Conversation No. 54-1

Date:  April 19, 1971
Time:  5:05 pm - 6:03 pm
Location:  Cabinet Room

The President met with Charles D. Aquadro, Frank A. Bonadio, Harold J. Bouy, Edward F. Carlough, Peter Fosco, Robert A.Georgine, Maurice A. Hutcheson, Albert E. Hutchinson, John H. (AJack@) Lyons, Thomas F. Murphy, William Peitler, Charles H. Pillard, Joseph T. Power, S. Frank Raftery, Joseph P. Ricciarelli, Peter T. Shoeman, Louis Sherman, Hunter P. Wharton, Richard W. Williams, James D. Hodgson, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Henry A. Kissinger, and Charles W. Colson; the White House photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting

	[General conversation/Unintelligible]

	Greetings 

	Conferences
		-Murphy
		-Daughters of the American Revolution [DAR]
			-Location

	Photo session

	[General conversation/Unintelligible]

	Rose Garden

	Economy
		-Effect on building and trades
		-Davis-Bacon Act
		-Direction
		-Economists
		-Construction
		-Gross National Product [GNP]
			-Growth
			-March
		-March
			-Retail sales
			-Easter sales
			-Housing starts
		-April
			-Automobile sales
			-Housing starts
		-GNP
		-March
			-Consumer confidence
			-Industrial production
			-Inventories
			-Retail sales
		-Construction
			-Plant and equipment projections
			-Hodgson
			-President=s speech at Governors= Conference, Williamsburg
		-Spending
			-Projections
		-Construction trade
			-1971 compared with 1970
			-Jobs and payrolls
		-National defense
		-Hodgson
		-Building trades industry
			-Prospects
			-Need for leadership
		-Building trades= unions
			-President=s support
			-Unemployment
			-Need for cooperation
		-Budget and monetary policy
			-Interest rates
			-Housing
		-Construction industry
			-Need for stability
			-Department of Commerce projections
				-Housing starts
				-Interest rates
			-Unemployment
			-Government programs
			-Historical importance
			-Building projections
			-Needs
			-Lyons, Aquadro, Raftery
		-Buildings and construction trades council
			-Role
			-President=s support
		-Davis-Bacon Act suspension
			-Consequences for unions
			-Bids for jobs
			-Jobs
			-Suspension
			-Commitment
			-Rebidding
			-Legal problem
			-President=s order
			-List of jobs from agencies
				-Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
			-Hodgson
			-John A. Volpe
			-Suspension
			-List of jobs
				-Importance
			-Cities
			-New York
			-California
			-Chicago
			-San Francisco
			-Los Angeles
			-States
			-Jobs
			-HUD, Army Corps of Engineers, General Services Administration [GSA], Department of Transportation [DOT]
			-Melvin R. Laird
			-Volpe
			-George W. Romney
		-Construction industry
			-Cost factor
			-Cost of land
				-Increase
				-Bradley Hills development
				-Property values
		-Land
			-Control of profits
			-High rise buildings
			-Florida and California
			-Approach
		-Cost of land
			-Land use bill
			-Personal property taxes
				-Increase
				-Revenue sharing
		-Revenue sharing
			-State and local units
			-Population
			-John N. Mitchell
		-Land
			-Federal government=s holdings
			-Marine Corps
			-San Francisco, New York City
			-Federal lands survey
			-Rogers C. B. Morton
			-Cost
				-Interagency committee
				-Romney
				-Hodgson
		-Steel contract negotiations
			-George Meany
			-Hodgson
			-President=s Executive Order
			-Construction costs
		-Construction industry
			-President=s conversation with Meany
			-Hodgson
			-Executive Order, March 29, 1971
			-Construction trades union organization
			-Need for cooperation
			-Hardhats
				-Recognition
		-Labor problems in England
			-Meany
			-Wildcat strikes
		-Construction industry
			-Stephen D. Bechtel
			-Need for trades union
			-Urban reconstruction
				-New York City
					-James L. Buckley and Jacob K. Javits
					-Riverside Drive
			-New York City
			-Denver
			-New York City
				-Hudson River
				-Palisades
				-Land costs
		-Executive Order, March 29, 1971
			-Disparity
			-Hodgson
			-Wage Stabilization Committee
			-Right of contract
			-Wage increases
			-Intent
			-Differences with the administration

	National defense
		-Vietnam negotiations
			-Prisoners of War [POWs]
		-Soviet Union
			-Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles [ICBMs]
			-Nuclear submarines
		-Navy
		-Merchant Marine
		-Soviet Union
			-ICBMs
			-Nuclear submarines
		-Antiballistic Missiles [ABMs]
		-Strategic Arms Limitations Talks [SALT]
		-Vietnam
			-President=s policies
		-Support for President

	Federal construction spending
		-Roads and bridges
		-Status

	Rose Garden

	[General conversation/Unintelligible]

The President, et al. left at 6:03 pm

Conversation No. 54-2

Date:  April 20, 1971
Time:  Unknown between 7:55 am and 8:06 am
Location:  Cabinet Room

Peter G. Peterson and other unknown people met

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	[Unintelligible]

[To listen to the segment (1m41s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-517.]

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Bryce N. Harlow entered at an unknown time after 7:55 am

	Greetings

	Forthcoming meeting of Republican Congressional leaders, April 20, 1971
		-Agenda and topics
			-Government reorganization
			-1972 appropriations
			-Schedule
				-President
			-William E. Timmons
			-Schedule
			-Dr. James R. Schlesinger and Henry A. Kissinger
			-Schlesinger
			-President=s objectives
				-Strategy
				-Report to the Congress
				-Participation of developing countries
			-Education
				-Jobs, health, food

Richard H. Poff entered at an unknown time after 7:55 am

			-Lectern
			-Education
				-Low literacy rates
			-Growth

Recording was cut off at an unknown time before 8:06 am

Conversation No. 54-3

Date:  April 20, 1971
Time:  Unknown between 8:06 am and 9:44 am
Location:  Cabinet Room

The President met with Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, Margaret Chase Smith, Norris Cotton, Gordon L. Allott, Peter H. Dominick, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, Barber B. Conable, Jr., Richard H. Poff, Robert C. (ABob@) Wilson, Robert T. Stafford, Robert J. Dole, George P. Shultz, Peter G. Peterson, Peter M. Flanigan, Dr. James R. Schlesinger, Clark MacGregor, William E. Timmons, Kenneth E. BeLieu, Patrick J. Buchanan, Ernest Stern, C. Fred Bergsten, Jonathan C. Rose, Bryce N. Harlow, Herbert G. Klein, and Ronald L. Ziegler; the White House photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting

	[General conversation/Unintelligible]

	President=s speech on welfare

	Economic indicators
		-Shultz
		-Stock market

	President=s previous meeting with construction trades people
		-Davis-Bacon Act
		-Support for President
		-Construction
		-Housing starts

	Economy
		-March retail sales
		-Housing starts
		-Consumer confidence
		-Automobile sales
		-Stock market
			-Investments
		-Profits
		-Output
		-Productivity
		-Interest rates
			-Decline
			-Long-term loans
		-Inflation
		-Gross National Product [GNP]
			-Rise
			-Impact
		-March retail sales
			-Increase
		-Housing starts
			-Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
			-Seasonal factor
			-March figure
		-Productivity
			-Gain
			-Labor costs
		-Consumer Price Index
		-Inflation
		-Economic projections
			-First quarter rise
		-Budget
		-Federal Reserve System
		-Unemployment
			-Numbers
			-Projection
		-Industrial production
			-Figure
			-Inventories
			-Retail sales
		-Plant and equipment figures
			-Revised projections
		-Economic policy
		-Inflation
			-Rate
			-Democrats
		-Accelerated public works bill
			-Spending levels
			-Reverse effect
			-President=s position
			-Appropriations
			-Don Fossman [sp?], William H. Harsha
			-Title I
		-Policy
		-Argument
		-Consumer confidence
			-Retail sales
		-Stock market
			-Economists
			-Donald T. Regan
		-Regan
			-Mutual funds
		-President=s economic policies
		-Republican businessmen
		-Consumers
		-Economists
		-Democrats
		-Peterson
			-United States= economic policy
			-Presentation

	Foreign aid
		-Michael J. (AMike@) Mansfield
		-Present situation
		-Less developed countries
			-GNP
			-Population
			-Per capita income
			-Employment
			-Health
			-Malnutrition
			-Education
			-Peace
			-Political issues
			-Economic growth
			-GNP
			-Exports
			-Market for United States= exports
			-United States= economic interests
		-Quantity
			-Private money
			-Exports
		-Military aid
		-Task Force for International Development
			-Rudolph A. Peterson
			-Recommendations
			-Agnew
		-Military aid
		-New authority
		-Security assistance
		-Guarantee to United States= investments
		-Latin American development
		-R. A. Peterson=s task force
		-President=s message, September 15, 1970 on foreign economic assistance
		-Security assistance bill
		-Military assistance program
			-Department of Defense [DOD]
		-Agency for International Development [AID]
		-Underdeveloped areas
		-State Department
			-Responsibility for security assistance
			-Coordinator of security assistance
		-Military assistance
			-Southeast Asia
		-Legislation and programs
		-Previous legislative briefing
		-Limitations on disposal of excess equipment
			-Amounts
			-Request for increase
			-Purposes
			-Korea and Cambodia
		-Operating principles
		-United States= International Development Corporation
			-Composition
			-Budget request
			-R. A. Peterson=s task force
			-Need for management know-how
		-Bilateral development assistance
			-Need for United States= coordinator
			-Accountability
			-Responsibilities of coordinator
			-Agencies
			-Principles
			-Budget request
		-Bills and hearings
			-Timing
			-Dr. Thomas E. (ADoc@) Morgan and J. William Fulbright
			-Expectations
			-AID
			-Funding and authority
			-Security assistance legislative
			-Development assistance program
			-Legislative procedure
			-Jurisdiction
			-Procedures
			-1972 budget
			-Otto E. Passman
			-William Proxmire
			-Schlesinger
			-Security assistance coordinator
			-Accountability
				-Attitudes
			-Excess equipment
			-Reorganization

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	United States/world position

[To listen to the segment (12m18s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-517.]

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	Military manpower bill
		-Draft extension
		-Military pay
		-Draft extension
			-Smith
			-Manpower needs
			-United States= commitments
			-Volunteers
		-Military pay
			-Volunteers
			-Provisions
			-Costs
			-Effect on volunteers
			-House proposal
			-Administration=s position
			-Bonus proposal
			-Flexibility
			-Amount
			-Interim proposal
		-House bill
			-Draft reform
			-Deferment
			-Uniform national call
			-Equitable
		-Senate bill
		-Pay levels
		-Bonus provisions
		-Elements
		-Procurement
		-Pay increment
		-Proxmire
		-Draft amendment
			-Possible committee action
			-Length
		-Assessment of future congressional action
			-Timing
			-Republicans
		-Sufficiency pay
		-Bonus
		-Pay and the other programs
		-Effects
		-Impetus
		-Republicans
		-Barry M. Goldwater and Mark O. Hatfield
		-Draft extension
		-President=s flexibility
		-Volunteer army
		-Need for adequate defense
		-Flexibility
		-Smith
		-F. Edward Hébert
		-Goldwater
		-Volunteer army
		-Flexibility
		-Two-year extension
		-Prospects
		-Pay
		-Re-enlistment
		-Senate
		-House
		-Possible compromise
		-1972 prospects
		-John C. Stennis
		-Draft extension
		-World War II draft extension
		-Popular sentiment
		-World War II draft extension
			-Republicans
			-Vote
			-Smith=s experience
		-Pacifism
		-Long-term view
		-Neoisolationists
			-Influence
		-Nation=s responsibilities
		-Vote
		-Military aid

	United States= position in world
		-People=s Republic of China [PRC]
		-Strategic Arms Limitations Talks [SALT]
		-Soviet Union
		-Communist nations

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	Germany, Japan, Soviet Union

[To listen to the segment (10m32s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-517.]

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	Rose Garden

	[General conversation/Unintelligible]

Recording was cut off at an unknown time before 9:44 am