415–16

Conversation No. 415-16

Date: February 27, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:50 am and 12:31 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President dictated a memorandum for the file.


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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

President’s press conference
-Plans
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 415-16 (cont’d)


-Postponement
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Henry A. Kissinger, Ronald L. Ziegler
-Other times

Resolution of POW issue
-Kissinger’s advice
-Laos, Cambodia
-Cease-fire agreement negotiations
-North Vietnam
-Hard line
-South Vietnam
-Cease-fire violations

Message to Nguyen Van Thieu
-US support
-Thieu’s visit
-Postpone announcement
-POW issue
-Resolution

Kissinger’s concerns regarding William P. Rogers
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s opinion
-International Conference on Vietnam
-Talks with the People’s Republic of China [PRC], Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Publicity

President’s conversation with Rose Mary Woods
-Invitations to church service
-Mistakes
-Congressmen and Senators
-Stephen B. Bull
-Maurice H. Stans
-Contributors
-List
-David Packard
-National Finance Committee
 -29-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 415-16 (cont’d)



Invitation to the White House to Jane Payden [?]
-Background information

President’s talk with Ziegler
-Press relations
-1972 campaign
-Discrediting the press
-Effect on voters
-[Edith Efron] syndrome
-Virulence
-Compared with 1968
-Censorship
-Publicity
-Press reports
-Accuracy
-Catherine Mackin’s story
-Press statements
-Firmness
-Adversarial tone
-William L. Safire, Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Conciliatory tone
-Critics
-“Peace with honor”
-Bias

President’s conversation with Kissinger
-Recommendations
-Bombing, mining
-Accuracy
-Mining
-Announcement
-North Vietnam
-Removal of mines
-US statement
-Delay
-POWs release
-Private communication
 -30-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 415-16 (cont’d)


-US troop withdrawal
-Kissinger
-Reception
-New York

Barbara Walters’s program
-Kissinger’s appearance
-President’s conversation with Haldeman
-War critics
-Bombing decision
-Kissinger’s compared to President’s role
-Compared with PRC initiative
-Liberal credibility
-Claims to being a dove

Rogers
-Conflicts with Kissinger
-Melvin R. Laird

Press relations
-Ziegler
-James J. Kilpatrick, Jr. [?]
-Martin Z. Agronsky [?]
-Inauguration picture
-Hugh S. Sidey
-Photographer
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Special relationships
-Voices in press
-Avoidance in press
-Avoidance of overlooking
-Lyndon B. Johnson [?]
-Republican critics [?]

Cary Grant, Sophia Loren
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew [?]
-Telephone calls [?]
 -31-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 415-16 (cont’d)


[Pause]

J. Strom Thurmond’s [?] vote
-Special committee
-Richard D. Kleindienst
-Someone’s candidacy
-Governor

Ken Crawford
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Price [?]

News summary
-Reorganization
-Haldeman
-Ziegler
-Discussion with President
-Commentary compared with news
-Reaction to POWs
-New York Times
-Editorial decisions
-Amnesty

Press relations
-Leaks
-President’s conversation with Haldeman
-Charles W. Colson
-Staff

George P. Shultz and John T. Dunlop

Budget cuts
-Balance
-Shultz [?]

Press relations
-White House staff
-Safire
 -32-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 415-16 (cont’d)



A campaign
-Robert C. Byrd

Foreign policy
-Issues
-Aid

[Pause]

John D. Ehrlichman
-Bryce N. Harlow
-Congressional relations

[Pause]

Truth [?]

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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The President finished dictating at an unknown time before 12:31 pm.