European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 02, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday May 2, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 5 Nixon hush Money details revealed continued from Page 1 with Colson then a White House counsel. He said to Colson that we arc just going to leave this where it is with the cubans " the reference was to the former cuban exiles arrested in the water Gate Complex. The times report also says in april 1973, Nixon was so preoccupied with watergate that he spent Days trying to figure out ways to extricate himself. Special watergate prosecutor Charles f. Ruff said saturday night that the Tran scripts referred to by the Post were not supplied by his office. Ruff said however he had heard there were three or four floating  Nixon s lawyers have had Access to materials gathered by the prosecutor some of which was not made Public because it was not used in the trial of the former presi Dent s top lieutenants. In preparing for the watergate cover up trial prosecutors had More than 100 of the White House tapes but used Only 33 of them As evidence. The Pardon in september 1974. About a month after he resigned. Nixon was pardoned by presi Dent Gerald r. Ford for any crimes he May have committed while in office. Nixon has never admitted criminal misconduct. We kept one jump ahead of the expletive  Nixon complained to h. R. Haldeman then the White House chief of staff in late april of 1973, some 16 months before Nixon abdicated the presidency according to the times. The transcripts obtained saturday by the times showed that Nixon was intimately familiar with each stage of the unsuccessful attempt to contain the spread of the watergate taint from reaching ultimately into the Oval office. Three Days after the watergate Bur Glary. Nixon told Colson that he was involved in a dangerous Job As they discussed the possibility that Federal investigators would be satisfied to place the blame on the seven defendants arrested the night of the break in. Nixon used the word  which later would become a catchword in the watergate Case for the first Lime in that june 20.1972 White House conversation. The new material which lawyers for All sides in the Case have been aware of for several years does not alter the Basic facts of the scandal or Legal standing of the participants. Yet it shows at least As Viv idly As earlier disclosures of taped water Gate talk the calculation and callousness of Nixon White House discussions Accord ing to the times. The former president called one associate  he pleaded for the Trust of his most intimate aides. He casually considered the Prospect of former High officials per Juring themselves. Nixon involvement following Are excerpts from the times Story the extent and intensity of Nixon s involvement in the cover up planning was illustrated vividly in several recorded conversations in april of 1973, when Dean was preparing to detail his knowledge to Justice department investigators. John d. Ehrlichman then the White House Domestic adviser cautioned Nixon on april 25, for instance that it s entirely conceivable that if Dean is totally out of control and the matter was not handled carefully you could get a Resolution of  s  Nixon replied. In one april 1973 conversation. Halde Man and Ehrlichman expressed grave con Cern that Nixon was concentrating too much on the watergate matter. Ehrlichman urged the president to spend a week in Florida and not take cafes and let his staff conduct All White House business. Hell they can t wreck the country in a  Ehrlichman joked. Later in that same conversation. Enrlichman said you Are in a Rotten Frame of mind on  Are  retorted Nixon. Ironically on an april 26.1973 transcript among those disclosed saturday. Nixon voiced Confidence that the recorded conversations never would come to Public at  Don t think it should Ever get out that we taped this office.  he told . Haldeman White House chief of staff. Have we got people that Are trustworthy on that i guess we  less than three months after that Dis Cussion Alexander p. Butterfield. Who had been Nixon s appointments Secretary told the Senate watergate committee about the existence of the White House recording  Nixon was not a defendant he clearly was a Central figure in the water Gate cover up trial since the chief Evi Dence of the alleged conspiracy was contained in the tape recordings of conversations involving Nixon and his key aides. The first of those which dated Back to june 23, 1972. Contained a conversation in which jurors heard Nixon giving an order to limit the Federal Bureau of investigation s probe of the break in and doing so with no More apparent concern than a Small town mayor might show in ordering a parking ticket fixed for a Friend Don t lie to them to the extent to say there is no involvement but just say this is a sort of comedy of. Errors he told Haldeman. Say that to wish for the coun try Don t go any further into this Case. In the later tapes. Nixon appeared Ner Vous and distraught and those same jurors heard him Telephone Haldeman on the evening of april 25. 1973, fretting Over the possibility that Dean might secretly have tape recorded a conversation that could destroy his presidency. Frantic deliberations the previously unpublished tapes do not add or detract measurably to the existing evidence that a conspiracy took place but they do picture a White House in which frantic deliberations had become by Spring of 1973 almost a daily routine. On april 26, 1973, during a lengthy meet ing in which Nixon and Haldeman Dis cussed the need to immediately replace l. Patrick Gray As the head of the Fri. And also began planning the resignations of Haldeman Ehrlichman and ally. Gen. Richard Klindienst Nixon reviewed the Steps taken by the White House to limit the spread of the scandal. He concluded we kept one jump ahead of the expletive deleted sheriff. Now in this Case that s what we re doing. I know who the target is. Bob. I know this in t Gonna satisfy them. I know they hate my guts an they re always Gonna Hale my guts Nixon did not dispute the potential of impeachment when Ehrlichman raised in with him on april 25. According to the Tran script the conversation Well As follows Ehrlichman i Don t know if you be thought of this or not. But i got thinking about it last night. Us. On the ground that you committed a crime. Nixon right. Ehrlichman and thai there is no other Legal process available to. Us. Us. Inc United states people other than Nixon  other than impeachment. While part of that recorded conversation made its Way into the watergate trial record other impeachment discussions did not. By the following Day. April 26. 1973, Nixon seemed to have concluded that Ehr Lichman was overstating the risk and thai Dean s testimony by itself was inadequate to imperil the president told by Haldeman that a television commentator had suggested watergate might Lead eventually to impeachment. Nixon replied Bull expletive deleted. Let me say that a. That was Ehrlichman s Point. And that was John Dean s Point. But do you think the people a. The United states Are Gonna impeach the president on the basis of John Dean several of the new transcripts also made Clear that Nixon had considerable knowl Edge of the White House liability for the watergate burglary Well before Dean briefed the president fully in March 1973. The conversation that led directly to Nixon s resignation was that of june 23, 1972 six Days after the burglary in which Jie and his aides Laid plans to try to get the Central intelligence Agency to per Suade Fri officials not to delve too deeply into the source of funding for the burglary. Nixon made that transcript Public a few Days before his departure from office but a june 20 transcript obtained Satur Day showed that Nixon s awareness of the risks to the White House had developed even  told Colson that afternoon that it seemed outrageously unfair that the Bur Glary should attract such notice in inc Media when or. Daniel Ellsberg had been in the while House View lionized for sup Posedly making Public the secret Pentagon study of die roots of american involve ment in the Vietnam War. Macgovern reference referring to sen. George Mcgovern. His opponent to the 1972 presidential election. Nixon asked did Mcgovern. Did the times did the Washington Post squeal about that then now Here was an attempted theft thai failed against a political party no against the government of the United Stales. They give pulitzer prizes for pub Lishing stolen  Colson sympathized and the iwo men. Talked of gelling the Point made publicly by someone. If a political party Headquarters is the target Colson said you gel Pil  s great great Nixon said of the suggested line of counterattack on the Issue. Well and then Loo. Of  he added we Are just going to leave this where in is Wilh inc  allusion was to the members of the watergate burglary squad who had been recruited from the cuban exile Community in Miami by e. Howard Hunt a White House aide who had been a Cia agent involved in the abortive i9g1 Bay of pigs in Vasion in Cuba. Colson a Friend of Hunts said he found in hard to believe Hunt was involved in the watergate matter because of the Way i which in was botched. He s just too Damn shrewd Colson said it does t sound like a skillful  Nixon agreed. If we did l know belter. I would have thought in was deliberately  Hal same june 20 conversation. Nixon and Colson discussed a possible diversion of attention through prosecution of the new York times for allegedly Violat ing the Federal election Laws by publishing an anti Nixon advertisement without All the required identification of the sponsors impeachment and the advertise Mcnol in question occupy ing two full pages in the May 31. 1972. Editions of the times called for the impeachment of Nixon for his conduct of the War in  Don t have much of a  Colson said of the newspaper. Then they la have to disclose who paid for inc and. And if it turns out that thai May be traced Back to Mcgovern people you you can make this bugging incident look puny by  added Hal such a Case could make us. Eavesdropping Al the Waler Gale Hole look like child s  and Nixon replied at times us. I just Stonewall it. They re not  voice trailed off according to the transcription another discussion of watergate with Colson on feb. 13. 1973 More than a month before Nixon s climactic meeting with Dean Aboul the scope of the scandal Nixon discussed the possible benefits of gelling someone to publicly accept blame for the scandal and in Colson s phrase Lake our  Well who the hell do you think did this Nixon said. Mitchell the reference was to former ally. Gen. John n. Mitchell who served for a while As the 1972 Nixon Campaign  can t do it 1 Nixon said of Mitchell. Us one time Wall Street Law partner. Hell perjure himself so he won t admit it. Now that s the  a Short time later Nixon said All right. What did you say then let s take our losses. Who the hell s Gonna step for Ward and say it Colson suggested thai White House officials might have to Stonewall investigators or have convenient memory lapses and according to the transcript Nixon raised no objection. You just you have you Stonewall Tor you. A. Or you just Don t remember something when you have  Colson said. Later in the same conversation. Nixon expressed his concern about the secrecy of he while House recording system. Halde Man assured the president the few individuals who knew of in were probably trustworthy. If it does come to Public Light Nixon then said the answer is yes. We Only but we Only taped the National Security us. In formation. All other All other All other in formation is scrapped never transcribed get the Point Nixon went on to say thai Haldeman. I transcribing watergate conversations to build a record for defending against the scandal should be careful to mask the source of the records of sensitive conversations. Flavor of crisis you never went to be in a position to say the. President taped it. You know. I mean taped  Nixon  the transcripts previously made Public the new material captures the flavor of the crisis in the Oval office Replete Wilh Finger pointing blame shifting a deleted expletives and  Strachan Haldeman s close aide is referred to by his former Boss As a  Gray the former acting head of the Fri. Is referred to As a stupid fellow by  Section of the transcript of an apr. 26 conversation suggests thai Haldeman and Nixon were incredulous upon learning Hal Gray had destroyed material Given him by Ehrlichman and Dean. The of time May a 1947 the legendary and sup Posedly jinxed Hope Diamond Worth More than $2 million was put out o circulation by the late owner whose death last Satur Day is rumoured to be the result of he Noto rious Gem s curse.  Evalyn Walsh Mclean s will the 44 i Carat Rock once wore by Catherine the great and Marie Antoinette will not be worn again for the next 20 Yean at which time it will go to  seven grandchildren. May 2, 1957 the Senate labor rack ets committee ordered teamster Union president Dave Beck to resume his Public testimony and make Good on his threat to blow the lid right off the Senate if be can. May Tuff news censorship was stopped when Secretary defense Robert & Mcnamara ordered the military to assure a free flow of news to the american Public and . Servicemen. Mcnamara ordered maximum disclosure of information except for that which would be of material assistance to potential