Secret White House Tapes

646–5

About this recording

646–5
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • George W. Romney
  • John D. Ehrlichman
  • John C. Whitaker
  • Manolo Sanchez
  • Stephen B. Bull
  • John N. Mitchell
  • Rose Mary Woods
January 12, 1972
Conversation No. 646-5

Date: January 12, 1972
Time: 4:34 pm - 6:21 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with George W. Romney, John D. Ehrlichman and John C. Whitaker.

Greetings

Weather
-Golf

Romney’s experience
-State of the State messages
-Compared to State of the Union messages

State of the Union message

Cabinet meeting, January 20, 1972
-Scheduling for 1972
-State of the Union message
-Cabinet dinner

Maurice H. Stans
-Resignation from Commerce Department
-Finance Chairmanship for 1972 campaign
-Timing
-New duties
-Law regarding contributions
-Wayne L. Hays
-The President's signature
-Announcement
-Timing
12

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)



The President's schedule
-Trip to Houston, January 24, 1972
-Speech
-Romney's speech, January 25, 1972
-Coordination with Romney's trip
-Florida
-Florida
-Preparation for trip to People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Speech
-Coordination with Romney's speech
-Support of sponsoring group
-Previous meeting with the President
-Romney's work

Housing
-Implementation of untested programs
-Congressional investigation
-Audit reports
-Possible release by Romney
-\"236\"

Refreshment
-Coffee
-The President's memory

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 4:34 pm.

-Pepsi-Cola
-Coffee

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 5:23 pm.

National growth policy
-Synopsis
-Kiplinger Washington Letter style
-State of the Union message
-Rural and urban policies
-Federal action
-Problems
-Rural and urban decline
13

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Causes
-Fragmented federal programs
-State government apathy
-Balkanized local governments
-Unfocused private efforts
-Federal government initiatives
-Previous examples of initiatives
-Cumberland Road and National Road
-Canal system
-Homestead Act
-Land grant colleges
-Railroad grants
-Federal Housing Administration
-Interstate highway system
-Operation Breakthrough
-Industrialized housing
-Changes in building codes and zoning restrictions
-Unions
-State proposals
-Waivers
-Proposals from companies
-Number
-Factory construction
-Impact
-Call-out results
-Connecticut
-Interstate cooperation
-National housing market
-Compared to national automobile market
-Union contracts
-Wage rates
-Compared to craft rates
-Plumbers, carpenters, electricians
-Prefabricated housing
-Refocusing of housing industry
-Production methods over on-site methods
-James W. Rouse
-Columbia, Maryland
-Greater Baltimore development
-Greater Hartford project
-Consortium of private interests and local state governments
14

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Urban problems
-Suburbs, race, taxes
-Federal programs
-Columbia
-Achievements
-Vote for George C. Wallace
-Integration
-Operation TACLE
-Power of example
-Compared with Roger Bannister's breaking of four-minute mile
-Rockefeller Center in New York City
-Renewal of Fifth Avenue
-Pittsburgh
-Golden Triangle
-Milwaukee
-Request of Robert E. Merriam
-Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
[ACIR]
-New Haven
-New York State urban development program
-Coordination of state and local committees with private leadership
-Urban and rural areas
-Benefits
-Catalyst
-Hartford program
-Local decisions and initiatives
-Social, economic, physical requirements
-Competition
-Detroit
-Suburban outgrowth
-Fragmentation and autonomous government
-Chicago
-Rural areas
-Grouping around growth centers
-Living environment
-Consortia of state, local and private initiatives
-Matching money
-Property tax barrier
-Competition of consortia
-Presidential support
-Meetings of political leaders
15

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Proposals
-Forty semifinalists
-Matching funds
-Rural and urban
-Criteria
-Duration
-Pilot demonstrations of winners
-Matching funds
-Twenty finalists
-Funding
-Revenue-sharing
-Costs to federal government
-19 month period
-23 month period
-6 to 8 year period
-Twenty winning communities
-1975
-Advantages
-Federal appropriation
-Congressional approval
-Charts
-Outline of phases
-Costs
-Local compared to federal expenditure
-Budget outlays
-Flanking approach
-Compared with Operation Breakthrough and other programs
-Compared with Alexander's conquering of world
-Unions
-Building and zoning codes
-Congress
-Volunteerism
-Local perspective
-Presidential support
-Domestic Council departments' cooperation
-Compared with John B. Connally's economic program
-Forthcoming Domestic Council meeting
-Cabinet officers' support
-National growth subcommittee
-Rouse, Anthony Downs, William T. Coleman, Jr. and M. Carl Holman
-Leak
16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Wall Street Journal
-Call from Henry L. Bellmon

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:34 pm.

The President's schedule
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Material for the President
-Executive Office Building [EOB] office

Bull left at an unknown time before 5:23 pm

National growth policy
-Operation TACLE
-Chamber of Commerce support
-Romney's conversations with Arch N. Booth and [Forename unknown]
Arbaugh [sp?]
-Credit for idea
-Urban housing abandonment
-Public housing projects
-Congressional mandate
-Deterioration and vandalism
-Make-up of families
-Central cities
-Race
-Crime and social problems
-Private funds sources
-St. Louis, Detroit
-Federal funds
-Causes
-Crime and drugs
-Congressional investigating committees
-Fragmentation of local government
-Duration of Romney’s efforts
-Solution
-Romney's previous calls
-John N. Mitchell
-Elliot L. Richardson
-James M. Beggs
-John A. Volpe
-James D. Hodgson
17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Cooperation between Cabinet departments
-Test cities
-Option process
-Invitations to governors, local officials, private leadership
-Central city compared to metropolitan basis
-Possible losses
-Test cities
-Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Delaware and St. Louis
-Romney's previous conversations with governors of states
-Presentation before Cabinet, January 13, 1972
-Work by Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] staff
-Charts
-Charts
-Support of initiatives
-Romney's previous experience at American Motors Corporation [AMC]
-Rambler
-George W. Mason and Meade [sp?] Moore
-Compared with Walter E. (“Walt”) Disney's initiative
-Rouse's conversation with Disney
-Appointment of group to develop plan
-Richardson
-Volpe
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew

The President's schedule

Elmer H. Bobst
-Age
-Beliefs

Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:34 pm.

The President's schedule
-Meeting with Mitchell
-Postponement

Bull left at an unknown time before 5:23 pm.

Bobst
-Age
-Career
18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc.
-Warner-Lambert
-Alfred E. Driscoll
-Memory
-The President’s family


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Privacy]
[Duration: 3s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


-Memory
-Retention
-“Dodo” Momdouha (As-Sayyid) Bobst
-Career
-Success
-Board of Directors, Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc.
-Bobst's decisions
-Objectives
-Compared with the President's decision-making
-Cabinet
-Domestic Council
-Office of Management and Budget [OMB]

The President's decision-making
-PRC trip
-State Department and William P. Rogers

Housing
-Mitchell
-National leadership committee
-Equal opportunity in jobs
-Alliance of businessmen
19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Chicago
-Richard J. Daley
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
-Marches
-Leadership council
-Frederick G. Jaicks
-Inland steel
-Peter G. Peterson
-National leadership council
-Membership
-Business and others
-Purpose
-Local leadership
-James M. Roche
-Conversation with Romney
-Retirement
-Meeting with Black leadership
-Romney’s attendance
-Chairmanship
-Results
-Publicity
-James W. Cook
-Illinois Bell
-Chicago council head
-Daley
-Roche
-Work with Cook
-The President's possible instructions
-Proposal with recommendations
-Local leadership councils
-Purpose
-Acceptance of minority housing on voluntary basis
-Chicago example
-Legal barriers to discrimination
-Court action
-Private legal practice
-Washington, DC
-Compared with Miami Valley experience
-Low income housing
-Council of Government
-Counties
20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Proportion of housing for each governmental unit
-Compared with busing issue
-Roche
-National leadership council
-1972 election
-Administration control
-Roche and Cook
-Organization
-Election year politics
-Democrats' reactions
-Civil rights activity
-National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
[NAACP]
-Ink Fund
-Roche's influence
-Sensitivity of issue
-The President’s talk with Romney

Mitchell

Whitaker left at 5:23 pm.

Executive reorganization
-Public interest associations
-Recent Cabinet meeting
-Department of Community Development
-Romney's conversations with Chet Holifield and Frank J. Horton
-Earl L. Butz announcement
-Chances for passage

Revenue-sharing
-Negotiations with Congress
-OMB
-Possible press reports
-Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] compared to OMB
-Memorandum
-Congressional leadership
-Public interest group
-Negotiations with OMB
-Possible meeting
-Compared with House Resolution [HR] 1
21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Compared with busing
-Compared with deal with Wilbur D. Mills
-Mills's conversations with Arthur F. Burns and Shultz
-Presentation

Romney
-Previous discussions with the President
-Timing
-Steel strike settlement
-Economy
-Future plans
-Future discussion with the President
-Possible resignation
-Timing
-Views on political deficiencies in United States
-Future plans
-The President’s previous talks with Cabinet
-Performance in office
-Sensitive issues
-HUD bureaucracy

Cabinet
-Resignations
-Mitchell
-Maurice H. Stans
-Clifford M. Hardin
-Reasons
-Public's knowledge
-Farm prices


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Privacy]
[Duration: 4s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

*****************************************************************
22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)




-Conversation with the President and Rogers
-1972 election
-Future employment
-Ralston-Purina
-Romney
-Situation
-The President's attitude
-Future discussion with the President
-Timing
-The President's forthcoming trips to the PRC and Soviet
Union
-US travel
-Discussions with other Cabinet members
-Support for the President
-Public service

Lenore L. Romney
-The President’s previous comments
-1970 election

George Romney
-Plans
-Assistance to the President
-Forthcoming meeting with the President
-Date

Romney left at 5:33 pm.


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 42s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

*****************************************************************
23

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)




Operation TACLE
-Consideration of program
-Housing
-National growth policy
-Costs
-Congress
-George Romney
-Lobbying efforts
-Ehrlichman’s view

Mitchell entered at 5:34 pm.

-Consideration of program
-Cabinet study group
-George Romney's views
-One city
-Opposition
-Costs
-Grants
-Model cities
-Competition
-Feasibility
-Pilot program
-Hartford example
-Boston

Ehrlichman left at 5:37 pm.

Mitchell's schedule
-W. Kenneth Riland
-Martha (Beall) Mitchell
-West Coast

State of the Union message
-Speechwriters
-The President's memorandum to H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Research
-Quality
-The President's efforts
24

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Value

Announcement of offers to North Vietnam, January 18, 1972

Troop withdrawal announcement, 1/13
-Scheduling
-Melvin R. Laird
-Rate

Announcement of offers to North Vietnam
-Henry A. Kissinger's negotiations
-Congress
-Rogers's knowledge

Rogers
-Previous conversation with Mitchell
-Mitchell's previous conversation with Kissinger


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 48s ]


The President left at an unknown time before 6:21 pm.


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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


The President entered at an unknown time after 5:37 pm.

[The President talked with Rose Mary Woods at an unknown time between 5:37 pm and 6:21
pm.]

[Conversation No. 646-5A]
25

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


Riland
-Meeting with Connally
-Meeting with the President
-Time

[End of telephone conversation]

Connally
-Health
-Meeting with Riland
-Mitchell
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Kissinger
-Warren E. Burger
-Golf

Rogers and Kissinger dispute
-Handling
-Fault

Kissinger
-Hypothetical dealings with Connally and Rockefeller as President
-Personality
-Dealings with the President
-The President’s temperament

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 5:37 pm.

Refreshment [?]

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 6:21 pm.

Rogers
-Kissinger
-Dealings with the President
-Troop withdrawals, “Menu” series
-The President's decisions
-Kissinger

Kissinger
-Dealings with the President
26

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Compared with Rogers and other Cabinet officers
-Mitchell's previous conversations with Rockefeller
-Possible resignation
-Rockefeller's previous relations with Kissinger
-Relations with Rogers
-Handling
-Telephone conversations
-Compared with face-to-face meetings

Rogers
-The President's trip to PRC
-Information
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Kissinger
-Memoranda
-Meeting with Haig
-Kissinger's cancellation
-Defense of State Department bureaucracy
-Harm to administration
-John F. Dulles
-Dean Rusk
-Dean G. Acheson
-Rogers's loyalty

Kissinger
-Mitchell's previous conversation with Rogers
-Haldeman's report to the President
-Forthcoming conversation with Mitchell, January 14, 1972
-Relations with Rogers
-Relations with the President
-Meetings with the President
-The President's call to Rockefeller
-1972 election
-The President's defense of Kissinger to press
-Kissinger’s conversation with Mitchell

Israel
-Mitchell's view
-Compared with Kissinger's and Rogers's views
-The President’s view
-Basis
27

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Political pragmatism
-Kissinger's view
-Basis
-Personal background
-1970 election
-Soviet Union
-Kissinger’s view
-The President’s influence
-Rogers
-Possible conversation with Mitchell
-Haldeman's presence
-Arab nations
-1972 Election
-Votes
-Democratic Party
-Financing
-Media
-Joseph J. Sisco's negotiations
-Planes
-Delays
-Soviets
-Rogers
-Possible conversation with Mitchell
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Previous conversations with Mitchell
-Haldeman
-The President's trip to Soviet Union
-Phantom jets
-Suez Canal
-Arabs
-Moscow talks
-Jews
-Mitchell's and the President’s views
-Golda Meir
-Samuel Rothberg

Rothberg
-Humphrey's finance chairman
-Florida fund-raiser, January 1972
-Support of the President
-Fund-raising
28

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)



Israel
-The President’s support

The President's trip to Soviet Union
-Arabs

Kissinger and Rogers
-Value to administration
-PRC and Soviet Union trips
-Informing Rogers

Rogers
-Social relations with the President
-Kissinger's views
-J. Edgar Hoover
-Dinner
-Haldeman
-Connally
-Plane trip
-Soviet Union trip
-PRC trip
-Briefing by Haig

[The President talked with Haig at an unknown time between 5:37 pm and 6:21 pm.]

[Conversation No. 646-5B]

-Forthcoming conversation with Haig

Leaks
-Marshall Green
-Rogers

Draft communiqué
-The President's negotiations

Haig's conversation with Rogers
-Informing Rogers
-Communiqué
-Kissinger
29

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Rogers and the President

Kissinger and Rogers
-Haig’s role

Haig's health

Laos

Kissinger
-Activities
-Briefing book [?]
-Press reports
-James B. Reston
-New York Times
-Editorials
-Kissinger's credibility
-Editorial
-Frank Getlein

[End of telephone conversation]

-Haig
-Reston and Getlein in Washington Star
-Kissinger's credibility
-Kissinger's reaction
-Conversation with Mitchell
-State Department leak
-Reston
-Anderson papers
-National Security Council [NSC] leak
-Kissinger's call to Rogers
-Source
-Credibility
-Paris negotiations
-State Department and Rogers
-Forthcoming conversation with Mitchell
-The President's schedule
-Speeches
-Decisions
-Previous meeting with Romney
30

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Historical record
-India-Pakistan
-Press
-Laos
-Kissinger

Mitchell's future
-Departure from office
-Timing
-Stans's departure
-PRC trip
-Haldeman's views
-Possible date
-Possible press coverage
-Stans’s departure
-Stans
-Conversation with Mitchell
-Timing of departure
-Soviet visitors
-Schedule
-Dinner with the President
-Announcement
-Departure
-PRC trip
-Public speculation

Richard G. Kleindienst
-Attorney General position
-Chances of confirmation
-Congress
-Press coverage
-Ehrlichman's views
-Investigation
-Hearings
-“Repression” issue

Congressional hearings
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr. Committee
-Unnamed Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] employee
-Anderson papers
-Wiretapping
31

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Kent State University
-Edward M. Kennedy
-James O. Eastland
-Kleindienst
-Politics
-Law Enforcement Assistance Administration [LEAA]
-Jerris Leonard
-Publicity

Kleindienst
-Relations with Justice Department
-Possible position as Acting Attorney General
-Confirmation
-Eastland
-Support of administration
-Peter G. Peterson selection
-Future relations with Mitchell


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 4s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15

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


Hoover
-Opposition
-Humphrey
-Muskie
-George S. McGovern
-Campuses
-L. Patrick Gray
-Succession
-Deputy Attorney General
-Connecticut Circuit Court of Appeals
32

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
-Qualifications

Kissinger
-Attacks by others
-Attacks
-Rogers
-State Department
-Persecution complex
-The President's support

Rogers
-Loyalty
-The President’s and Mitchell’s view

Kissinger
-Public exposure
-\"Today Show\"
-Marvin L. Kalb's show
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.’s show
-The President's PRC trip
-Recognition
-Hollywood starlets
-Georgetown parties

India-Pakistan War
-US efforts
-Opposition to Administration
-Kissinger
-Comments concerning Soviet Union
-State of the world message
-White paper
-Mitchell’s forthcoming talk with Kissinger
-US position
-United Nations [UN]
-Soviet Union
-Postwar efforts
-[India]
-[Soviet Union]
-[Pakistan]
-Kissinger's views
33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 646-5 (cont.)


-Reston and Getlein articles

[David] Kenneth Rush
-Conversation with Mitchell
-Dealings with Laird
-Meeting with the President
-Kissinger
-NSC staff member [Col. Richard T. Kennedy]
-Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG]
-Laird
-Contact with the President
-Mitchell

Kissinger
-Talk with the President
-Rush
-Mitchell
-Kissinger
-Role in White House
-Clearance of all national foreign policy issues
-The President's contacts with Laird and Rogers
-Informing by the President
-Interference in State Department matters
-Haldeman
-Rogers
-Contacts with ambassadors
-Defense Department
-Joints Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
-Cables
-Speech by George H. W. Bush

Mitchell's schedule
-Riland

Mitchell left at 6:21 pm.
34

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Secret White House Tapes |

646–5

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