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August 30, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Monday, August 30, 1971, 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: Sunday, August 29, 1971

Next Date: Tuesday, August 31, 1971

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)
      Monday, August 30.

      Discussed the Ehrlichman report on the airline merger question with the President. He feels that the way it should be resolved is that DOT should file a strong brief in favor of the merger. Justice should file a reasoned brief against it, but say in their brief that it's a closed case. Then we should put the heat on the CAB to favor the merger. In other words, he wants it to go through, but realizes that he can't instruct Justice to file a favorable brief in this particular case.

      Called Connally about his idea of doing an address to Congress, a Joint Session next week when they come back. He thinks that it's a very good idea. He suggested taking a question hour like the Prime Minister does in Parliament. Make his pitch first—why he did it, what he hopes to accomplish—then take on all comers for questions. He feels this is a chance to spell out the President’s hopes for the next decade, new trading blocks, new partners; all this in broad strokes, not specifics. That we're in a new era, we have to find new answers, “I want your help; we're dealing with fundamental problems”. He thinks he should admit he doesn't know all the answers, but this is not an attempt to be dramatic or melodramatic. Say we don't know what will follow the freeze, but we know the people want stability in the economy, the ecology, and drugs, internationally, etcetera. He thinks this would counter all criticism, and that the President needs to drive home the philosophical basis, that this is not a move of a politician to increase his poll standings. Only on this basis does he think it would work, and he can't see any disadvantage in doing it this way.

      I reported this to the President, and he wanted Safire to pick up what the President used at the State Department sub-Cabinet meeting, and then have Ray Price take on the last part about where do we go from here, picking up from Peterson a little feel of the things he's covered. He feels that it's got to be short, make the point that it's time to put the country first, that it’s a new era, and so on. Shultz felt that he should not get into the tax reform, because he should keep his options open and he may decide not to do it. He thinks that as of now two bridges have not been made; we have not related the New Economic Policy to the State of the Union initiatives; and we haven't tied the New Economic Policy to the old economic policy. Thinks the speeches can accomplish those. Also he's worried about the tendency to indicate that there are going to be more controls in Phase II, and is concerned about people falling for the excess profit tax idea.

      The President got into some odds and ends. He spouted out a few ideas on poll questions as the day went along. He wanted to see whether they show that people support Nader, and thus get into the advisability of taking Nader on. He has a feeling that Nader probably has some strong public support, and we should not take him on, even though we certainly should not agree with him. Also he wanted to get some feel of whether the people like the idea of the President going out to the country, and also among those who do not approve of the President, as to why they don't. He discussed Pat Nixon's schedule some, wants to be sure that we're working up some schedule activities for her, and he talked a little about fundraising in general. He wants me to talk to Kalmbach, because he's concerned that out of Kalmbach's list of contributors, where he's raising $10 million, that $8 million is coming from money we already had, such as Mulcahy, Stone, etcetera, and that we need to set a deal that broadens the base, getting some key people in New York, Palm Beach and Chicago, to hit the elites there. He wants to be sure we don't have a money problem, so that we can do every little thing that we want to do. Main thing he feels is that we should not have a huge central staff of high-priced PR people. We should have a lot of young people as paid operators, like interns, all over the country, college youth and non-college. Also we should be ready to buy the minority groups, women, Catholics, Mexican, etcetera. We should plan on plenty of paid workers at low levels, rather than big high-priced headquarters staff. We should especially encourage YAF, Jaycees, and types of that sort, as political workers in the field. In other words, a thin headquarters and a big field staff, spread out. He's also particularly concerned with getting young people on our state committees and in positions of high visibility. He was pretty distressed when he discovered today that Henry Kissinger had ordered the President’s barber down to San Clemente for a haircut, and that got him to questioning Henry's use of helicopters to get around in Southern California also.

      End of-- he put in a pretty much a full day at the office, finally left in mid-afternoon.

      End of August 30.
    • 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. V, United Nations, 1969-1972

    Chinese Representation in the United Nations

    • 400. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Japan, Washington, August 30, 1971, 1608Z

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, UN 6 CHICOM. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by Pedersen, Herz, and Feldman; cleared by Assistant Secretaries De Palma and Green, Richard A. Ericson, Pedersen, and Miller; and approved by Secretary Rogers. Repeated to Taipei and USUN.

    • 401. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Republic of China, Washington, August 30, 1971, 1804Z

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, UN 6 CHICOM. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by Herz; cleared by Assistant Secretaries De Palma and Green, Pedersen, Leo J. Moser, and Miller; and approved by Secretary Rogers. Repeated to Tokyo and USUN.

    Vol. E-4, Documents on Iran and Iraq, 1969-1972

    Iran 1971

    • 142. Telegram 4816 From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State, Tehran, August 30, 1971, 1000Z

      Ambassador MacArthur reported that the upcoming UK withdrawal from the Gulf and the Iranian 25th Centenary celebrations had inspired subversive groups trained and infiltrated from outside to launch small-scale attacks in Iran.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 23–9 IRAN. Confidential. The lavish 2500th celebrations, held October 1971 at Persepolis, commemorated the anniversary of Cyrus the Great’s founding of the Achaemenian Empire. On November 19, David Abshire replied to a letter of concern, forwarded by Senator Lloyd Bentsen, that the Shah had pre-emptively rounded up 39 dissidents on August 23, and sentenced most to death. Abshire wrote that “The Iranian government has acted energetically to round up the terrorist groups, as would any government in similar circumstances. In our opinion these dissident elements in Iran … are in no way representative of the views of the great majority of the Iranians, who support the Shah and his government.” (NEA/IRN, Office of Iran Affairs, Lot File 75D351, Box 6, POL 23, Internal Security, Counter Insurgency, Iran 1971.) On December 21, the Embassy expressed the view that a campaign against the death sentences was communist-organized. (Donald Toussaint to Jack Miklos, NEA/ARN, Office of Iran Affairs, Lot File 75D365, Box 7, POL 29, Political Prisoners, Iran 1972.)

  • 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 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-7176 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-7176-02-15, Donald French re-enlisting in the US Army. 8/30/1971, California unknown. Donald French, unidentified men.

    Roll WHPO-7177 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-7177-02A-36A, Men and a woman playing in a tennis tournament. 8/30/1971, California Newport Tennis club. unidentified persons.

    Roll WHPO-7178 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-7178-01A-35A, Men and women playing in a tennis tournament. 8/30/1971, California Newport Tennis club. unidentified persons.

    Roll WHPO-7179 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-7179-01A-35A, Men playing in a tennis tournament. 8/30/1971, California Newport Tennis club. unidentified men.

    Roll WHPO-7180 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

    • Frame(s): WHPO-7180-01-26, People playing in a tennis tournament. 8/30/1971, California Newport Tennis club. unidentified persons.

  • 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.

    B - Vice-Presidential (Agnew and Ford)

    • WHCA-SR-B-189
      Remarks to the little league World Series team-Rose Garden. (8/30/1971)

      Runtime: 4:50

      Keywords: Sports, baseball

      Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.

    H - White House Staff Member Recordings

    • WHCA-SR-H-698
      Press briefing by Ronald Ziegler. (8/30/1971, [None listed])

      Runtime: 27:00:00

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

      Production credits: No feed information listed; Recorded by RES (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-4617
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:30

      28. Smith/Chapman: Vietnam elections with film of balloting; the "I" corps. Time Code Start: 67:37. Keywords: Vietnam War, elections, candidates, campaigns, campaigning, voting, results. Network: ABC.

      29. Gill: White House reaction to Vietnam elections; comments on troop withdrawals. Time Code Start: 71:30. Keywords: Vietnam War, Presidents, statements, reactions, elections, candidates, campaigns, campaigning, voting, results, troops, withdrawals. Network: ABC.

      30. Smith/Clark: Congressional comment of post-freeze conditions with Paul McCracken, economic commission. Time Code Start: 72:48. Keywords: CEA, C.E.A., Council of Economic Advisors, economy, economics, budgets, finances, recession, inflation, money, wages, costs, employment, employees, salaries, salary, payments, freezes, controls. Network: ABC.

      31. Smith: Commentary on T.V. and Blacks, Harris poll on who cares. Time Code Start: 74:31. Keywords: television, media, race, racial issues, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam War, public opinions, polls, approval ratings, Gallup poll, Harris poll. Network: ABC.

      32. Chancellor/Valeriani: Vietnam Congressional elections; the war. Time Code Start: 76:25. Keywords: Vietnam War, Congress, elections, candidates, campaigns, campaigning, voting, results. Network: NBC.

      33. Chancellor/Perkins: California school tax decision. Time Code Start: 78:33. Keywords: bills, laws, taxes, taxation, revenue, schools, universities, colleges. Network: NBC.

      34. Chancellor: School busing. Time Code Start: 80:50. Keywords: bills, laws, legislation, desegregation, racism, racial discrimination, African Americans, schools, students, transportation, reports. Network: NBC.

      35. Nessen: School busing in South Carolina. Time Code Start: 81:20. Keywords: bills, laws, legislation, desegregation, racism, racial discrimination, African Americans, schools, students, transportation, reports. Network: NBC.

      36. Chancellor/Quinn: Paul McCracken comments on Phase II of the economic game plan. Time Code Start: 83:33. Keywords: wage and price controls, freezes, prices, costs, increases, decreases, economy, economics, budgets, finances, recession, inflation, money. Network: NBC.

      37. Chancellor/Lord: The Cambodian Army. Time Code Start: 86:05. Keywords: Cambodia, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      38. Hart/Dick: Busing in Alabama. Time Code Start: 89:14. Keywords: bills, laws, legislation, desegregation, racism, racial discrimination, African Americans, schools, students, transportation, reports. Network: CBS.

      39. Hart/Jones: Vietnam elections. Time Code Start: 91:42. Keywords: Vietnam War, Congress, elections, candidates, campaigns, campaigning, voting, results. Network: CBS.
    • WHCA-4618
      Weekly News Summary, Tape II.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:30

      1. Sevareid: Japan and the U.S. economic policy. Time Code Start: 00:10. Keywords: economy, economics, budgets, finances, recession, inflation, money, wages, costs, unemployment, prices, reports, speeches. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)