Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXI, Chile, 1969–1973

357. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and President Nixon¹

September 16, 1973, 11:50 a.m.

K: Hello.

P: Hi, Henry.

K: Mr. President.

P: Where are you. In New York?

K: No, I am in Washington. I am working. I may go to the football game this afternoon if I get through.

P: Good. Good. Well it is the opener. It is better than television. Nothing new of any importance or is there?

K: Nothing of very great consequence. The Chilean thing is getting consolidated and of course the newspapers are bleeding because a pro-Communist government has been overthrown.

P: Isn’t that something. Isn’t that something.

K: I mean instead of celebrating—in the Eisenhower period we would be heros.

P: Well we didn’t—as you know—our hand doesn’t show on this one though.

K: We didn’t do it. I mean we helped them.created the conditions as great as possible(? ?)

P: That is right. And that is the way it is going to be played. But listen, as far as people are concerned let me say they aren’t going to buy this crap from the Liberals on this one.

K: Absolutely not.

P: They know it is a pro-Communist government and that is the way it is.

K: Exactly. And pro-Castro.

P: Well the main thing was. Let’s forget the pro-Communist. It was an anti-American government all the way.

K: Oh, wildly.

P: And your expropriating. I notice the memorandum you sent up of the confidential conversation²set up a policy for reimbursement on expropriations and cooperation with the United States for breaking relations with Castro. Well what the hell that is a great treat(?) if they think that. No don’t let the columns and the bleeding on that.

K: Oh, oh it doesn’t bother me. I am just reporting it to you.

P: Yes, you are reporting it because it is just typical of the crap we are up against.

K: And the unbelievable filthy hypocrisy.

P: We know that.

K: Of these people. When it is South Africa, if we don’t overthrow them there they are raising hell.

P: Yes, that is right.

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Chile]

1. Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 380, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File. No classification marking. All blank underscores are omissions in the original. The President was in Aspen, Colorado, and Kissinger was in Washington at his home.
2. Document 355.