Conversation No. 707-1

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 7:58 am and 8:02 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 22-114]

	Conversation No. 707-2

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  8:02 am - 8:03 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President talked with Anne Mansfield.

[See Conversation No. 22-115]

	Conversation No. 707-3

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 8:03 am and 8:05 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

The President's schedule
-A report

Bull left at an unknown time before 8:05 am.

	Conversation No. 707-4

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 8:05 am and 10:14 am
Location:  Oval Office

Stephen B. Bull met with unknown persons [Secret Service?].

[Unintelligible]

The unknown persons left at an unknown time before 10:14 am.

	Conversation No. 707-5

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  10:14 am - 10:26 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Hugh Scott, Gerald R. Ford, Clark MacGregor and William E. Timmons; the recording began at an unknown time while the meeting was in progress.

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 10:15 am.

The President's schedule
-Forthcoming meeting with Congressional leadership
-Republicans
-Democrats
-John C. Stennis
-Samuel S. Stratton
-F. Edward Hebert
-George H. Mahon
-Charles M. Teague
-Michael J. Mansfield
-Carl B. Albert

-[Thomas] Hale Boggs
-Mansfield
-Views

Ford’s forthcoming trip to People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Ford’s forthcoming statement
-Possible question
-Scheduling
-The President's Soviet trip
-The President’s view

Vietnam
-Forthcoming statements from Congressional leadership
	-Troop withdrawals
	-Statement by Scott
	-Further statements
	-Timing
	-The President’s view
		-Further withdrawals
	-Congressional leadership
	-Support for the President on air and naval power
	-South Vietnamese forces
	-Possible question about combat capabilities
	-Ground fighting
	-Air sorties
	-Percentage
	-Battle reports
	-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
						-South Vietnamese civilian support for North Vietnamese invasion
	-Scott's statement
	-South Vietnamese performance
	-Ziegler’s view
	-Melvin R. Laird's, Thomas H. Moorer's and Abrams's reports
		-The President’s view
	-North Vietnamese offensive
	-Soviet support
		-The President’s view
		-Soviet weapons
	-Soviet Summit
		-Possible questions regarding cancellation
	-Civilians of South Vietnam
	-Support of South Vietnamese government
	-Buddhist support of government
	-Significance
	-Support of South Vietnamese government
	-Negotiations
	-French statement
	-US interest
		-The President’s view
	-Administration's record
	-North Vietnamese aggression
	-Failure
	-North Vietnamese responsibility
	-William J. Porter
	-Record
	-Administration efforts
	-Previous speech, January 25, 1972
	-Private talks
	-Discussion
		-The President’s view
	-US position
		-The President’s view

Mansfield's and Scott's forthcoming trip to PRC
-Meeting with the President, April 11, 1972
-Questions on PRC
-The President's message to PRC leaders
-Scott's attendance at Oxford-Cambridge dinner
	-Questions on PRC
-Public appearances after trip
-Sunday television talk shows
-Overseas Writers Club

Scott et al., left at 10:26 am.

	Conversation No. 707-6

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 10:26 am and 10:32 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

The President's schedule
-Nominations
-The President's signature

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 10:32 am.

	Conversation No. 707-7

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 10:26 am and 10:32 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

The President's trip to Canada
-Rose Mary Woods
-Meeting with D. Roland Michener and Pierre E. Trudeau
-Gifts [?]
	-Repair
-Michener
-Family
-Gifts
-Michener and Trudeau

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 10:32 am.

	Conversation No. 707-8

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 11:22 am and 11:33 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

The President's schedule
-Meeting with John D. Ehrlichman

Bull left at an unknown time before 11:33 am.

	Conversation No. 707-9

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 11:22 am and 11:33 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 22-116]

	Conversation No. 707-10

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  11:33 am - 1:40 pm
Location:  Oval Office

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

	Fishing rights
-Three mile limit
	-Department of Justice suit against Texas
		-Responsibility
		-Price Daniels
			-Meeting with the President
			-Call to John B. Connally
		-Connally's views

The President talked with Connally between 11:33 and 11:36 am.

[Conversation No. 707-10A]

[See Conversation No. 22-117]

[End of telephone conversation]

John D. Ehrlichman entered at 11:36 am.

Fishing rights
-Three mile limit
-Suit against Texas
-The President's previous support
-California
-1960 and 1968 promises
-Department of Justice
-Lawyers
-Jews
-Previous tidal lands suit
-Suit against Texas
-Suppression
	-The President’s order
-John C. Whitaker
-Ehrlichman's involvement
-Knowledge of White House staff
-Whitaker

Republican leaders meeting
-Ehrlichman's briefing
-The President’s view
-Henry A. Kissinger's briefing on Vietnam
-Length
-Basic points
-Deficiencies
-The President's presence
-Need to sell congressional leaders
-Briefings
-Elliot L. Richardson on busing
-Connally
-George P. Shultz on food prices
-Earl L. Butz
-Points to make
-Drugs
-Problems
-Details
-White House staff
-Domestic issues
-Shultz, Herbert Stein and Cabinet
-Questions
-Leaders' concerns
-Richard H. Poff
-Peter H. Dominick
-Republican leaders
-Lack of depth and expertise
-The President’s view
-Staff
-Briefings
-Kissinger
-Length
-Curtailment
-Papers
-Preparation
-Charles W. Colson and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Effectiveness
	-Compared with William P. Rogers
	-Compared with Melvin R. Laird
-Problems
-Salesmanship
-Kissinger's staff briefings
-Points made
-Quality
-Kissinger
-Positive results
-US Vietnam policy
-Negotiations
-US record
-Preparation
-Length
-Limitations
	-The President’s view
-Troop withdrawals
-Hugh Scott's remarks
	-The President’s view
-Intellectual range
	-Ehrlichman’s view
-Kissinger
-Press briefings
-Simplicity
-Sophistication of newsmen

The President's speeches
-A memorandum
-Speechwriters
-Strengths and weaknesses
-Dullness
-Illustrations, anecdotes and colorful language
-William L. Safire
-Public attention
-Winston S. Churchill
-Model as speaker
-Burke Cochran
-Observations on speechwriting
-Simplification
-Criticism
-Substance and style
-Improvement of quality of writing
-Cochran's advice to Churchill
-Use of illustrations
-Use of colorful phrases
-"Iron Curtain" phrase
-Impact
-Canadian Parliament speech
-Quotations
-The President’s view
-Shortcomings
-Audience response
-Illustrations
-Lack

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 11:36 am.

-Canadian Parliament speech
-Delivery to the President
-Kissinger
-Typing
-Copies
-Kissinger
-Secretary

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 12:41 pm.

-Effectiveness
-Elements
-Preachers
-Use of stories
-Illustrations
-Quality of drafts by speechwriters
-Problems
-William Pitt's speech
-Brevity
-Speech in Canada
-Raymond K. Price's version
-The President’s view
-Conclusion
-Pitt's speech
-The President's rewording
-Pitt and Horatio Nelson
-Churchill
-Cochran
-Background
-Speechwriters
-Quality of writing
-Drugs speech
-Memorable phrases and colorful terms
-Safire

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 11:36 am.

-Canadian Parliament speech
-Kissinger's draft
-Sixth draft
-Delivery to the President
-Secretary

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 12:41 pm.

Beverly J. Kaye entered at an unknown time after 11:36 am.

-Typing of draft
-Sixth draft
-The President's mark-ups and notes

Kaye left at an unknown time before 12:41 pm.

-Drafts
-Statements on US-Canadian relations
-Wording
	-The President’s view
-Versions
-Speech staff
-Inadequacies
	-The President’s view
-Speechwriting
-Need for examples
-Canadian Parliament speech
-US-Canadian relations
-Kissinger
-Versions and rewrites
-Simplicity and memorable phrases
-The President as speechwriter
-Speechwriting staff
-Price
-James Keogh
-Quality
-Problems
-Compared with writing

Busing
-Richard H. Poff's proposition
-Constitutional amendment
	-The President’s view
-Passage
-Chances
-Moratorium
-Democrats
-Responsibility
-Publicity
-Poff
-Memorandum from Edwin L. Harper
-Political liabilities of issue for administration
-Value of memorandum
-Hubert H. Humphrey's position
-Changes
-Support
-Reasons
-Voting issue
-Superficiality
-Robert P. Griffin
-Public apathy on issue
-Administration's position
-Change
-Democrats
-Dilemma on issue
-Exploitation by administration
-Divisions over platform

Domestic issues
-Arthur F. Burns
-The President's meeting with John B. Connally
-Tax withholding issue
-Drug program
-Head
-Myles J. Ambrose
	-Job performance

Taxation
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
-Extra agents
-Shultz
-Tax return assistance
-Visibility
-Training
-Customs agents
-Increase in numbers
-Benefits
-IRS
-Withholding assistance
-Benjamin C. Bradlee
-Agents
-Tax return assistance
-Visibility
-Withholding
-Forms
-Refund checks
-Timing of release
-Mailings
-Programs
-Credit for administration
-Checks to taxpayers
-Implementation
-Connally
-Mailing

Busing
-David J. Armor
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Public opposition
-Press
-Support
	-Hypocrisy
-Criticism
-Congress
-Democrats
-Hypocrisy

Taxation
-Program before House Ways and Means Committee
-Barber B. Conable, Jr.
-House Resolution 1
-Presidential veto

Busing
-Kenneth R. Cole and Shultz
-Note from Griffin
-Detroit judge, Stephen J. Roth's order
-Appeal
-Cole
-Call from White House
-Speech
-Phrasing

Taxation
-Loopholes
-Connally's previous speech in Chicago
-Circulation to congressmen
	-The President’s order
-Support
-Municipal bonds
-State and local taxes
-Copies
-Circulation

Republican leaders meeting
-Kissinger's briefing
-The President’s view
-Length
-Discussion
-Simplification
-Compared with Churchill's speeches
-Margaret Chase Smith
-Comments on Kissinger's fact sheets
-Fact sheets
-Congressmen
-The President’s view
-Use of aides
-Simplification
-Brevity
-Clark MacGregor
-Arrangements
-White House staff
-Tables

The President's schedule
-Press conference

National economy
-Food prices
-White House efforts
	-Farmers
	-Butz
	-Cultivation of support
	-Middlemen
	-Criticism
	-Retailers
	-Conflicts
	-Clarence Adams [?]
	-Supplies
	-Price increase
	-Retail competition
	-Administration position
	-Image

Busing
-Administration's position
-Image of opposition
-Public’s image
-Benefits of controversy
-Attacks from blacks
-Attacks from liberals
-Attacks from Strom Thurmond
	-Drawbacks

Drugs
-Hotline
-Publicity
-Story in newspapers

	Forthcoming election campaign
		-"Players" and speakers
	-The President's previous memorandum
-Discussions
	-Haldeman, Ehrlichman and MacGregor
	-Shultz
-Political group
	-John N. Mitchell
		-Involvement
		-Role in campaign
-"Players"
-Colson
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Samuel L. Devine
-First Family
-Public appearances

Harry D. Steward
-Legal action
-Nature
-Possible dismissal

Peter G. Peterson
-Interest in job
-Public appearances
	-The President’s view
-Quality of life programs
-Change of positions
-Productivity Council
-Radio program
-Shultz
-Previous meetings
-Events
-Peterson speech
-Michael P, Balzano, Jr.
	-Colson's protege
-Italian background
-Belief in work ethic
-Compared with the President’s background
-Peterson's ideas
-Minority business enterprise
-Value
-Political uses
-Blacks
-Maurice H. Stans
-Speeches
-Peterson’s possible contribution
-Stans
	-Political efforts
-Inner cities program
-Drawbacks
-Erhlichman’s forthcoming meeting with George W. Romney

Vietnam
-Romney's speech
-The President’s view

Minorities
-Blacks
-White House staff
-Programs
-Press response
-Integration
-President’s position
-Credit to administration
-Criticism

Hugh Scott
-Age

Churchill
-Age
-Prime Minister
-Second term
-Activities
-Early career
-Travel

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 39s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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

Jennie by George F. Kennan
-Jennie (Jerome) Churchill
-The President’s view
	-British politics
-Marriage
-Age factor

Burns
-Preference for Federal Reserve Board position
-Age

Republican leaders
-Norris Cotton
-Meeting
-Alertness

Richard G. Kleindienst
-Confirmation hearings
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.’s position
-Peter M. Flanigan's testimony
-Ehrlichman's testimony
-White House staff testimony
-James O. Eastland
-Proposal
-Conversation with Michael J. Mansfield
-John N. Mitchell
-Cancellation until after elections
-Kleindienst as Acting Attorney General
-Problems
-Indictment
-Political issue
-Mitchell's opinion
-Options
-Withdrawal of nomination
-Flanigan's testimony
-Substitute candidate
-Kleindienst as Deputy Attorney General
-Lewis F. Powell
-Ehrlichman
-MacGregor
-Problems
-Caspar W. Weinberger
-Robert H. Bork
-Charles A. Wright
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Political future
-Capabilities
-Loyalty
-Weinberger
-Confirmation chances
-Advantages
-Court appointment
-Desire for job
-Jewish background
-Conservatism
-Busing
-Standing on Capitol Hill and with American Bar Association [ABA]
-Deputy Attorney General post
-Retention
-Confirmation
-Withdrawal
-Edward M. Kennedy and Ervin

Henry A. Kissinger entered at 12:41 pm.

US-Soviet relations
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Forthcoming meeting with Kissinger
-Butz
-Visit to Moscow
-Meeting with Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Remarks
-Vietnam bombing
-Brezhnev’s reaction
-The President's trip to Soviet Union
-Brezhnev
-Stay in Kremlin
-Airplane

Vietnam
-B-52 strikes
-Inaccurate target charts
-Targets
-Railways
-Binh
		-Reaction of North Vietnam
-Airfields
-Weather
-Military Region One
-Air cavalry
-Photograph on Washington Post
-Violation of orders
-South Vietnam
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] reports on performance
-John F. Hollingsworth
-Americans in battle zones
-Pictures
-Restrictions
-Gen. John W. Vogt and Haig
-The President's orders
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
	-Walt W. Rostow
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Stakes for US
-Negotiations
-B-52 strikes
-Targets
-The President's orders
-Concerns
	-Civilian casualties
-US response
-Congressional support
-PRC
-Intensity of bombings
-Connally’s view
-Possible impact on negotiations
-Air strikes
-Weather
-Naval gunfire
-Destroyers
-Number
-Cruisers
-Intensity
-Impact
-Dong Hoi
-President’s previous experience in World War II
-Accuracy
-Air strikes
-Ehrlichman's experience in World War II
-Inaccuracies

Kissinger's schedule
-Meeting with Dobrynin
-Time
-Meeting with PRC representatives
-Departure

The President's Canadian speech
-Kissinger's review
-Soviets
-Dobrynin
-Summit
-PRC

Vietnam
-Negotiations
-French appeal
-State Department
-Talks with North Vietnam
-H. Ross Perot
-Detente
-The President's Canadian speech
-Soviets
-Timing
-Future statements
-Scott's remarks
-Soviets
-Troop withdrawals
-The President's forthcoming announcement
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Failure
-Kissinger’s view
-Air strikes
-Naval power
-Kissinger's call to the President
	-President’s trip to Camp David
-Air strikes
-B-52s
-Airfields
-Safety of crews
-Abrams
-Navigation
-Targets
-Civilian casualties
-Blockade
-The President’s view
-Implementation
	-Kissinger’s view
-Public opinion

Kissinger left at 12:55 pm.

	International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case
	-Kleindienst
	-Confirmation
	-Problems
	-Retention in office
	-Mitchell's opinion
	-Hearings
	-Cancellation
	-Eastland
	-Mansfield's agreement
	-Votes
	-Robert C. Byrd
	-San Diego convention site controversy
	-Flanigan's testimony
	-Kissinger's testimony
	-Alger Hiss case precedent
	-Flanigan's testimony
	-Precedents in other cases
	-Ehrlichman's recommendation
	-Judiciary Committee
	-Eastland
	-Loss of control
	-Withdrawal of nomination
	-Justification
	-ITT hearings
	-Colson and MacGregor
	-San Diego
	-C. Arnholt Smith
	-Investigations
	-Kennedy's subcommittee
	-Charges of harassment
	-Investigations
	-San Diego
	-Henry E. Petersen
	-C. Arnholt Smith
	-Post as acting Attorney General
	-Political problems
	-Mental reservations
	-Impact on performance
	-Indictment against Kleindienst
	-Substitute
	-Weinberger
	-Acting appointment
	-Busing problem
	-Benefits
	-Confirmation chances
	-Background
-MacGregor and Colson

An unknown person entered after 12:55 pm and left before 1:15 pm.

	-Executive Committee
	-MacGregor's report
	-Number of votes
	-Executive privilege
	-Ervin's attacks
	-Use of leverage
	-Confirmation
	-Mitchell's opinion
	-MacGregor's recommendation
	-Withdrawal
	-Support for Weinberger
	-Candidates
	-Loyalty
	-Weinberger
	-Desire for court seat
	-San Francisco
	-Jane (Dalton) Weinberger
	-Compared with Martha Mitchell
	-The President’s view
	-James T. Lynn
	-Age
	-Record
	-Weinberger
	-Compared with Lynn
	-Experience
	-Federal Trade Commission [FTC] and California posts
	-[Forename unknown] Hillums [sp?]
	-Herbert W. Kalmbach
	-Confirmation
	-Failure
	-Losses to administration
	-Problems
	-Indictment
	-Colson and MacGregor
	-Eastland
	-Post as acting Attorney General
	-Candidates
	-Weinberger
	-Eastland's objections
	-Confirmation
	-Democratic attacks
	-ITT
	-Clement F. Haynsworth and G. Harrold Carswell
	-Withdrawal
	-Losses to administration
	-Vietnam
-Discussion with Mitchell
-Weinberger
-Willingness to take position
-Mitchell's opposition
-Loyalty to the Administration
	-The President’s view
-Jewish vote
-Mitchell’s view
-Ronald W. Reagan's support
-Supreme Court
-Jews
-Northern California support
-Jewish background
-Compared with Barry M. Goldwater
-Jewish identification
-Cyril Magnin
	-Appearance compared with Goldwater
-Competence
-Relations with Kleindienst
-Alternative appointment
-Chances of confirmation
-Withdrawal
-Statement
-Attacks on critics
-Separation of powers
-Importance of issues
-Busing
-Ervin
-Mitchell
-Eastland's investigation of Department of Justice [DOJ]
-Antitrust cases
-Kennedy's subcommittee
-Confirmation
-Ehrlichman
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Losses
-Claire Boothe Luce
-Lewis L. Strauss
-Consequences
-Timing
-Soviet summit
-Vietnam War
-Democratic convention
-Food prices
	-Kleindienst
	-Mitchell
	-Meeting with the President

The President's schedule
-Trip to Camp David
-Jews and blacks
-Taft Schreiber
-Herbert G. Stein
-Council of Economic Advisors [CEA]
-Meeting with the President
-Connally
-Time
-Youth group
-Departure for Camp David
-Return to Washington
-Meeting
	-Time

	ITT case
		-Public understanding
-Press questions
-Charges
-White House dismissals for wrongdoing
-Number
-Integrity
-Charges of wrongdoing
-Ehrlichman's investigation
-Press queries
-Meet the Press
-Political wrongdoing
-Democrats
-New Jersey
-Cornelius E. Gallagher
-Convictions
-1968 election

Unemployment
-California figures
-Increase in employment
-Decrease in unemployment
-Quarters
-Current levels
-Labor market
-Fluctuations
-Employment figures
-Meat prices
-Permanently unemployed
-Lay-offs
-Register for jobs

Vietnam
-Talking points for leaders meeting
-Haig
-Location

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:55 and 1:15 pm.

[Conversation No. 707-10B]

	Request for a call to Ronald L. Ziegler

[End of telephone conversation]

Connally
-Speech to National Association of Broadcasters
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham remarks
-News summary
-Phrase
-Bearing

Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-The President’s view
-Knowledge
-Foreign and domestic policies
-Patriotism
-Knowledge of foreign policy
-The President’s view
-Agnew’s questions in a previous National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Agnew’s NSC liaison
-Air strikes
-North Vietnamese
	-US control of air
	-Control of sea
-Compared with Edmund S. Muskie
-Public demeanor

Kleindienst
-Handling
-Mitchell
-Confirmation
-Withdrawal
-Timing

-Ervin and Byrd
-Vote in committee

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 1:15 pm.

The President's Canadian speech
-Seventh draft
-Clearance
-Butterfield’s opinion
-Haig and Kissinger
-Circulation
-Haig
-Kissinger
-Review
-The President’s view

Butterfield left at 1:17 pm.

Kleindienst confirmation
-Withdrawal of name
-Timing
-The President's Canadian trip

Anne Mansfield
-The President's previous call
-The President’s view
-Marriage

Vietnam
-The President's conversation with Kissinger
-Haig's trip
-Negotiations
-The President's radio talk
-Timing

The President's forthcoming Soviet trip

Mitchell
-Meeting with the President

Ehrlichman left at 1:34 pm.

Rose Mary Woods
-Camp David
-Schedule

Vietnam
-Negotiations
-William P. Rogers
-Kissinger
-Timing

The President's meeting with Republican leaders
-Briefings
-Ehrlichman
-Shultz, Stein and Richardson
-Kissinger
-Length
-Wordiness

Vietnam
-Rogers
-Actions
	-The President’s view

The President's schedule
-Meeting with Mitchell
-Location

The President and Haldeman left at 1:40 pm.

	Conversation No. 707-11

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 1:40 pm and 2:47 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

The President's Canadian speech draft
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Henry A. Kissinger's review
-Time
-The President's review
-Time

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 2:47 pm.

	Conversation No. 707-12

Date:  April 12, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 1:40 pm and 11:59 pm
Location:  Oval Office

Unknown persons met.

[Unintelligible]

The conversation was cut off at an unknown time before 11:59 pm.