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April 16, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Sunday, April 16, 1972, pulls together various records created by the federal government and links to additional resources which can provide context about the events of the day.

Previous Date: Saturday, April 15, 1972

Next Date: Monday, April 17, 1972

Schedule and Public Documents

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

    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.

  • 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.

    No Federal Register published on this date

Archival Holdings

Any selection of archival documents will necessarily be partial. You should use the documents and folders identified below as a starting place, but consult the linked collection finding aids and folder title lists and the collections themselves for context. Many documents to be found this way do not lend themselves to association with specific dates, but are essential to a complete understanding of the material.

  • 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.

    • Annotated and Unmarked News Summaries [Note: Although there was no News Summary on this date, due to the way News Summary products were compiled, you should also consult nearby days for potentially relevant materials.]

  • The H. R. Haldeman Diaries consists of seven handwritten diaries, 36 dictated diaries recorded as sound recordings, and two handwritten audio cassette tape subject logs. The diaries and logs reflect H. R. Haldeman’s candid personal record and reflections on events, issues, and people encountered during his service in the Nixon White House. As administrative assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, Haldeman attended and participated in public events and private meetings covering the entire scope of issues in which the Nixon White House engaged in during the years 1969-1973. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    • Transcript of diary entry (PDF)
      Sunday, April 16.

      The President called at about 12:30 and I asked how church was. Said, "Well, it's always good for the soul to take an hour off once in a while." He commented that the strikes, the B-52 strikes, were exceptionally effective, the best ever in the war. That the Pentagon was jumping up and down. We really left a good calling card. Now he's knocking off the bombing while Henry takes his trip. Then they'll see what they do from there. He says Rogers is prepared to take a hard line in his testimony on Monday to attack the attackers. He commented that Humphrey was really absurd in his idea of turning it over to the UN Security Council, overlooking the fact that Russia and China are both on the Council and will veto it.

      Said he was going to go to Camp David, coming back tomorrow in time for the Cuomo luncheon, but as the weather developed during the day, he wasn't able to go, so he stayed here and spent most of the afternoon calling me on and off. He raised the Connally question in the first call, said he probably should see him on Monday, but he'd wait and see how that worked out. Thinks I should talk to him first and lay the groundwork, and that if he is going to go, he shouldn't do it before the Summit, because that would weaken the President's hand. But it would be a good time for him to do it right afterwards. Says he's got to keep free of all the knick-knacks stuff this week, except maybe the Cabinet meeting, which he might do. Having Moorer and Laird brief the Cabinet officers on the military situation, maybe have a Cabinet and Sub-Cabinet at the Pentagon to do that. He, on a later call, raised the point of the Apollo shot, said they'd gotten off all right, and he watched that on TV and did his duty there. He obviously doesn't have much interest in it.

      Then he raised the point of Kleindienst and IT&T. Said we'd have to decide on Thursday what to do on that. I told him about the Flanigan ploy that Colson and MacGregor were recommending, that is, that we let Flanigan testify only on the Ramston matter and try to make a deal with Ervin on that basis, recognizing that he'll undoubtedly turn it down, but then use the turndown as the means for Kleindienst to withdraw. And do it Monday before Gleason testifies to avoid that testimony. The President agreed with that, said we should make the deal today, not wait until tomorrow, we should get the story riding without any delay, and we should get Kleindienst to withdraw tomorrow and close the hearings if the deal isn't taken.

      I then called Mitchell. He said he was going to present a similar pattern on Monday but he felt we needed to carefully define the germaneness of Flanigan's testimony and see if we'd come out all right. He wanted Fannin to work on Ervin to try and work out a deal because he thinks there's a real chance of Ervin accepting it and our getting Kleindienst through that way. The theory being that Ervin would be happy to have a way out of this now. Mitchell says that Gleason is definitely not going to testify until Tuesday, and maybe not until Wednesday, so he'll have time to work it out and so he's in basic agreement.

      I then talked to the President again who said we should go ahead, that Fannin should get to Ervin immediately, get the offer worked out. If it's not done, make the public offer and then move quickly ahead on it.

      I then talked to Colson and MacGregor. Colson was concerned that Ervin would start negotiating regarding Timmons and Ehrlichman, but we'd just say no on that. He figures there's only a one in ten shot of this working and MacGregor figures there's no chance of it working but if it does we haven't solved the Gleason problem, which, of course, is true, but at least we'd have the Kleindienst hearings cleaned up. The main point, they felt, was that we had to make it clear to Mitchell that if it fails we've got to have Kleindienst move on Monday.

      I talked to the President again, he said he was concerned that Mitchell was going too far to try to confirm him instead of to make the setup so that we can pull him out. He wanted to be sure that the Kleindienst speech was drafted and ready to go, get the work done on the plan for that. He talked to Mitchell a couple of times later and the President called a couple of times for progress reports, finally Mitchell told me to see him at 7:30, that Ervin was at the space shot and not back yet. Fannin and Mardian are ready to talk with them. Said no problem with Flanigan on his testimony, so we can go ahead on making the offer. So that's where it stands as of now.

      End of April 16.
    • Original audio recording (MP3)

  • The National Archives Catalog is the online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records. It is the main way of describing our holdings and also provides access to electronic records and digitized versions of our holdings. 

    The Catalog searches across multiple National Archives resources at once, including archival descriptions, digitized and electronic records, authority records, and web pages from Archives.gov and the Presidential Libraries. The Catalog also allows users to contribute to digitized historical records through tagging and transcription.

    Nixon Library Holdings

    All National Archives Units

National Security Documents

  • 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.

    • No President's Daily Brief delivered on this date

  • 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. VIII, Vietnam, January-October 1972

    The Easter Offensive, March 30-May 7, 1972

    Vol. XIV, Soviet Union, October 1971-May 1972

    U.S.-Soviet Relations and the Spring Offensive in Vietnam, March 30-April 18, 1972

    Vol. E-13, Documents on China, 1969-1972

    • 121. Memorandum of Conversation, New York, April 16, 1972, 3-3:35 p.m., New York, April 16, 1972, 3-3:35 p.m.

      NSC staff member Rodman described his meeting with Shih Yen-hua as cordial and limited to polite small talk including discussion of pandas, pollution in the Great Lakes, and the cultural activities at Lincoln Center. The U.S. note referenced the North Vietnamese decision to call off the April 24 private meeting and proposed a compromise solution.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 849, President’s File-China Trip, China Exchanges, March 1, 1972-June 24, 1972. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The meeting was held at the PRC Mission at the UN. Attached is the U.S. note, upon which is written: “Handed by Rodman to Miss Shih 3:00 PM.”

  • 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.

Audiovisual Holdings

Context (External Sources)