549–7

Conversation No. 549-7

Date: July 28, 1971
Time: 10:20 am - 11:16 am
Location: Oval Office Conv. No. 549-4 (cont.)

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

The President's schedule
-American Legion Boy's Nation group
-Response
-Press coverage
-Number, type of events
-Congressional event
-Youth, military
-Newport, West Point, Camp Pendleton
-Meeting with Boy's Nation group
-Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
-American Legion
-Robert Volk
-John N. Mitchell
-Robert H. Finch, Donald H. Rumsfeld

Personnel and staff changes
-Finch
-Future
-Office of Emergency Preparedness [OEP]
-National Security Council [NSC]
-Departure from White House staff
-Role
-Perception
-California
-Handling
-Narrow compared with broad scope
-Events
-Leonard K. Firestone
-Acceptance of OEP job
-Staff
-George L. Grassmuck
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-Frederic V. Malek
-Assistant
-Darrell M. Trent
-Leonard Garment
-Rumsfeld
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-Mexico
-Comparison with Finch
-Role in White House or in campaign
-Finch
-OEP job
-Perceptions
-NSC

Henry A. Kissinger entered at 10:29 am.

James B. (\"Scotty\") Reston
-Article about the People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Reston's trip
-Kissinger's trip to the PRC
-Request to interview Chou En-lai, other leaders
-Anecdote about appendicitis attack

PRC
-Trip by J. William Fulbright, Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC] news report
-Withdrawal of proposal
-Kissinger
-Chou En-lai
-US-PRC relations
-Motivations
-Joseph W. Alsop
-1972 Presidential election
-Communism
-William Atwood
-Chou En-lai
-The President
-PRC-Soviet Union relations
-PRC reaction
-Air raid shelter construction
-Marshal Yeh Chien-Ying’s comments
-Perceptions
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-President’s past comments
-Charles A.J.M. Degaulle, Konrad Adenauer, Winston S. Churchill
-The Soviet Union
-The President's trip around the World
-Foreign Minister of India
-The Soviet Union
-Hugh S. Sidey's letter to Kissinger
-Role of the President and Kissinger Conv. No. 549-7 (cont.)
-The PRC initiative
-Editorial changes in article
-Reasons

Kissinger left at 10:38 am.

The PRC
-Press coverage
-Article by Sidey
-Kissinger's presentation of foreign policy roles
-Time-Life
-Presentation of foreign policy roles
-The President
-Kissinger
-William P. Rogers
-Attitude

Kissinger entered at 10:39 am.

The PRC
-Sidey article
-Foreign policy role
-Editorial change
-Responsibility
-Public perception
-The President
-Time-Life's attitude
-Sidey's article
-New York Post article
-Roles of the President, Kissinger
-Fulbright's call to Kissinger
-Invitation
-Foreign policy handling
-Fulbright
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Tape Subject Log
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-War Powers Act
-Accountability

Foreign policy
-Dean G. Acheson
-Forthcoming testimony
-Senate Foreign Relations Committee
-Liberals Conv. No. 549-7 (cont.)
-Joseph R. McCarthy
-Democratic Party
-Compared to Moroccan birthday party
-War Powers Act
-Possible Congressional action
-Clark MacGregor
-Fulbright
-Response
-Charles W. Colson
-New York Times
-John P. Roche
-Column
-Brandeis University researcher's book
-Press coverage analysis
-1967 to present
-Sidey
-Newsweek article about PRC policy
-Henry Hubbard
-Meeting with Ronald L. Ziegler
-Newsweek
-Time
-Kennedy
-Reaction to the PRC initiative
-Reasons

The PRC initiative
-Expectations
-Press coverage
-The PRC’s stance
-The Vietnam War
-PRC Summit
-Timing
-Vietnam
-Reaction by Republicans
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-Speculation or silence
-Congressional leaders
-Kissinger's return trip in October
-Communique
-The Press
-Predictions, reactions
-Summit comparison
Conv. No. 549-7 (cont.)
White House-Congressional relations
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield's resolution
-Congressional leaders
-View of White House meetings
-Republicans
-1953-54 meetings with President Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Hugh Scott
-Ziegler

The PRC initiative
-Effect on the Cabinet
-Rogers
-Melvin R. Laird
-Conversation with Kissinger


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Privacy]
[Duration: 4s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

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-Effect of initiative on 1972 election
-Post-1972 Cabinet changes
-Economy
-Defense Department contracts
-Focus, handling
-George P. Shultz
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
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-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Shultz's view
-July 24, 1971 budget meeting
-Family Assistance Program, Office of
Economic Opportunity [OEO]
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Effect on unemployment
-The President’s, Kissinger’s position Conv. No. 549-7 (cont.)
-Congress’ perception
-Kissinger’s stance among liberals
-Strategy

Japan
-David M. Kennedy
-Textile issue
-Eisaku Sato
-Cancellation of September meeting
-Trade relations
-Balance of payments


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
[Duration: 26s ]


JAPAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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-Laird's speech
-Emperor Hirohito
-Schedule
-Ziegler
-U. Alexis Johnson, Nobuhiko Ushiba
-Nobusuke Kishi's trip
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Tape Subject Log
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******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[National Security]
[Duration: 20s ]
Conv. No. 549-7 (cont.)

JAPAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9

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-Scheduling
-Announcement
-The 1953 trip to Japan

The PRC initiative
-The press
-Possible outcomes
-Renunciation of force
-Accidental War agreement
-Cultural exchange
-Release of Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Supporter’s reaction

Theodore H. White

Schedule

Haldeman left at an unknown time before 11:16 am.

The PRC initiative
-White
-Books about the presidency
-Briefing by Kissinger
-Press attitude
-Inclusion on trip
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-Kissinger's October trip
-The President's summit trip
-Stance
Vietnam
-Possible settlement of war
-Haldeman’s view
-Secret negotiations
-POWs Conv. No. 549-7 (cont.)
-Reduction of US military force
-Effect
-Timing
-Negotiating tactics
-US troop strength
-Sustaining military force
-Le Duc Tho
-Political and military situation
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Duong Van Minh
-Military situation
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Laos (Lam Son)
-US domestic critics
-The PRC
-Madame Binh's Seven Points
-Le Duc Tho

The PRC initiative
-Haldeman’s view
-Reaction of supporters
-Edward Kennedy
-Expectations
-Recognition
-Chou En-lai
-Taiwan, Republic of China [ROC]
-The Vatican
-Vietnam War

Kissinger left at 11:16 am.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)