April 2, 1973

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 San Clemente, California

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.

• Remarks of Welcome to President Nguyen Van Thieu of the Republic of Vietnam at San Clemente, California.
• Letter to President Thieu About the "Land to the Tiller" Program in the Republic of Vietnam.
• Annual Message to the Congress on the District of Columbia Budget.

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 Monday, April 2, 1973

The Congressional Record is the official daily record of the debates and proceedings of the U.S. Congress.

• Senate: April 2, 1973
• House of Representatives: April 2, 1973
• Extensions of Remarks: April 2, 1973

Decided

• Fontaine v. United States
• Lemon v. Kurtzman

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 54, News Summaries - April 2-14, 1973 [1 of 10] [Note: Due to the way News Summary products were compiled, you should also consult nearby days for potentially relevant materials.]
  • Digest of Weekend Comment, April 2, 1973
  • Weekend News Review, April 2, 1973
• News Summaries, Unmarked News Summaries, Box 54, News Summaries - April 2-14, 1973 [2 of 10]
  • Magazine Report, Week of April 2, 1973

President's Personal File

The President's Personal File is essentially a President's secretary's file, kept by Rose Mary Woods, personal secretary to the President, for two purposes: (1) preserving for posterity a collection of documents particularly close to the President, whether because he dictated or annotated them, or because of the importance of the correspondent or the event concerned and (2) giving appropriate attention–letters of gratitude, invitations to White House social events, and the like–to members and important friends and supporters of the Nixon administration. This generalization does not describe all the varied materials of a file group which is essentially a miscellany, but it does identify the reason for the existence of the file group's core. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

• President's Speech File
  • Box 85, April 2 and 2, 1973, Visit of President Thieu, San Clemente

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)
  Monday, April 2.
  
  Big news story today was my involvement in Watergate as charged by Weicker. Major headline in the L.A. Times, not so big in other papers. Spent most of the morning working on that, with time out for the Thieu arrival, which went very well. Mitchell called to say that O'Brien had met with Dean and that Dean's taken a "unique stance,” as Mitchell put it, and that the only salvation is for me to talk to him. What he's after is to try to get him to put his story differently regarding the meetings. Mitchell says if Dean does say what he suggests, he will unravel the whole thing, and after the meeting the other day, John thought Dean understood. But he says Dean's using me as the reason for taking the position he does, on the basis that I have to testify in the same way Dean intends to. He says some of the post-June activities will also be a problem, and we should consider the solution of having Dean not testify. That would solve several problems and we have ample grounds for doing it.
  
  I talked right after that to Dean. He says his lawyer has told him that he must not talk to Mitchell or Magruder. He says that he would rather take a contempt citation or the Fifth Amendment than to cause anyone a problem, and if it comes down to an impossible position, that's what he'll do, but that opens the potential for indictment. He said Strachan is being worked on by Magruder that Moore had lunch with Kleindienst and got into the special prosecutor thing, and John feels that's simply a device on Kleindienst's part to avoid Kleindienst having to do in Mitchell. If Dean has to testify and tells the truth, it'll start the whole finger pointing exercise that he feels would be unbearable. He has no idea what Mitchell said before the grand jury, but Mitchell must consider it will conflict with Dean, or he wouldn't be so worried. O'Brien told Dean Saturday that Jeb was not now concerned with Dean's testimony. He says O'Brien knows all the facts.
  
  [End of tape reel AC-32(B)]
  
  [Begin tape reel AC-33(A)]
  
  This continuing Monday, April 2. After the Thieu meeting this morning, then a trip over to the house for lunch, the President came back, had Ehrlichman and me in for a couple hours this afternoon. Said he wanted to make a couple of points on the whole Watergate situation that he felt were very important. First, that the President must be isolated from the discussions. That we've got to tell all parties––or that John does––that the President has other problems during April and May, with the Congress, the Soviet Summit, Vietnam, and so on, and he can't talk to the people that are concerned, that is, Dean, and Mitchell, and Moore, Colson, George Bush, the Vice President and all of them. Ehrlichman must get the confidence of all those people and handle the thing for the President. He commented on the side that the schedule for the first three months of this year was all wasted as far as anything public was concerned, and that he's got to concentrate on that side of things for the next few months. Second, that there must be no falling out amongst our people, having all of them going off in all different directions. We can't have a situation of every man for himself. They're all on the team. No one's going to flush anybody and they must understand that.
  
  He then launched into a fascinating review of the Hiss case, making the point as to how he conducted the investigation and worked around to where he trapped Hiss and, using that as an object lesson in terms of what we've got to watch out for, and what Weicker, et al., are doing wrong in their conduct of this investigation.
  
  We then got into a strategy review and the question of whether I should go out publicly. We agreed that I should not, but that we should consider my doing the newspaper interview with the Washington Post, but I should definitely not go on television. He felt that we've crossed the bridge on Dean, and he's not going to permit Dean to go up and testify. And John said, "Don't make a final decision on it," but that's basically John's position, too, as the way around conflict testimony-- of testimony.
  
  He got into some personnel things. He feels that we probably should move Kleindienst out and discussed possible Attorney’s General, Ruckelshaus being Ehrlichman's candidate. The President feeling Lynn would be better. He ruled out any of the other Cabinet people and he also discussed a replacement for the FBI, and felt that Matt Byrne was really quite interesting as a possibility. We decided he should not do a press conference this week after the Thieu meetings, so he's not going to. Then we dropped that, and we spent a lot of time just going round and round on the various aspects of the whole Watergate situation as it now stands. He's pretty much in line with our thinking. Told us to go ahead and develop the possibility of Chapin, Segretti, and Kalmbach exposé following my statement release. Now we've got to work out the question of whether that's what we really do want to do.
  
  End of April 2.
• 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

• Text search for April 2, 1973
• Date search for April 2, 1973

All National Archives Units

• Text search for April 2, 1973
• Date search for April 2, 1973

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 02 April 1973

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. X, Vietnam, January 1973-July 1975

Neither War nor Peace, January 27-June 15, 1973

• 38. Memorandum for the President’s Files by the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), San Clemente, California, April 2, 1973, 10:53 a.m.-12:33 p.m.

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 104, Country Files, Far East, Vietnam, GVN Memcons, November 1972–April 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the President’s office in the Western White House.

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

Summit Preparations; Jackson-Vanik Amendment; Non-Use of Nuclear Weapons, December 1972-April 1973

• 92. Memorandum From A. Denis Clift of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, April 2, 1973

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 939, VIP Visits, Brezhnev’s U.S. Visit [3 of 4]. Confidential. Sent for information.

Vol. XVIII, China, 1973-1976

Kissinger's Visits to Beijing and the Establishment of the Liaison Offices, January 1973-May 1973

• 25. Memorandum From Richard H. Solomon of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger, Washington, April 2, 1973

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 526, Country Files, Far East, People’s Republic of China, Vol. 6, Jan–Apr 1973. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for action.

Vol. E-8, Documents on South Asia, 1973-1976

India-Pakistan 1

• 121. Telegram 3743 From the Embassy in India to the Department of State, New Delhi, April 2, 1973, 1615Z

  Ambassador Moynihan submitted a country summary for India.
  
  Source: National Archives, RG 84, Colombo Embassy Files: Lot 77 F 54, Subject Files 1973, POL 3 Organizations and Agreements. Secret; Priority. It was repeated to Amman, Ankara, Athens, Beirut, Colombo, Dhaka, Islamabad, Jidda, Kabul, Katmandu, Kuwait, Nicosia, Sanaa, Tel Aviv, Tehran, Abu Dhabi, Manama, and Muscat.

• 122. Intelligence Note No. RNAN–15 Prepared in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Washington, April 2, 1973

  The Bureau assessed the reactions in India and Pakistan to the resumption of U.S. arms sales to Pakistan.
  
  Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, DEF 12–5 India. Limited Official Use. It was drafted by Jones; cleared by James Leader (INR); and approved by Mark (INR/Near East and South Asia).

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-E0543 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0543-, The Nixons and President Nguyen Van Thieu from the Republic of Vietnam, and Mrs. Thieu before attending a dinner honoring Thieu. 4/2/1973, San Clemente, California Western White House exterior, La Casa Pacifica. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, President of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Mai Anh.
• Frame(s): WHPO-E0543-03-12, Western White House, La Casa Pacifica sign and lamp post at a walled entrance area. 4/2/1973, San Clemente, California Western White House exterior, La Casa Pacifica.
• Frame(s): WHPO-E0543-07, Western White House, La Casa Pacifica sign and lamp post at a walled entrance area. 4/2/1973, San Clemente, California Western White House, La Casa Pacifica, exterior.
• Frame(s): WHPO-E0543-13-15, President Nixon escorting President of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu to a motorcade at the Western White House. 4/2/1973, San Clemente, California Western White House, La Casa Pacifica, exterior. President Nixon, President of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu.
• Frame(s): WHPO-E0543-19, President Nixon and Pat Nixon standing with President of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu and Mrs. Thieu pose for a group portrait at the entrance doorway arch to La Casa Pacifica. 4/2/1973, San Clemente, California Western White House, La Casa Pacifica, exterior. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, Nguyen Van Thieu, Mrs. Nguyen Van Thieu.

Roll WHPO-E0546 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0546-02-04, The Nixons and President of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu and Mrs. Van Thieu before attending a dinner at La Casa Pacifica honoring Thieu. 4/2/1973, San Clemente, California Western White House exterior, La Casa Pacifica. President Nixon, President of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu, Mrs. Thieu, Pat Nixon.

Roll WHPO-E0547 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0547-15-26, Western White House. West Exterior. La Casa Pacifica. 4/2/1973, San Clemente, California Western White House exterior, La Casa Pacifica. none.
• Frame(s): WHPO-E0547-29-36, State Dinner at La Casa Pacifica honoring President of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu. 4/2/1973, San Clemente, California dining room, Western White House, La Casa Pacifica. President Nixon, Pat Nixon, President of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu, Mrs. Thieu, Kissinger, unidentified guests.

Roll WHPO-E0548 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0548-, Dining table settings are set and ready for a State Dinner at La Casa Pacifica honoring President of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu. 4/2/1973, San Clemente, California dining room, Western White House, La Casa Pacifica. none.

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-730401
  State arrival ceremony at San Clemente for President Thieu, with President Thieu. (4/2/1973)
  
  Runtime: 2:56
  
  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-046
  Briefing in Family Theater by Peter Flanigan and Roy Ash for the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. (4/2/1973, Family Theatre)
  
  Runtime: 2:55:00
  
  Keywords: Briefings, private briefings
  
  Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by LZH (initials of WHCA engineer)
  
  Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.
• WHCA-SR-S-049
  Press briefing by Ronald Ziegler. (4/2/1973, San Clemente Inn, P.C., California)
  
  Runtime: 46:00:00
  
  Keywords: Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media, press secretary
  
  Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by GET (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-6215
  "Tribute to John Ford".
  Post-Newsweek Stations, Inc.
  Runtime: 01:28:25
• WHCA-6218
  Weekly News Summary, Tape II.
  ALL NETWORKS
  Runtime: 01:03:31
  
  7. Smith/Kaplow: Meat boycott, price controls with Shultz. Time Code Start: 16:31. Keywords: food, meats, animal products, markets, retail stores, prices, costs, increases, shortages, protests, boycotts. Network: ABC.
  
  8. Reasoner/Jarriel: South Vietnam's President Thieu visits President Nixon in San Clemente, California. Time Code Start: 20:28. Keywords: Presidents, meetings, Vietnam War. Network: ABC.
  
  9. Koppel: Profile of a Presidential aide of South Vietnam's President Thieu. Time Code Start: 23:35. Keywords: South Vietnam, Presidents, speeches, statements, Vietnam War. Network: ABC.
  
  10. Reasoner/Bell: Report from Hanoi, North Vietnam soldier. Time Code Start: 26:44. Keywords: North Vietnamese Army, Vietnam War. Network: ABC.
  
  11. Smith/Donaldson: Senator Ervin on White House aides; Ziegler comment. Time Code Start: 28:40. Keywords: Senators, media, interviews, statements, Presidents, employees, staff. Network: ABC.
  
  12. Reasoner: Commentary on CBS President Frank Stanton's retirement. Time Code Start: 31:22. Keywords: media, radio, television, TV, the press, network broadcasting corporations, executives. Network: ABC.
  
  13. Chancellor/Levine: food prices. Time Code Start: 33:16. Keywords: food, meat, agriculture, animal products, dairy products, prices, costs, increases, shortages. Network: NBC.
  
  14. Chancellor/Kay/Jones/Rollin/Dancy: Meat boycott. Time Code Start: 35:40. Keywords: food, meats, animal products, markets, retail stores, prices, costs, increases, shortages, protests, boycotts. Network: NBC.
  
  15. Chancellor: Watergate with Senator Ervin and Ziegler. Time Code Start: 41:43. Keywords: Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals. Network: NBC.
  
  16. Chancellor/Valeriani: Vietnam, Cambodia; South Vietnam's President Thieu visits Western White House, President Nixon and President Thieu. Time Code Start: 45:20. Keywords: Presidents, meetings, Cambodia, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.
  
  17. Cronkite/Schakne/Rabel/Bowen/Williams: Meat boycott and anti-boycott. Time Code Start: 47:57. Keywords: food, meats, animal products, markets, retail stores, prices, costs, increases, shortages, protests, boycotts. Network: CBS.
  
  18. Cronkite/Chase/Duval/Plante/Kilpatrick: Price of food. Time Code Start: 51:42. Keywords: food, wage and price controls, freezes, prices, costs, increases, decreases, economy, economics, budgets, finances, recession, inflation, money. Network: CBS.
  
  19. Cronkite/Rather: South Vietnam's President Thieu visits Western White House; fighting in Cambodia. Time Code Start: 55:50. Keywords: Presidents, meetings, Cambodia, Vietnam War. Network: CBS.
  
  20. Cronkite: Senator Ervin comments on Watergate. Time Code Start: 58:04. Keywords: Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals, interviews. Network: CBS.
  
  21. Cronkite/Herman: International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT Corporation) President Geneen at Senate hearing. Time Code Start: 61:10. Keywords: International Telephone & Telegraph, communications, world, corporations, conglomerates, campaign funding, investigations, hearings. Network: CBS.
• WHCA-6219
  Weekly News Summary, Tape III.
  ALL NETWORKS
  Runtime: 01:03:24
  
  1. Sevareid: Commentary on CBS President Frank Stanton's retirement. Time Code Start: 00:00. Keywords: media, radio, television, TV, the press, network broadcasting corporations, executives. Network: CBS.
  
  2. Cronkite/Threlkeld: Los Angeles, California mayoral elections. Time Code Start: 02:13. Keywords: Mayors, elections, campaigns, campaigning, candidates. Network: CBS.

• TIME magazine of April 2, 1973

• New York Times of April 2, 1973

• AP Images photos from April 2, 1973
• Getty Images photos from April 2, 1973

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 1973 Broadcast Index

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

• April 2, 1973