Ch 57: Haldeman Interview: "if you could give me 48 hrs to leave "

You've heard of Pavlov's dog and conditioned reflex? In
any meeting where you are the one invited, if you stand up to
leave, everyone stands up. I said, "Is that all, Mr. Minister?"

He said, "Yes."

I said, "Mr. Vice President, is that all?"

"Yes."

I stood up, and everybody stood up. I said, "With your
permission, I'll be leaving." They all collapsed.

I walked by the minister, and he said, "Bob, just a
minute," and grabbed my hand. "I'd like to talk to you."

I said, "Wait a minute [for my lawyer]," and he said, "No,
just you alone."

Two of them took me in and sat down. "Do you want coffee?"

I said, "No, thanks."

"These are very serious charges."

I said, "Yes, very serious." I agreed with everything, and
he was becoming more frustrated. I said, "I'll just have to go
back and see what I can do about this. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything you want . "

"This is so serious that I would like it if you would give
me forty-eight hours to leave the country."

He said, "No, that's not the idea. That's not the purpose
of all this." [laughs] They wanted to put me in a kangaroo
court.

I had a group of Chileans who still stuck with me. They
were loyal, and they wouldn't take any orders from these
overseers, managed the company the way we wanted to and it was
frustrating them. The Anaconda people just melted away and
practically turned it over to the overseers before the
legislation came through.

I said, "Well, I'll be in touch with you." From the Copper
Corporation you walk a block down, and there is the U.S. embassy
in the same block as the office building. I walked in there to
see Ambassador Kerry. I said, "Mr. Haldeman to see Mr.
Ambassador."

He said, "Come right in. Bob, how are you?"

I said, "I'm horrible. I've just come from the--," and he
said, "Don't say a word."

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