Conversation No. 718-1

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  7:58 am - 8:09 am
Location:  Oval Office

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

Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Public appearance
-Time

Adm. Thomas H. Moorer

J. Edgar Hoover
-Funeral
-Time
-Length
-President's eulogy
-Length
-Prayers
-Rev. Edward G. Latch
-Rev. Edward L.R. Elson
-Cemetery
-Television coverage
-Response of Elson
-President's remarks
-Network stories
-Parts covered
-Dr. Benjamin (McLane) Spock’s remarks
-John W. Chancellor’s remarks
-President's eulogy
-The President’s May 3, 1972 statement
	-Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI]
-Flags
	-FBI
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] special

Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive 
-Loss of Quang Tri
-Evaluated
-Press reports
-New York Times
-General press accounts
-Words used
-Assessment of loss

President's dinner
-Henry A. Kissinger's location
-Press speculation
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC] news report
-Sequoia cruise with President and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Vietnam
-US actions
-Soviet Summit
-Possible US announcement
-Cancellation instead of bombing
	-Kissinger’s view
-Effect on polls
-Accomplishments
-Cancellation risks
-Value of cancellation
-Cancellation
-Problems
-Bombing
	-Domestic impact
-Soviet Summit
-Cancellation
-Impact on the President's Vietnam policy
	-“Doves”
	-Congress
-Support
-“Hawks”
-Harry S. Dent
-Bombing
-Impact on Summit
	-Kissinger

President's schedule
-Annapolis appearance
-Cancellation
	-The President’s view
		-Timing of the Soviet Summit

Haldeman left at 8:09 am.

Conversation No. 718-13

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  Unknown time between 8:09 am and 10:06 am
Location:  Oval Office

Unknown people [Secret Service agents] met.

	President’s location
		-Cabinet Room

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.

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

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1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

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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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

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
-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

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.

Conversation No. 718-3

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 10:19 am and 10:20 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

J. Edgar Hoover
-Robert P. Griffin
-Abe Fortas

Ronald L. Ziegler briefing
-Supreme Court appointments
	-Career compared with political
-Ziegler's forthcoming announcement on L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
-Time
-Appearance by Richard G. Kleindienst
-Time
-George D. Aiken
-Appointment

Conversation No. 718-4

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  10:20 am - 10:50 am
Location:  Oval office

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

Henry A. Kissinger
-Location
	-Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG]

A meeting
-Nelson A. Rockefeller's attendance
-John N. Mitchell

President's schedule
-Meeting with Richard G. Kleindienst
-Time
-Announcement on L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
-Time

Polls
-Results

President's schedule
-Trip to Annapolis, Maryland
-Cancellation
-Arrangements
-Format
-Chapel

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration:  1m 34s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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Vietnam
-George D. Aiken
-J. William Fulbright’s amendment
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Support for President in Senate
-Disenchantment over Soviet backing
-Soviet Summit
-Cancellation
-Aiken
-Kissinger’s schedule
	-Moscow, Paris
-Kissinger's advice
	-Reasons
-Cancellation
-Impact
-South Vietnamese morale
-Soviet Summit
-Cancellation
-Impact on President's policies
-Kissinger's advice
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-U-2 incident
-Cancellation
-Domestic impact
-President's reasons
-Conclusion of war
-Soviet propaganda
-Kissinger
-Worldwide reaction
-Postponement
-Possibilities
-Disadvantages
-Soviet propaganda
-Effect on US foreign policy
-Cost

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration:  8m 59s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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Vietnam
-Soviet Summit
-Cancellation
-Kissinger's advice
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Announcement
-Support
-Initial reaction from “hawks”
-Erosion
	-Press criticism
-Problems
-Support
-Duration
-Erosion
-Democrats' position
-Kissinger's advice
-Reasoning
-Evaluation
-Bombing
-Targets
-Hannoi and Haiphong harbor
-Melvin R. Laird's position
	-The President’s view
-William P. Rogers's position

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-News leaks
-Rogers
-Gerard C.Smith
-Bernard Gwertzman's story
-Rogers's dealings with press
-Credit for SALT
-Rogers and Smith
-President's role
-Kissinger's concerns

J. Edgar Hoover
-Funeral
President's eulogy
-News coverage
-Detractors
-Rennie Davis, Dr. Benjamin (McLane) Spock
-Press coverage
-Investigation of Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Pressure
-Relation to confirmation of new director
-L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
-Withdrawal of nomination as
 Deputy Attorney General
-Timing
-Kleindienst's confirmation
-Wording of Ronald L. Ziegler’s statement
-Gray's preferences

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 17s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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

Haldeman left at 10:50 am.

Conversation No. 718-5

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 10:50 and 10:54 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

White House correspondents
-Children
-Number attending public schools

Conversation No. 718-6

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  10:54 am - 10:56 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

The President’s schedule
	-J. Edgar Hoover
	-Funeral
	-Timing
		-Compared with another scheduled speech
	-Time

Butterfield left at 10:56 am.

Conversation No. 718-7

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 10:56 am and 10:59 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

President's trip to Soviet Union
-Date of departure
-Confirmation

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:59 am.

Conversation No. 718-8

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 10:56 am and 10:59 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

Soviet Union trip
-Time of departure
-US
-Salzburg

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:59 am.

Conversation No. 718-9

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  10:59 am - 12:11 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

Kissinger's meeting

Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Briefing on targets
-Melvin R. Laird's opinion
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-[David] Kenneth Rush

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 10:59 am.

Food order

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:11 pm

Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Targets
-President's briefing
-Moorer
-Laird
	-The President’s view
-Rush
-Value
	-Compared with Laird

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Briefing
-Role of Laird and William P. Rogers
-Rush's position
-Information released
-Submarines
-Freeze
-Amount of detail
-Rogers's intentions
-Reasons
-Cabinet
-Role in talks

Vietnam
-South Vietnam
-Resupply mission
-Announcement
-Photographs of Soviet equipment
-Paris peace negotiations
-Possibilities
-Accept another meeting
-Walkout
-Postponement
-Kissinger’s view
-North Vietnamese offers
-US response
-Contents
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Prisoners
-Public sessions
-Thieu
-Kissinger's prediction
-North Vietnam's options
-North Vietnam's goals
-North Vietnam proposals
-US reactions
-Private meetings
-Le Duc Tho
-Kissinger's view
-Bombing
-Importance
-US attitude
-Soviet interpretation
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Negotiations
-Plenary sessions
-William J. Porter
-Thieu's interpretation
-Plenary sessions
-President's options
-Laird's advice
-Thieu

SALT
-Rush
-View of Rogers and Laird
-Work with Rogers
	-Berlin
-People's Republic Of China [PRC] communiqué
-News stories
-Rogers's role
-Objections
-Rogers
-Gerard C. Smith
-Support
-Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
-Secretary of Defense
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] Director
-Objections
-Rogers
-News stories
-Rogers's complaints
-Credit for agreement

Vietnam
-President's policies
-Credit
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Paris peace negotiations
-Walkout
-The President’s view
-Kissinger's trip to Moscow
-Porter and plenary session
-Editorial comment
	Washington Star
-President's evaluation
-Possible walkout
-Soviet interpretation
-North Vietnam's interpretation
-US public opinion
-Support for walkout
-Criticism
-Senate Democratic caucus
-Position
-Robert C. Byrd
-Michael J. Mansfield Resolution
-George D. Aiken
-J. William Fulbright proposal
-Aiken’s view

Soviet Summit
-Cancellation
-US public opinion
-Impact of walkout on Vietnam negotiations
-President's approach
	-Possible options
-Impact on Thieu
-Impact on Hanoi
-Impact on Soviets
-Initial impact
-Columnists
-Senators and Congressmen
-Concerns
-Suspicions
-Soviet response
-Further negotiations
-Impact of propaganda on public opinion in US and abroad
-Erosion over time
-Reasons
-Media attacks on President's foreign policy
-Soviet responsibility
-Impact on war's outcome
-Relation to new foreign policy
-PRC
-Soviet Union
	-The President’s view
-Effects
-US public opinion
-Forthcoming Democratic convention
-Forthcoming election

Vietnam War
-Impact on forthcoming election
-Impact on war's outcome
-Importance
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Military failure
-Military-foreign policy of successor
-Soviet Summit
	-Possible effects of cancellation on South Vietnam
	-President’s evaluation
	-Place on summit agenda
	-Domestic impact
-US options
-Military action
-Effect on Soviet Summit
-US public support
-Effect on Soviet Union
-Effect on South Vietnam
-Effect on Soviet Union
-Effect on North Vietnam
-Perception
	-Hue
-Importance
-Military action
-Effects

President's choices
-Cancellation of Summit compared with military action
-Risks
-Impact on war's outcome
-Kissinger's assessment
-Effects of cancellation
-Vietnam War
-Presidency
-President's place in history
-US role in the world
-President's trip to Moscow
-Risks
-US credibility with Soviet Union
-Allies' perception of US
-Soviet supplies to Vietnam
-Principles of coexistence
-Trade
-Middle East
-India-Pakistan War
-Southeast Asia
-Perception of President's policies
-Relationship to Vietnam War
-Peace
-Military victory
-Military defeat
	-Hue
-A letter
-Possible Soviet responses
-Content
-Responses
-Cancellation of Summit
-Further military action

	Press relations
-Response of liberals and press
-Impact on President and Kissinger
	-Column by Hugh S. Sidey and James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
		-William P. Rogers
		-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
	-Kissinger's press briefings
		-Portrayal by press
			-Reasons
-Press
	-Richard [Surname unknown]
	-[Unknown person]
-Attacks by State Department
	-Rogers
		-Bernard Gwertzman
	-New York Times article by Gwertzman
		-Sources
-Rogers
-Haig
-Rogers
		-Content
			-Murray Marder article
			-Rogers
-May 31, 1971 plan
-Kissinger's press contact
	-Sidey
	-Jerrold L. Schecter
-State Department press contact
-Time poll
-New York Times article by Gwertzman
-Richard F. Pedersen
-Robert J. McCloskey
-Kissinger's press contact
	-Haldeman's views
-Pedersen
	-Position at United Nations [UN]

Vietnam
-Military action
-Effect on Summit
-Possible cancellation
-President's speech
-Preparation
	-Conclusions
-President's options
	-Bombing Hanoi
-Kissinger draft
-Winston Lord
-John K. Andrews, Jr.
-Helmut Sonnenfeldt
-President's options
-Paris negotiations
-Walkout
-Timing
-Choices for US
-North Vietnamese offensive
-President's response
-Walkout
-North Vietnamese response
	-Lyndon B. Johnson
-North Vietnamese proposals
-Contents
-US rejection
-US counterproposal
-US response
-Language
-Benefit of continuing negotiations
-Thieu
-Effect on further military action
-Effect on Soviet Summit
-May 4, 1972 meeting
-Issues
	-Offensive
	-Ceasefire
	-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Expected response
	-Thieu
	-Press freedom
		-New York Times
-Military action
-Urgency
-Timing
-News coverage
-Soviet response
-Impact on Summit
-Military benefits
-Signal to Hanoi
-Message to Soviets
-Leonid I. Brezhnev's conversation with Gus Hall
-Possible cancellation of Summit
-President's visit to Moscow
-Timing with North Vietnamese offensive
-SALT agreement
-Common principles
	-Possible signature
-Possible cancellation
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Weather
-Resupply of South Vietnam
-Haig
-Tanks
-Planes
	-B-52s
		-F-4s
-Message for Porter
-Wording
	-Le Duc Tho
-President’s speech
-Wording
-President’s schedule
-Kissinger's forthcoming trip to Japan
-President’s summary
-Forthcoming election
-Need to avert defeat by Soviets

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 15s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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Soviet Summit
-Risks of military action in Vietnam
-Ceasefire possibility
	-Possible US response
	-North Vietnam
		-Hue

President's foreign policy
-Negotiating principles
-Trade, Middle East
-PRC
-Vietnam

Soviet Summit
-Danger of attending during North Vietnamese offensive
	-Appearance of US weakness
-US cancellation
-Consequences for Vietnam
-Thieu's defeat
	-The President’s view
-Effect of US military action
-Soviet cancellation of Summit
-Effect on peace talks
	-The President’s meeting with Congressional leaders
-Effect on forthcoming election

South Vietnam
-Thieu
-Opposition
-Duong Van Minh's position
	-Moorer
-US relations with Thieu
-Expendability
-North Vietnamese conditions

Soviet Summit
-Cancellation and military action
-Timing
-Advantages
-Disadvantages
-Relationship to military activities
	-Hue
	-Kontum
-Agreements with Soviets
-Benefits
	-Health, science
	-Brezhnev
-Risks
	-Europe, PRC
-Value
	-Forthcoming elections
-Response of allies
-Frank J. Shakespeare's assessment of détente
-Effect on President's prestige
-Link to Southeast Asia
-Importance of area
-Respect for President
-Cancellation
-Reasons
-Danger of attending during North Vietnamese offensive
-Nelson A. Rockfeller and Attica prison comparison

President's forthcoming speech
-Decision
-Timing
-Draft of speech
-Time of delivery
-Air strikes
-Arrangement with Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. and Moorer
-Timing of possible Summit cancellation
-Draft of speech
-Effect on President's thinking
-Preparation
-Expected effects of speech
-Military action
-Timing
-Summit
-Cancellation
-Effect on military action
-Preparation of draft
-Timing of decision

Kissinger left at 12:11 pm.

Conversation No. 718-10

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  12:14-unknown before 12:18 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

President's schedule
-Forthcoming meeting
-Barber
-Time
-Arrangements
-Time

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:18 pm.

Conversation No. 718-11

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  Unknown after 12:14-12:18 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull and Alexander P. Butterfield.

President's schedule
-Appointment with barber
-Time

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:18 pm.

	Signatures

Telephone call recommendation from Charles W. Colson

Notes

Temperature in office

Compilation of material on astronauts
-Sanford L. Fox
-Purpose
-Approval

Butterfield left at 12:18 pm.

Conversation No. 718-12

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  Unknown after 12:18-12:35 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Manolo Sanchez.

Sanchez
	-Forthcoming knee operation
		-Amount of recovery time

Rose Mary Woods entered at 12:19 pm.

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:35 pm.

Temperature in Oval Office

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration:  2m 42s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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Gift for John B. and Idanell B. (“Nellie”) Connally

	Decanter

Letter to Cyrus R. Smith
-Copy to Connally
-Gratitude for decanter
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Connally
-Commemoration of previous World's Fair
-Nixon Library

Letters to President from Mrs. John Connally III's class
-President's letter of appreciation
-Postscript
-The President’s and Mrs. Nixon's visit to Connally ranch

Adele (Langston) Rogers St. Johns's telephone call to Woods
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-President's statement upon J. Edgar Hoover's death
-Previous trip by President to Florida
-Gridiron Dinner
-President's appearance with John F. Kennedy
-Hoover's statement about the President

Letter to Miriam Summerfield
-Form
-President's call
	-[Arthur E. Summerfield]

Letter to Senator Abraham A. Ribicoff
-Other form of condolence

Decanter
-Location
-Stephen B. Bull
-John Connally
-Sanford L. Fox
-Description

Hoover
-President's eulogy
-Location
	-Warren E. Burger
-President's statement upon Hoover's death
-Eulogy
-Preparation

Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Location

Temperature in Oval Office

President's schedule

Sanchez
-Forthcoming knee operation
	-Recovery time

Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:19 pm.

Weather

The President, Woods and Sanchez left at 12:35 pm.

Conversation No. 718-14

Date:  May 3, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 12:35 pm and 12:59 pm
Location:  Oval Office

Unknown people [Secret Service agents] met.

An unknown agent talked with an unknown person at an unknown time after 12:35 pm.

[Conversation No. 718-14A]

	The President’s location
		-Executive Office Building [EOB]

[End of telephone conversation]

	[Unintelligible]

The conversation was cutoff at an unknown time before 12:59 pm.