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February 29, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Tuesday, February 29, 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: Monday, February 28, 1972

Next Date: Wednesday, March 1, 1972

Schedule and Public Documents

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.

    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.

  • 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)
      Tuesday, February 29th. The President started this morning with the leadership meeting, and had me in ahead of time just to talk on general approach to things. He wants to hold off on the news summary and criticism. Keep the President in somewhat different position. He needs to stay in a positive, radiant mood, and also he wants to get the staff away from feeling that they have to criticize, because they'll then think negatively. Instead, they should look at the positives. He's decided maybe he won't go to Camp David tonight, in fact definitely won't, but will stay at the White House for Tricia's birthday party, and maybe go up tomorrow.

      He had some more bitches from Rose about the fact that she had to put her phone calls through Chapin, her car was not far enough up in the motorcade, and her room placement was bad on the China trip, which was certainly thoughtful of her to burden him with at this time.

      After the leadership meeting, which ran about an hour overtime, he had the Cabinet meeting. Made the point that the more deeply you believe in something, the more softly you can talk about it. He was referring to both himself and to Chou as following the same tactic in meetings based on that above point. He said the most important thing out of the China trip was that there's a profound new relationship between the PRC and the US They've both agreed not to resort to the threat of force or the use of force in international relations and in relations with each other, and they've agreed that no nation should dominate Asia. This is the heart of the communiqué. There is now a new relationship at this time. We support the proposition of peaceful settlement of international disputes and disputes between ourselves. The question is whether we can learn to live with our differences, or whether we'll die for them.

      Then he told the story about the children's park in Shanghai. He said that in their evaluation of us, the thing that impresses us is not our wealth, but our power, and more importantly our purpose. They see our material emphasis as a weakness. They look for strength of character, willingness to sacrifice, to fail, to believe. He emphasized the continuity of the China trip as it evolves from the Nixon Doctrine. After the Cabinet meeting, he had Henry and me in to evaluate the, both meetings, and was absolutely horrified by Rogers handling of both the Cabinet meeting and even more so the Leaders' meeting...

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      DECLASSIFIED - E.O. 13526, Sect. 3.4: by MS, NARA, June 12, 2013
      Audio Cassette 19, Side A, Withdrawn Item Number 20 [AC-19(A) Sel 15]
      Duration: 35 seconds

      ...where he referred to being in China as like being in the Bronx Zoo and made a big point of how tough he had been in his meetings with the foreign minister where the President couldn't take that tough a line. Also, made a point that Taiwan and the free Chinese were much better people than the Communist Chinese. This is all stuff that is going to do a pretty bad reaction for us in China if it gets to them, of course. But hopefully, it won't.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      This evening he called me at home to say he would go to Key Biscayne tomorrow, and that Henry would come down later on the staff plane. The President would go down at noon. So that's finally set.

      End of February 29th. Correction, that's the end of...
    • 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. XX, Southeast Asia, 1969-1972

    Thailand

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

    Iran 1972

    • 169. Telegram 1218 From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State, Tehran, February 29, 1972, 1410Z

      In an apparent effort to offset criticism over the trials of dissidents, the Iranian Government staged a “spontaneous demonstration” in Tehran to show popular support.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 23–8 IRAN. Limited Official Use. Repeated to Dhahran, Jidda, Kuwait, London, Khorramshahr, and Tabriz. In Telegram 1282, March 3, the Embassy reported that as the demonstrations ended, the government announced the executions of six anti-government dissidents. (Ibid.) At this time, the 120 Iranians accused of terrorism were facing military tribunals. Donald Toussaint of the Embassy noted to Jack Miklos on March 28 that “there is undoubtedly ambiguity in the charge that all those tried are ‘terrorists.’ All were, it seems, members of various subversive groups, and some members of each group apparently did engage in acts of terrorism. While, in general, the entire membership of a group is charged with the crimes of any of its members, the individual sentences appear to have been based on the severity of the crime each man personally committee … There are reliable reports that an additional number of people, mostly students, have been arrested for political reasons—but we have no information to indicate they are among those presently on trial.” (NEA/IRN, Office of Iran Affairs, Lot File 75D365, Box 7, POL 29, Political Prisoners, Iran 1972)

    Vol. E-5, Part 2, Documents on North Africa, 1969-1972

    Tunisia

    • 159. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, February 29, 1972

      Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Newsom informed Ambassador El Goulli that the United States would be unable to comply with Tunisia’s request for internal security assistance.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 23 TUN. Secret. Drafted on March 3 by Michael Connors and cleared by Newsom.

  • 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)