Conversation No. 726-1

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  10:30 am - 11:42 am
Location:  Oval Office

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

Vietnam
-Press coverage
-Response
-Spiro T. Agnew's speech
	-Wording
-New York Times
-Kenneth W. Clawson response to Anthony Lewis column
-North Vietnam propaganda
-Ship movements
-Administration response
-Criticism of President's policies

Henry A. Kissinger
-Location
-Jacob K. Javits
-Dinner with Kissinger
-Lack of support for President's policies
-Dinner with Stewart J.O. Alsop
-Joseph W. Alsop

  Pentagon
-Bomb explosion
-Suspects
-"Weathermen"
-Note
-Telephone call
-Washington Post

Vietnam
-Press reports on Soviet ships

-Administration response
-Charles W. Colson
-Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Robert J. McCloskey
-Coverage
-St. Louis Post-Dispatch
-New York Times
-Washington Post
-Wire reports

West Wing waiting room
-Current situation
-Shared with a secretary
-Separate room for distinguished guests

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 10:36 am.

Agnew's trip
-Meeting with press
-Tone
-Content
-Report on Saigon and South Vietnam

George C. Wallace
-President’s visit
-Wire reports
-Ziegler’s press briefing

Ziegler left at 10:38 am.

Public support for President
-Meeting with unidentified black woman
	-Vietnam
-Possible trips throughout US

Soviet trip
-Television reports
-Charles W. Colson
-Administration response
-Speeches
-Articles
-Press speculation

Wallace
-President's visit
-Handling
-Discussion
-President's Soviet trip

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration:  1m 59s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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Kissinger
-Location

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 10:38 and 10:48 am.  

[Conversation No. 726-1A]

[End of telephone conversation]

-Meeting with President and Agnew

George S. McGovern

Van Cliburn
-Possible appearance
-Soviet Union trip
-Soviets' response
-Carnegie Hall concert
-Playing of Star Spangled Banner
-Audience response
-Possible appearance
-President's dinner in Soviet Union
-Parallel to dinner for Gen. Charles A.J.M. DeGaulle
-Jascha Heifetz

Radio Free Europe
-Uses
-Kissinger's views
-Soviet Union
-Poland
-Kissinger
-Meeting with President
-The President’s view
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Poland
-Soviet Union
-Mention of freedom
-President's trip
-News reports
-Wording
-Poland
-Mention of freedom, religion
-Kissinger
-The President’s view
	-Briefing books

Agnew's schedule

Haldeman talked with Kissinger at unknown time between 10:38 and 10:48 am.

[Conversation No. 726-1B]

Kissinger
-Meeting with President and Agnew
-Time
-Message

[End of telephone conversation]

Wallace
-Harry S. Dent's analysis

President's policies
-Support
-Busing
-Welfare
-Vietnam
-President's attitude
	-Resignations

Soviet trip
-William P. Rogers
-Adele (Langston) Rogers
	-Poland trip
	-Soviet Union trip
-Future trips with President
-Adele Rogers's schedule

Kissinger entered at 10:48 am.

President's message

Agnew entered at 10:48 am.

Greetings

Time

Agnew's trip
-Itinerary
-Japan
-Bangkok
-Vietnam
-Fundraiser
-Tricia Nixon Cox
-Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope
-Press briefing

Haldeman left at 10:51 am.

Vietnam
-North Vietnam offensive
-Kontum
-B-52 strikes
-Number
-Intelligence reports
-North Vietnam attacks
-Delays
-Statements for Agnew
-Loss
-An Loc
-Possible loss
-Hue
-Possible loss
-An Loc
-Kontum
-Possible loss
-Pleiku
-Casualties
-New York Times coverage
-Lewis
-The President;s view
-Blockade
-Lewis column
	-Failure
-New York Times article
	-Polish ship
	-East German ships
		-Unloading difficulties in Haiphong
	-Time in harbor
-Polish ship
	-Date of arrival in Haiphong
-Mining
	-Effectiveness
		-Kissinger’s view
-Previous National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Melvin R. Laird
	-Pentagon
-Rogers
-Richard M. Helms
	-Intelligence community
-Agnew
-John B. Connally
-Parallel To 1968 Report
	-The President’s view
	-Guerrilla war compared with mechanized war
	-Supply lines
		-Sihanoukville
		-Transport of war material to III and IV Corps
		-Cambodia incursion
		-Precision bombing of North Vietnam
-Blockade
-Impact
-Supplies
-Air strikes
-Railroads
	-Destruction
-Petroleum, oil, and lubricants [POL]
	-Destruction
		-Percentage in Haiphong, Hanoi and Environs
	-Photographs
	-Pumping stations
-Hanoi
	-Power Stations
-Rails
	-Bridges to PRC
		-Effect
	-Trucking of POL
	-Problems
-Blockade
-Use of PRC ports
-Destinations
	-Haiphong
	-Vladivostok
	-Odessa
-Agnew's use of information
-Report from French Ambassador
-India-Pakistan War
-Reports from North Vietnam
-Sources
-Soviet Summit
-Impact on North Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Bridge destruction
	-PRC response
		-Chou En-lai
-Limits
	-American pilots in PRC
-PRC response
	-Soviet ships
	-Overland movement to North Vietnam
-Blockade
-Public support for President
	-Poll percentages
-Soviet Summit
	-Impact
-North Vietnam morale
-US troop morale
	-Television reports
-South Vietnam Morale
	-Improvements
	-US press reports
	-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Impact on North Vietnam
-North Vietnam offensive
-Gains
	-Quang Tri
-Limits
-An Loc
-Kontum
-Impact of air strikes and blockade
-Hue
-US holding action
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. report
-Kontum

Agnew's previous trip to Japan
-Report to President
-Japan
-Reversion ceremonies
	-Agnew’s view
-Eisaku Sato
	-Remarks
		-References to US
			-[Unintelligible]
-[Emperor of Japan] Hirohito
	-Audience
-Protocol for Agnew
-Emperor Hirohito
	-Anchorage Visit
	-Possible visit to US
-Support for the President’s Southeast Asia policies
	-Relations with US
		-Sato
	-Takeo Fukuda
	-Kakuei Tanaka
		-Fukuda
	-Liberal Democrats
	-Sato
		-President's visit to PRC
	-Impact on Japan
		-Japanese-US ties
	-Economic
	-Fukuda
		-United Nations [UN] Security Council seat for Japan
	-US position
		-Possible successor to Sato
	-Tanaka
	-Foreign Minister
		-Agnew's meeting
	-Tanaka
		-Agnew's meeting
-Future leaders
	-Stance toward the US
		-Sato's report
-Liberal Democratic Party
	-Strength
	-Opposition
		-Communist and Social parties
	-Demonstrations
		-Reversion
		-Police handling
-Indochina
-Lt. Gen. T.N.J. Suharto visit to Japan
-Sato
	-View of Indochinese
	-Agnew’s response
-Suharto compared with Thieu
	-Thieu 
	-Ellsworth F. Bunker's view of Thieu
-Sato
-View of Indochinese leadership
-Vietnam
-Meeting with Thieu, Bunker, and Abrams
-Meeting with Bunker and Abrams
	-Tan Son Nhut
	-View of Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] capacities
-Thieu
	-Demeanor
	-Briefing on North Vietnam offensive
	-Response to North Vietnam
		-Counter attacks
	-Time
-North Vietnam offensive
	-Strategy
		-Territorial forces
		-Political structure
-Quang-Tri
-Hue
-An Loc
-Kontum
-Pleiku
-Coalition government
-Thieu
	-View of mining
		-South Vietnam capacities
	-Timing
-Air Strikes
	-Effectiveness
	-South Vietnam morale
	-North Vietnam supplies and morale
	-B-52s
		-Impact
		-Effectiveness
-Kontum
	-North Vietnam Losses
		-Intelligence reports
			-North Vietnam regiments
	-Thieu, Bunker and Abrams view on retention
		-Pleiku Road
-Military Region One
-Gen. Ngo Quang Truong
-South Vietnam defense
-Strategy
-Air strikes
	-Surface-to-air [SAM] missiles
-Movement
-Hanoi, Haiphong, demilitarized zone [DMZ]
-Air strikes
-Commando operations in North Vietnam
-The President’s view
-Discussion in State Department
-South Vietnam force
-Discussion with Thieu
-Meeting with Thieu
-An Loc, Kontum, Hue
-Strike into North Vietnam
-Thieu's position
-Air strikes
-Bridges
	-Haiphong, Hanoi, Paul Doumer bridge
-Effectiveness
-POL
-Rail lines

The President signaled the White House operator at an unknown time between 10:51 am and 11:16 am.

[Conversation No. 726-1C]

[See Conversation No. 24-156]

-Limits place on Air Force bombing 

[The above portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation No. 726-1C].

	-Reaction by US Air Force [USAF]
		-Kissinger’s view
	-Air Force Chief of Staff
		-Kissinger’s view
	-Kissinger’s orders
	-Adm. John S. McCain, Jr.

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 10:51 am and 11:16 am.

[Conversation No. 726-1D]

[See Conversation No. 24-157]

[End of telephone conversation]

	-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Location
	-Targets
		-Buffer zone
	-Restrictions
	-Hanoi area
		-Reluctance
	-Reasons
	-Moorer
		-Meeting with President and Kissinger
		-Location

Stephen B. Bull entered at 11:16 am.

Bull talked with Moorer between 11:16 am and 11:17 am.

[Conversation No. 726-1E]

[See Conversation No. 24-158]

[End of telephone conversation]

Moorer
-Location
-Meeting with President and Kissinger

Bull left at an unknown time at or before 11:17 am.

Agnew's trip
-Vietnam
-Air strikes
-M-36s

[The above portion of the office conversation took place simultaneously with Conversation No. 726-1E]

Vietnam
-Air Force
-Limits
	-President's orders
-The President’s view
-Responsibility
-Problems
-Gen. John D. Ryan
	-Replacement
	-The President’s view
-The President’s view
-Attitude
	-Compared with the Israeli Air Force

Moorer entered at 11:17 am.

Greetings

Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Limits
	-Comments from South Vietnam and Pearl Harbor
		-Reports to Agnew
-Ryan
	-Replacement
	-The President’s view
		-Ryan’s son
-President's orders
-Restrictions
	-Reasons
	-Hanoi
		-Distance
		-Duration
-Air Force
	-Reasons For Performance
		-The President’s view
		-Press reports
		-Reports to Agnew
-Commanders
	-Replacements
		-Air Force Chief of Staff
-President's orders
	-Ryan
	-McCain
-Retrictions
	-Reaction
		-Reasons
-Air Force
-Performances
	-Moorer’s view
	-Reason
	-The President’s view
-Israeli Air Force
-B-52s
	-Location
	-Abrams's report
-Attitude
-Support of President
-Ryan
	-Possible resignation
		-The President’s view
-Hanoi
	-POL
-Comments to Agnew
-Restricted areas
	-Implementation
-Date
-Changes
	-Moorer's responsibility
	-Time
	-Methods

Moorer left at 11:22 am.

Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Raids
-President's orders
-Attitude
-Weather
-Number of sorties in past week
-Ceiling
-Blockade
-Reaction
			-Laird, Defense Department, State Department, Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-Air strikes
-Air Force
	-Changes
		-Ryan
		-Moorer
-Restrictions
	-Implementation
		-Date and duration
	-PRC border
		-Bridges
	-Hanoi
		-Soviet Embassy
		-Power plant

Kissinger
-Meeting with Congressional Leaders
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]

Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Authorization
-Power plants
-Hanoi
-Haiphong
-Restrictions
-Number of targets
	-Time
-Reason for action
	-Losses
		-B-52s
		-Hanoi area
	-SAMs
	-Air Force responsibility
	-Compared with US Navy and Haiphong
	-Air Force
-Hanoi
	-President's orders
	-Haiphong targets compared with Hanoi targets
-B-52 strikes
-President's orders
-Abrams's attitude

Kissinger
-SALT meeting

Kissinger left at 11:25 am.

Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Air Force responsibility

Agnew's trip
-Vietnam
-Abrams
	-South Vietnam bombing
	-The President’s view
-Thailand
-Leaders
	-Attitude towards blockade
-US air bases
	-Economic benefits
-North East insurgency
	-US military aid
		-Helicopters
	-Congress
	-Funds
	-Agnew talk with Laird
	-Need for action
	-Agnew report to President
		-Armored vehicles
	-Number unused
	-Significance
		-Small unit communications equipment
-Drug traffic
	-Opium
	-Lester L. Wolff
		-Opium Destruction Program
	-Credit
	-Thais
	-PRC
-Military briefing by Agnew
-Support for President's policies
	-Leonard Unger
	-Views on Vietnam
	-Replacement
	-The President’s view
	-Beliefs
-Ambassador Bunker
-Attitude toward President's policies
-Attitude toward Thieu

Vietnam
-Agnew's press briefing
-President's policies
	-Success
		-Vietnamization
-North Vietnam offensive
	-Failure
		-US Pacification Program
		-Reason
-President's policies
	-Success
-Soviet Summit
-Soviet attitude toward North Vietnam
-Settlement
	-Failure
		-Consequences
	-Destruction of Hanoi
	-Civilian casualties
-Air strikes
-Hanoi power plant
-Report to Agnew at Guam
-B-52s
-McCain
-Possible retention
-Son [John S. McCain, III]
	-POW
-Extension of command
-Abrams
-Agnew’s view
-Meeting with Agnew
-Attitude toward air strikes
-Strategy
	-An Loc
	-Kontum
	-South Vietnam morale
	-Targets
		-Thieu's position
-President's policies
-Blockade
-North Vietnam bombing
-B-52s
-Use in South Vietnam
-Number
-Limitations
-Carriers
-Marine squadrons
	-Number
	-Japan
	-Thailand

Agnew's trip
-Japan
-Thailand
-Consultations
	-Leaks
-Japan
-South Vietnam, Saigon
-Agnew's report to press
-Success

Wallace
-President's previous visit
-Possible Agnew visit
-Timing
-Condition
-Paralysis
	-Extent
	-Doctor's reports
-Attitude
-President's visit
-American flag
-Possible Agnew visit
-President's suggestion
-Agnew's statement
-Call to Cornelia Wallace
-Arrangements
-Dr. William M. Lukash
-Purpose

Agnew's schedule
-Rest
-A dinner
-Tricia Nixon Cox
-John Wayne, Francis A. (“Frank”) Sinatra, Hope, James (“Jimmy”) Stewart
-Fundraiser

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration:  22s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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	Wallace
-Gun control legislation
-Herbert L. (“Herblock”) Block cartoon
-Sick society
-President's proposed legislation
-Advocates
-Sick society
-Assassination attempt on Franklin D. Roosevelt and [Mayor Anton Cermak]
-Assassination attempt on Harry S. Truman
-Blair House
-Killing of Secret Service agent
-Shooting in House of Representatives
-Price of free society
-Dictatorships
-Soviet Union
	-Firearms
-Sick society
-Rebuttals
	-Roosevelt
	-Truman

John B. Connally
-Plans
-Return to Texas
	-Brother

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration:  2m 48s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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Agnew
-Press briefing

[This conversation continues on Conversation No. 726-2]

Conversation No. 726-2

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time: 11:42 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Spiro T. Agnew and Stephen B. Bull; this conversation is a continuation of Conversation No. 726-1.

Agnew
	-Escort to press room
	-Tricia Nixon Cox

Butterfield left.

Conversation No. 726-3

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time: 11:42 am - 11:45 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

  President's schedule
-Press reception
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
	-Presence
	-Remarks

Butterfield left at 11:45 am.

Conversation No. 726-4

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  11:45 am- 12:19 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

President's schedule
-3 o'clock meeting
-Meeting with Robert C. Byrd
-Black lung bill
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Meeting with George P. Shultz
-Meeting with Ehrlichman
-Plans
-President's absence

Bull left at an unknown time before 11:46 am.

-Meeting with Shultz
-Morale
-Personnel
-Following John B. Connally’s policies
-Amount of time

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 11:46 am.

-Length of meeting
	-Time
-Shultz
	-Time
-Ehrlichman
	-Time
-Shultz
	-Time
-Ehrlichman
-Meeting on Capitol Hill
-Time
-Briefing books
-Number
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Shultz
	-Meeting with President
	-Time allotted
-Appointments

Soviet Summit
-Robert J. McCloskey call
-Briefing
-William P. Rogers
-Call
-Appearance at McCloskey's briefing
-Purpose
-President's press conference
-Time
-Rogers's briefing
	-The President’s view
		-Kissinger
	-Talking points
		-McCloskey
		-Bilateral discussions
	-Effect on President's press conference
-Purpose
-Kissinger briefing
-Austria
-Date
-Content
-President's press conference
-McCloskey call to Ziegler
-Rogers's call to Ziegler
	-Ziegler's response
		-Ehrlichman
		-Shultz
-Rogers's press briefing
	-Ziegler's response
-President's press conference

An unknown woman entered at an unknown time after 11:46 am.

Kissinger
-Meeting with President
-Location

The unknown woman left at an unknown time before 11:55 am.

Soviet Summit
-Rogers's press briefing
-Advantages
-Adele (Langston) Rogers
-Presence in Poland
-Rogers
-Visit to Vladimir Lenin's tomb
	-Described
-Knowledge
-President's press conference
-Press coverage
-Rogers's press conference
-Press coverage

President's visits to George C. Wallace
-Press coverage

Rogers
	-The President’s view

President's press conference
-Purpose

Kissinger
-Meeting with President
-Rogers
-Briefing in Austria

Soviet Summit
-Rogers
-Absence
-President's press conference
-Scope
-Briefings by Rogers, Peter G. Peterson, and Earl L. Butz
-Rogers
-Plenary sessions
-Meeting with Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Meeting with Andrei A. Gromyko
-The President’s view
-Vietnam blockade position
-Briefings
	-Science

Kissinger
-Meeting with President
-An unknown woman
-Length of meeting

Haldeman talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 11:46 am and 11:55 am.

[Conversation No. 726-4A]

	Meeting with President
		-Location

[End of telephone conversation]

Soviet Summit
-McCloskey
-Rogers
-Call from Ziegler
-Press conference

Kissinger entered at 11:55 am.

	-Calls from Rogers and McCloskey
	-Reasons
	-Kissinger briefing in Salzburg
-President's press conference
-Conflict with Rogers
-Rogers's press conference
-Reasons
-Marvin L. Kalb report
	-Rebuttal
-State Department compared with the White House
-Rebuttal
	-Rogers
		-Position in National Security Council [NSC]
		-Talk with Connally
-President's press conference
-The President’s decision
-Relation to Rogers's press briefing
-Time
-Possible attendees
	-Rogers
	-Staff members
-Purpose
-Attendees
-Rogers
-Kissinger
-White House staff
-Kissinger
-William L. Safire
-Herbert G. Klein
-Press office staff

Ziegler
-Call to Rogers
-President's press conference

Kissinger
-Background briefing in Salzburg

President's attitude
-Priorities
-Conflicts

Ziegler left at 11:58 am.

Vietnam
-Spiro T. Agnew's comments 
-Target limitations
	-President's response
-Air strikes
-Limits
	-Melvin R. Laird
	-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Abrams
-Future as Chief of Staff
-Reasons
-President's orders
-Kissinger’s view
-Psychological campaign
-Laird's amendments
	-[David] Kenneth Rush
	-Laird-Abrams telephone call
-President's orders
	-Air Force comments to Agnew
	-Call to Adm. John S. McCain, Jr.
		-President's response to Air Force's work
-Rush
	-Possible call from Haldeman concerning Laird
	-Soviet trip

Kissinger's schedule
-A meeting
-Postponement
-Meeting on Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson

Adm. Thomad H. Moorer

SALT
-Described
-Conditions
-Gerard C. Smith
-Hawks' position
-Soviet demand
-Weapons freeze

Ehrlichman entered at 12:00 pm.

Vietnam
-Air action
-President's orders
-Complaints to Agnew
-Agnew's position
-Additional action in North Vietnam
-Propaganda
-Failure
-Richard M. Helms
	-Replacement
	-The President’s view

Ziegler entered at 12:01 pm.

Soviet Summit
-Rogers
	-An announcement
	-President's press conference
	-Clark M. Clifford
	-Rogers's press briefing

President's schedule
-Meetings with Ehrlichman and Shultz

Soviet Summit
-Ziegler's statement to Rogers
-Plans
-President's press conference
-Rogers's press conference
-Plans
-Statements
-President's press conference
-Time
-Rogers's press conference
-Call from Haldeman
-Problems
-Problems
	-Vietnam
-Impression
-President's press conference
-Handling
-Roger's press conference
-Impression
-Haldeman call
-Ziegler call
	-Time
-Soviet Summit

Ziegler left at 12:04 pm.

Vietnam
-Psychological warfare
-Delay
	-Duration
-Timing
	-Soviet Summit
-Leaflets
	-Hanoi
-Other forms of propaganda
-Past performance
	-Kissinger's understanding
-Air strikes
-Agnew's report on Abrams

President's schedule
-Briefing books
-Last book
	-Locations
-Meeting with George P. Shultz
	-Authority

Vietnam
-Psychological warfare
-Leaflet drops
	-Locations
-News story
-Rebuttal

Haldeman and Kissinger left at 12:05 pm.

Black lung legislation
-President's signing
-Cost
-Administrative concerns
-Robert C. Byrd's suggestion
-President's veto
-Political damage
-Arch A. Moore
-Pennsylvania
-Ohio
-Illinois
-Congress
-Override
-Byrd
-Senate and House support
- of bill
-Support for President
-Effect on President's reelection chances
-Meeting with President
		-Time
-News story
		-Date of release
		-Moore
-Moore
-President's veto
-Call from Ehrlichman
-Byrd

Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] report
-Wallace shooting
-Arthur H. Bremer
-The President’s view
-Political affiliations
	-Wallace support
-Diary
	-Transcription for President
-Mental state
	-Wallace, McGovern
-Motives
	-Publicity
	-Money
-Political affiliation
	-Wallace, McGovern

Wallace
-Meeting with President
-Physical condition
-Morale
-President's visit
-Physical condition
-Analysis
-Effect on Wallace

Busing
-Ehrlichman's briefing
-Constitutional amendment
	-The President’s memeorandum
-Congressional conference report
-Congressional action
-Time
-President response
-Legislation
-Time
-Richard M. Scammon's surveys
-Domestic Council
-Edwin L. Harper, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Leonard Garment
-The President’s view
-Political sensitivities
-President's position
-Freedom of choices
-Use of term
	-Housing, schools
-Connotations
-Dual school system
-Ehrlichman's trip to Michigan
-Quote on President's position

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration:  1m 13s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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-Conference report
	-New York Times support
	-President's veto
	-The President’s view

Welfare reform
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Memorandum to President
-Compromise with Abraham A. Ribicoff
-President's orders
-Ehrlichman's memorandum to Richardson and James D. Hodgson

Rebuttal memorandum
-President's initials

Budget
-President's position
-House Resolution [HR]1
-Ehrlichman memorandum
-President's signature
-Effect

Shultz
-Confirmation
-Timing with Richard G. Kleindienst's confirmation
	-Reason
-Order of confirmation
	-Clark MacGregor

Kleindienst
-Confirmation
-Timing
-Swearing-in
-Notary public clerk
-Shultz
	-President's role

Shultz
-President's view 
-Swearing-in
-President's role

Revenue sharing
-Bill in House of Representatives
-Celebration
	-Connally, Ehrlichman's position
-Statement

Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT]
-Caspar W. Weinberger plan
-Political considerations
-Funds cutoff
-Contracts with agencies
	-Termination
	-Method
	-Rationalization
	-Method
-Possible complaints
-Vietnam

Gun control
-Effect of Wallace shooting
-Need for action
-"Saturday night specials"
-Bremer
	-Gun control laws in Maryland
-Laws
-Impact on citizen
	-Ehrlichman’s view
-Impact on criminals
	-Senate bills
		-Birch E. Bayh, Jr. Roman L. Hruska
-Administration’s position
	-Press office
	-Ehrlichman speech
		-Philadelphia
-Impact on citizen
-Administration position
-Press coverage

Soviet trip
-Ehrlichman's best wishes
-Meeting with Ehrlichman

Ehrlichman left at 12:19 pm.

Conversation No. 726-5

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  12:19 pm - 12:49 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with George P. Shultz.

[Discontinuities at the end of the conversation appear in the original recording.]

Shultz
-Confirmation
	-Clark MacGregor
-Timing with Richard G. Kleindienst's confirmation
-Tactical considerations
-Congressional tactics
-Acting Secretary of Treasury
-Confirmation
-Hearings
	-Support
	-Relationship to Kleindienst hearings
	-Filibuster
	-President's strategy
	-Timing
-Ease
-Acting Secretary of Treasury
-Legality
-Timing
	-The President’s trip to the Soviet Union
	-John B. Connally trip
		-Date
		-Australia, New Zealand, and South America
	-Purpose
-Shultz's assumption of position
	-Legal impediments
	-Date
		-Connally trip
-Transition
-Speed

Shultz's schedule
-Briefings
-Meetings with Congressmen
-Office of Management and Budget [OMB] work

Connally
-Trip
-Status

Shultz
-Acting Secretary status

Treasury Department
-Personnel
-Shultz's choices
-Tax reform
-Personnel
-Edwin S. Cohen
-Personnel
-Shake-up at top
	-Current problems
-"Chicago group"
	-Arnold R. Weber
		-Knowledge
		-Work on freeze
-Management needs
	-Internal Revenue Service [IRS], Customs
		-Shake-up at IRS
	-Connally's changes
	-President's expectations of Shultz
-Changes
-Scope
-Timing
	-Forthcoming election
-Preparation
-Qualities
	-Youth
-Possible current changes
	-Effect
		-Top managers
	-Support of President
	-Charls E. Walker
	-Paul A. Volcker
	-Future positions
-Shultz's team
	-Connally's team
		-Qualities desired

Department of Labor
	-Shultz’s previous tenure

George Meany
-Call
-Meeting
	-Cost of Living Council [COLC] , tax reform
	-Benefits

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration:  23s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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

-Work with Shultz
-Lee Elder
	-Identified
	-Appointment as golf professional at Washington, DC golf course
		-Rogers C.B. Morton

George B. Hartzog, Jr.
-The President’s view
-Future
-Action on Elder appointment

Elder
-Appointment as gold professional
-President's orders
-Shultz's call to Meany
-President's role

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration:  2m 24s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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

Economic policy
-Shultz
	-Knowledge
-Conflicts with Arthur F. Burns
-Money supply
-Convertibility
-Tax system
-The President’s view
-Reform
-Use
	-Social goals
		-Legislation and appropriations
		-Charitable deductions
-Simplification
	-Tax lawyers
	-Value-added tax [VAT]
	-Manufacturers' excise
-Loopholes
-Milton Friedman
-Recruitment
-The President’s view
-Consultation
	-Possibility
	-Support for President
	-View of wage and price controls
	-Recruitment
	-President's urging
		-The President’s trip tot he Soviet Union
	-Teaching load
	-Conditions
-Personnel
-Recruitment
-Qualities desired
-Friedman
	-Radicalism
	-The President’s view
		-Value
	-The President’s message
-Shultz's future plans
-Tax reform
-Treasury Department
-Shake-up
-Dwight D. Eisenhower era personnel
	-The President’s view
-Harry S. Truman era personnel
	-The President’s view
-Congressional partnership
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Russell B. Long
	-Meetings with Shultz
	-Advice
	-Work with President
	-Senate role
-Mills
-Importance
-Meeting with President
-Tax bill
	-Mills's position on reductions
		-Problems
-Loopholes
	-Democratic criticisms
-Effect of Democratic National Convention
-Republicans
-Importance
-Meetings with Shultz
-Shultz's relationship with President, Republicans
-Handling

Treasury Department
-Shultz's nomination
-President's advice on role
-Connally
-Relationship with Caspar W. Weinberger on budget
	-Importance
-Trade and monetary policy
	-US National interests
	-Trade terms
	-Protectionism
		-Forthcoming election
		-President's position
		-Support for Connally's position
	-Shultz's position
		-Press reports
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Work on international trade policy
	-Connally
	-Knowledge
-Shultz's role
	-Quadriad
	-COLC
-Controls
-1972 election
-Termination
	-Timing
-Budget
-Projections

Shultz left at 12:49 pm.

Conversation No. 726-6

Date:  May 19, 1972

Time:  Unknown between 12:49 pm and 12:51 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

President's schedule
-Dr. W. Kenneth Riland
	-Press reception
-A barber's appointment
-Robert C. Byrd
-Time
-Bi-partisan congressional leaders
-A barber's appointment
-Time

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:51 pm.

Conversation No. 726-7

Date:  May 19,1972
Time:  12:51pm - 12:55 pm
Location:  Oval Office

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

President's schedule
-A meeting
-Meeting with Henry A. Kissinger
-Jacob K. Javits
-The President’s view

Soviet summit
-William P. Rogers's press conference
-Call from Ronald L. Ziegler
-Reasons
	-Clark M. Clifford
-Statements
-Marvin L. Kalb report
-Source

	-Kissinger
		-Dinner party with Marvin Kalb and Bernard Kalb
-Content

Haldeman left at 12:55 pm.

Conversation No. 726-8

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  12:55 pm - 1:04 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with William J. Porter and Henry A. Kissinger.

Greetings

Porter's schedule
-Travel
-Children

Vietnam
-Paris talks
-North Vietnam Strategy
-Le Duc Tho
	-Stay in Paris
	-Stops in Peking and Moscow
-North Vietnam offensive
-Losses
-US and South Vietnam counter action
-US bombing
-Limitations
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
-Ceasefire
-South, North
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Purpose
-Blockade
-Harm to North Vietnam
-President's peace terms
-State Department response
	-Foreign service

-Pentagon response
	-The President’s view
-Air strikes
-Adm. John S. McCain
	-Talk with Spiro T. Agnew
-McCain
	-Restrictions
		-Ceilings
	-The President’s trip to the Soviet Union
	-Talk with Henry A. Kissinger
	-Future
	-Orders from President
-Damages
	-Aerial photographs
-PRC border
	-Restrictions
		-Reason
	-Targets in Area
		-Bridges
		-Railroad marshalling yards
	-Railroad marshalling yards
		-Damage
	-Photographs
	-Restrictions
		-Response
			-Basis
-Effect
	-Railroads
	-Trucks
		-Limitations
	-Railroads
		-Pontoon bridges
	-Trucks
		-Usefulness in moving supplies
-Paris talks
-Porter's role
-Plenary session
-Timing
	-Private session
-President's offers
	-North Vietnam responses
	-North Vietnam counter offers
	-Soviets
-Possible North Vietnam offer
	-Likelihood
	-Return of POWs for US withdrawal
-North Vietnam offensive
-Failure
	-Signs
		-New York Times, Washington Post
	-Army of the Republic of South Vietnam [ARVN]
	-Nguyen Van Thieu's position
	-Commentaries
		-New York Times
		-Washington Post
		-Time
		-Newsweek
		-Networks
		-The President’s view
-Paris talks
-Porter's work
	-Foreign Service evaluated
		-Bureaucrats
		-Soviet Union

Porter and Kissinger left at 1:04 pm.

Conversation No. 726-9

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 1:04 pm and 1:08 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with an unknown man.

Order

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 1:08 pm.

Conversation No. 726-10

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 1:04 pm and 1:08 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

President's schedule
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Location
-A barber's appointment
-Time

Bull left at an unknown time before 1:08 pm.

Conversation No. 726-11

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  1:08 pm - 1:27 pm
Location:  Oval Office

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

Soviet Summit
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Leak
	-State Department
		-William P. Rogers
	-Statement at National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-State Department statement
-Kissinger
-President's departure for the Soviet Union
-Control of Charles W. Colson's office

-Meetings with Haldeman
-Domestic activities

Vietnam
-New York Times article
-Kenneth W. Clawson's rebuttal
-White House involvement
-President's attitude

White House staff
-Papers for President
-The President’s view
-Clawson's action

Kissinger entered at 1:11 pm.

Soviet Summit
-President's meeting with press
-Talking points

Haldeman left at 1:12 pm.

-President's meeting with Congressional leaders
-Topics of discussion
	-Exchange
	-Environmental controls
	-Health, cultural exchanges
	-Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT]
-SALT
-Andrei A. Gromyko message to Kissinger
	-Soviet Union position
	-Gerard C. Smith's position
		-Status of negotiation
	-State Department
	-Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Conclusion of talks
-President's meeting with Congressional leaders
-Topics
	-Vietnam
	-Middle East
	-SALT
	-European Security Conference
-Press
-Proper framework
-Briefings
	-Frequency
	-Ronald L. Ziegler
	-Frequency
	-President's press briefing
	-Topics
-Limits of Summits
-Vienna, Camp David, Geneva, Glassboro
-Purpose
-Preparation
	-Contacts with Leonid I. Brezhnev
		-Unresolved issues
		-Frequency
	-Summit 
	-Third nations
		-Concerns
		-US allies
		-PRC
	-Treaties
		-SALT
		-Others
	-Submission to Senate
	-Report to American people
	-Television speech
	-Questions and answers [Q&A]
	-Televised arrival ceremony
	-President's speech upon arrival in Moscow
	-Toasts
		-First toast
	-The President’s view
	-Television speech to Soviet people
	-Location
-Kremlin

Vietnam
-Psychological warfare
-Implementation
-Problems
-Kissinger's position
-President's orders
-Haig's check on situation
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Call from Kissinger
-Melvin R. Laird and Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Activities
-Equipment for South Vietnam
-President's orders
	-Reasons
	-Implementation
		-Laird's orders
	-Service secretaries
-Rush's program
	-Kissinger’s view
	-President's authorization
		-Timing
	-Laird

Helsinki talks
-[Smith]
-Kissinger’s view
-NSC help

Soviet Summit
-Press briefing
-Rogers and Kissinger
	-Presence
-Meeting with Congressional leaders
-Rogers's presence
-Press briefing
	-Kissinger's presence
		-Rogers's attitude
	-Rogers's presence
		-Talk with reporters
	-Kissinger's presence

Vietnam
-Air strikes
	-Behavior of military
	-The President’s view
	-Restrictions
	-Agnew
		-Report
		-The President’s view
	-Military authority
	-Implementation
	-Reasons
-Effects on North Vietnam
	-Haig's report
-Possible riots
	-Reports
		-Ambassadors
			-Indonesia, France, Poland
-Psychological warfare
-Leaflet drop
	-Hanoi Area
	-US bombing
	-Timing
	-Content
		-President's previous speech
	-Warnings of bombing
-Timing
-North Vietnam offensive
	-North Vietnam
	-Concerns of commanders
	-Threat of collapse
-Prospects for success
-Delays
-US military command
-Abrams
	-Future
		-Laird
-Gen. John D. Ryan
	-The President’s view
	-Future
-Gen. John W. Vogt, Jr.
	-Future
	-Experience
-Army
	-[Forename unknown] Davis
	-Gen. Bruce Palmer
-Haig
	-Promotion
	-Work with President
-Laird
	-Replacement
		-The President’s view
-US war efforts
-Air strikes
	-Agnew's report
		-Limits
		-Railroad Bridge
	-Restricted targets
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer's list
	-Effect
		-Railroads
	-Military's authority
		-Lyndon B. Johnson stories
		-Extent
	-B-52 strikes on North Vietnam
		-Timing
		-Intensity
	-B-52 employment
		-Advantages
		-Number
	-Assignment to Vietnam from Europe
	-Impact
	-Agnew's conversation
		-Comparison with F-4s
		-Psychological effect
		-Number in Europe
		-Number to Vietnam

Kissinger left at 1:27 pm.

Conversation No. 726-12

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  11:27 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Stephen Bull.

Barber
-Location

Unknown guests
-Location

A delivery to the Executive Office Building [EOB]

Bull left at 1:28 pm.

The President left at 1:28 pm.

Conversation No. 726-13

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  4:05 pm - 4:13 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Robert C. Byrd, John D. Ehrlichman, and Clark MacGregor; the White House photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

Greetings

[Photograph session]
-Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
-Arrangements
-Byrd's last visit
	-Vietnam
		-US withdrawal
		-Byrd's views

Black lung bill
-Memorandum to President from Caspar W. Weinberger and MacGregor
-Costs per annum
	-“Budget-buster”
-Byrd's views
-MaGregor's report
-Ehrlichman

-Meeting with President
-Talk with Byrd
-President's signature
-Announcement
-Date
-Arch A. Moore, Jr.
-Meeting with Byrd
-Announcement
-President's decision
-Announcement
-Costs
-Byrd's help
-President's veto
-Reason
-Override in Congress
	-Likelihood
	-Re-introduction
		-Likelihood of passage
-President's support
-Byrd's meeting with President
-Press statement
	-President's considerations
	-Presentation of case for bill
	-Decision by President
		-Date
	-Tone of meeting
	-Decision by President
		-Speculation
-Call to Moore
-Date
-Time
-Ehrlichman and MacGregor
-Announcement of decision
-MacGregor's role
	-Time

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:05 pm.

Congressional leaders
-Location

Bull left at an unknown time before 4:13 pm.

Black-lung bill
-Byrd's meeting with President
-Press statement
	-Moore's support for bill
	-Byrd's conversation and meeting with President
	-Call to office
	-Time
		-Congressional leaders meeting

President's Soviet trip
-Byrd's best wishes
-Expected results
-Vietnam
-Effect in Congress

Congressional leaders meeting
	-Byrd's presence

Byrd and MacGregor left at 4:13 pm.

The President left at 4:13 pm.

Conversation No. 726-14

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  5:23 pm - 5:25 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield and Ronald L. Ziegler.

The President’s schedule

Ziegler left at 5:23 pm.

Items for President's signature

Rose Mary Woods entered at 5:24 pm.

Ziegler entered at 5:24 pm.

Henry A. Kissinger
-Call to John C. Stennis

Dr. William M. Lukash

Items for delivery

Butterfield, Ziegler, and Woods left at 5:25 pm.

Conversation No. 726-15

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  5:25 pm - 5:35 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Kissinger's work with John C. Stennis
-Anti-ballistic missiles [ABMs]
-Offensive weapons
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-ABM
-Objections to provisions
-Attitude on offensive weapons
-Meeting in Kissinger's office
-Don Maynard
-Response on ABMs
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Military recommendations
-Position
-Meeting with Kissinger and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Stennis
-Support
-Need for lobbying

-Gerard C. Smith and William P. Rogers
-Understanding
-Press briefing
-President's statement
	-Caution
		-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
	-Compared to information supplied Congress
	-Caution
	-Areas to mention
		-Space
		-Environment
		-SALT

Soviet Summit
-President's meeting with Congressional leaders
-Expectations
-President's handling
-Expectations
-Kissinger's meetings
-Stennis
	-Undersea Long-ranged Missiles [ULMS]
-Others
-President's speech
-Raymond K. Price, Jr. and Kissinger work
-Toasts
-William L. Safire
	-Problems
	-Speechwriters compared
		-John K. Andrews, Jr.
		-Safire
-Price
-SALT references
-SALT
-Action in Moscow
-Possible objections by “Hawks”
-ABM
-Kissinger’s view
-Kissinger's discussions with Jackson
-Conflict in Senate
-SALT
-Support
	-John G. Tower
	-Stennis
-US weaponry
-Multiple Independently-targeted Reentry Vehicles [MIRVs]
-ULMS
-Soviet Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles [ICBMs]
-Status
-US weaponry
-Aircraft
-Problems
-Duration
-Comparison to PRC Communiqué
-Administration's position
-Vietnam
-President's position
-SALT
-Selling of Administration position
-Kissinger's absence during Summit
-Laird and Moorer's role
-Kissinger's early return
-Likelihood
-Work on communiqué, five principles
-ABM
-President's disagreement with Jackson
-Sites
-SALT
-Treaty
	-Kissinger’s view
-Public response
-Peter H. Dominick
	-Response
	-Kissinger’s view
	-Threat of funds cutoff
-James L. Buckley
	-Dominick
	-ULMS
	-Appropriations
-Freeze
-Alternative
-Submarine provision
	-Soviets
		-Number built per year
-Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
	-Support
		-Moorer

Vietnam
-Meeting with Congressional leaders
-J. William Fulbright

Soviet Summit
-Prospects

The President and Kissinger left at 5:35 pm.

Conversation No. 726-16

Date:  May 19, 1972
Time:  Unknown time between 5:35 pm and 11:59 pm
Location:  Oval Office

Alexander P. Butterfield met with unknown people [Secret Service agents].

	The President’s location

An unknown agent talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 5:35 pm and 11:59 pm.

[Conversation No. 726-16A]

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Agency Statute]
[Duration:  1s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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	The President’s location

[End of telephone conversation]