508–13

Conversation No. 508-13

Date: June 2, 1971
Time: 9:45 am - 12:04 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

Explorer Scouts

Anastasio Somoza Debayle’s visit
-Department of State
-Briefing book
-Maurice H. Stans, Henry A. Kissinger
-Arrangements

State Department’s bureaucracy

Medal of Freedom

United States civil service
-Sick leave, annual leave
-Haldeman and the President’s experiences
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******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 10s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13 Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)

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


Rose Mary Woods entered at an unknown time after 9:45 am

The President’s dictation
-Peter G. Peterson
-Malfunctioning equipment

Woods left at an unknown time before 10:13 am

White House correspondence unit
-Noble Melencamp
-Dianne Humes, Raymond K. Price, Jr.

President’s schedule
-Robert H. Finch
-Trip

White House correspondence
-Price
-Melencamp
-William J. Hopkins role
-Commitment of resources and volume of correspondence

Kissinger entered at 10:13 am

Vietnam War
-Military operations
-Snoul
-Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] withdrawal
-North Vietnamese attack
-Casualties
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-Press
-General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Melvin R. Laird
-Associated Press reporter
-John A. Scali
-White House response

Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 21s ]


PAKISTAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


US-North Vietnamese negotiations
-Kissinger’s cable to Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Timing
-Status
-South Vietnamese elections

Kissinger’s foreign trips
-Visit with British
-Korea
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******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[National Security]
[Duration: 2m 3s ]


PAKISTAN Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14

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


US ambassadors
-Support for the President
-John S. Farland
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Berlin deadlock
-Bunker
-Dr. David K. E. Bruce
-Farland

Vietnam
-Press coverage of President
-Rowland Evans and Robert D. Novak
-Zbigniew Brzezinski’s suggestion
-Timing of negotiation
-Democratic National Convention
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-North Vietnam bombing halt
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Democrats

President’s foreign policy
-Successful Vietnam War negotiations
-Summit meetings
-South Vietnam
-End to American involvement
-Effect
-State Department Activities
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-Press
-Academia
-Council on Foreign Relations
-John J. McCloy
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-US relations with the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-US-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] relations
-US-North Vietnamese negotiations Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s opinion


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
[National Security]
[Duration: 58s ]


PRC

INDIA-PAKISTAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15

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


-Negotiations with North Vietnam
-Bombing

Vietnam
-Morale in North Vietnam
-Supplies
-Lam Son operation
-Medical Problems
-World War I
-US relations with USSR and PRC
-Joseph C. Kraft
-Commentary on President’s press conference
-Public opinion
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-Hanoi propaganda efforts
-President
-Johnson
-Peace Initiatives
-President’s peace initiative
-Quaker background
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-President’s World War II duty Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
-President’s family’s reaction

President’s foreign policy
-Saturday Review of Literature
-Editorial praising President’s foreign policy
-Norman Cousins
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] announcement
-Public opinion
-US relations with USSR, PRC
-Necessity of foreign policy successes
-Trip to PRC
-Timing
-Vietnam
-Us-USSR relations
-SALT
-President’s possible trip to PRC
-Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin

Kissinger’s health and age

The President left at an unknown time after 10:13 am

US foreign policy
-President’s role
-SALT

US relations with PRC

Kissinger left at 10:32 am

The President entered at an unknown time after 10:32 am

Kissinger’s foreign trips
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Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:32 am

Briefing book
-Oval Office
Bull left at an unknown time before 10:55 am

President’s schedule
-Possible PRC trip Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)

Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:32 am

Briefing book
-The Residence
-Manolo Sanchez

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:55 am

President’s previous press conference
-President’s schedule
-Commentator’s conclusions
-South Vietnam’s forthcoming election
-General Nguyen Van Thieu

President’s schedule
-Dinner for Somoza
-Willy Brandt’s forthcoming US visit

President’s previous press conference
-Buchanan
-Herbert G. Klein, Ronald L. Ziegler, Scali, and Buchanan
-Handling of press
-New York Times, Washington Post
-May Day demonstrators
-Basic foreign policy issues
-Drugs
-Demonstrations
-SALT
-PRC
-Middle East
-International Labor Organization [ILO]
-Kissinger
-President’s conversations with George Meany
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-William P. Rogers
-Novak’s comment
-Politics
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Paul N. (“Pete”) McCloskey, Jr.
-May Day demonstrators
-John D. Ehrlichman’s view Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
-Walter E. Washington
-Ehrlichman’s reaction
-Scali

May Day demonstrations
-Press
-Illegal arrest issue
-Processing of people arrested
-President’s previous press conference
-George P. Shultz’s opinion

President’s public image

President’s previous press conference
-Types of questions
-Ziegler
-Clark R. Mollenhoff
-Questions on domestic affairs
-Busing
-Housing
-Race relations
-Buchanan’s preparation
-Foreign policy versus domestic policy
-William H. Carruthers
-Mark I. Goode
-Rostrum
-Presidential Seal
-Camera angles

Possible telephone poll
-Timing
-Questions
-China
-Approval
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-Vice President approval
-Trial heats
-Press conference
-SALT
-May Day demonstrations
-President’s support of police
-Wording
-Legalization of marijuana Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)

President’s previous press conference
-Domestic issues
-Revenue sharing
-Government reorganization
-Welfare reform
-Drugs
-May Day demonstrators
-Reporter’s questions
-White House response
-Buchanan
-Letter writing
-Jerald F. (“Jerry”) terHorst

President’s forthcoming press conference
-Domestic issues
-Trip to Arkansas
-Timing
-Announcement
-Physical arrangements
-Press coverage
-Ziegler
-Story on housing
-Views of Shultz and John N. Mitchell

Press coverage of administration
-SALT
-President’s foreign policy
-PRC
-Kissinger
-May Day demonstrators
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Vietnam
-Vietnam veterans’ organizations
-Unknown man
-John F. Kerry
-Comments on Vietnam war crimes

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 10:32 am
Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
Haig’s schedule
Butterfield left at an unknown time before 10:55 am

Vietnam
-Vietnam veterans
-Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
-Unknown man’s comments

Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 10:32 am

Haig’s schedule
-Son

Kissinger’s schedule

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 10:55 am

Vietnam
-Unknown man’s comments
-Comments regarding May Day demonstrations
-Charles W. Colson’s role
-Television network coverage
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
-American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Herbert R. (“Chief”) Rainwater’s request for television time
-Unnamed veteran’s forthcoming actions
-Kerry
-Melville Stephens

Kissinger entered at 10:55 am
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General John W. Donaldson
-Allegation of Vietnam war crimes
-Laird
-Stanley R. Resor
-Timing and location of actions
-General William C. Westmoreland
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Time magazine story Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
-Possible squelching of criminal charges
-Department of the Army
-Westmoreland
-Resor
-Role of Secretary of Defense

President’s previous press conference
-May Day demonstrators
-Ehrlichman
-President’s conversation with Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Law and order
-National economy
-Law and order
-Possible speech by President
-William L. Safire

Colgate University
-Visit by Rogers
-College football
-Andy Kirk
-Game against Duke University
-Walt Slade
-University president
-Actions of valedictorian
-Kissinger’s actions at Johns Hopkins University
-Rogers’ reaction
-Rogers’ comments regarding commencement
-West Point

West Point
-Commencement exercises
-Television coverage
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Rogers
-Comments regarding young people

US relations with PRC
-President’s previous press conference
-United Nations [UN]
-Chiang Kai-shek
-Possible announcement Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
-Rogers’ role
-Forthcoming meeting with General Nguyen Van Thieu

President’s previous press conference
-Impression on American people
-Questions on foreign policy
-President’s Vietnam policies

President’s Vietnam policies
-Kraft’s comments
-President’s forthcoming news conference
-Planted questions on Vietnam

President’s previous press conference
-Question on morality of Vietnam bombing
-President’s background
-Garnett D. (“Jack”) Horner
-Horner’s question
-Repatriation of POWs
-Korean War
-Vietnam War
-Question of morality of bombing
-President’s visits to Germany
-Essen, Berlin, and Dresden
-Morality of war
-Adolf Hitler’s goals
-US bombing Vietnam
-Vietnamese Communists
-Treatment of Catholics after 1954
-Bishop of Da Nang
-Howard K. Smith

US war efforts
-Strategic concepts
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US bombing of North Vietnam
-US relations with USSR and PRC
-Future strategy
-Possible reaction by American people

Morality of war
-US Civil War
-General William T. Sherman Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
-March to the sea
-Abraham Lincoln
-Cost of disunion
-US bombing targets
-Laos
-North Vietnamese
-Atrocities in 1954
-Communist atrocities in South Vietnam
-Japanese killed at Hiroshima and Nagasaki
-Harry S Truman
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Possible 1945 invasion of Japan
-American casualties
-Hitler
-North Vietnamese
-May Day demonstrators
-Previous press conference
-President’s response

Vietnam
-Military action in Laos and Cambodia
-Kissinger’s conversation with Scali
-Television networks’ reporting
-Casualty figures

President’s accomplishments
-Firings
-Permissiveness
-Welfare “loafers”
-Foreign policy
-Bombing of Vietnam
-SALT
-Vietnam negotiations
-President’s record
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Mood of nation
-Liberals

President’s domestic program
-Ehrlichman
-President’s philosophy
-Environment
-Food stamps Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
-Consumerism
-Revenue sharing
-John V. Lindsay
-Cuts in property taxes

Liberals
-Views regarding President
-Desire for power
-Ehrlichman

Poll
-National issues
-Haldeman’s conversation with Thomas W. Benham
-Environment
-Concerns
-Air and water
-Consumerism
-Effect of news media
-Welfare
-Distribution
-Domestic Council
-Environment
-Haldeman’s possible consultation with Ehrlichman
-President’s role

Ziegler entered at 11:24 am

PRC
-Study on UN membership
-Completion date
-Timing of decision
-Announcement
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May Day arrests
-Ziegler’s possible response
-Release of individuals

President’s previous press conference
-Ziegler, Scali, Klein
-Washington press corps
-Questions Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
-Foreign policy
-International monetary policy
-Revenue sharing
-Manpower
-Public service jobs

May Day demonstrators
-Ziegler’s possible comments
-Previous press conference
-President’s answer
-Legality of arrests
-Ziegler’s possible comments
-Release of demonstrators
-Views of White House press corps
-President’s view
-Kennedy
-President’s approval of police actions
-Orderly government
-Constitutionality
-Liberals
-Press response
-Ziegler’s possible comments
-Public support for President

President’s previous press conference
-President’s foreign policy
-SALT
-PRC
-Telephone polls on Vietnam

Ziegler’s possible comments
-Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction [MBFR]
-Negotiations
-NATO
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-USSR
-Warsaw Pact countries
-Timing
-Rogers
-US relations with PRC
-Timing and form
-President’s travel plans
-Midway Island Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
-Possible meeting
-Vietnam
-Southeast Asia

May Day demonstrators
-Media’s views
-Actions
-President’s views
-Unknown man’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-Civil Rights marches
-Selma, Alabama

Washington press corps
-Smith
-Son’s experience in Vietnam
-Members of Congress
-William B. Saxbe
-Son’s experience in Vietnam
-Sons’ lack of experience in Vietnam
-[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II
-Military service
-Fears
-President’s previous press conference
-Wire Service reporters
-J. William Theis
-Jack Dwyer [?]
-[First name unknown] Gannett
-Draftees to Vietnam
-Behavior at Kissinger’s press briefing
-Sarah McClendon
-Marianne H. Means
-Ford Rowan
-WTOP
-Question on Vietnam
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-terHorst
-Theis
-Peter Lisagor
-Herbert E. Kaplow
-Philosophy
-Dan Rather
-Motivation
-POW families Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
-Johnson’s bombing
-President’s responses
-Morality of war
-North Vietnamese
-World War II

Bombing of Germany in World War II
-Morality of war
-President’s Quaker background
-US Soldiers
-Actions
-Compared to American Indian Wars
-Morality
-Hitler

Morality of war
-Bombing of Vietnam
-Aftermath of North Vietnamese Takeover
-Reports of Communist Atrocities
-Deportation of Czechs
-World War II
-Rowan’s possible opinion
-Fascism versus Communism

President’s previous press conference
-May Day demonstrators
-Domestic questions
-Aluminum
-Steel
-ILO
-Ziegler’s previous briefing
-Reporter’s question
-President’s response
-Meany
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-Arrangements

Ziegler left at 11:48 am

Possible summit meeting with USSR
-MBFR
-Announcements
-Rogers, Laird Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)
-SALT

Hedley W. Donovan’s call to Kissinger, June 1
-Possible briefing by Kissinger
-Time’s advertisers
-James R. Shepley
-Possible briefing by Kissinger
-Peter M. Flanigan’s possible actions
-Shultz’s experience
-Purpose
-Possible briefing by Kissinger
-Michael Coles
-Cousins
-Purpose

Kissinger’s possible meeting with New York Times editorial board
-Time magazine
-John W. Gardner
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Somoza dinner

Ziegler entered at 11:52 am

Ziegler’s forthcoming press briefing
-President’s press conferences
-Politics
-Candidate’s press conferences
-Politics

Ziegler left at 11:55 am

President’s schedule
-Somoza dinner
-Haig
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-Stans


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[National Security]
[Duration: 14s ] Conv. No. 508-13 (cont.)

FOREIGN RELATIONS

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12

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


-Major General James D. (“Don”) Hughes
-Salvador Allende Gossens
Kissinger left at 11:56 am

Haldeman’s conversation with Benham
-Polling information
-Vietnam War and American people
-President’s standing as military strategist
-Goals of administration
-Domestic Council
-Vietnam War
-Haldeman’s forthcoming conversation with Ehrlichman
-President’s personal characteristics
-Theme of administration
-Law and order
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Vietnam War
-National economy
-Possible impact of foreign policy achievements
-Kissinger
-SALT
-PRC
-President’s previous press conference

Haldeman left at 12:04 pm
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