April 12, 1974

The Daily Diary files represent a consolidated record of the President's activities. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

• Original typewritten diary (PDF)

The President's day began at The White House - Washington, D. C.

The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents made available transcripts of the President's news conferences; messages to Congress; public speeches, remarks, and statements; and other Presidential materials released by the White House.

Digitized versions can be found at HathiTrust.

Each Public Papers of the Presidents volume contains the papers and speeches of the President of the United States that were issued by the White House Office of the Press Secretary during the time period specified by the volume. The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In instances when the release date differs from the date of the document itself, that fact is shown in the text note.

To ensure accuracy, remarks have been checked against audio recordings (when available) and signed documents have been checked against the original, unless otherwise noted. Editors have provided text notes and cross references for purposes of identification or clarity.

• Executive Order 11778—Amending Executive Order No. 11692, Adjusting the Rates of Monthly Basic Pay for Members of the Uniformed Services
• Executive Order 11777—Amending Executive Order No. 11691, Adjusting Rates of Pay for Certain Statutory Pay Systems

The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other Presidential documents.

• Federal Register of Friday, April 12, 1974

Selective document listing

President's Office Files

The President's Office Files consists of materials drawn together by the Special Files Unit from several administrative subdivisions within the White House Office. It is the handwriting and sensitive papers sent to the Staff Secretary that now comprise much of the President's Office Files. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

• News Summaries, Unmarked News Summaries, Box 68, News Summaries - April 1974 [8 of 20] [Note: Due to the way News Summary products were compiled, you should also consult nearby days for potentially relevant materials.]
  • News Summary, April 12, 1974, (Thurs. nets, wires)

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Nixon Library Holdings

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The President's Daily Brief is the primary vehicle for summarizing the day-to-day sensitive intelligence and analysis, as well as late-breaking reports, for the White House on current and future national security issues. Read "The President's Daily Brief: Delivering Intelligence to Nixon and Ford" to learn more.

• President's Daily Brief of 12 April 1974

The Foreign Relations of the United States series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. Visit the State Department website for more information.

Vol. XV, Soviet Union, June 1972-August 1974

Summit Preparations, April-May 1974

• 173. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, April 12, 1974, 11:05 a.m.-12:55 p.m.

  Source: National Archives, RG 59, Records of the Office of the Counselor, 1955–1977, Lot 81 D 286, Box 8, Soviet Union, January–April 1974. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the Oval Office. Brackets are in the original. The original is incorrectly dated April 11. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon met with Kissinger and Gromyko on April 12 from 11:02a.m. to 12:50 p.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files)

• 174. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, April 12, 1974, 2:15 p.m.

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 69, Country Files—Europe—USSR, Dobrynin/Kissinger, Vol. 22, January–April 1974. Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Hartman. The meeting was held in the Secretary’s Dining Room.

Vol. XVIII, China, 1973-1976

Political Turmoil in the United States, June 1973-September 1974

• 76. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, April 12, 1974, 2:30 p.m.

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 524, Country Files, Far East, China, Vol. XII, Oct 25, 1973–. Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the White House. According to an attached April 19 memorandum by Froebe, Scowcroft approved this memorandum of conversation.

• 77. Memorandum From Richard H. Solomon of the National Security Council Staff to Secretary of State Kissinger, Washington, April 12, 1974

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 96, Country Files, Far East, China Exchanges, April 1–August 8, 1974. Top Secret; Sensitive. Sent for action.

Vol. XXXIII, SALT II, 1972-1980

SALT II, 1972-1980

• 63. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, April 12, 1974, 11:05 a.m.-12:55 p.m.

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1028, Memcons–HAK & Presidential, March 1–May 8, 1974. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The meeting took place in the Oval Office. The original is incorrectly dated April 11. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon met with Kissinger and Gromyko on April 12 from 11:02 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files, President’s Daily Diary) The full memorandum of conversation is Document 173 in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, Vol. XV, Soviet Union, June 1972–August 1974.

Vol. XXXVI, Energy Crisis, 1969-1974

March 29-August 3, 1974

• 349. Memorandum for the Record, Washington, April 12, 1974

  Source: National Archives, RG 429, Records of the Council on International Economic Policy, 1971–77, Records of Executive Committee Meetings 1973–74, Box 252, File 53487, April 12, 1974 meeting. Confidential. Shultz chaired the meeting. According to an April 15 memorandum from Flanigan to CIEP Executive Committee members, the decision reached at the April 12 meeting on LDC’s was that, for the present, the United States “will do all it can to meet its past aid commitments, but that we could not now make any new commitments. Further work on institutional possibilities for considering the problem of particularly hard-hit LDCs, the extent and timing of the problem for specific countries, and options for a further U.S. response to the problem will be pursued through an interagency group chaired by Chuck Cooper.” (Ibid.)

Vol. E-14, Part 2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1973-1976

• 40. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, April 12, 1974, 2:15 p.m.

  Summary: Kissinger, Rush, Sonnenfeldt, and Hartman met with Gromyko and Dobrynin to discuss weather modification and other related arms control concerns, in addition to other topics.
  
  Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P860123–1356. Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Hartman. John D. Rendahl, Special Assistant and Staff Director, NSC Interdepartmental Group (EUR/NSC–IG) initialed for Hartman. All brackets are in the original except those indicating text omitted by the editors and “[Gromyko:]”, added for clarity. The conversation took place in the Secretary’s dining room at the Department of State. The memorandum of conversation is printed in full in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XV, Soviet Union, June 1972–August 1974, as Document 174. On April 28 and 29, Kissinger met with Gromyko and Dobrynin in Geneva. For the memoranda of conversations, see ibid., Documents 175, 176, 177, and 178. The executive summary of the overdue environmental modification study that Sonnenfeldt references is Document 42 in this volume.

Vol. E-15, Part 2, Documents on Western Europe, 1973-1976, Second, Revised Edition

Nordic Countries, 1973-1976

• 185. Telegram 75494 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Iceland, Washington, April 12, 1974, 2252Z

  Summary: The Department summarized the third round of the U.S.-Iceland defense negotiations.
  
  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 693, Country Files, Europe, Iceland, Vol. I. Secret; Exdis. Sent for information to the Mission to NATO, London, Oslo, Copenhagen, and Bonn. Drafted by Nicholas Andrews in EUR/NE; cleared by Stabler, Irving, EUR/NE, and Fry in S/S; and approved by Sisco. A memorandum of conversation on Kissinger’s April 10 meeting with Agustsson is ibid., Box 1028, Presidential/HAK Memoranda of Conversation, Memcons—1 Mar 1974–8 May 1974, HAK + Presidential (2 of 4).

The Kissinger telephone conversation transcripts consist of approximately 20,000 pages of transcripts of Kissinger’s telephone conversations during his tenure as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (1969-1974) and Secretary of State (1973-1974) during the administration of President Richard Nixon. Visit the finding aid for more information.

Digitized versions can be found in the National Archives Catalog.

The White House Photo Office collection consists of photographic coverage of President Richard Nixon meeting with prominent social, political, and cultural personalities; speaking engagements and news conferences of the President and various high-ranking members of the White House staff and Cabinet; Presidential domestic and foreign travel, including Presidential vacations; social events and entertainment involving the First Family, including entertainers present; official portraits of the President, First Family, and high-ranking members of the Nixon administration; the 1969 and 1973 Inaugurals; the President’s 1972 Presidential election campaign appearances (including speeches) and other official activities of the White House staff and the President’s Cabinet from January 20, 1969 until August 9, 1974 at the White House and the Old Executive Office Building; other locations in Washington, DC, such as The Mall; and the Presidential retreats in Camp David, Maryland, Key Biscayne, Florida, and San Clemente, California. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

Roll WHPO-E2611 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E2611-02, USSR Foreign Minister Andrey Gromyko and Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin standing in the White House Cabinet Room talking. 4/12/1974, Washington, D.C. White House, Cabinet Room. Andrey A. Gromyko, Anatoly F. Dobrynin.
• Frame(s): WHPO-E2611-03-20, President Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger seated informally in the Oval Office during a meeting with Andrey A. Gromyko, Foreign Minister of the U.S.S.R., Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin, Helmut Sonnenfeldt and interpreter Viktor Sukhodrev. 4/12/1974, Washington, D.C. White House, Oval Office. Andrey A. Gromyko, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the U.S.S.R.; Anatoly F. Dobrynin, Soviet Ambassador to the U.S.; Helmut Sonnenfeldt, Counselor, Department of State; interpreter Viktor N. Sukhodrev, Counselor for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the U.S.S.R.

Roll WHPO-E2612 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

• Frame(s): WHPO-E2612-02-16, Two staff members sorting Incoming White House mail - Contact sheet notes: assist President with taxes. 4/12/1974, Washington, D. C. White House, Mail room. unidentified staff members and White House Security Guard in uniform, Judy Entler, Roland Elliot, Robert Tomlinson.

Roll WHPO-E2630 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E2630-01A-31A, San Clemente, Sunset views. 4/12/1974, San Clemente, CA

The White House Communications Agency Sound Recordings Collection contains public statements that took place between 1969 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

P - Formal Presidential Remarks

• WHCA-SR-P-740412
  Photo opportunity with USSR FM Andrei Gromyko. (4/12/1974)
  
  Runtime: 2:30
  
  Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.

S - White House Press Office Briefings (continuation of the L-series)

• WHCA-SR-S-555
  Press briefing. (4/12/1974, White House Press Lobby)
  
  Runtime: 20:00
  
  Keywords: Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media
  
  Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by __ (initials of WHCA engineer)
  
  Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.
• WHCA-SR-S-556
  Press briefing by Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger. (4/12/1974, White House Press Lobby)
  
  Runtime: 11:55
  
  Keywords: Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media
  
  Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by __ (initials of WHCA engineer)
  
  Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.

The White House Communications Agency Videotape Collection contains “off-the-air” recordings of televised programs produced between 1968 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

• WHCA-6880
  "Panorama". Richard Nixon.
  NBC
  Runtime: 0:15
• WHCA-6885
  Weekly News Summary, Tape II.
  ALL NETWORKS
  
  29. Smith/Koppel/Jarriel: President Nixon and Secretary of State Kissinger meet with United Nations (U.N.) Ambassador Gromyko, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs with film. Time Code Start: 66:00. Keywords: SALT, S.A.L.T., Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, Russia, Soviet Union, USSR, Cold War, détente, Ambassadors, cabinet, advisors, organization of nations, intergovernmental alliance. Network: ABC.
  
  30. Smith: President Nixon owes California taxes. Time Code Start: 70:19. Keywords: Presidents, Internal Revenue Service, taxes, taxation, revenue, audits, investigations, state taxes. Network: ABC.
  
  31. Smith/Shoumacher: Watergate committee staff report. Time Code Start: 70:39. Keywords: Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals, impeachment, resignations. Network: ABC.
  
  32. Smith: Commentary on diplomacy. Time Code Start: 72:34. Keywords: leaders, foreign relations, politics, diplomats, negotiations. Network: ABC.
  
  33. Chancellor/Brokaw/Valeriani: SALT [Strategic Arms Limitation Talks] with President Nixon, Secretary of State Kissinge and United Nations (U.N.) Ambassador Gromyko, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs [Strategic Arms Limitation Talks]. Time Code Start: 74:22. Keywords: SALT, S.A.L.T., Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, Russia, Soviet Union, USSR, Cold War, détente, Ambassadors, cabinet, advisors, organization of nations, intergovernmental alliance. Network: NBC.
  
  34. Chancellor/Burrington: Israelis cry revenge on terrorist attacks. Time Code Start: 77:52. Keywords: Middle East, Mideast, Israeli, militants, terrorism, violence, attacks. Network: NBC.
  
  35. Chancellor/Mioni: Last dead POWs return from North Vietnam. Time Code Start: 80:56. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War. Network: NBC.
  
  36. Chancellor/Levine: Steel settlement. Time Code Start: 82:30. Keywords: iron alloy, metals, steel production, workers, layoffs, unemployment. Network: NBC.
  
  37. Chancellor: President Nixon's California taxes. Time Code Start: 84:40. Keywords: Presidents, Internal Revenue Service, taxes, taxation, revenue, audits, investigations, state taxes. Network: NBC.
  
  38. Chancellor/Brinkley's Journal: Washington bills in Congress. Time Code Start: 85:40. Keywords: House of Representatives, laws, bills. Network: NBC.
  
  39. Mudd/Harris: President Nixon's taxes in California. Time Code Start: 87:23. Keywords: Presidents, Internal Revenue Service, taxes, taxation, revenue, audits, investigations, state taxes. Network: CBS.
  
  40. Mudd/Graham: President Nixon's papers in the archives. Time Code Start: 89:03. Keywords: Presidents, documents, letters, writings, libraries, collections. Network: CBS.
• WHCA-6886
  Weekly News Summary, Tape III.
  ALL NETWORKS
  Runtime: 00:43:16
  
  1. Mudd/Kalb: No agreement on Russia and SALT talks with President Nixon, Secretary of State Kissinger and United Nations (U.N.) Ambassador Gromyko, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs [Strategic Arms Limitation Talks]. Time Code Start: 00:00. Keywords: SALT, S.A.L.T., Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, Russia, Soviet Union, USSR, Cold War, détente, Ambassadors, cabinet, advisors, organization of nations, intergovernmental alliance. Network: CBS.
  
  2. Mudd/Shaw/Plante: Steel workers settlement. Time Code Start: 02:14. Keywords: iron alloy, metals, steel production, workers, layoffs, unemployment. Network: CBS.
  
  3. Mudd/Wagner: Government crackdowns on milk advertising. Time Code Start: 04:36. Keywords: food, dairy products, regulations, advertisements, ads, TV spots, television, commercials, billboards. Network: CBS.
  
  4. Mudd/Jones: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says people are checking off campaign dollar. Time Code Start: 07:40. Keywords: Internal Revenue Service, income taxes, taxation, revenue, audits, investigations, campaign, contributions. Network: CBS.

• New York Times of April 12, 1974

• AP Images photos from April 12, 1974
• Getty Images photos from April 12, 1974

The Vanderbilt Television News Archive is the world's most extensive and complete archive of television news. They have been recording, preserving and providing access to television news broadcasts of the national networks since August 5, 1968.

• April 1974 Broadcast Index

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• April 12, 1974