
-Treasury Department
-Withholding problem
-Administration awareness
-Release of tables
-Sabotage
-Withholding rates
-Change
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
-John W. Dean, III
-Connally
-Johnnie M. Walters
-Publicity
-Radio and television advertisements
-Warnings in pay envelopes
-Under withholding
-Constituency
-Married people
-Over withholding
-Burns’s opinion
-Advertising
21
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)
-Director of research at FRB [J. Charles Partee]
-Withholding form
-Time to prepare
-Average American worker
-Difficulties
-FRB
-Comptroller
-Fill out withholding forms for staff
-Business firms
-Withholding forms
-Preparation for employees
-Appeal to individuals
-Congress
-Suggestions
-White House
-Revenue Act of 1971
-Burns’s proposal
-Dinners
-Business people
-Weekly
-Size
-Anticipated results
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:07 am.
Schedule
-Meeting
-Senators
-Congressmen
-Cabinet Room
-Timing
-Ronald L. Ziegler
Bull left at an unknown time before 10:59 am.
Business people
-White House dinners
-Possible effect
-Campaign
-Confidence
-Relay messages to hometowns
22
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)
-Big business
-Size of towns
-Connally
-Peter G. Peterson
-Business Council meetings
-Conduct
-40% of American businesses represented
-Connally
-Involvement
-Blair House meetings
-Weekly
-Connally
-Maurice H. Stans
-Cabinet members
-White House staff
-Council of Economic Affairs [CEA]
-Business and labor
-Success
Busing
Budget
-Working toward one goal
-Expansion
-Price and wage control
-Economists’ analyses
-Free economy
-Decisions and decision makers
-Governmental level
-Confidence
Economy
-Burns
-Tone comments
-Fourth quarter 1971
-First and second quarters, 1972
-Arthur Goldberg
-Talk with the President
-Wage Board
-PRC trip
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
23
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)
-Dr. Neil H. Jacoby
-Occidental Life Insurance Co.
-Resignation
-Robert S. McNamara
-Chairman of Wage Board
-Rumsfeld
-Availability
FRB
-Board of Governors
-Appointment
-Scali’s work
-Vacant post
-Search for viable candidates
-California
-Type of candidate
-Prestige
-William D. Eberle
-Banker
-Claire Giannini Hoffman
-Age
-Burns
-Selection of name
Busing
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Proposed constitutional amendment
-Dual school system
-Equal education
-State level
-Florida primary
-Forced integrated housing
-Lost cost public housing
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 14s ]
24
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 670-7 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
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-Public housing
-Possible effect on economy
-Social mobility
-Burns
-Possible statements
-George W. Romney
Burns left at an unknown time before 10:59 am.
Public housing and busing
Economy
The President’s schedule
Ehrlichman left at 10:59 am.