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February 14, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Monday, February 14, 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: Sunday, February 13, 1972

Next Date: Tuesday, February 15, 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

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

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, February 14th. The Attorney General stopped by this morning to give me his letter of resignation and talk a little about the procedure for handling it. We'll announce it tomorrow, effective March 1st.

      The President dictated to me a little later some thoughts on what to put in the official letter of acceptance. Then he's going to write a handwritten personal letter to him, not for release.

      Kissinger was in at midday, to report on some various odds and ends. We discussed the question of Peterson and Butz going on a trade mission to Moscow in March. Henry was just going to have Peterson go, and I suggested adding Butz to dilute him. We also talked about Hillenbrand and Farlan on Ambassadorial assignments. Kissinger was backing off a little and agreeing that Hillenbrand can go to Germany...

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      DECLASSIFIED - E.O. 13526, Sect. 3.4: by MS, NARA, June 12, 2013
      Audio Cassette 19, Side A, Withdrawn Item Number 13 [AC-19(A) Sel 10]
      Duration: 11 seconds

      ...and he says Farland has to be gotten out of Pakistan, because he won't stay there any longer.
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      Then Henry got into a discussion with the President on his latest report from Paris. He's ecstatic, because Walters called to say that the North Vietnamese had called him in and had been the most pleasant they've ever been. Said they wanted to invite Henry for a luncheon meeting on March 17, exactly thirty days after the day we leave for China. Henry was particularly ecstatic, because they said it would be for lunch, whereas they have never had any American official for any meal before in all of Henry's meetings with them. Although, they ran from 10:00 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon, they were without any meals. He thinks this is a significant sign.

      Xuan Thuy and Le Duc Tho will both be there, and so he thinks at the very least this will insure no major offensive, as we've been fearing. And that quite possibly it may even lead to a breakthrough in opening the peace talks on a serious basis, which would be a spectacular break: actually, the fact of not having an offensive is spectacular in itself.

      He and the President then got into quite a discussion on the whole question of these dealings, plus dealing with the Chinese, and the President questioned Henry pretty strongly on the whole point of why he thought there was any real significance to this, that it wasn't just a North Vietnamese ploy. But Henry feels there has to be some element of seriousness in it this time.

      They then had some discussion also about their technique in dealing with the Chinese, and how they're going to go about that, and the President emphasized that he's going to take a very strong position all the way through on that. Henry's afraid, I think, that the President's going to take too strong a position, and that it wants to be sure that he does all the necessary philosophizing and everything with the Chinese, and doesn't just charge in on a hard line, fixed position. The President feels that the progress that we've made with the North Vietnamese can be attributed in no small degree to the heavy attack we've laid on the peace critics here at home, and that would include my attack last week as well as the others. He felt that had we not done that, they would have figured we were back in a weak position, whereas by fighting back hard, instead of just being kicked around by our critics, it was clear that we meant business on the peace proposal. And so there's a real chance that will buy us the relief from the offensive. Also, he thinks our current heavy bombing of South Vietnam must have had an effect, as well as moving the three carriers into position and that sort of thing. Henry feels the same way, and thinks that it all adds up to very positive situation for us at this point.

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      DECLASSIFIED - E.O. 13526, Sect. 3.4: by MS, NARA, June 12, 2013
      Audio Cassette 19, Side A, Withdrawn Item Number 14 [AC-19(A) Sel 11]
      Duration: 23 seconds

      As does the Russian picture as Henry works out the details with Dobrynin for that summit. Because, it looks as if they're going to settle quite a few basic substantive items.
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      The President had a long meeting with Malraux this afternoon and then the dinner for Malraux this evening.

      End of February 14th.
    • 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. VIII, Vietnam, January-October 1972

    Before the Easter Offensive, January 20-March 29, 1972

    Vol. VIII, Vietnam, January-October 1972

    Before the Easter Offensive, January 20-March 29, 1972

    • 24. National Security Decision Memorandum 152, Washington, February 14, 1972

      Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330–77–0094, 370.64, Viet. Secret. A copy was sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A notation on the document reads: “Sec Def has seen.” In a telephone conversation between Kissinger and Laird at 3:05 p.m., February 2, Laird said: “Another thing you can help me on over there. Herbicides. I can’t give authority to SVN—.” Kissinger then asked: “Have you sent a memo?” Laird replied: “It’s been over 5 months,” which prompted Kissinger to say: “I will move it this week.” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 13, Chronological File, February 11–29, 1972)

    Vol. VIII, Vietnam, January-October 1972

    Before the Easter Offensive, January 20-March 29, 1972

    • 25. Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, February 14, 1972

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 158, Vietnam Country Files, Vietnam, Jan–Feb 1972. Secret; Sensitive. In an attached covering memorandum transmitting a copy of the memorandum to Kissinger, Negroponte wrote: “Director Helms has sent you a report of conversation between Thieu and the ROK Defense Minister [less than 1 line not declassified]. The entire report is worth reading, with pages 15 through 23 [the section printed here] particularly noteworthy.” Kissinger initialed Negroponte’s memorandum.

    Vol. XVII, China, 1969-1972

    China, October 1971-February 1972

    • 192. Conversation Between President Nixon and his Assistant for National Security Affairs, Washington, February 14, 1972, 4:09-6:19 p.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Oval Office, Conversation No. 671–1. Secret. This transcript was prepared by the editor specifically for this volume. Nixon and Kissinger spoke shortly after a meeting with author André Malraux, a conversation that takes up the first half of this tape recording. A memorandum of the conversation with Malraux is ibid., White House Special Files, President’s Office Files, Memoranda for the President. Alexander Butterfield was also present for part of the discussion between Nixon and Kissinger.

    Vol. XXIV, Middle East Region and Arabian Peninsula, 1969-1972; Jordan, September 1970

    Indian Ocean

    Vol. XXIX, Eastern Europe, 1969-1972

    Yugoslavia

    Vol. XXIX, Eastern Mediterranean, 1969-1972

    Cyprus

    • 402. Minutes of the Washington Special Actions Group Meeting, Washington, February 14, 1972, 11:36 a.m.-12:12 p.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–085, WSAG Minutes, Originals, 1972. Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room.

    Vol. XXIX, Eastern Mediterranean, 1969-1972

    Cyprus

    • 403. Intelligence Information Cable, Washington, February 14, 1972

      Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Records of the Directorate for Intelligence, Intelligence Information Cables. Secret; Priority; No Foreign Dissem; Controlled Dissem; No Dissem Abroad. Prepared in the CIA and sent to members of the Intelligence Community.

  • 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)