639–25

Conversation No. 639-25

Date: December 19, 1971
Time: 5:03 pm - 6:35 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Jerrold L. Schecter, Hugh S. Sidey, Hedley W. Donovan, and Henry A.
Grunwald; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

General conversation
 27

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 639-25 (cont.)



The President’s term
-Appraisal
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-War
-January 1969
-US economy

Vietnam
-US role

Middle East

New York City

Vietnam

1969
-Historical context

People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Communication with US

Vietnam

US world role
-Protector

Domestic issues
-Economic policy
-Inflation
-Housing
-Future price rises
-Comparison to 1971
-Jobs
-Inflation
-Monetary policy
-Meeting with Europeans
-Convertibility of the dollar [?]
-Environment
-Drugs
 28

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 639-25 (cont.)


-Revenue sharing
-Welfare
-Work requirements
-Health
-Government reorganization

Decisions made by the President
-PRC overture
-Importance
-Economic policy
-Inflation
-Jobs
-International monetary crisis
-US role
-Free market economy
-American economy
-Probable outlook
-Phase II
-Predictions for 1972 economy
-Controls
-Confidence
-Inflation
-Wage-price controls
-Support of US citizens
-Importance
-Success of controls
-Inflation
-Decontrol
-American people
-Commitment to control inflation

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]-US relations
-Upcoming summit
-Berlin
-Seabeds
-Biological and accidental war
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-South Asia
-Middle East
-President’s upcoming trip to PRC
-South Asia
 29

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 639-25 (cont.)


-India-Pakistan conflict
-Ceasefire
-Areas of agreement between US and USSR
-Berlin
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Arms control

India-Pakistan conflict
-India operations in East Pakistan and West Pakistan
-Strategy
-Reports
-[Unintelligible]
-US role


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 3m 38s ]


INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


PRC
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Brezhnev

US foreign policy
-Thought and care exercised
-PRC trip
-Purpose
-USSR trip
-Purpose
-Long-term
 30

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 639-25 (cont.)



Upcoming election
-Foreign and domestic policy
-Fulfillment of objectives
-Congress
-Democratic majority
-President's plans
-Opposition candidates
-Involvement in issues
-PRC
-USSR
-Vietnam
-Successful conclusion
-Domestic programs
-Revenue sharing
-Welfare reform
-Tax reform
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Expression of support
-Praise for Agnew
-Democrats' nominee
-President’s opinion
-Past elections
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Majority president
-John F. Kennedy
-Democrats' nominee
-Potential candidates
-Issues
-Vietnam
-Economy
-Cities
-Youth
-Race relations
-Vietnam

Vietnam
-End of war
-Understanding
 31

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 639-25 (cont.)


-Historical view
-Possible outcome
-USSR
-PRC

US-USSR relations
-Middle East
-Israel
-Oil
-Africa
-South Asia
-Cambodia
-Laos
-PRC
-Summit meeting
-Need for peace
-Differences

US-PRC relations
-Possible future of relations
-Vietnam
-Korea
-Japan
-Power
-PRC

Need for charismatic leader
-Types of leaders
-Characteristics
-Need for experience

President's administration
-Type of leadership
-President's style
-Need for confidence in leadership
-PRC and USSR announcements
-The President’s August 15, 1971 speech
-PRC announcement
-Theodore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt
-Vitality and style
-Mood of US citizens
 32

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 639-25 (cont.)


-Expectations of US citizens
-Vietnam
-World leadership position
-President’s opinion
-Recent past
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Vietnam
-Drugs
-Violence in cities
-US economy
-Effect of end of Vietnam war

PRC

USSR

Economic policy

Revenue sharing

Government reorganization

Expectations for coming year
-Pride in US foreign policy
-Middle East
-Importance of US leadership role
-US position in the world
-Domestic issues
-Housing
-Busing
-Boston
-Segregation
-“Quiet revolution”

US world role
-Historic precedence
-Expression of confidence
-Peace possibilities
-World War II
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-John F. Kennedy
 33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 639-25 (cont.)


-“Seize the moment” philosophy

US relations with USSR and PRC
-Strategy
-Importance of PRC
-Nuclear war
-Global effects
-Horrors
-Prospects for confrontation
-Japan
-Need for leadership
-Competition
-Cooperation
-[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson
-UN
-Times of peace
-US and European power
-Britain
-France
-Germany
-USSR
-PRC
-Potential power
-Japan
-Latin America
-Brazil
-Africa
-Potential power
-South Asia
-Need for balance of power
-Europe, Japan

Presidency
-Power
-Motives
-[Arnold] Eric Sevareid
-Maturity of political figures
-Bureaucracy
-Press
-Enjoyment of the job
-Relations with Congress
 34

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 639-25 (cont.)


-Opportunity for leadership
-World peace
-Progress

Christmas decorations
-Number
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon [?]

[General conversation]
-Walter H. Annenberg's gift
-“Star of the President”

President's schedule
-Bermuda

Gifts
-Money clips

[General conversation]

Schecter, et al. left at 6:35 pm.