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April 7, 1973

Introduction

This almanac page for Saturday, April 7, 1973, 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: Friday, April 6, 1973

Next Date: Sunday, April 8, 1973

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 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.

  • 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.

  • 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)
      Saturday, April 7.

      The President had me in first thing this morning before he met with Bob Finch to discuss what he should cover with Bob, and also to say that Julie was concerned about the whole problem with Secret Service in their house and where they live and all, as it relates to David's Congressional plans. David called me a little later to say that a Congressman had told him at a party that Goodling was going to the White House to give them some good news, and David wants to be sure that when Goodling tries to reach the White House staff, that we be ready to hear from him and that if he wants an appointment with the President, we should do it. He says the State Chair and others in Pennsylvania are concerned about David's house in Maryland. Same problem Julie had raised tonight. Told him he shouldn't worry about that, and that they should just tough that one through.

      After the Finch meeting, the President had me in and said Finch is going to go for the Senate. Maybe we should cooperate with him on that. He wants me to talk to Bush and tell him not to get into California with the President, but that the President has seen Finch, thinks he'll go for the Senate and that Bush should talk to Finch to work out the best strategy, because we have to cut a deal with Reagan and so on. The President would prefer not to talk to Bush about this, because that raises the problem with Reagan, and the President can't talk to Reagan about '76. This is really the opportunity for Bush to make the great play. Also, he should get into Illinois, force Rumsfeld to make up his mind now, and if not, go with Anderson. And then Bush should talk with them and work this out. The President apparently agreed with Bowie Kuhn at the baseball game last night that he would serve as one of the honorary chairmen of some Olympic memorial to Israel that Kuhn is raising funds for.

      We got back into the Watergate discussion, of course, as we do all the time. Wanted me to make the point in my statement that I request the committee, in the interest of fairness, to investigate the activities of the other side that I enumerate and determine the responsibility therefore, with the same diligence as they're covering the Watergate.

      Kissinger came bouncing in today to report that the President keeps telling him that he's under great pressure to dump me, and that it's his feeling that he should do so. But he wants Henry's view on it-- that this is especially coming from Connally and he asked Kissinger what he thinks. Kissinger says he thinks this is the worst possible choice of alternatives, that this would accomplish nothing and create monumental problems and that there's no way if I'm found guilty that the President can separate himself from this, and therefore, that would be the strongest argument for his not dumping me, in Kissinger's view; the next strongest being that he needs me, and that it isn't worth paying that price. Henry claims he wants to be helpful in all this, and is very concerned that the President's going to make the wrong move on it.

      I covered this with Ehrlichman and he said he could explain that. That yesterday the President said that he thinks what Connally was suggesting to me, when he was saying we couldn't save Mitchell, was that I had to fall, and that's what he's basing it on. He hasn't talked to Connally. He's going on the basis of my report. Ehrlichman, too, told him that he thought that was ridiculous, and he says the President agreed that we can't survive Bob's falling, and we must all hang together. And he says, in the car going to the ball game, that the President got into his historical mood and said this is the day we all go down defending Haldeman.

      Dean called later today. Said his lawyers had met with U.S. Attorneys again, they’re convinced that they only want to get the facts on the Watergate and that they do not expect to go beyond that. Dean believes this, says that Liddy has told them everything he knows, they don't believe Hunt and are going to push him harder, they want to meet with Dean tomorrow, off-the-record with no action, to discuss the problems of how he would testify at the grand jury and questions of the Fifth Amendment, attorney-client relations, and all. Dean feels we're at the moment of truth, and that he should go and that we've got to decide it right away. He says the grand jury's scope is not broad in what they're trying to cover, and they want what happened pre-Watergate. They're not interested in post, which they think is a can of worms. They want Dean because of his knowledge, want to get those points laid out so that they can move on their investigation of others to nail someone on the pre-Watergate planning.

      Dean called again later today and thought it was imperative that he decide. Ehrlichman wanted him to wait until we got back on Monday. Dean called later yet and said that he wanted to meet with us tomorrow night when we get back, so he's obviously really uptight on it. I'm going to try to keep that in Ehrlichman's ball park where it belongs.

      We keep going round and round on various approaches, and I think Ehrlichman still comes down on the side of my testifying. He had a long talk with Baker today, and Baker agrees that we should move to go up soon. That would work very much to our advantage, would be the smartest move we could make at this point. And that the Committee would have to go along with it, so John's idea is to try that in his meeting with Baker and Ervin Monday evening. In any event, I think we've got to come to a final decision on strategy on the plane tomorrow and just see what we can do from there.

      End of April 7.
    • 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.

  • 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. XVIII, China, 1973-1976

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

    Vol. XXVII, Iran; Iraq, 1973-1976

    Iran, January-August 1973

    Vol. E-12, Documents on East and Southeast Asia, 1973-1976

    Philippines

    Vol. E-14, Part 1, Documents on the United Nations, 1973-1976

    Issues of Representation in International Organizations

    • 54. Telegram 65086 From the Department of State to All Diplomatic Posts, April 7, 1973, 1711Z., April 7, 1973, 1711Z

      The Department outlined the reasons for U.S. opposition to the application of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to join the World Health Assembly.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential, Priority. Drafted by Schaller on April 6; cleared by Ranard, McNutt, Stull, Noziglia, Monsma, and Chase, and in AF/RA and EA; and approved by De Palma.

    Vol. E-15, Part 1, Documents on Eastern Europe, 1973-1976

    Poland

    • 45. Telegram 1634 From the Embassy in Poland to the Department of State, April 7, 1973, 1218Z., April 7, 1973, 1218Z

      Ambassador Davies reported on a conversation with Polish Acting Foreign Minister Trepczynski in which he protested the Polish and Hungarian conduct on the International Commission of Control and Supervision in Vietnam.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential; Exdis; Immediate. Repeated immediate to Jakarta, Ottawa, Saigon, the White House, and the Delegation to the JEC in Paris. In telegram 59897 to Warsaw, March 31, the Department detailed Deputy Secretary Rush’s protest to Hungarian Ambassador Szabo. (Ibid.)

  • 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

  • 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.

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

    • WHCA-SR-S-054
      Press briefing by Ronald Ziegler. (4/7/1973, Laguna Beach, P.C., California)

      Runtime: 35:20:00

      Keywords: Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media, press secretary

      Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by DB (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-6225
      "Agronsky & Company". Herbert Stein, chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisors.
      CBS
      Runtime: 00:29:43
    • WHCA-6230
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:30

      16. Utley/Valeriani/Delaney: Cambodia, General Haig, International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS). Time Code Start: 40:37. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War, releases, exchanges, ceasefires, management organizations. Network: NBC.

      17. Utley/Halpert/Kay/Perkins: Meat boycott, not reducing prices. Time Code Start: 47:25. Keywords: food, meats, animal products, markets, retail stores, prices, costs, increases, shortages, protests, boycotts. Network: NBC.

      18. Utley/Streithorst: International Telephone & Telegraph (ITT Corporation) in Chile with Allende. Time Code Start: 54:19. Keywords: Presidents, South American, International Telephone & Telegraph, communications, world, corporations, conglomerates, investigations, hearings. Network: NBC.

      19. Utley: President Nixon throws second ball in California baseball opening game. Time Code Start: 58:30. Keywords: Presidents, celebrations, sports, games, baseball, openings. Network: NBC.

      20. Mudd/Schieffer: Cambodia in trouble; International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS) helicopters shot down. Time Code Start: 60:26. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War, releases, exchanges, ceasefires, management organizations. Network: CBS.

      21. Mudd/Rabel: South Vietnam's President Thieu winds up U.S. tour with visit to former First Lady Ladybird Johnson. Time Code Start: 62:45. Keywords: Presidents, families, wife. Network: CBS.

      22. Mudd/O'Brien/Dean: Meat boycott; Herman family supports boycott. Time Code Start: 64:11. Keywords: food, meats, animal products, markets, retail stores, prices, costs, increases, shortages, protests, boycotts. Network: CBS.

      23. Mudd: More on Watergate. Time Code Start: 68:45. Keywords: Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals. Network: CBS.

      24. Broun: Film of President Nixon throwing out baseball. Time Code Start: 69:24. Keywords: Presidents, celebrations, sports, games, baseball, openings. Network: CBS.

      25. Mudd/Rudd: Commentary on meat boycott. Time Code Start: 74:58. Keywords: food, meats, animal products, markets, retail stores, prices, costs, increases, shortages, protests, boycotts. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)