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On May 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Melvin R. Laird, Henry A. Kissinger, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:10 pm to 2:56 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 501-018 of the White House Tapes. Topics include: The President met with Melvin R. Laird and Henry A. Kissinger. Greetings Laird's health Laird's schedule - Defense planning committee - Meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] - Nuclear Planning Group - Brussels - Germany - Meeting with European cabinet ministers - Relationship - France - Harmon[?] [Surname unintelligible], Helmut Schmidt - Agenda - Violence - US policy - Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions [MBFR] - NATO Council meeting MBFR - Defense Department study - Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT] - Alexsei N. Kosygin - US and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] policy on forces - European Security Conference - Importance of agreement - Format - Timing - US policy - Laird's and William P. Rogers' statements - Europeans' position - SALT agreement impact - USSR - Andrei A. Gromyko - Kosygin [Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number LPRN- T- MDR-2014-025. Segment declassified on 04/12/2019. Archivist: DR] [National Security] [501-018- W002] [Duration: 4s] Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction [MBFR] - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] - Pierre E. Trudeau - The President's opinion Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction [MBFR] - Strategy - Meetings - Europeans - US and USSR - Warsaw pact - US allies - Laird's and Rogers' statements - Defense Department study - Laird's meetings with defense ministers in Lisbon - Kissinger's forthcoming talk with Rogers - Laird's and Rogers' schedules - Lisbon - Meeting of Laird and Rogers - Defense Department study - Nature of negotiations - NATO and Warsaw pact - USSR Defense Department staff - Deputy Secretary of Defense - David Packard - Work - Reuben F. Mettler of TRW. Inc. - Financial regulations - Packard's Hewlett- Packard holdings - Mettler - Possible tenure - Blind trusts - Secretary of the Treasury - Mettler - Work at TRW - Possible stock sale - Packard - Schedule - Possible notification of SALT agreement SALT agreement - Possible effects - Charles H. Percy, Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield, W. Stuart Symington - Antiballistic missile [ABM] and offensive weapons - US and USSR negotiating position - May 20, 1971 meeting with Congressional leaders - USSR - Laird's position vis- A- Vis Congress - ABM - US and USSR negotiating position - Congress - James B. Pearson An unknown person [Manolo Sanchez?] entered at an unknown time after 2:10 pm. Refreshments The unknown person [Sanchez?] left at an unknown time before 2:44 pm. Salt agreement - Meetings with Congressional leaders - May 18, 1971 - Soviets negotiating practices - Meetings with Congressional leaders - May 18, 1971 - Notification of agreement - Laird - USSR - Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union [TASS] - Announcement - Public opinion - Administration handling of MBFR and Vietnamization - Columnists - Congress - J. William Fulbright -"Fence Riders" - Mansfield - Administration efforts - Announcements - Effect - Senate reports - Gerard C. Smith and SALT delegation in Vienna - Performance - Soviets' negotiation practices - US position - ABM and offensive limitation - USSR - Laird's previous statements - Reiteration - Effect on "Doves"and "Fence Riders" in Congress Defense issues - Wright- Patterson Air Force Base [AFB] - Robert A. Taft, Jr., William B. Saxbe - Votes on draft extension, ABM - Interview with Cleveland Plain Dealer after meeting with President - Laird's strategy - Clark MacGregor - Role - President's meeting with Taft and Saxbe - Portsmouth, New Hampshire Navy Yard - Margaret Chase Smith - Thomas J. McIntyre - Vote on ABM - Smith - MacGregor's and Kissinger's role - Wright- Patterson AFB - President's meeting with Saxbe - Possible Florida relocation - Patrick AFB - Edward J. Gurney - Laird's role with Congress - President's role - Donald W. Riegle, Jr. - Army reorganization Defense Department staff - Deputy Secretary of Defense - Corporate executives - Requirements - Mettler - Bert S. Cross at 3M Corporation - Requirements - John H. Chafee - Future plans - Secretary of the Navy - John W. Warner - Experience in negotiating - Brazil - Secretary of the Army - Requirements - Stanley R. Resor - Army's present status - Thaddeus R. Beal - Background - Robert F. Froehlke - Present position - Laird's possible forthcoming meeting with Peter M. Flanigan - Bob Wolf - Ambassadorships - Secretary of Army - Replacement for Resor - Announcement - Timing - John S. Foster, Jr. - Army's current status - Draft - Saxbe's statement - Prospects - Saxbe's position - Wright- Patterson AFB - Son's Vietnam service - Replacement for Resor - Listing of possible replacement - Flanigan - President's schedule - Lyndon B. Johnson Library dedication - Announcement - Retirement date - Froehlke - Possible confirmation - Relations with Laird - Background - Century Insurance Company - Work - Public testimony - Edward M. ("Ted") Kennedy - Deputy Secretary of Defense - Robert Clinton Moot - National Security Council [NSC] undersecretaries group - Packard - Charles D. ("Tex") Barton - Financial regulations - Financial regulations - Compared with State and Treasury Departments Vietnam - Prisoners of War [POWs] - Laird's conversation with Kissinger - North Vietnam - Needs - Continued military assistance - Modernization - POWs - Importance - POW wives - A poll - Kissinger's meeting - Marianne Nelson - Mrs. [Forename unknown] Dahlberg [?] - US forces (Volunteer Army) - James L. Buckley's amendment - Kissinger, President - Gen. William C. Westmoreland - Volunteers, draft - William F. Buckley's column - President, Kissinger - Buckley Amendment and other amendments in Senate - Laird's analysis - Cambodia - Current situation - Needs - Personnel - Current level of assistance - Current military assistance program - Needs - Personnel - Marshall Green and Emory C. Swank - Possible meeting of President and Rogers - Green - Needs - Funds - Personnel - A forthcoming report from Laird - Meeting of President, Laird, and Rogers - Green Defense Department staff - Packard - Possible ambassador to Japan - Family - Relations with Laird and President - Work - Effect - Kissinger's experience - Possible ambassador to NATO - Robert F. Ellsworth - Job - Family - Possible future Cabinet job - Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] - Department of Transportation - Health - Work - Background - Stanford University Board of Trustees - Intellectuals, "Georgetown crowd", Business Council - Secretary of the Army - Laird's forthcoming meeting with Flanigan - Announcement of Resor's departure - President's possible meeting with Flanigan - Froehlke[?] - Requirements - Deputy Secretary of Defense - Mettler - Previous work - Roy L. Ash President's schedule - Meeting with Smith and SALT delegation Kissinger left at 2:55 pm. Defense Department staff - Deputy Secretary of Defense - Packard - Planned departure date - Secretary of the Army Laird's health Laird left at 2:56 pm. Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Laird, Melvin R.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Sanchez, Manolo.