467–23

Conversation No. 467-23

Date: March 17, 1971
Time: 2:43 pm - 3:17 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger

Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Weather
-Timing
-Kissinger’s view
-Possible effect on Soviet Union reply to US proposal
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting

[The President talked with Clifford P. Hansen between 2:45 pm and 2:46 pm]

[Conversation No. 467-23A]

Hansen’s support on a bill
-Charles W. Colson
-President’s appreciation

[End of telephone conversation]

Rose Mary Woods entered at 2:46 pm

A book from Library of Congress
-[Forename unknown] Fuller
-Publication date
-Content

A television report
-Ronald L. Ziegler

Woods left at 2:47 pm
 17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-Associated Press [AP] story
-Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
-Inaccuracy
-An AP reporter
-Previous story on Cambodia
-Military situation
-Moorer’s view Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
-Possible withdrawal of Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] forces
-Military situation
-ARVN troops
-Withdrawal
-Reason
-Tchepone
-Effectiveness
-Interdiction of supplies
-President’s call to Moorer
-Possible Presidential statement
-Moorer
-Ho Chi Minh Trail
-North Vietnamese supplies
-Effect of Lam Son
-President’s use of figures
-Accuracy
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-Richard M. Helms
-Relations with Pentagon
-Figures on supplies
-Compared with Cambodia
-Helms
-Directorship
-Kissinger’s meeting, March 16, 1971
-Figures on North Vietnamese supplies
-Decreases
-Kissinger’s view
-South Vietnam
-Cambodia
-Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting
-President’s view
-Moorer
-President’s April 7, 1971 speech
-Future
 18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Kissinger’s efforts
-Intelligence estimates
-Discrepancies
-Kissinger’s March 16, 1971 meeting
-Kissinger’s previous talk with General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Haig’s trip
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Military personnel Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
-Military situation
-Haig’s assessment
-ARVN forces
-North Vietnamese supplies
-President’s April 7, 1971 speech

President’s March 16, 1971 party
-Harvard Law School students
-Kissinger’s acquaintance
-Edward R. F. Cox’s acquaintance
-Vietnam views
-Stafford Hutchinson
-Background
-Geoffrey M. Connor
-Relation to former Congressman

Vietnam
-President’s forthcoming April 7, 1971 speech
-Kissinger’s view
-Reference to “peace with honor”
-Howard K. Smith interview
-President’s November 3, 1969 speech
-Theme compared with other statements
-Cambodia
-President’s policy
-Effect
-Public opinion
-Changes
-President’s interview with Cyrus L. (“Cy”) Sulzberger
-”The Establishment”
-Kissinger’s view
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s view
-Laos
-Future announcements
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Time and content
-Draftees
-President’s previous call to Moorer
-Current press coverage
-Laos, Tchepone
-Accuracy
-Military situation in Laos
-President’s position Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
-AP story
-Results
-Compared with Cambodian operation
-Future of Asia
-Importance of US efforts
-Possible future of negotiations
-Indian ambassador
-William P. Rogers


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 17s ]


INDIA


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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Indira Gandhi
-President’s reference in “Today” show interview
-Copy for Indian ambassador
-State Department

John G. Gorton
-Possible letter from the President
-Position
-Political situation
 20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Relations with US
-Replacement [William McMahon]
-Previous Head of State dinner on May 6, 1969
-Gorton’s toast

President’s dinner for John M. (“Jack”) Lynch, March 16, 1971
-Effect
-Publicity Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
-Press stories

Kissinger’s schedule
-Forthcoming meeting with Dobrynin

Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Military situation
-US Air Force
-Delays
-President’s view
-Moorer
-Circumstances
-Weather
-Kissinger’s previous conversation with Moorer
-Worldwide

Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-An AP story
-President’s response
-Military situation
-Moorer
-Haig
-General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Tchepone
-ARVN
-Haig
-An AP story
-Source
-US losses
-Decreases
-President’s credibility
-Press
-Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson
 21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)




John B. Connally
-Kissinger’s previous attendance at a dinner
-Rowland Evans
-Henry Catto’s toast
-Connally’s toast
-The President
-Effect on Evans Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
-Ability
-Presidency
-President’s view
-Public opinion
-Television
-Compared with Johnson
-Texans
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Cabinet members
-Elliot L. Richardson

Agnew
-Appearance at Gridiron Club dinner
-Robert J. Dole


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 38s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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Thomas E. Dewey’s funeral
-President’s attendance
-Kissinger’s possible attendance
-Kissinger’s previous telephone conversation
-President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board [PFIAB]
-Dewey
 22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Opinion of President
-Kissinger and Rogers’s possible attendance
Vietnam
-Figures
-Need for accuracy
-Haig’s reports
-Military situation
-Cambodia Conv. No. 467-23 (cont.)
-Vietnamization
-Melvin R. Laird
-President’s policy
-Effect of Cambodian and Laotian operations
-North Vietnam
-Laird
-Effect of Cambodian and Laotian operations

Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-Duration
-Military situation
-Laird
-President’s role
-Possible statement
-Purpose of current actions
-Effect on supply routes
-Effect of current actions

Kissinger left at 3:17 pm