857–3

Conversation No. 857-3

Date: February 15, 1973
Time: 9:20 am - 10:40 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

Press briefing
-Environment
-William D. Ruckleshaus
 -5-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-Meeting with President
-Pentagon visit by President

Photographs
-Ruckelshaus
-Gen. Andrew J. Goodpaster
-Meeting with President


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

[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

Donald W. Riegle, Jr.
-Switch to Democratic Party

Garry Brown [?]

Charlotte Reid

Paul N. McCloskey, Jr.
-Party change
-“Fraud”


[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]

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


Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Reception
-Volunteers
-Ziegler's role
-Fundraiser
 -6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-Washington, DC
-Photographs
-Washington Star
-Washington Post
-Publicity

Corsages to Prisoners of War [POWs] wives
-Press coverage

POW press coverage
-News summary
-Capt. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr.
-News of “peace with honor”
-Effect on POWs
-Whistling “California here we come”
-Tom Jarriel's story
-Raising of flags

President's message on environment
-American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Reports

News stories about President
-Associated Press [AP]
-“New Nixon”
-President's isolation
-President's visit to Trader Vic's
-Effect

Pentagon visit
-Ziegler's attendance
-Freehan [?]
-Purpose
 -7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-POW jobs program
-Recognition for POWs
-Adm. Thomas Moorer’s suggestions
-Medal for POWs
-Ziegler's statement
-Suggestion for recognition
-Defense Department’s recommendations
-Congress
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] policy
-Implementation of cease-fire
-Withdrawal schedule
-Back pay to POWs
-Sums
-Congressional authorization
-Korea
-Ceremonial protocols
-Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
-Service secretaries
-Cabinet

Cabinet meeting
-Ziegler's statement
-Purpose
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew's report on trip
-George P. Shultz's report on trade

William P. Rogers’s press conference
-Ziegler’s role
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Normalization of relations

Press relations
-Vietnam settlement
- Telegrams from abroad
-Public release
 -8-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-Distribution
-World reaction
-Environment
-John D. Ehrlichman
-POWs, veterans
-Jobs
-Difficulties
-Jobs for veterans program
-Recognition
-Amnesty
-Effect of administration efforts
-Press conference
-Henry A. Kissinger’s trip
-Briefing
-Barbara Walters’s role
-President’s statement
-Vietnam settlement
-Aid to North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s abilities
-Kissinger’s plans
-Cable to Ziegler
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:20 am.

President's meeting with Haldeman and Ehrlichman.

Bull left at an unknown time before 9:39 am.

CBS news program
-Problems
-Communique
-Dan Rather
-Story on PRC
-Walter Cronkite assessment
 -9-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




Haldeman entered at 9:39 am.

Press relations
-Kissinger's cable to Ziegler
-Press conference plans
-Statement by President
-North Vietnam aid
-Kissinger’s style
-Pham Can Dong
-Plans for press conference
-President’s role
-Television [TV]
-Joint communiqué
-Kissinger’s promise to North Vietnamese
-Kissinger's return to US
-Date
-Stop in Japan
-Background briefing
-Press conference
-Congress
-Briefings
-President
-Cabinet
-Congress

Pentagon visit
-Command center
-Public relations [PR]
-Purpose
-Jobs for veterans
-Troop withdrawal, cease-fire
-Press conference
-Informality
-President's statements to press
 -10-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-Ziegler’s role

Ziegler left at 9:45 am.

Kissinger
-Joint communiqué
-President’s knowledge
-Aid to North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s abilities
-Press conference
-Trip to Hanoi
-POWs
-Purpose

Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:45 am.

Request for Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft

Bull left at an unknown time before 9:49 am.

Press relations
-Kissinger
-Press conference
-New policy
-President's statement
-Delay
-Public relations
-George P. Shultz
-International monetary policy
-John B. Connally

Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:45 am.

William E. Timmons
 -11-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




Bull left at an unknown time before 9:49 am.

Invitation to White House church service

Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft entered at 9:49 am.

POWs
-Pentagon visit
-Recognition
-Congress
-Medal of Honor
-Presidential unit citation
-Ribbon
-Star for each year of captivity
-Jobs
-Ehrlichman
-Veterans
-Statement
-California
-Cabinet meeting
-Service
-National heroes
-Let-down
-Physical and psychological
-Sense of euphoria
-Let-down
-Need for psychiatric help, let-down
-Family problems
-Children
-Problems
-Pornography
-Television [TV]
-Movie
-Bad language
-Children, women
 -12-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-Recognition
-Citation
-Missing in action [MIAs]
-Posthumous citation

MIAs
-Similar status of Killed in action [KIA]
-Reasons
-Help for families
-Presidential letter
-Content
-Delicate language
-Someone to write
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Claudia A. (Taylor) (“Lady Bird”) Johnson’s role
-Accounting
-Correspondence
-Specialists
-Offer to Mrs. Johnson
-State Department

Kissinger's proposed press conference
-Problems
-Ziegler's statement
-Need for salesmanship
-Aid to North Vietnam
-Difficulty of issue
-President’s statement

Joint communiqué
-Copy to President
-Scowcroft’s role

Aid to North Vietnam
-Sensitivity of issue
 -13-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-POWs
-Horror stories
-Kissinger’s perception
-POWs
-JCS
-Reasons
-Guarantee of peace
-Reconstruction
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Leverage
-Timmon’s comments
-Bilateral compared to multilateral aid
-Congressional reaction
-Timmon’s style
-Positive line
-Peace
-Multilateral approach
-Lack of leverage

Foreign aid
-Congress
-Multilateral aid
-Disadvantages
-International Bank for Reconstruction and Development [World
Bank]
-Bilateral aid

Vietnam settlement
-Agnew’s briefing of Cabinet
-Kissinger’s return to US
-Cabinet meeting with Kissinger
-President's opposition
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Control
-Anne Armstrong
 -14-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-Pham Van Dong
-Cabinet
-Complexity of issue of aid to North Vietnam
-Aid to North Vietnam
-Ash
-Sales pitch
-Defense spending
-1974 budget
-Congressional relations
-Kissinger’s return
-Budget
-Aid to North Vietnam
-Reparations
-Domestic social programs
-Kissinger
-Sales pitch
-Aid to North Vietnam
-Kissinger
-Portrayal of North Vietnam leaders
-Experience in Hanoi
-Chou En-Lai
-1974 budget
-Ash
-Defense budget estimates
-Vietnam
-Laos
-Optimism about aid appropriations
Pentagon visit
-Ziegler, Scowcroft
-Dress
-Ash
-Purpose
-Kissinger
-POWs
 -15-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




Scowcroft left at 10:09 am.

Bull entered at 10:09 am.

President’s schedule
-Goodpaster [?]
-Ash
-Ehrlichman

Bull left at 10:09 am.

William E. Timmons entered at 10:09 am.

White House social events
-Evening at the White House
-Entertainment
-Army choir
-Quality
-Congress
-Scheduling
-Number attending
-Couples
-Number
-Church services
-Number attending
-Invitations
-Republican congress members
-Evening or church services, dinners
-State dinner
-Golda Meir
-Loyalists
-Freshmen
-Reception
-Republicans
-Democrats
 -16-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-Democrats
-Opponents
-Number invited
-Democrats
-Morris K. Udall
-Bella S. Abzug
-George S. McGovern
-Donald W. Riegle
-Party switch
-William B. Saxbe
-Church service
-Saxbe
-Invitation
-Charles H. Percy
-Invitation
-Rose Mary Woods
-Lucy A. Winchester
-Handling
-Timmons's role
-Woods's role
-Social Office role

Timmons left at 10:16 am.

The President talked with Woods at an unknown time between 10:16 am and 10:40 am.

-Mailing
-Representatives, Senators
-Number invited
-Financial contributors
-Maurice H. Stans
-Dinners
-Number
-Church services
-Number invited
 -17-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-Washington, DC
-Administration officials
-New Executive Branch employees
-Congress members
-Winchester
-Timmons
-List
-Mailing
-Loyalists
-Others
-Republican
-Richard S. Schweiker
-Riegle
-Party switch

[End of telephone conversation]

Woods
-William L. Duncan
-Support
-Edward L. Morgan
-Birthday party for Dr. Walter R. Tkach
-San Clemente
-Robert H. Taylor's presence
-Demeanor
-Helen Thomas’s story on Secret Service controversy
-Time of release
-Conversation with Dwight L. Chapin
-Haldeman’s role
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower’s note
-Woods on airplane

Secret Service controversy
-Duncan and Taylor
-Meeting with President
 -18-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-Woods
-Delay of farewell letters
-President's signing
-Farewell letters
-Delay
-Woods
-Tkach
-Taylor story
-Ziegler's role
-New York Times
-Taylor
-Meeting with Haldeman
-Job change
-Administration's image
-Farewell letter
-Memorandum
-Bull
-Delay

Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:16 am.

Letters to Duncan and Taylor
-Drafts
-Price
-David R. Gergen
-President's signature
-Preparation

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:40 am.

Woods
-Problems
-Chapin
-Visit to office
 -19-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:16 am.

Ash's location
-Shultz

Woods
-Letters to Duncan and Taylor
-President's signature

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:40 am.

Woods
-Haldeman's role
-Ehrlichman's advice

Announcement
-Taylor
-Decision to stay
-Secret Service

Woods
-Internal fights
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
-Taylor and Duncan
-Duncan
-Patricia R. Hitt
-Memo
-Ehrlichman’s answer
-Robert H. Finch
-Conversation with Woods
- Conversation with Haldeman

Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:16 am.
 -20-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




Letters to Taylor and Duncan
-Retirement

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:40 am.

Woods
-Conversation with Haldeman

Morgan

Taylor
-Plans to move
-Ehrlichman and Haldeman’s roles
-Promotion
-Offer of promotions
-Treasury Department
-Duncan
-Directorship
-Tkach
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower

Letters to Taylor and Duncan
-Signature
-Note
-Date

Taylor
-Retention
-Job changes
-Court administrators
-Leave of absence
-Job opportunities
-Morgan’s suggestion
-Treasury Department
-Promotions
 -21-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




Hitt
-Ehrlichman’s responsibility

Bull entered at an unknown time after 10:16 am.

Arrival of Rogers C. B. Morton

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:40 am.

Hitt
-Meeting with Ehrlichman
-President’s support
-Job
-Finch’s memorandum
-Reorganization
-Caspar W. (“Cap”)Weinberger
-Finch’s memorandum
-ACTION position
-Conversation with Ehrlichman
-Complaints
-President's reaction
-Woods's reaction
-Conversation with Haldeman
-John E. Nidecker
-Herbert G. Klein
-Chapin’s departure
-Motivation
-Relations with Chapin

Woods’s conversation
-Conversation with Charles G. (\"Bebe\") Rebozo
-Secret Service, Hitt
-Discussion with Helen Thomas
-Airplane ride
 -22-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 857-3 (cont’d)




-Conversation with Haldeman
-Haldeman's approach

Haldeman left at 10:40 am.