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February 28, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Sunday, February 28, 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: Saturday, February 27, 1971

Next Date: Monday, March 1, 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 Camp David, Maryland

  • 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.

  • 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, February 28.

      After a late breakfast, the President called me over to Aspen at 11:00 for about a three-hour session mostly on odds and ends, as he went through his background and briefing folders. We did get into a number of specifics on the plan for the trip tomorrow and the one later this week, and a number of general schedule items. He isn't too pleased with this whole trip business, and said so. That led him back into the general PR subject, the question of whether we ought not to just forget all the stuff we're trying to do and take things as they come, which of course, I argued with, and his feeling that the image is set now and there's nothing we can do to change it. A lot of this, I think, is the reaction to the Gallup Poll which I reported to him yesterday, which holds at 52, not very good.

      He did get into a number of points on press plans, questioning the frequency and format of press conferences. He wants to do the upcoming one this week on foreign policy, which Ziegler argued with a little yesterday, but which really is a better idea. Then he'll do the next one in the office, or in the press room, all on domestic policy. He got into some other general schedule questions and then got back to work on his speech material for tomorrow.

      Connally, Ehrlichman, and I had a meeting in Laurel for a couple of hours after that, mainly discussing the whole PR question. Connally made the point that he had seen recently in some news report that the President clearly understands the use of power. Connally thinks that's a very good point to get across. That we should portray the President as a student of the Presidency; that we should recognize his weaknesses and let those be pointed out from time to time too, but make the strong point that he understands the uses of power. That Laos and Cambodia, for example, are demonstrations of his perceptive use of power, and that we should get other illustrations. Also, his recognition of economic power the mobilization of the government to use this power, internationally. That he recognizes that the Marshall Plan concept is a thing of the past; that the Nixon Doctrine is a policy of power. That what he's doing is far-reaching in concept; that over a long-term basis, he's laying a foundation. Then we should weave in revenue sharing, family assistance and so forth that he has found because of his compassion and concern. And also, he and John feel we should do the Postal reform story, which is really a remarkable accomplishment, get some credit out of that. That perhaps instead of meeting with Herrera of the Latin American Development Fund, that we should have turned down the request for the meeting as a cold political move, making an enemy of him on the basis that he's going back to Chile to teach in a Marxist University.

      He feels we should look for examples of this kind, never using false issues, but on a positive calculated basis, create enemies that will be useful to us. All of this must be done by others, however, not by the President. He thinks we should look every day for ways to build his credibility. He feels very strongly that the thought of emulating de Gaulle is absolutely wrong. He feels we need to do a lot of work in building-- rebuilding our business support. That we've disappointed a lot of our natural supporters, and we need to reestablish our support there.

      End of February 28.
    • 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. XXIII, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1969-1972

    Vol. E-7, Documents on South Asia, 1969-1972

    India and Pakistan: Pre-Crisis, January 1969-February 1971

    • 121. Telegram 540 From the Consulate General in Dacca to the Department of State, Dacca, February 28, 1971, 0824Z

      Ambassador Farland reported on his meeting with Awami leader Mujibur Rahman in Dacca. Mujib expressed his personal friendship for the U.S. as well as that of the “people of Bangla Desh.” Farland found that Mujib favored a form of confederation rather than the separation of East Pakistan, but he insisted that “his people” be accorded their rights and not be kept in a “colonial status.”

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL PAK–US. Confidential; Priority; Limdis. Repeated to Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore.

  • 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 Tapes are sound recordings of President Richard Nixon's telephone conversations and of meetings held in the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room in the White House, the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building (OEOB), the Lincoln Sitting Room in the residence section of the White House, and several locations at the Presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland. These recordings document many of the major events and decisions of the Nixon Administration from February 16, 1971 to July 18, 1973. Visit the White House Tapes finding aid to learn about the taping system's operation and archival processing.

    Cabinet Room

  • 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-4199
      "Face The Nation" AND "Meet The Press".
      Undetermined
      Runtime: 01:00:15
    • WHCA-4200
      "Issues And Answers" with guest James Hodgson. Senator George McGovern (D-SD), Bonnie Raitt.
      Group W Productions
      Runtime: 1:00
    • WHCA-4209
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:30

      5. Newman/Lewis/Streithorst: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia. Time Code Start: 10:56. Keywords: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      6. Mudd/Williams: Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Time Code Start: 16:10. Keywords: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam War. Network: CBS.
    • WHCA-4211
      Excerpts From the "NBC Nightly News" Indochina War Coverage, Tape I (Weekly News Summary).
      NBC

      68. Newman: South Vietnam sends reinforcements into Laos. Time Code Start: 83:02. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      69. Lewis: Military secrecy in Laotian operations; press not allowed into Laos. Time Code Start: 84:00. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War, Armed Forces, media,. Network: NBC.

      70. Streithorst: Supply depot at Khe Sanh, South Vietnam. Time Code Start: 85:40. Keywords: Vietnam War, mlitary, troops, bases. Network: NBC.

      71. Newman: Cambodia; in South Vietnam U.S. troops arrested for drug abuse. Time Code Start: 87:37. Keywords: pharmaceuticals, medicines, drugs, drug abuse, narcotics, heroin, marijuana, alcohol, alcoholism, addicts, addiction, prevention, programs, military, troops, arrests, Cambodia, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

Context (External Sources)