437–12

Conversation No. 437-12

Date: May 18, 1973
Time: 1:55 pm - 2:55 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Watergate
-Full disclosure

-Television [TV]

-Timing

-President’s conversation with H. R. Haldeman

-J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.

-Full disclosure

-Format

-Content

-Huston plan
-Henry A. Kissinger wiretaps
 -18-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-12 (cont’d)


Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 1:57 pm.

Watergate

-Full disclosure

-Content
-Handling of Huston plan
-National security
-Huston plan
-J. Edgar Hoover’s objections
-Plugging leaks
-John D. Ehrlichman and Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Meeting among Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Richard M. Helms and
Vernon A. Walters regarding Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
involvement
-Mexican money
-Bay of Pigs
-Reason for restraining Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
investigation
-National security
-President’s conversation with L[ouis] Patrick Gray
-President’s knowledge
-John N. Mitchell
-President’s order for full disclosure
-Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Timing
-Content
-Format
-Televised speech and issuance of White Paper
-Patrick J. Buchanan, Raymond K. Price, Jr. and Bryce N. Harlow
-Harlow and Buzhardt
-Ervin Committee

-Senate Armed Services Committee

-Memoranda of conversations [memcons]
-Full disclosure
-James W. McCord, Jr.’s testimony before Ervin Committee, May 18
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
 -19-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-12 (cont’d)

-Ziegler’s press briefing, May 18
-President’s resignation
-Full disclosure
-Walters’s memcons
-Dangers of haste
-Content
-Format
-Walters’s memcons
-Content
-Gray

-Possible release

-Effect on President’s actions

-Possible White House statement

-Congressional leaders

-National security issues

-Possible meeting with the President

-Buzhardt
-John W. Dean’s allegations
-President’s possible speech
-Ervin Committee
-President’s possible resignation
-Impeachment
-President’s conversation with Haldeman

-House of Representatives procedures

-Possible effects

-President’s possible meeting with congressional leaders
-Timing
-Full disclosure
-President’s possible speech
-Supplemental document
-President’s schedule
-Congressional leaders
-Stewart J. R. Alsop and Howard K. Smith
-James R. Schlesinger and Helms
-John C. Stennis
-Walters’s memcons
-Possible release
 -20-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-12 (cont’d)

-W[illiam] Stuart Symington
-Clemency
-John J. (“Jack”) Caulfield
-Charles W. Colson’s conversation with President
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
-Ehrlichman’s conversation with the President on beach in San Clemente
-Dean’s story
-Ehrlichman’s meeting in the President’s office
-President’s possible offer
-Cover-up
-Possible documentation of President’s role
-President’s conversation with Dean

-Documentation of Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s roles

-Dean’s role

-President’s knowledge

-$350,000

-Herbert W. Kalmbach

-Ehrlichman

-Meeting with Dean, March 21

-William O. Bittman and Hunt

-Search of White House files

-Dean’s conversations with the President

-Haldeman’s conversation with President

-Ehrlichman

-President’s possible speech
-Possible reaction of Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Cover-up
-Possible actions of Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-President’s knowledge of $350,000
-Clemency
-Colson
-Ehrlichman’s conversation with President at San Clemente
-President’s reaction
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Possible collaboration with prosecution
-President’s schedule
-Congressional leaders
 -21-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-12 (cont’d)

-Agenda
-Plugging national security leaks
-CIA
-FBI
-J. Edgar Hoover’s recalcitrance
-Plumbers
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.

-Testimony

-Edward M. (“Teddy”) Kennedy

-Chappaquiddick

-Colson

-President’s knowledge

-Krogh and David R. Young, Jr.
-President’s conversations with Colson
-President’s schedule
-Congressional leadership
-Investigations of Watergate
-Buzhardt

-Stennis

-President’s possible speech
-Buchanan, Price and John K. Andrews, Jr.
-Harlow
-Lyndon K. (“Mort”) Allin
-Herbert G. Klein
-Content
-Ervin Committee hearings

-Domestic intelligence

-Need for full disclosure

-Dean’s documents

-Compared to Pentagon Papers
-Tom Huston’s memos
-Buzhardt
-Possible release of White Paper
-National security
-Impeachment
-Buzhardt’s view
-Allegations
 -22-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. August-2011)

Conversation No. 437-12 (cont’d)

-White House strategy

-White Paper

-Speech

-Relationship of various activities

-Walters’s memcons
-Possible affidavits by Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-President’s forthcoming speech
-Price
-Possible resignation
-President’s investigation
-Dean and Ehrlichman

-Resignations of Haldeman and Ehrlichman

-Caulfield

-Relationship with Mitchell
-Chappaquiddick
-Haldeman’s schedule
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman
-Staff members’ notes of meetings with the President
-President’s ownership

-Haldeman’s notes

-President’s possible resignation


Ziegler and Haig left at 2:55 pm.