The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 4

A i HIE CGIRIER-JOIRNAL, TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 197 i 1 I- ft lext atergate announcement TTHTT esicienc in ixon JL 1 at variance with certain of my previous statements. Therefore, I have ordered the transcripts be made available immediately to the Judiciary Committee so that they can be reflected in the committee's report and included in the record to be considered by the House and Senate. In a formal written statement on May 22 of last year, I said that shortly after the Watergate break-in I became concerned about the possibility that the FBI investigation might lead to the exposure either of unrelated covert activities of the CIA, or of sensitive national security matters that the so-called "Plumbers" unit at the White House had been working on, because of the CIA and Plumbers' connections of some of those involved. I said that I therefore gave instructions that the FBI should be alerted to coordinate with the CIA, and to ensure that the investigation not expose these sensitive national security matters. That statement was based on my recollection at the time some 11 months later plus documentary materials and relevant public testimony of those involved.

The June 23 tapes clearly show, however, that at the time I gave those instructions I also discussed the political aspects of the situation, and that I was aware of the advantages this course of action would have with respect to limiting possible public exposure of involvement by persons connected with the re-election committee. My review of the additional tapes has, so far, shown no other major inconsistencies with what I have previously submitted. While I have no way at this stage of being certain that there will not be others, I have no reason to believe that there will be. In any case, the tapes in their entirety are now in the process of being furnished to Judge Sirica. He has begun what may be a rather lengthy process of reviewing the tapes, passing on specific claims of executive privilege on portions of them, and forwarding to the special prosecutor those tapes or those portions that are taped conversations subpoenaed by the special prosecutor.

Among the conversations I listened to at that time were two of those of June 23. Although I recognized that these pre-. sented potential problems, I did not inform my staff or my counsel of it, or those arguing my case, nor did I amend my submission to the Judiciary Committee in order to include and reflect it. At the time, I did not realize the extent of the implications which these conversations might now appear to have. As a result, those arguing my case, as well as those passing judgment on the case, did so with information that was incomplete and in some respects erroneous.

This was a serious act of omission for which I take full responsibility and which I deeply regret. Since the Supreme Court's decision 12 days ago, I have ordered my counsel to analyze the 64 tapes, and I have listened to a number of them myself. This process has made it clear that portions of the tapes of these June 23 conversations are relevant to the Watergate investigation. It is highly unlikely that this review will be completed in time for the House debate. It appears at this stage, however, that a House vote of impeachment is, as a practical matter, virtually a foregone conclusion, and that the issue will therefore go to trial in the Senate.

In order to ensure that no other significant relevant materials are withheld, I shall voluntarily furnish to the Senate everything from these tapes that Judge Sirica rules should go to the special prosecutor. I recognize that this additional material I am now furnishing may further damage my case, especially because attention will be drawn separately to it rather than to the evidence in its entirety. In considering its implications, therefore, 1 urge that two points be borne in mind. The first of these points is to remember what actually happened as a result of the instructions I gave on June 23. Acting Director (L.

Patrick) Gray of the FBI did coordinate with Director (Richard) Helms and Deputy Director (Vernon) Walters of the CIA. The CIA did Associated Press WASHLYGTO.N' This fs the text of a written statement issued Monday by President Nixon: I have today instructed my attorneys to make available to the House Judiciary Committee, and I am making public, the transcripts of three conversations with (former White House Chief of Staff), H. It. Haldeman on June 23, 1972. I have also, turned over the tapes of these conversations to Judge (John Sirica, as part of the process of my compliance with the Supreme Court ruling.

On April 29, in announcing my decision to make public the original set of White House transcripts, I stated that "as far as what the President personally knew and -did with regard to Watergate and the cover-up is concerned, these materials together with those already made available wilhtell it all." Shortly after that, in May, I made a preliminary review of some of the 64 undertake an extensive check to see whether any of its covert activities would be compromised by a full FBI investigation of Watergate. Deputy Director Walters then reported back to Mr. Gray that they would not be compromised. On July 6, when I called Mr. Gray, and when he expressed concern about improper attempts to limit his investigation, as the record shows, I told him to press ahead vigorously with his investigation which he did.

The second point I would urge is that the evidence be looked at in its entirety, and the events be looked at in perspective. Whatever mistakes I made in the handling of Watergate, the basic truth remains that when all the facts were brought to my attention I insisted on a full investigation and prosecution of those guilty. I am firmly convinced that the record, in its entirety, does not justify the extreme step of impeachment and removal of a President. I trust that as the constitutional process goes forward, this perspectivejwill prevail. Transcripts of June 23, 1972, tapes released by President Nixon yesterday lsiZl IWIIIIII IWMeCillWWM Associated Press WASHINGTON Following is the text of the three transcripts of tapes President Nixon released yesterday: Meeting: The President and Haldeman, Oval Office, June 23, 1972, a.ni.) (Unintelligible) (Unintelligible) they've got a magnificent place No, they don't.

See, that was all hand-held camera without lighting lousy place. It's good in content, it's terrible in film quality. VP: (Unintelligible) Rose (Wood), she ought to be in here. No, well let her in if you want to, sure That's right. Got so goddamned much (scratching noises) Goddamned.

I understand, I just thought (unintelligible). If I do, I just buzz. Yeah, Ah Good, that's a very good paper at least (unintelligible). The one thing they haven't got in there is the thing we mentioned with regard to the Armed Services. I covered that with Ehrlichman who says that can be done and he's moving.

Not only Armed Services, but the whole government. GSA? All government? All government procurement, yeah. I talked to John about that and he thought that was a good idea. So, Henry gets back at 3:45. I told Haig today that I'd see Rogers at 4:30.

Oh, good, 0. K. Well, if he gets back at 3:45, he won't be here until 4:00 or 4:30. It'll be a little after 4:00 (unintelligible) 5:00. Well, I have to, I'm supposed to go to Camp David.

Rogers doesn't need a lot of time, does he? No sir. Just a picture? That's all. He called me about it yesterday afternoon and said I don't want to be in the meeting with Henry, I understand that but there may be a couple of points Henry wants me to be aware of. P. Sure.

Unintelligible) call him and tell him we'll call him as soon as Henry gets here, between 4:30 and 5:00 (unintelligible)! Good. O. that's fine. Now, on the investigation, you know the Democratic break-in thing, we're back in the problem area because the FBI is not under control, because Gray doesn't exactly know how to control it and they have their investigation is now leading into some productive areas because they've been able to trace the money -not through the money itself but through the bank sources the banker. And, and it goes in some directions we don't want it to go.

Ah, also there have been some things like an informant came in off the street to the FBI in Miami who was a photographer or has a friend who is a photographer who developed some films through (Bernard) Barker and the films had pictures of Democratic National Committee letterhead documents and things. So it's things like that that are filtering in. Mitchell came up' with yesterday, and John Dean analyzed very carefully last night and concludes, concurs now with Mitchell's recommendation that the only way to solve this, and we're set up beautifully to do it, ah, in that and that the only network that paid any attention to it last night was NBC they did a massive story on the Cuban thing. 7 That's right. That the way to handle this now is for us to have Walters call Pat Gray and just say, "Stay to hell out of this this is JAMES D.

ST. CLAIR, President Nixon's lawyer, left the Capitol yesterday after meeting with congressmen. Earlier, the President had acknowledged he withheld Watergate evidence from his own lawyers. business here we don't want you to go any further on it." That's not an unusual development, and ah, that would take care of it. What about Pat Gray you mean Pat Gray doesn't want to? Pat does want to.

He doesn't know how to, and he doesn't have, he doesn't have any basis for doing it. Given this, he will then have the basis. He'll call Mark Felt in, and the two of them and Mark Felt wants to cooperate because he's ambitious Yeah. He'll call him in and say, "We've got the signal from across the river to put the hold on this." And that will fit rather well because the FBI agents who are working the case, at this point, feel that's what it is. This is CIA? They've traced the money.

Who'd they trace it to? Well they've traced it to a name, but they haven't gotten to the guy yet. Would it be somebody here? Ken Dahlberg. Who the hell is Ken Dahlberg? He gave $25,000 in Minnesota and, ah, the check went directly to this guy Barker. It isn't from the committee though, from Stans? Yeah. It is.

It's directly traceable and there's some more through some Texas people that went to the Mexican bank which can also be traced to the Mexican bank they'll get their names today. And (pause) Well, I mean, there's no way I'm just thinking if they don't cooperate, what do they say? That they were ap-proached by the Cubans. That's what Dahlberg has to say, the Texans too, that they Well, if they will. But then we're relying on more and more people all the time. That's the problem and they'll stop if we could take this other route.

All right. And you seem to think the thing to do is get them to stop? Right, fine. They say the only way to do that is from White House instructions. And it's got to be to Helms and to ah, what's his name Walters. Walters.

And the proposal would be that Ehr-lichman and I call them in, and say, ah All right, fine. How do you call him in I mean you just well, we protected Helms from one hell of a lot of things. That's what Ehrlichman says. Of course, this Hunt that will uncover a lot of things. You open that scab there's a hell of a lot of things and we just feel that it would be very detrimental to have this thing go any further.

This involves these Cubans, Hunt, and a lot of hanky-panky that we have nothing to do with ourselves. Well, what the hell did (John) Mitchell know about this? I think so, I don't think he knew the details, but I think he knew. He didn't know how it was going to be handled though with Dahlberg and the Texans and so forth. Well, who was the asshole that did? Is it (G. Gordon) Liddy? Is that the fellow? He must be a little nuts! He is.

I mean he just isn't well screwed on is he? Is that the problem? No, but he was under pressure, apparently, to get more information, and as he got more pressure, he pushed the people harder to move harder Pressure from Mitchell? Apparently. Oh, Mitchell. Mitchell was at the point (unintelligible). All right, fine, I understand it all. Associated Press We won't second-guess Mitchell and the rest.

Thank God it wasn't Colson. The FBI interviewed Colson yesterday. They determined that would be a good thing to do. To have him take an interrogation, which he did, and that the FBI guys working the case concluded that there were one or two possibilities one, that this was a White House they don't think that there is anything at the Election Committee they think it was either a White House operation and they had some obscure reasons of it non-political, or it was a Cuban and the CIA. And after their interrogation of Colson yesterday, they concluded it was not the White House, but are now convinced it is a CIA thing, so the CIA turnoff would Well, not sure of their analysis, I'm going to get that involved, I'm (unintelligible).

No, sir, wS don't want you to. You call them in. Good deal. Play it tough. That's the way they play it and that's the way we are going to, play it.

II: O.K. When I saw that news summary, I questioned whether it's a bunch of crap, but I thought, er, well it's good to have them off us awhile, because when they start bugging us, which they have, our little boys will not know how to handle it. I hope they will though. You never know. Good.

(Emil) Mosbacher has resigned. Oh yeah? As we expected he would. Yeah. He's going back to private -life (unintelligible). Do you want to sign this or should I send it to Rose? (scratching noise) Do you want to release it? O.K.

Great. Good job, Bob. Kissinger? Huh? That's a joke. Is it? Whenever Mosbacher came for dinners, you see he'd have to be out escorting the person in and when they came through the receiving line, Henry was always with Mrs. Mosbacher and she'd turn and they would say this is Mrs.

Kissinger. He made a little joke. I see. Very good. O.K.

Well, good. (unintelligible) Congressional guidance to get into the Mills thing at all. It was reported that somebody Church met with Mills. Big deal (unintelligible). Well, what happened there is that's true Church went Urn? Is it pay as you go or not? Well, Church says it is, our people don't believe it is.

Church told (Wilbur) Mills that he had (Russell Long's support on adding social security and Wilbur equivocated on the question, when Johnny Burns talked to him about whether he would support the Long-Church Amendment, but Long and (Frank) Church telling him that it is fully funded and our people are afraid Mills is going to go along if they put the heat on him as a partisan Democrat to say that this would be damned helpful just before our convention to stick this to the White House. Ah, Johnny Burns, he talked to Wilbur about it afterwards and this has been changed, so don't be concerned about it you should call (Mike) Mansfield and you should tell Mansfield that Burns is going to fight this in conference and that he will demand that it go to rules and he will demand a three-day lay-over, which means he will carry the conference over until July 7, which would be and then before they even start the action, so it will mean they have to stay in they can't right. (Unintelligible), Go ahead. Clark made the point that he should handle this, not you, and is doing this through Scott to Byrd, who is acting (unintelligible) still in the hospital. And ah, Clark's effort is going to be to kill the Church-Long Amendment: They got another tactic which is playing a dangerous game, but they are thinking about, which is, if they put Social Security on (unin-, telligible) that they will put Revenue Sharing and H.R.

1 in it and really screw it up. I would. Not dangerous at all. Buck up. They're playing with it they understand.

Clark is going off with the mission to kill it. Revenue Sharing won't kill it, but H.R. 1 would. So, that's what he is off to. But, boy if the Debt Ceiling isn't passed start firing (expletive deleted) government workers, I really mean it cut them off.

They can't do this they've got to give us that Debt Ceiling. Mills has said that he didn't (unintelligible) on the Debt Ceiling earlier. Well, it's O.K. it's O.K. Well, Burns says that he is justifying it on the basis that they have told him that it's finance.

Ehrlichman met with them the Republicans on Senate Finance yesterday and explained the whole thing to them. They hadn't understood the first six-months financing and they are with it now and already to go and hanging on that defense. He feels, and they very much want, a meeting with you before the recess, finance Republicans. All right. Certainly.

So, we'll do that next week. Did you get the report that the British floated the pound? No, I don't think so. They did. That's devaluation? Yeah. Flanigan's got a report on it here.

I don't care about it. Nothing we can do about it. You want a run-down? No, I don't. He argues it shows the wisdom of our refusal to consider convertibility until we get a new monetary system. Good.

I think he's right. It's too complicated for me to get into, (unintelligible) I understand. Burns expects a five-day per cent devaluation against the dollar. Yeah, O.K. Fine.

Burns is concerned about speculation about the lira. Well, I don't give a (expletive deleted) about the lira, (unintelligible) That's the substance of that. How are the House guys (unintelligible) Boggs (unintelligible) All our people are, they think it's a great a great a great ah There ain't a vote in it. Only George Shultz and people like that that think it's great (unintelligible) There's no votes in it, Bob. Or do you think there is? No, (unintelligible) I think it's it looks like a Nixon victory (shuffling) major piece of legislation (unintelligible) (unintelligible) Not till July.

I meant, our guys' analysis is that it will not going to get screwed up. The Senate will tack a little bit of amendment on it, but not enough to matter, and it can be easily resolved in conference. Well, what the hell, why not accomplish one thing while we're here. Maybe we will. Yep.

Not bad. spite of ourselves. O.K. What else have you got that's amusing today? That's it. How's your (unintelligible) (Voice fade) coverage? Good newspaper play lousy television And they covered all the news, hut didn't (unintelligible) you gotta (unintelligible) but maximum few minutes (unintelligible) (unintelligible) Sure.

One thing, if you decide to do more in-office ones Remember, I I when I came in I asked Alex, but apparently we don't have people in charge. I said I understood, that you had told me that the scheme was to let them come in and take a picture an Ollie picture but (expletive deleted) what good does an Ollie picture do? Doesn't do any good. Don't know what it was but apparently he didn't get the word. Well, I think we ought to try that next time. If you want to see if it does us any good, and it might, let them.

Well, why wasn't it done this time? I don't know. It wasn't raised? I don't know. You said it Because I know you said and Ollie sat back there and (unintelligible) and I said (unintelligible) but (expletive deleted) Ollie's pictures hang there and nobody sees them except us. Now what you've got to it's really not the stills that do us any good on that. We've got to let them come in with the lights.

Well in the future, will you make a note. Alex, Ron or whoever it is no Steve. I have no objection to them coming in, and taking a picture with stills, I mean with the camera. I couldn't agree more. I don't give a (expletive deleted) about the newspapers.

You're going to get newspaper coverage anyway. What (unintelligible) good objective play Oh, yeah. In terms of the way it was Or in the news. Needless to say, they sunk the bussing thing, but there was very, very little on that (unintelligible) Detroit (unintelligible) Two networks covered it. We'll see what Detroit does.

We hope to Christ the question (unintelligible) SOB, if necessary. Hit it again. Somebody (unintelligible) busing thing back up again. What's happened on the busing thing. We going to get one or not? Well, no we're out of time.

No, after. I guess it is sort of impossible to get the word to the research people that when you say 100 words, you mean 100 words. Well, I'm surprised because this is Buchanan, and I didn't say time on this one, I said 100 words and Pat usually takes that seriously, but that one I have a feeling maybe what happened is Associated Press so the gay lib is going to turn out 6,000 (unintelligible). (unintelligible) I think They sure test the effect of the writing press. I think it was still good to have it in the papers, but, let's perfectly from another standpoint, let's just say look "Because (unintelligible) people trying and any other damned reason, I just don't want to go out there (unintelligible) what better way to spend my time than to take off two afternoons or whatever it was to prepare for an in-office press conference." Don't you agree? That's that's (unintelligible) I spend an hour whatever it was 45 minutes or so with television executives (unintelligible) all in and outs (unintelligible.

"Look, we have no right to ask 'the President anything (unintelligible) biased." (unintelligible) says I'm going to raise hell with the networks. And look, you've just not got to let (Herb) Klein ever set up a meeting again. He just doesn't have his head screwed on. You know what I mean. He just opens it up and sits there with eggs on his face.

He's just not our guy at all is he? No. Absolutely, totally, unorganized. He's a very nice guy. People love him, but damn is he unorganized. That's right, he's not.

But don't you agree that (unintelligible) worth doing and that it's kind of satisfying. Sure. And as you point out there's some fringe benefits with going through the things is a good exercise for you That's right. In the sense of getting caught up on certain items Right. It's a good exercise for the troops in having to figure out what the problems are and what the answers are to them.

Three or four things. Ah Pat raised the point last night that probably she and the girls ought to stay in a hotel on Miami Beach. First she says the moment they get the helicopter and get off and so forth, it destroys their hair and so forth. And of course, that is true even though you turn them off and turn them on so on. The second point is Could drive over Well the point is, I want to check with Dean to be sure what the driving time is.

If the driving time with traffic is going to be up to an hour Oh no. With the traffic But they have an escort. How long would it take? Half an hour. Less than half an hour. You can make it easy in a half hour without an escort, and they would they should have an escort.

They should arrive with and they may not like it it may bother them a little, but that's what Continued on next page that they may have started short and he may have gotten into the editing you know the people the clearance process who say you have to say such and such, although I know what's happened. I don't know, maybe it isn't worth going out and (unintelligible) Maybe it is. Well, it's a close call. Ah, Ehrlichman thought you probably What? Well, it's close call. Ehrlichman thought you probably Well he said you probably didn't need it.

He didn't think you should not at all. He said he felt fine doing it. He did? The question, the point, is does he think everybody is going to understand the busing? That's right. And, ah, well (unintelligible) says no. Well, the fact is somewhere in between, I think, because I think that (unintelligible) is missing some Well, if the fact is somewhere in between, we better do it.

Yeah, I think Mitchell says, "Hell yes. Anything we can hit on at anytime we get the chance and we've got a reason for doing it do it." When you get in when you get in (unintelligible) people, say, "Look the problem is that this will open the whole, the whole Bay of Pigs thing, and the President just feels that ah, without going into the details don't, don't lie to them to the extent to say there is no involvement, but just say this is a comedy of errors, without getting into it, the President believes that it is going to open the whole Bay of Pigs thing up again. And, ah, because these people are plugging for (unintelligible) and that they should call the FBI in and (unintelligible) don't go any further into this case period! (Inaudible) our cause Get more done for our cause by the opposition than by usj Well, can you get it done? I think so. (unintelligible) moves (unintelligible) election (unintelligible) They're all that's the whole thing. The Washington Post said it in its lead editorial today.

Another "McGovern's got to change his position." That that would be a good thing, that's constructive. Ah, the whitewash for change. (unintelligible) urging him to do so say that is perfectly all right? Cause then they are saying on the other hand that he was not so smart. We have to admire the progress he's made on the basis of the position he's taken and maybe he's right and we're wrong. (Inaudible) I just, ha ha Sitting in Miami (unintelligible) our hand a little bit.

They eliminated their law prohibiting male (unintelligible) from wearing female clothes now the boys can all put on their dresses 73 i PRESIDENT NIXON and former Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman during a meeting in the President's office in July 1973. i.