Office of the Historian

67. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Among the Presidentʼs Assistant (Haldeman), the Presidentʼs Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), and President Nixon1

Washington, April 11, 1972, 10:50 a.m.

K: Mr. President.

H: This is Bob. Iʼm in the Presidentʼs office. I was thinking of a stopping point on the way to Russia.2 I was wondering whether Austria is a possibility and going to Salzburg, not Vienna. Spending two nights as originally planned to do which would destroy the idea of a rest stopover.

K: Well, if he wants to do that. I have no great objection to that.

H: He is just wondering if that isnʼt better than going to Switzerland.

(At this point, the President came on.)

P: Hello.

K: Hello, Mr. President.

P: I donʼt like the feeling of a Spanish base and I didnʼt like the feeling of the Azores. Switzerland poses a problem which you are aware of. Let me say this for Austria. I have always had a very close relationship with Austria. The Ambassador is a good friend of mine and also it is a country which is not allied to us or the Russians and rather than going to Vienna, going to Salzburg which is a lovely town.

K: And the weather will be nice too. Can we land there?

P: We landed there in a Constellation last time. And I donʼt mind doing the Austrian thing. Whatʼs an hourʼs conversation during the day.

K: I share your concern about Switzerland. And if you go there just over night you are going to have a tremendous operation there for one nightʼs rest and if you go for two nights it looks like a vacation so I think Austria …

P: You donʼt mind our exploring it.

K: No.

P: This Ambassador Hans Gruber is a helluva guy. I know him extremely well. I got to know him at the [Hungarian] refugee period.

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K: And they certainly have the facilities there, Mr. President.

P: They do and the people will be friendly—thatʼs another thing. We have no problem there of unfriendly people. They love Americans in Austria.

K: I think if you are willing to see them …

P: Right. I think we should see them, but only have an hourʼs meeting.

K: A courtesy call.

P: Right, a courtesy call. We do need the two nights.

K: I think, Mr. President, that is a good idea.

P: I will have Bob check that out then. And do you want to check it with Gruber?

K: Gruber?

P: Yes.

K: I could do it easily enough or my office could do it quickly. I will get you an answer by tomorrow. I am sure they will be enthusiastic.

P: Fine, you go forward with Gruber.

  1. Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 21, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File. No classification marking.↩
  2. Reference is to Nixonʼs planned summit meeting in Moscow May 22–30 with Brezhnev. Nixon stopped in Salzburg May 20–22 en route to Moscow.↩