Conversation No. 545‑1

Date:  July 24, 1971
Time:  9:43 am ‑ 10:36 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with H.R. (ABob@) Haldeman.

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration:  30s  ]

ALEXANDER P. BUTTERFIELD ENTERED AT AN UNKNOWN TIME AFTER 9:43 AM

BUTTERFIELD LEFT AT AN UNKNOWN TIME BEFORE 9:49 AM.

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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Henry A. Kissinger's schedule

[The President talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 9:43 am and 9:49 am]

[Conversation No. 545‑1A]

Meeting in Oval Office

[End of telephone conversation]

The President's schedule for the week of July 25‑31, 1971
‑National Security Council [NSC]
‑Press conference
‑Timing
‑Budget meeting
‑Timing of follow‑up meeting
‑George P. Shultz

‑Defense budget
‑Time lag on report

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration:  41s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14

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‑Bohemian Grove
‑Canton, Ohio Football Hall of Fame banquet
‑Ottumwa, Iowa
‑Akron‑Canton airport

Kissinger entered at 9:49 am.

Schedule
‑Meeting with Kissinger
‑Kissinger's departure to Paris
‑Forthcoming morning budget meeting

Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 9:49 am.

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration:  56s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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Butterfield left at an unknown time before 10:10 am.

Kissinger's schedule
‑Forthcoming meeting with the President

Vietnam negotiations
‑Plans
‑North Vietnamese proposal
‑Status

The People's Republic of China [PRC]
‑Kissinger=s forthcoming meeting with the PRC Ambassador in Paris
-Vernon A. Walters

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration:  1m 36s  ]

CHINA

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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Kissinger's schedule
‑Lunch with Henry and Muffie Brandon

Leaks
‑Source
‑Polygraph tests
‑William P. Rogers
-Melvin R. Laird
‑The President's directive
‑Source of leak
‑State Department
‑Message to William J. Porter
‑Announcement of appointment

‑Leak to news media
‑Source
-Administration=s knowledge
‑John N. Irwin, II's conversation with Kissinger
‑Congressional testimony on Pakistan
‑Edward M. (ATed@) Kennedy
‑Possession of State Department cables
‑Sources
‑Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT] negotiations
‑Gerard C. Smith
-Arms Control and Disarmament Agency [ACDA]
-Smith
‑Proposal
‑The Soviet Union
‑Leak prior to presentation
‑Charles W. Colson's conversation with the President
‑William Beecher's New York Times article
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Egil G. (ABud@) Krogh, Jr.
‑Source
‑Polygraph
‑New York Times publication of article
‑Max Frankel
-Smith
‑Effect on negotiations
-Smith
‑The Soviets

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Closed by Statute]
[Duration:  1m 13s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Privacy, Law Enforcement]
[Duration:  1m 21s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[Closed by Statute]
[Duration:  9s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11

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‑Source of documents

Ehrlichman entered at 10:02 am.

Kissinger
‑Knowledge of documents
-Location of Kissinger=s pre-administration documents

Leaks
‑Department of Defense
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
‑Polygraph tests
-Beecher	
‑State Department, ACDA, NSC
‑Motivation for leaks
‑Access to information
‑Negotiations
‑Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
‑Kissinger

‑Secretary of Defense
‑Secretary of State
‑Head of the ACDA
‑Changes in methods of message transmittal
‑Maintenance of secrecy
‑PRC initiative
‑Knowledge
‑Rogers, Marshall Green
‑Department of Defense
-Pakistan
‑Leak of Porter story
‑Appointment
‑Revocation
‑Rogers
‑State Department
‑U. Alexis Johnson
‑Timing of Porter announcement
‑Leak of information

Kissinger left at 10:10 am.

Department of Defense
‑Lockheed Corporation
‑Laird
-David Packard
‑John B. Connally

Pentagon Papers
‑Leslie Gelb
‑Possible conspiracy
‑Robert C. Mardian

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Closed by Statute]
[Duration:  13s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12

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‑Gelb group
-NSC
-Haig
-Leak
‑Chicago Tribune

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13
[Closed by Statute]
[Duration:  6s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 13

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‑Mardian
-Leaks
-Colson
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
-Mardian
‑Information on Neil Sheehan
‑Ellsberg
‑Gelb
‑Background
‑John F. Kennedy, Robert S. McNamara

Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]
‑Colson
‑Study on staff party affiliation
‑Staff
-Jews
-Arthur F. Burns
-Frederic V. Malek

Leaks
‑Polygraph tests
‑Krogh
‑Holders of top secret clearances
‑Statement on polygraph tests

‑Revocation of clearances
-State Department, Department of Defense
-NSC
-White House investigation
‑Wiretaps

The President's schedule
‑Forthcoming budget meeting
‑The President's meeting with Kissinger
‑Shultz
‑Role

Implementation of presidential directives
-Rogers
‑Responsibility
‑Krogh
‑Polygraph tests
‑NSC
‑Alger Hiss
-Whitaker Chambers
‑Signing of statement on polygraphs

Ehrlichman left and Kissinger entered at 10:20 am.

The President's schedule
‑Departure for Camp David
-Marine One helicopter
‑Time, arrangements

Haldeman left at 10:22 am.

Vietnam negotiations
‑Kissinger's forthcoming trip to Paris
‑Negotiating stance
‑North Vietnamese
‑Kissinger, Rogers

PRC initiative
‑Kissinger's forthcoming negotiations
‑Trips to the PRC by members of Congress
‑Haldeman's attitude
‑The President's trip
‑1972 Presidential election

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
[Duration:  23s  ]

CHINA

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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US-Soviet Union relations
-SALT
‑Yuli M. Vorontsov
‑The PRC initiative
-US-Soviet Union summit

The PRC
‑Timing of the President's trip
‑Weather
‑Compared to the President's 1969 European trip

Vietnam negotiations
‑Transcript of previous meeting
‑Forthcoming meeting
‑Stance
‑Proposals
-Date of troop withdrawal
-Michael J. (AMike@) Mansfield

The PRC initiative
‑Reaction by intellectuals
‑Brandon's forthcoming article

Vietnam negotiations
‑US proposals
‑Comparison
‑Nguyen Van Thieu
-Economic aid
-Southeast Asia

Leaks
‑State Department, Defense Department, CIA
-Conspiracy
‑SALT negotiations leak
‑Haig
‑Polygraphs
‑Restriction of access to classified information
‑Handling of documents
‑Former NSC staff
‑William A.K. (ATony@) Lake
‑Kissinger's hiring practices
‑Reasons

The PRC initiative
-Compared to Glassboro Summit
‑Long term effect

US foreign policy
-PRC initiative
‑North Vietnam=s reaction
-Mansfield
-John Kenneth Galbraith, Cyrus R. Vance
-Domestic shift
-Sol Linowitz, John W. Gardner
-Press
-The New York Times
‑The President's image

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[National Security]
[Duration:  42s  ]

FOREIGN REACTION

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8

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‑Cuba
-Jordan
‑Laos, Cambodia
-Laos
-Casualty rate
-PRC initiative
‑Vietnam War
‑Hue

Kissinger's schedule

Kissinger left at 10:36 am.

Conversation No. 545‑2

Date:  July 24, 1971
Time:  Unknown after 12:28 pm until 12:36 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with John B. Connally; this recording begins at an unknown time while the meeting is in progress.

The economy
‑Possible action
‑Effect
‑Unnamed person
‑Paul W. McCracken, Paul A. Volcker, Connally, Arthur F. Burns
‑The price of gold
‑Strategy
‑Free economy
‑Possible action
‑Initiative
‑Comparison to the People's Republic of China [PRC] initiative
-Steel industry
‑Foreign policy focus
‑The PRC
‑Settlement of Vietnam war
‑Effect on the economy
‑US competitive position in the world
-George P. Shultz
‑The President's actions
‑Foreign policy, domestic action
-Connally
‑U.S. economy
‑Trend
‑Recession
‑Long‑term view
‑Europe, Japan, Soviet Union, the PRC
‑Changes in international economic picture
‑Initiatives

Connally left at 12:36 pm.

Conversation No. 545‑3

Date:  July 24, 1971
Time:  12:36 pm ‑ 1:03 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman and H.R. (ABob@) Haldeman.

[A transcript of the following portion of the conversation was initially prepared for the Watergate Special Prosecution Force [WSPF] and can be found in Record Group [RG] 460, Box 58, pp. 1-6 and Statement of Information, Book VII, pt.2, pp.868-885 (1-18).  The Nixon Presidential Materials Staff has reviewed the transcript and has made changes as necessary.  This transcript has been reviewed under the provisions of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974 [PRMPA].  The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]

Egil G. (ABud@) Krogh, Jr. entered at an unknown time after 12:36 pm during the transcribed portion.

Krogh left at 12:48 pm.

Leak

[End of transcribed portion]

Tax reform
‑John B. Connally
-Treasury Department
‑Proposals
‑House Ways and Means Committee, Senate Finance Committee

The economy
‑Preceding budget meeting

Melvin R. Laird
‑Recantation of previous statement
‑John G. Tower
‑Ronald L. Ziegler
‑David Packard
‑Disagreement within the Cabinet
-Connally

Arthur F .Burns
-Salary

Schedule
‑George P. Shultz
‑Recommended meeting
‑Connally, Burns

Burns
-Connally
‑News coverage
‑Strategy
-Peter M. Flanigan, Connally
‑Forthcoming meeting
‑Timing
‑Salary
‑Testimony
‑Preparations
‑Timing

The economy
‑Leak of story by Charles W. Colson
-Connally
‑Federal Reserve Board expansion
‑Full employment
‑Legislation
‑Federal Reserve
‑Issue of independence
-Connally
‑Vacancy
‑Shultz=s conversation with Burns
‑Membership
‑Dwight D. Eisenhower
‑Unnamed Federal Reserve Board member
‑Strategy
-Appointment
-Shultz, Connally
‑William McChesney Martin
‑Burns
‑Martin
‑Comparison with Burns
‑Economic policy
‑Administration stance

Ehrlichman left at 1:00 pm.

The President's schedule
-Departure for Camp David
‑Kissinger

Leaks
‑Investigation
‑Krogh

Polygraph tests
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
‑Bay of Pigs
‑Effectiveness and use
-White House Signal Corps
‑Psychological effect

Leaks
‑Laird, William P. Rogers
‑Handling
-Haig=s conversation with Rogers

The President and Haldeman left at 1:03 pm.