Ask the Scholar

On May 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John A. Scali, Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, John D. Ehrlichman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:42 pm to 5:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 500-029 of the White House Tapes. Topics include: The President met with H.R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John A. Scali, and Ronald L. Ziegler. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] negotiations - Henry A. Kissinger - Possible leaks - Announcement - Congressional leaders - Vote, May 19, 1971 - Effect - Time - Possible leaks - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] - Hubert H. Humphrey - Background - Announcement - Congressional leaders - Time of Kissinger's [?] briefing - Possible leaks - J. William Fulbright - Staff Kissinger entered at 4:45 pm. - Time - Possible leaks - President's possible statements - Time - USSR agreement - Possible leaks - Time - Congressional leaders - President's possible statement - Fulbright - Hugh Scott - Possible leaks - Time - Backgrounders for networks and wire services - Effect - Associated Press [AP], United Press International [UPI] - Actions - Congressional leaders meeting - President's possible statement - Views - Time - President's announcement to press - William P. Rogers and Melvin Laird - Congressional leaders meeting - Time - Purpose - Backgrounder for networks and press - Effect of timed released - Congressional leaders meeting - Time - Backgrounder for networks - Kissinger - Time - Commentators - Effect - White House correspondence - Time - Importance compared with Congressional leaders meeting - Tone - President's Vietnam speeches - White House efforts - Kissinger and Scali - AP, networks - President's working relationship with the USSR - Senate - Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield Amendment vote - President's relations - Distribution of story - Timing - Mansfield Amendment - Administration's position - Announcement - Networks, wire services - Importance - White House story line - First bulletin lead - Henry M. ("Scoop") Jackson and other Democrats position - Announcement - USSR - Antiballistic missile [ABM] - Importance to SALT - President's statements - Advice to President - Charles H. Percy -"Selling" the agreement - Chalmers Roberts - First bulletin lead - Roberts, Time , Newsweek , [Arnold] Eric Sevareid, John W. Chancellor - First story - Briefings - Times - Attendees - Stewart M. Hensley - Roberts - John L. Steele - Proposed story on SALT - Kissinger's role Scali and Ziegler left at 5:00 pm. - Notification of Rogers and Gerard C. Smith - Timing - President's schedule - Knowledge Kissinger left and John D. Ehrlichman entered at an unknown time after 5:00 pm. Supersonic Transport [SST] - Boeing - Ehrlichman's meetings - Termination - Senate action - Future contracts - Hydrofoil - Ehrlichman's conversation with Gerald R. Ford - Ford's response Ehrlichman left and Stephen B. Bull entered at 5:04 pm. President's schedule - George P. Shultz, Herbert G. Klein and business magazine editors - Chairs Bull left at an unknown time before 5:05 pm. SALT - Rogers - Kissinger - President's credibility - Possible statements - Meeting with President, May 19, 1971 - Time Haldeman left at 5:05 pm. Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Scali, John A.; Ziegler, Ronald L.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Ehrlichman, John D.; Bull, Stephen B.