718–2

Conversation No. 718-2

Date: May 3, 1972
Time: 10:06 am – 10:19 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
 4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 718-2 (cont.)

President's schedule
-A meeting
-Arrangements
-Time
-Meeting with L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III and Richard G. Kleindienst
-Announcement of appointment
-Time
-President's previous meeting with Republican Congressional leaders
-Kleindienst's schedule
-Time
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s role
-Kleindienst’s role


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 53s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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


Henry A. Kissinger entered at 10:07 am.

Greetings

Meeting with Republican Congressional leaders
-Kissinger
-Support for President

Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive
-New York Times reporters
-Craig Whitney [?] and Sydney Schanberg
-[First name unknown] Butterworth

Instructions to Haldeman
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 718-2 (cont.)


Kissinger's schedule
-Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG] meeting

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] negotiations
-Submarines
-Information leaks
-William P. Rogers's version
-Numbers
-Purpose
-Rogers
-Gerard C. Smith
-President's story

President's schedule
-Meeting with Kleindienst
-Time

Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Melvin R. Laird's press conference
-South Vietnamese performance
-The President’s instructions
-Postponement
-J. Edgar Hoover funeral
-Laird's reluctance

Haldeman left at 10:10 am.

WSAG meeting
-Kissinger's attendance
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s attendance

Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Course of action
-Letter to Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Tenor
-New proposals
-Further discussions
-President's message
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 718-2 (cont.)

-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-South Vietnamese strengths
-North Vietnamese weaknesses
-Casualties
-Kontum, Hue
-Losses
-Divisions
-South Vietnamese military dispositions
-Kontum, Pleiku
-Abrams
-Tactics
-Possibility as Army Chief of Staff
-Chances of stopping
-Kissinger's evaluation
-South Vietnamese command
-Changes
-Gen. Hoang Xuan Lam
-Gen. Pham Van Phu
-South Vietnamese forces
-3rd Division
-Loss
-Remaining strength
-Kissinger’s view
-Hue
-Possible capture
-Strategy
-Kontum
-South Vietnamese
-Attitude toward communists
-Outcome

Kissinger's schedule
-WSAG meeting
-Meeting with President
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 718-2 (cont.)

Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive
-William J. Porter
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer briefing
-Bombing plans
-Haiphong
-Laird's attendance
-Position on bombing
-US options
-Military action
-Soviet Summit cancellation
-Porter's instructions
-Moorer’s briefing
-Attendance by Kissinger and Haig
-Kissinger's meeting with President
-Time

President's schedule
-Hoover eulogy preparation

Porter
-Instructions for walkout
-William H. Sullivan
-Laird
-WSAG
-Sullivan
-Views

Kissinger left at 10:19 am.