339–3

Conversation No. 339-3

Date: May 15, 1972
Time: 6:33-unknown before 7:57 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

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

George C. Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-The President’s previous prediction
-Inflammatory rhetoric
-Compared with Edward M. Kennedy
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
Kennedy
-Secret Service protection
-Request
-John B. Connally's previous call
-The President’s view
-Haldeman’s view


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Privacy]
[Duration: 31s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


The President left at an unknown time before 6:45 pm.

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 6:33 and 6:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3A]

[See Conversation No. 24-94]

Haldeman talked with Charles W. Colson at an unknown time.

[End of telephone conversation]

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 6:33 and 6:45 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3B]

Unknown person's schedule
-Haldeman's schedule

The President entered at an unknown time after 6:33 pm.

[End of telephone conversation]
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
Colson
-Meeting with the President

Wallace
-Condition
-Cornelia Wallace's assessment

Kennedy [John F. or Robert F.?]
-Assassination
-Effect

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Effect on popularity
-Effect on campaign

Colson entered at 6:45 pm.

-Wallace’s effect on people
-Possible third party candidate
-Condition
-Reports
-Location of wounds
-Seriousness
-Location of bullets
-Dr. William M. Lukash
-Assailant's identity
-John D. Ehrlichman
-L. Patrick Gray, III
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Secret Service
-Call to James J. Rowley
-President’s request for a report
-Kenneth W. Clawson
-FBI
-Rowley
-President’s request for a report
-Cover up possibility

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 6:45 and 7:07 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3C]
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
[See Conversation No. 24-95]

[The call was placed on hold]

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Assailant
-The President’s view
-Haldeman’s view
-Possibility of a Wallace supporter
-Colson’s view
-Political leaning
-Compared with John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald
-Political leanings
-Oswald
-Political leanings
-Media distortion

Vietnam
-News reports
-Blockade
-Effect on South Vietnamese morale
-Press response
-Newsweek, Life and New York Times
-The President's decision
-Charles McC. Mathias, Jr.’s call

The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time.

[Continuation of Conversation No. 339-3C]

[The call was placed on hold]

Vietnam
-Blockade
-Stance of Senators
-Forthcoming vote on funds cut-off
-The President's trip to Soviet Union
-South Vietnamese offensive
-The President's decision
-Effect
-A meeting
 8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time.

[Continuation of Conversation No. 339-3C]

[The call was placed on hold]

Vietnam
-Blockade
-The President's decision
-Press response
-Soviet Summit

Rowley
-The President’s view

Blue Room reception
-President's attendance

The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time.

[Continuation of Conversation No. 339-3C]

[The call was placed on hold]

Blue Room reception
-Clark M. Clifford
-Derek C. Bok
-Ivy League college presidents
-The President’s instructions

Haldeman talked with Rowley at an unknown time.

[Continuation of Conversation No. 339-3C]

[End of telephone conversation]

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Report on assailant
-Time

Rowley
-The President’s view
 9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Assailant
-Custody
-Questioning
-Lawyer
-Press
-Report to the President
-Time

[The above portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation No.
24-95]

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 6:45 and 7:07 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3D]

[See Conversation No. 24-96]

[End of telephone conversation]

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-The President’s orders
-Report to the President
-Press leaks
-Appearance of cover-up
-Compared to John F. Kennedy's assassination
-Secret Service
-Rowley
-The President’s view
-Ehrlichman
-The President’s instructions
-Investigation
-Secret Service
-The President’s view
-FBI
-Jurisdiction
-President's orders
-Secret Service
-The President’s view
-Jurisdiction
 10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
-Wounded Secret Service agent and Alabama state policeman
-Rowley
-Haldeman’s view
-FBI investigation
-President's orders
-Ehrlichman

[The above portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation No.
24-96]

Haldeman talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 6:45 and 7:07 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3E]

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Assailant
-Secret Service reports
-President's concerns
-FBI
-Report to the President
-Egil G. (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Richard G. Kleindienst

The President talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time.

-Investigation
-John F. Kennedy assassination
-Direction
-Rowley
-The President’s view
-White House staff
-Ehrlichman, Krogh
-Assailant
-Questioning
-Communist lawyer
-Custody
-Identity
-Investigation
-The President’s orders
-Ehrlichman
-Secret Service
-FBI
 11

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
-Gray
-Assailant
-Questioning
-Ehrlichman
-Gray
-Secret Service
-Gray
-The President’s orders

[End of telephone conversation]

The White House operator talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 6:45 and 7:07 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3F]

[See Conversation No. 24-97]

Haldeman talked with Kleindienst at an unknown time.

The President talked with Kleindienst at an unknown time.

[End of telephone conversation]

Haldeman talked with Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 6:45 and 7:07 pm; the President
conferred with Haldeman and Colson during the telephone conversation.

[Conversation No. 339-3G]

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Investigation
-The President’s view
-Assailant(s)
-Ages(s)
-Kleindienst's report
-Identity
-Arthur H. Bremer
-Secret Service
-Location
-Prince George's Hospital, Cheverly, MD
-Kleindienst's view
-Gray
-Investigation
 12

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
-FBI
-Kleindienst
-The President’s view

[End of telephone conversation]

-Ehrlichman
-Confidence in Secret Service
-FBI
-Connally
-Rowley
-Assailant
-Bremer
-Gun purchase
-Milwaukee
-Location
-Prince George's Hospital, Cheverly, MD
-Jurisdiction
-Montgomery County, MD
-Secret Service
-Investigation
-Confusion
-Ehrlichman's responsibility
-Kleindienst
-Miranda case concerns
-Bremer
-Custody
-Questioning
-Kleindienst
-Ehrlichman
-Effect on forthcoming presidential campaign
-Third party race
-Effect of violence
-Polarizing ability
-Comparison with Robert F. Kennedy assassination
-Responsibility
-New York Times
-Gun control
-Administration action
-Reasons
-Saturday night specials
-Legislation
 13

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 6:45 and 7:07 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3H]

[See Conversation No. 24-98]

[End of telephone conversation]

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Extent of injury
-Caliber of weapon
-Visits
-George S. McGovern
-The President’s view
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-President’s decision
-Call to Mrs. Wallace
-Statement
-Appearance of grandstanding
-Humphrey
-Confusion
-Compared to Houston visit [Apollo 13]
-Statements by Wallace's opponents
-President
-McGovern
-The President’s view
-Future campaigning activities
-Assassination attempt
-President's call to Mrs. Wallace


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Privacy]
[Duration: 31s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

**************************************************************************
 14

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
The President talked with the White House operator at 7:07 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3I]

[See Conversation No. 24-99]

[End of telephone conversation]

Manolo Sanchez
-Call

Haldeman left at an unknown time before 7:37 pm.

Vietnam
-Blockade and mining
-President's previous decision
-Compared with Theodore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt
-Support
-John B. Connally
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Opponents
-Richard M. Helms
-William P. Rogers
-Melvin R. Laird
-Public opinion
-Rightness
-The President’s view
-Anticipated success
-Opponents
-Mathias and Charles H. Percy
-Counterattacks
-Soviet summit
-Call from Mathias to Colson
-Public support
-Doves' expectations
-Cambodia, Kent State
-US peace offers
-Cease-fire
-POWs
-Vietnamese government
-Communism
-President's actions
-Public support
 15

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)

Haldeman entered at an unknown time after 7:07 pm.

Sanchez
-Concern for the President

President's trip to Austria, Soviet Summit, Iran and Poland
-Secret Service protection
-The President’s view
-Requirements in Soviet Union
-Compared with Aleksei N. Kosygin
-Iran
-Poland
-The President’s view

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Colson’s previous prediction
-Appeal
-The President’s view
-Compared to McGovern
-Security consciousness
-Compared to Huey P. Long
-Danger to life
-Effect on campaign
-Appeal
-Assassination attempt
-Connally's call to Edward M. Kennedy
-Offer of Secret Service protection

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 7:07 pm.

Refreshment

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 7:37 pm.


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 2s ]
 16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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

Thomas J. Kelley talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 7:07 and 7:37 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3J]

[See Conversation No. 24-100]

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 7:07 pm.

Food
-Quantity

John Cardinal Krol dinner
-Letter
-The President’s view
-Visit
-Mount Vernon
-Meeting with Colson
-Identified
-Trip to Mount Vernon

Murray Kempton
-Article on Vietnam war
-Press coverage

[End of telephone conversation]

Colson left at an unknown time before 7:37 pm

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Secret Service
-Three teenagers
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 7:37 pm.

-Bremer
-Residence
-Arrest record
-Questioning
 17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
-Secret Service, FBI and Prince George's County Police
-Injury
-Identity
-Press knowledge
-Press photograph
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Age
-Kleindienst's report

Haldeman talked with an unknown person [Ehrlichman?] at an unknown time between 7:07 and
7:37 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3K]

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Bremer
-Identity
-Residence

Colson entered at an unknown time after 7:07 pm.

-Police
-Injury
-Secret Service agent's injury
-Protection

[End of telephone conversation]

-Information
-Reports
-Caliber of weapon
-Delay
-The President’s view
-Kleindienst
-Investigation
-FBI
-Kleindienst

Ehrlichman talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 7:07 and 7:37 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3L]
 18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Reports
-Kleindienst
-FBI
-The President’s order
-Gray
-Locations
-W. Mark Felt
-Report to the President
-Frequency
-Purpose

[End of telephone conversation]

Haldeman talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 7:07 and 7:37 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3M]

[See Conversation No. 24-104]

[End of telephone conversation]

Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 29s ]


HALDEMAN TALKED WITH THE WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR AT AN UNKNOWN
TIME BETWEEN 7:07 AND 7:37 PM.

[CONVERSATION NO. 339-3N]

[SEE CONVERSATION NO. 24-105]

[END OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION]

[THE ABOVE PHONE CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE
 19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
OFFICE CONVERSATION.]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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


Nelson A. Rockefeller
-New York Times
-Positions on foreign and domestic policy
-Staff
-Political leanings
-Relations with press

Businessmen
-Donald McI. Kendall’s request
-President's meetings
-Support for President's Vietnam actions
-Kendall
-Rusty Young

Labor
-Support for President's Vietnam actions
-Leonard Woodcock

Peter G. Peterson
-The President’s view
-Background
-Business ties
-Businessmen
-Compared with college professors
-The President’s view
-Business Council
-Support for President

Businessmen
-Kendall
-Background
-John W. Mulcahy
-Business Council
-Wealth
-Robert H. Abplanalp
 20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
-Wealth
-Kendall and Business Council
-Peterson
-The President’s view
-International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
-Background
-Kendall
-Previous meeting with the President
-Length
-Peterson
-Colson’s view
-Kendall
-The President’s view
-David Rockefeller
-Business Council
-The President’s view
-Rogers's appearance
-Topic of peace
-The President’s view

The President's appointees
-Tone of administration
-George P. Shultz
-Support for President
-George Meany
-Henry A. Kissinger
-President

Support for the President
-Frank E. Fitzsimmons
-Peter J. Brennan
-Hardhats

White House staff
-Needs
-Research staff
-A signing ceremony
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-William L. Safire
-Priest [John J. McLaughlin]

Press
-Battle with the Administration
 21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
-Attitude of White House staff
-Price
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Safire
-Herbert G. Klein
-Safire
-The President’s view
-Compared with Rogers
-Ziegler
-Colson's view
-Klein's attitude in previous campaigns
-Effect
-Compared with Ziegler

Allen S. Drury
-New book
-Article

Kleindienst talked with Haldeman at an unknown time between 7:07 and 7:37 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3\"O\"]

[See Conversation No. 24-106]

The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 7:07 and 7:37 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3P]

Call to Ehrlichman
-Return call

[End of the President's telephone conversation]

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Assailant
-Delay in information
-The President’s view
-Kleindienst
-Gray
-Pennsylvania
-Connecticut
-Assailant
 22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
-Need for information
-The President’s orders for Colson
-Call to Lukash
-Need for information
-Need for control of situation
-Appearance in the press

Colson left at an unknown time before 7:37 pm.

-Kleindienst's reports

[The above portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation No.
24-106]

[End of Haldeman's telephone conversation]

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Assailant(s)
-Number
-Questioning
-Kleindienst’s efforts
-Legal problems
-Custody
-Maryland State Police
-Protection
-Charges
-US attorneys
-Kendall
-Gray
-Location
-Connecticut
-Return to Washington, DC
-Comparison with John F. Kennedy assassination investigation
-President's lack of information
-Wallace’s condition
-Investigation
-Ehrlichman
-Kleindienst
-Press reports
-Vietnam

Rogers
 23

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
-Forthcoming call from Haldeman
-Kendall meeting
-Poland trip
-Possible invitation
-Iran trip
-The President’s view
-Meeting with President
-Compared with Kendall meeting

Peterson
-The President’s view

The White House operator talked with Haldeman at 7:37 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3Q]

[See Conversation No. 24-107]

Ehrlichman talked with the President between 7:37 and 7:42 pm.

Colson entered at an unknown time after 7:42 pm.

Haldeman left at an unknown time before 7:42 pm.

[End of telephone conversation]

George Wallace
-Assassination attempt
-Investigation
-Wallace's supporters' demands
-FBI
-The President’s view
-J. Edgar Hoover
-Gray
-Location
-Assailant
-Background
-Wisconsin
-Age
-University of Wisconsin
-Check by Colson's staff
-Age
-Political leanings
 24

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 339-3 (cont.)
-Radical
-Vietnam war
-Possible story
-The President’s instructions for Colson
-Questioning about the Vietnam War
-Ehrlichman's report
-The President’s orders
-Time

Colson talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 7:42 and 7:57 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-3R]

[See Conversation No. 24-108]

[The call was placed on hold]

Unknown person's intelligence

The White House operator talked with Colson at an unknown time.

[Continuation of Conversation No. 339-3R]

[End of telephone conversation]

Ehrlichman
-Telephone conversation with Haldeman

The President and Colson left at an unknown time before 7:57 pm.