Ask the Scholar

{
    "localId": "498693854",
    "label": "May 19-21, 1971 [1 of 2]",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/498693854"
}

{
    "id": "498693854",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/498693854",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "May 19-21, 1971 [1 of 2]",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/498693854",
    "collections": [
        "National Security Files (Nixon Administration)",
        "Henry A. Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts (Telcons)"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/nixon/rn-nsf/579113/Batch0002/37-natsec-kissinger_telcons-579113-10-05/37-natsec-kissinger_telcons-579113-10-05-001.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/nixon/rn-nsf/579113/Batch0002/37-natsec-kissinger_telcons-579113-10-05/37-natsec-kissinger_telcons-579113-10-05-001.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/nixon/rn-nsf/579113/Batch0002/37-natsec-kissinger_telcons-579113-10-05/37-natsec-kissinger_telcons-579113-10-05-001.jpg",
    "imageCount": 33,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/498693854",
    "naId": 498693854,
    "levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 33,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/nixon/rn-nsf/579113/Batch0002/37-natsec-kissinger_telcons-579113-10-05/37-natsec-kissinger_telcons-579113-10-05.pdf",
    "mediaId": "f7351ee299e75cf4",
    "ocrText": "TELECON\nGerard Smith\n5/19/71/9:53am\nK: Would it be agreeable for you to put off your departure?\nS: Right, and I can advise the\nK: Yes, say the President feels he may want to wee you again\ntomorrow. And for your information, how would it be if you left\nFriday morning?\nS: I can leave any time that suits the President\nK: Let's plan on that. They you can leave from here to go to\nthe plane. Let's set it at 10:00 Friday morning and an 11:00 departure.\nS: Okay\nI've lost track of time. Today is Wednesday?\nFriday morning would be the 21st.\nK: That gives us more flextibility with the President's schedule.\nS: All right. The other thing you think is all right, for tomorrow?\nK: Except for the one thing which I have to discuss with the\nPresident myself. You know about attending all the meetings tomorrow - -\nno problem. Except for the one\nS: I understand.\nK: But any other contact with the media you'll check with us.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nAmbassador Cromer/Mr. Kissinger\n10:03 a. m., May 19, 1971\nK:\nRollie? There seems to be some mixup. I was under the\nimpression you would be here until this afternoon.\nC:\nI have to make a luncheon speech in Philadelphia.\nK:\nI can't handle it on the phone.\nC:\nIs it urgent?\nK:\nIt's of some importance. It's an informational thing.\nC:\nYou couldn't tell my guy?\nK:\nNo. When will you be back.\nC:\nAfter lunch on Friday.\nK:\nThat would be too late.\nC:\nIt only shows you what a mistake it is to make speeches.\nK:\nIt's always a mistake to go to Philadelphia. You know what\nW. C. Fields said -- he'd rather be dead than in Philadelphia.\nC:\nI have been bullied into it.\nK:\nI was under the misapprehension you could do it up till 4:30.\nC:\nMy first date is 11:30. I'm on the way now. Can I see whether\nI can fly back tomorrow morning or this afternoon.\nK:\nI, at the request of the President, wanted to give you some\ninformation strictly for the Prime Minister -- nothing that affects you;\nyou don't have to do anything about it. You can get it through the normal\ncourse of events, but it's the sort of thing we thought he might like to\nhave. I wouldn't do it this way if I didn't think it had some\nimportance. Can you delay your departure for a half-hour and come\nby now?\nC:\nI will try to do it.\nK:\nOkay.\nlds\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nGerard\nAmbassador/Smith/Mr. Kissinger\nMay 19, 1971 12:45\njlj\nS: Henry, I have been thinking that maybe you should be mentioning this\nmatter to McCloy.\nK: That is a good idea. I will do it. Jerry, you will keep in mind the\nindividual sensitivities of people you talk to so that we can preserve to\nthe maximum extent their faith and authority.\nS: Yes, I had a talk with Bill and -\nK: I can assure you that there will be nothing done here that undercuts\nyou, or your position.\nS: I do not have sensitivities.\nK: You do but you are a gentleman. Any help you can give us in this\nwould be appreciated by the President.\nS: OK Henry.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nDick Cooke\n5/19/71 xxxx 1:12pm\nC: You may already know, the House Democratic caucus -- on the\nresolution for December 21. They didn't have a quorum; therefore there was\nno action.\nK: Oh good.\nC: I thought you'd want to know.\nK: Thank you very much.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nU. Alexis Johnson/Mr. Kissinger\nMay 19, 1971 3:51 p.m.\njlj\nJ: Tom Whitehead and I are over here with intelsec (phonetic) -\nComsat people and we need some decisions that involve you and Flanigan\nby 7 or 7:30 tonight. Tom and I will make ourselves available at\nany moment you may have to come over and talk with you.\nK: Has the Secretary talked to you?\nJ: Yes, I know about that. I can talk to you about that one first if\nyou like.\nK: I have just been called by the President. I think we should\nhave some consultations on this. Can you come over in 15 minutes?\nJ: Yes. I am cancelling everything else out.\nK: We can talk about topic A and Mr. Whitehead can wait until we have\nfinished.\nJ: Will you - I will have Whitehead call Flanigan. Can we have that\nmeeting at 4: :30?\nK: Yes. I have just been called by the President and I may be a\nlittle delayed.\nJ: That's all right.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nMr. Haldeman\n5/19/71 4:18 pm\nH: Should Moorer be invited to the Cabinet meeting?\nK: Yes.\nH: Really?\nK: Yes, certainly to the Congressional leaders meeting, and to\nthe Cabinet one too.\nH: What about Gerry Smith?\nK: Same.\nH: Both?\nK: Yes. What time are they now?\nH:\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nThe President\n5/19/71 4:30 p.m.\nP: Are you free to go over that stuff now, please?\nK: I am talking to Alex Johnson , but I will come right over.\nP: I have someone at 5:00, but finish with him first.\nK: I'll be there in five minutes.\nP: No, take 10 -- whatever you need.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nSenator John Sherman Cooper\n5/19/71 4:47 p.m.\nK: I am calling about the Mathias amendment.\nC: You have gotten your most dangerous one over with - - Fulbright.\nI just spoke against it.\nK: I wanted to talk with you on behalf of the President and on my own.\nWe really feel that if the Congress is ti urge us to enter into negotiations in\nwhich we are engaged, namely the mutual reduction of forces, and second to\nengage in negotiations for unilateral reduction of forces it will make it impos-\nsible for us to do what we need to do.\nC: I have spoken today. I spoke against Fulbright, then Pastore got\nup and spoke. He got wild applause from the gallery, of course they are\nignorant. I won't say anything for Mathias, but I can't promise you that I\nwon't vote for it. I have been against the Mansfield one, but how can I say\nthat the Congress shouldn't have a voice in this?\nK: No one is saying that the Cong4ess shouldn't have a voice, but if\nthe Congress is saying we must reduce forces in Europe, this undermines\naak\n.\nC: Well the most dangerous one is Fulbright. It says \" should be\nreduced unless otherwise authorized by the Congress. We kept you going\nover here.\nI am glad you called me, but I'm not going to promise anything.\nK: I don't ask for your promises. Xxxxhave I have never invoked my\nown view as well as the President's but I just wanted you to know that anyone who\nsticks with us on this won't look bad. I called you because you know NATO\nbest, I'm not implying you are in any sense delinquent. This is not a critical\ncall; it's a plea.\nC: I'll give some thought to it, but I can't promise you anything.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nBill Timmons\n5/19/71 5:00pm\nT: The Mathias one will be the last. He may push his votes over to Mathias,\nwhich would kill us.\nK: When is the vote?\nT: about 7:00 we think.\nK: Anything we can do?\nT: You have a list. It would be helpful if you could call them.\nK: Okay. We'll do that.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nMr. Kissinger/Senator Mathias\n5:35 p. m., May 19, 1971\nK:\nHow are you? Somebody said you were under the impression\nthat because I didn't call.\nthat you might have been willing to\nwithdraw your amendment if we had indicated an objection.\nM:\nI said I wanted to put in it what the President wanted and I\ndidn't want in it anything the President. I said I would have to have\nsome guidance from you. You promised you would call me back\nin the late morning or early afternoon the next day. I cancelled\na college trustees meeting to be here to receive your call.\nK:\nI hadn't understood this.\nM:\nYou said late morning or early afternoon tomorrow.'\nK:\nI thought you meant if I wanted to offer any changes. I didn't\nwant to get into any drafting changes.\nX\nXXX\nM:\nI said I would put words in or take words out, or kill the whole\nthing. I did have a college trustees meeting that I cancelled to be here.\nK:\nI screwed up.\nM:\nI would have been glad to withdraw it or anything else. But it's\nbeyond that now.\nK:\nI indicated to enough people that I was opposed to it. I was\ncertain the word had gotten to you.\nM:\nBut this has been around a while. I don't listen to the grapevine\nany more. I was reachable and cancelled plans so I would be reachable.\nK:\nFor whatever it is worth, our view is the first paragraph is\nrequesting us to do something we are already doing.\nM:\nWhich I acknowledged in the first draft.\nK:\nThe second paragraph is requesting us to reduce forces. The\nthird compounds it by making us report every six months.\nM:\nIt's too bad we didn't get together sonner. These matters could\nhave been solved simply. Without guidance, I want you to know I did the\nbest I could to cooperate and offered you carte blanche. I said I would\nput words in, take words out, or withdraw it but I needed to know from you.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nMr. Kissinger/Senator Mathias\n5:35 p,m., May 19, 1971\n- 2 -\nK:\nI asked Clark MacGregor to see whether you were content.\nI called Humphrey. I didn't think it was appropriate to engage in\nnegotiation about an amendment. I felt it would commit us to the\ndraft that emerged.\nM:\nI cancelled the college trustees.\nK:\nThe thing I feel badly about is the national interest is dependent\non such accidents.\nM:\nThis is human. I have done the best I can for the national\ninterest as I see it.\nK:\nI find it hard to see how an injunction by the Senate on reduction\nof forces -- almost as an end to itself -- can be in our interest.\nM:\nIf we had time to discuss it.\nThat's what I tried to do last\nweek. I would take a different view. Maybe I am wrong. I desperately\nwanted to do what the President wanted done here.\nK:\nI can't accept that. We are not that hard to reach.\nM:\nYou said you were going to call back.\nK:\nI thought you wanted me to edit it.\nM:\nI said if you say so, we will withdraw the whole thing. I\nrepeated in essence the same thing to Clark.\nK:\nClark was never under that impression.\nM:\nWe are willing to do anything the President wants.\nK:\nThe word must have reached you I wasn't in favor of it.\nM:\nAfter it was done. It was beyond our control at that point.\nI agree 100% with the tragedy that human failures play.\nat\nK:\nWe are/such a delicate state in our international relations.\nI have never harrassed you even on Vietnam. But this has become such\nan emotional problem. We are now being pushed.\nif the Senate\ngives the impression that reduction becomes an end in itself and every\nsix months this has to be accounted for, then we are in desperate shape.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nMr. Kissinger/Senator Mathias\n5:35 p.m., May 19, 1971\n- 3 -\nK:\n(cont'd) I see this as a man who has worked on NATO problems\nbefore I was in government and will continue to work on it after. I\nhave never spoken this strongly to you on anything. Everyone who\ncalled me said you were determined.\nM:\nI offered to you to withdraw.\nK:\nIf you offered it, it certainly never penetrated in a way I\nunderstood.\nM:\nWhen you didn't take it up, I assumed it was all right to use\nmy own discretion and do the best I could with it.\nK:\nThat never crossed my mind.\nM:\nI said to Clark that I couldn't operate in an echo chamber. If\nyou don't tell us what you want and we are talking to ourselves, we\nmight as well quit talking.\nK:\nI thought we had somebody there reachable at all times.\nM:\nI got the word that the White House was nervous -- they didn't\nknow what the final vote on Mansfield was and wanted to have a vehicle\nto go to at the last minute; that it would be useful for the President to\nhave a fallback position which would be something that would be better\nthan Mansfield.\nK:\nI don't know who authorized that.\nM:\nIt's very widespread and widely understood here. And until\nthe last couple of days, the theory was the White House might at any\nmoment embrace the Mathias Amendment.\nK:\nOne of us has been had.\nM:\nThat is the impression I have been led to believe. I have been\ndoing the best I could for the national interest under that assumption.\nI have done all I aan to get things in order. But that is spilt milk. Don't\nworry about it.\nK:\nIt's a tragedy. I have met with the President daily and I never\nheard him say anything to that effect. I am not the Congressional liaison\nman, but I feel passionately that this is very, very bad.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nMr. Kissinger/Senator Mathias\n5:35 p.m., May 19, 1971\n- 4 -\nM:\nYour view would have enormous weight with me and I was\nvery happy when you took the initiative and called me -- I thought we\nwould get together, but we didn't get off the ground. I deeply regret\nit but I didn't understand until you explained to me just now your\nreservations.\nK:\nTo make the reduction of forces the principal concern of the\nSenate as an end in itself.\nWe have tried to get people to concentrate\non what the forces are to do. We are in negotiations -- how anybody\ncan believe Europe can be defended when the U.S. is trying to reduce\nits forces\nM:\nMy amendment does not say that.\nK:\nBut to enter into negotiations to reduce forces\nM:\nWithin the NATO framework.\nK:\nHow can you.\nThey can refuse to let us do it.\nM:\nLet us communicate. I am wanting to be useful and helpful.\nK:\nI was totally misled. I had a call by Javits on Sunday. He\nsaid there would be no amendment. The next thing I know is the\namendment is still alive. I thought that had been the end of it.\nM:\nI don't want to let personal ego get mixed into this. We are\nindividuals and operate on our own. My impression all along was the\nWhite House would find it useful to have a fallback position. I was\nendeavoring to provide that help with the distinct impression that the\nWhite House embraced it. That is the word I get from your people up\nhere.\nK:\nWhich people?\nM:\nIt's the general view here.\nK:\nWe are both in the same country. I have never complained about\nVietnam to anybody, even when I thought a grave mistake was being made;\nor the ABM vote. They are questions of judgment. But I know Europe\nvery well and I know what this will do. To do it at the moment when we\nare getting out of Asia is a disaster.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nMr. Kissinger/Senator Mathias\n5:35 p.m., May 19, 1971\n- 5 -\nM:\nI don't think people know enough about NATO to make any\ndifference.\nK:\nIt was not clear you were willing to withdraw it. If people\ntold you we wanted a fallback position, they were X pursuing their\nown policy. I didn't understand you were prepared to withdraw it\nor change it drastically.\nM:\nIt's my failure in not making it clear to you.\nK:\nRight now, there's no point in talking on this.\nM:\nThe cake is all dough now. Let's not let it happen again. Let's\nkeep in touch.\nK:\nOkay. I have regard for you.\nM:\nAnd I for you and I want to be cooperative. And I thought I was.\nSo there you go.\nlds\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nTELECON\nHaldeman\n5/19/71 5:40 p.m.\nH: You want to tell Rogers, Laird, Moorer and Smith about the\nLeadership meeting or do you want us to do it?\nK: Let me call Rogers and your office can call the rest.\nH: You told them about the Cabinet meeting?\nK: No, but I have amother thing to discuss with Rogers so I'll call him.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nSenator Brooke\n5/19/71 6:30pm\nK: I wanted to talk with you about this Mathias amendment, and I\nalso have Eliot Richardson in my office -- he wanted to have a word with\nyou.\nER: Hi Ed.\nB: Hello Elliot. How are you?\nER: I'm fine.\nK: Let me state my views and then I have to run off. I feel very\nstrongly as a Presidential assistant and as the a NATO expert that the\nMathias amendment is not good. It asks us to enter into negotiations we\nalready are doing and, as Elliot cantell you, we have been working on\nthis for a year before it ever reached public consciousness. I don't know\nif it is a good practice to exercise an injunction to the Executive that he\nis already following. Secondly, it\nour friends in Europe. It\nis not an end in itself. We have tried in this Administeation to get mutual\nreductions and to use the forces there to make staategic sense rather than\nin a symbolic way. The reason we are so concerned is that we are now\napproaching stæategic parity. We are now engaged in negotiations that\nwill codify that parity. Reporting every xix months deprives us of any\nNATO policy on the basis of strength. You know I have never called\nSenators to effect their votes; if I didn't feel so strongly about this I\nwouldn't do it now.\nB: Well, I appreciate your call. We had a meeting today. The\nvote is coming up now. I very much want to go on record against the\nMansfield amendment, to be on record favoring reduction of forces in\nEurope, but I feel voting against the Mansfield amendment without\nsomething more they I will be in the position of not being in favor of\na reduction.\nERex xMayx\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTelecon\nMr. Kissinger\nSecretary Laird\n5/19/71; 6:55 p.m.\nL: I could not get you and I called Peter and asked him not to say anything\nabout the Dave Packard thing to anybody.\nK: Did you have a chance to discuss Froehlke with him?\nL: Yes, and he has no problem with it. I told him that he ought to get that\nletter in response to Resor's one paragraph resignation letter -- if we can\nget it Friday we should release the President's response.\nfeg\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nSenator Ribicoff\n5/19/71 6:58pm\nK: I am calling about the Mathias amendment. I don't know where you stand\non it and I haven't before asked Senators to vote before and wouldn't now except\nthat this is an issue very close to my heart. I feel very strongly\nit my\nprofound conviction on top of it's being Administration policy that this is not\nin the national interest.\nR: Let me put it this way: I can vote against the Mathias amendment,\nbut I'm going to to vote for the Mathias one.\nMANSFIELI)\nK: That's all right. Of course I am violently opposed to that but I\nwould rather have a vote on cutting forces than have the constant guillotine\nof cuts every six months hanging over my head.\nR: I'll vote against Mathias, but I'm voting for Mansfield. I feel very\nstrongly that there is no justification for NATO not paying the dollar in balance\nfor our men there. They ought to pick up that tab.\nK: That's is a different issue from whether the forces should be cut\nand one I would like to discuss with you some time.\nR: Okay, I appreciate your calling.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nSecretary Laird\n5/19/71 7:02pm\nL: Did you get Ribicoff straightened out?\nK: He said he has to vote against Mathias because he is going to vote\nfor Mansfield. I said great, I like a man who stands for principle.\nL: You didn't say that. Should I make these calls tomorrow?\nK: I don't have the impression that the President has approved\nFroehlke.\nL: Then I better hold up on the Resor thing. I shouldn't open that\nwhole thing up.\nit\nK: I am no judge of that. ExCan't/be vacant two to three weeks?\nL: I think that would be a mistake; it would cause problems.\nK: What problems?\nL: From the standpoint that the thing leaks all over here. I have\ntalked to few people about it.\nK: What will leak?\nL: The fact that we haven't filled it.\nK: So what?\nL: You get a lot of candidates\nIt wouldn't be good.\nK: Well I don't want to tell you how to do it. I haven't talked to the\nPresident since we talked, but I had the impression that he wanted to look\nagain at what political people he has.\nL: This is very important though Henry.\nK: I don't have a candidate. Let me check with him.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTelecon\nMr. Kissinger\nSecretary Connally\n5/19/71; 7:05 p.m.\nC: Bentsen is going to vote against us on Mathias Resolution. He professed\nto be doing this saying Administration had to have pressure from Senate on\ntrying to work out our mandatory monetary problems and said besides he\nwas madder than hell. He is mad about the fact that Camp Walters was\ngoing to remain open. Tower (sp. ?) called Army and Army said they did\nnot no about it. I told him he was making a hell of a mistake and he said\nyou are going to win the damn thing anyway and he said he supported you on\neverything all day long and he gets treated like this.\nK: That shows that Congressional relations can stand a little improvement.\nWhy on the day you need Bentsen's vote?\nC: I know.\nfeg\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTelecon\nMr. Kissinger\nU. Alexis Johnson\n5/19/71; 7:10 p.m.\nK: Relucantly the President is going along with us.\nJ: Thanks very, very much.\nK: It is the right thing to do. When I said reluctantly, his heart tells him\nno and his mind tells him yes.\nJ: You are going to tell Peter? It is important that Peter support this with\nComSat people.\nK: I will get Peter on board.\nJ: Thanks alot. Listen, Henry, the Secretary suggested it would be a good\nidea for me to be over at the backgrounder -- not for what I can contribute,\nbut to be there.\nK: At 12:45. Good!\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nSecretary Rogers\n5/19/71 7:15 p.m.\nK: I just wanted to tell you -- I already told Alex - the President is\ngoing along with your recommendation on Intelsat.\nR: Good.\nwe\nK: And you are going to ask Alex to sit in on that briefing.\nR: Good.\nK: And I want to assure you that there will be nothing out of here in\nany sense that\nR: I fxlx know.\nK: You know what I mean. There will hejtx be brutal repression if\nanything like it\nIt can't happen. Out of the question.\nR: Okay. I don't know how we are making out on the Marks Mathias thing.\nK: I just have a note here saying \"Now on vote, large margin. 11 Only\nit doesn't say which way the rgin went. We won decisively on the Mathias one.\nR: Great.\nK: Tremendous. Abshire and you and everyone did a great job. That's\ntremendous.\nR: You didn't see the letter I sent did you?\nK: No\nR: Stennis read it on the floor. Have you got a minute? I'll read it to\nyou. [Reads] I'll bet this will ma ke Mathias mad. That's great.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nBill Timmons / Clark MacGregor-Mr. Kissinger\n7:18 p. m., May 19, 1971\nT:\nMathias got 24; the good guys got 73.\nK:\nYou incompetent bastard. You went from 13 to 24. Tell\nMacGregor it's not what we hired you for.\nT:\nThere are some more coming out. The Democrats supported\nus strangely. They are up to something -- maybe something by Church\nlike cutting 20, 000 to make their point. Clark is here. I'll put him on.\nM:\nYes, Henry.\nK:\nI just wanted to tell you I am disappointed at the deterioration\nof our position. You went from 13 to 24.\nM:\nI want you to accept my abject apologies. If you hadn't called\nme down for that silly meeting, I could have been up here.\nK:\nThe President asked me what I thought was it a good thing\nas far as the Congress was concerned. The Soviets will be beside\nthemselves if anything gets out before tomorrow. Do you think it\nwill help us?\nM:\nYou are damn XXX right it will. Where will you be? In your\noffice?\nK:\nYou can get me through the White House board. Will you call\nme if there are any more votes. My congratulations -- you did a\nsuperlative job.\nM:\nTimmons did it.\nK:\nBut you must stop that erosion from getting too rampant.\nlds\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nSenator Stennis\n5/20/71 8:17 a. m.\nK: K I just wanted you to know how much we appreciated everything\nyou have done and what a privelege it has been to work with you on this.\nS: You fellows did the working; it was very effective. I enjoyed\nworking with you. But this is really not over. I tried to put this to you\nyesterday. But it's a deep undercurrent among the people.\nK: I think we are going to announce some things soon that will\nmake a difference.\n]\nS: Well that's nice to hear. Thank you for calling.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nGeorge Meany\n5/20/71 11:57am\nK: The President wanted me to call you. He will be on the television\nin a few minutes to read an announcement which I will read to you if I may.\n[reads]\nThe significance of this is that there has been a deadlock in\nVienna because the Soviet Union said they'd talk only about limitation of\nABM now they have agreed to both. It is a tribute to the people who\nsupported us on ABM. The President wanted me to tell you how much he\nappreciated everything you have done.\nM: I think that shows good progress Henry. Thank you for calling.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nSecretary Rogers\n5/20/71 12:09pm\nK: I thought you were tremendous this mar ning.\nR: Oh well. I thought the President did very well.\nK: Yes.\nR: I hope in your friefing you are staying away from the legislation /\nI talked to Fulbright and he is now making it appear as a ploy. I said\n'god-dammit Bill, you can't accept good news. I I think it is the best news\nwe've had to talk about.\nK: When they raise ABMs I'll say the departments will talk about it.\nR: Exactly. I am going to call Ellender and keep him quiet for a few days.\nK: Here is some progress. We have gotten there by hanging firm.\nThe pity efxitx of it is that if Fulbright now had said 'I congratulate you\non this, I he'd have 10 times more standing when he comes back to attack.\nR: Of course. I said to him 'evemything in your mind goes back to\nVietnam. I\nK: Alex and Gerry Smith will be at my backgrounder.\nR: Good, the President has trobble being brief. The first 10 or 15\nminutes he was great, but he should have shouldn't have asked for other\nviews. He was feeling he had to call on people.\nK: That's right. Here he had a good announcement.\nR: It wasn't bad. I thought his closing was great.\nK: I didn't hear it; I had to leave.\nR: But he does have a feeling he has got to get their views.\nK: I think what you said was great. If we lock ourselves into a position wh\nwe can't afford to fail they have got us.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nMr. Kissinger/President Johnson\n10:50 m., May 20, 1971\nK:\nMr. President. I called you for two reasons: (1) to thank you\nfor your help and support last week. It came out well on the Mansfield\nthing. (2) to let you know about an announcement we are going to make\ntoday with regard to strategic arms limitations. Let me read it to you.\nJ:\nSure, go ahead.\nK:\n[ Read the statement ] This breaks the deadlock in negotiations\nin which they have insisted they would discuss only defensive weapons.\nWe have insisted that they be linked. We hope this will result in some\nprogress. Knowing your long-term interest and the pioneering done\nin your Administration in this area, the President was most anxious\nthat you know about it.\nJ:\nThank you, Henry. I look forward to seeing you. It looks like\nthe way it was handled at Key Biscayne was good. Everything I got was\ncomplimentary. I heard from a lot of people in my own party who were\nthankful we spoke up. You know I want to help any way I can.\nK:\nI know you do. I look forward to seeing you.\nJ:\nAre you going to Key Biscayne after or back to Washington?\nI might ask one of our men to ride back with you if you are going to\nWashington to discuss one or two chapters with you.\nK:\nCertainly; even if we went to Florida, I'm sure the President\nwouldn't mind thatin the slightest.\nJ:\nIf he can talk to you.\nIf I were saying something I shouldn't,\nI would like to know it. That's not my intention.\nK:\nI will almost certainly be going back to Washington. I will look\ninto whether a seat is available on the plane -- apparently a large\ndelegation is coming down. But I'm sure there will be one.\nJ:\nIf not, I can send Walt or Bill Jordan back next week. There\nare two or three chapters I want you to see before they go in. It will\nbe Walt or Bill Jordan. Do you know Bill Jordan?\nK:\nI'm trying to see if we can find a spot for him.\nJ:\nI would hate to see him leave here.\nK:\nI certainly would not take anyone away from you. I was under\nthe impression that with the book completed, that was what he wanted.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nMr. Kissinger/President Johnson\n10:50 a. m., May 20, 1971\n2 @ I\nP:\nI will talk to you when I see you.\nK:\nRight, Mr. President. I will look into the aircraft right away.\nlds\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nTom Braden/Mr. Kissinger\n1:35 p. m., May 20, 1971\nB:\nI want you to put me on the list -- I want to go to China.\nSecond.\nK:\nWhat are you going to do for me? This thing of doing things\nfor principle I want a quid pro quo. Just invite me to a few of those\ndinners like the last one.\nB:\nThat was fun.\nK:\nIt was one of the most fun dinners I have had here. It was\namusing; good atmosphere; and just great.\nB:\nI don't know whether you heard the story Mankiewicz told about\nhis brother. About the suit.\nK:\nNot that one.\nB:1\nHe comes back from London to go to the funeral. He had bought\na suit the first he had ever bought on Bond Street. It buttons and\nunbuttons on the sleeves. He goes to bed after Kanxngx hanging it in\nthe closet. He gets up the next morning and looks in the closet. No\nsuit. He walks down the hall in his shirt and shorts. He's standing in\nthe hall and says to Don Mankiewicz. My suit is missing. Sally was\nup here. He looked at Don and said, \"You don't suppose. And\nwhat he suspected had happened. His new suit had gone into the grave.\nK:\nIs that true?\nB:\nIt's absolutely true.\nK:\nThat's terrific.\nB:\nLet me ask you quickly. Was that a big story or a non-story?\nK:\nIt was a big story. It is significant.\nB:\nBecause they have said we will discuss offensive weapons in\naddition to defensive weapons?\nK:\nAnd one wouldn't make such a step unless one thought there was\na chance for reasonable agreement.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTom Braden/Mr. Kissinger\n1:35 p. m., May 20, 1971\n- 2 -\nB:\nX And we are going now to talk about what we always thought\nwe should. Up to now they have refused to discuss offensive weapons,\nand have said we will discuss defensive weapons. And we said we\nhave to discuss the whole bag. And now they have said we will discuss\nthe whole bag. You think it's important and may do something.\nK:\nYes I do.\nB:\nOkay. Thank you, Henry.\nlds\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nGov. Reagan/Mr. Kissinger\nMay 20, 1971 1:40 p.m.\njlj\nR:\n[entered late]\nK: We cannot have two announcements in one day. I do not know if you\nhave heard about the announcement we made today at 12 noon or not?\nR: No, I haven't.\nK: Let me read it to you. Have you got a minute? I'll get it.\nR: Yes. [Gov. Reagan to someone with him - \"They made some\nannouncement. \"]\nK: Hello.\nR: Yes.\nK: Reading announcement - attached.\nR: But this allows us to catch up?\nK: Well, Up to now the Soviets have agreed only to discuss only defensive\nand not offensive. We said we must discuss offensive as well. They have\nagreed to that.\nR: I said that - They will talk about both.\nK: They will talk about both.\nR: Good. I am still worried about the 61 holes they are digging.\nK: They - Now they will talk about it.\nR: The weather out here is beautiful.\nK: We think this is a good step forward.\nR: I think it is good.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\nMAY 20, 1971\nOFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nREMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT\nON NATIONWIDE RADIO AND TELEVISION\nIN THE BRIEFING ROOM\n12:00 Noon EDT\nGood afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.\nAs you know, the Soviet-American talks on limiting\nnuclear arms have been deadlocked for over a year. As a\nresult of negotiations involving the highest level of both\ngovernments, I am announcing today a significant development\nin breaking the deadlock.\nThe statement that I shall now read is being issued\nsimultaneously in Moscow and Washington; in Washington at\n12:00 o'clock and in Moscow at 7:00 p.m.\nThe Governments of the United States and the\nSoviet Union, after reviewing the course of their talks\non the limitation of strategic armaments, have agreed\nto concentrate this year on working out an agreement for\nthe limitation of the deployment of antiballistic missile\nsystems (ABM's). They have also agreed that, together\nwith concluding an agreement to limit ABM's, they will\nagree on certain measures with respect to the limitation\nof offensive strategic weapons.\nThe two sides are taking this course in the con-\nviction that it will create more favorable conditions\nfor further negotiations to limit all strategic arms.\nThese negotiations will be actively pursued.\nThis agreement is a major step in breaking the\nstalemate on nuclear arms talks. Intensive negotiations,\nhowever, will be required to translate this understanding\ninto a concrete agreement.\nThis statement that I have just read expresses\nthe commitment of the Soviet and American Governments at the\nhighest levels to achieve that goal. If we succeed, this\njoint statement that has been issued today may well be\nremembered as the beginning of a new era in which all nations\nwill devote more of their energiés and their resources not\nto the weapons of war, but to the works of peace.\nEND\n(AT 12:05 P.M. EDT)\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified."
}