February 9, 1973

The Daily Diary files represent a consolidated record of the President's activities. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

• Original typewritten diary (PDF)

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.

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.

• Federal Register of Friday, February 9, 1973

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.

• News Summaries, Annotated News Summaries, Box 42, Feb. 8-17, 1973 [2 of 7] [Note: Due to the way News Summary products were compiled, you should also consult nearby days for potentially relevant materials.]
  • News Summary, February 9, 1973, (Thursday nets, wires)

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)
  Friday, January-- February 9.
  
  The President was in fairly early, spent quite a little time by himself in the office, then had me in at 9:30 for about three hours. We reviewed the news summary with him, and he was very pleased with Rogers' blast at the anti-war people, etcetera, when he appeared before the House committee yesterday, so he had me call Rogers. In fact, he picked up the phone and placed the call, to tell him that the President had been in early, read the news summary and thought his thing was an extremely good thing and infinitely more effective than Kissinger's briefing on substance, in terms of getting across our points. Rogers was extremely pleased, and it was well worth doing.
  
  He got into a number of schedule items. He's interested in trying to do the legislatures that passed resolutions supporting the President in Vietnam on the way back, doing two or three of them, maybe Texas, Mississippi and so on, on the way back from California. And he gave me quite a few other odds and ends for general schedule guidance. For instance, he wants the Dole mission to be at a trade fair, and any travel that he does he should plan to do it from California or Florida, so he doesn't have to take Congressmen or Senators with him. He wants to evaluate what to do on meetings that are in New York like the Heart Association and so forth. Generally wants to avoid them unless he has something very definitely to say to them. He feels he should avoid them because they don't get any TV. The same with State Arrival ceremonies and that sort of thing. He said no arrivals now for anyone who's already had one. He won't do minority job deals in Washington, and that kind of thing. He wants to keep looking for the human events on the touch-the-fence theory. He wants to shut off Aspen completely for use of other people at Camp David, will do no more embassy luncheons and no Camp David visits with other State visitors, and in summary, he wants to put everything against the criterion of what helps to do the job, and only weigh it on that basis.
  
  The book of Presidential papers from 1970 was left on his desk here at the Western White House, as it was on all of ours, and he apparently spent quite a little time looking through it this morning, and was intrigued with a lot of the things he found, like on the news conferences. He noted that in January, after his State of the Union on quality of life and all the stir about that there was not one question on the subject, which proves that no one cares about it. So we should always talk about our issues, such as he goes back to that the Chicago sewer trip didn't help us at all we didn't get any mileage out of it. The energy crisis is not a people issue. It's totally negative and the trade issue is the same, and we should keep that in mind.
  
  He wants to be sure Ehrlichman reads the Fairley book, because he feels the Kennedy approach was right regarding strategy, and that you've got to talk about an issue that people are interested in, or create one. He feels that Price's introduction to the book is excellent but that it should be edited and revised so that wherever the President spoke extemporaneously it says so, that he spoke without text or notes. He also wants to get this to Safire for his book and wants Safire to also review some of the really good pieces, such as the Wyeth toast, the 1970 prayer breakfast remarks, and the remarks on the occasion of McCormick's ceremony in the Caucus room. He feels that his better efforts are the non-written efforts. In that regard, he thinks that in writing they should go back and look at the HEW veto, which he thinks is far better than anything we've done in that area since. There are some priceless lines. It's in simple, understandable terms. The President worked on it, and we should use those lines. He also wants Safire to do a section in his book on the extemporaneous speeches especially the point that the President never read any of the toasts at the White House, and none outside, except when he had to by agreement in other countries. Also, he's never read an arrival statement. He told me to read the April 20 and April 30 TV appearances before and after Cambodia to see the consistency of his lines there. He wants Safire to make the point of Kissinger looking back after the Cambodia deal and the point that he was worried after the decision was made and the President told him never to look back and to remember Lot’s wife.
  
  He got into Watergate strategy. He wants to get our people to put out that foreign or Communist money came in, in support of the demonstrations in the campaign tie all the '72 demonstrations to McGovern and thus the Democrats as part of the peace movement. Broaden the investigation to include the peace movement and its leaders, McGovern and Teddy Kennedy, to what extent they were responsible for the demonstrations that led to the violence and disruption. The question of whether we should let out the Fort Wayne story now. How we ran a clean campaign compared to their campaign of libel and slander, such as against Rebozo, etcetera. Maybe let Evans and Novak put it out and then we'll be asked about it. Then say that we knew that the President ordered that it not be used under any circumstances. He thinks we should play a hard game on this whole thing regarding the Ervin investigation. Get our investigators going, and so on. Also he wants to be sure we order Gray to move on the FBI investigation. Investigating those in the Bureau who tapped Nixon and Agnew. And that we should itemize all the disruptions such as the Continental-- Century Plaza in San Francisco, the headquarters burnings, the Statue of Liberty, etcetera.
  
  He wants me to get King out to his original breeder and have him bred after we get back. He told me to have Shultz call Connally and fill him in on the phone on the international economic thing on the general plan, since he was the architect of the Smithsonian agreement.
  
  After he left the office, he called me and had me come over to join him with Julie and David at the pool to discuss David's Navy problem. David was concerned about getting out early. And the thing that still worried him was the question of why Bupers went back through their command route to verify his letter instead of handling it routinely, and also what the circumstances are of the 38 that are getting out on March 31. Are they on the request list or are they hardship or disability or undesirable cases? I determined from Campbell that they were routine types. And I think it was pretty much was left on that basis that David would go ahead with the March 31 early out, which is obviously what Julie and the President were trying to push him to do.
  
  End of February 9.
• Original audio recording (MP3)

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Nixon Library Holdings

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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.

• President's Daily Brief of 09 February 1973

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. XXI, Chile, 1969-1973

"That Chilean Guy May Have Some Problems": The Downfall of Salvador Allende, January-September 1973

• 319. Memorandum From the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Crimmins) to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Porter), Washington, February 9, 1973

  Source: National Security Council, Nixon Intelligence Files, Subject Files, Chile 1973–. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Drafted by Gardner and sent through McAfee for the INR Director.

Vol. XXV, Arab-Israeli Crisis and War, 1973

Arab-Israeli Crisis and War, 1973

• 15. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Jordan, Washington, February 9, 1973, 1623Z

  Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 7 JORDAN. Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Korn, cleared by Brown and Sisco, and approved by Rogers. Repeated to Beirut, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Kuwait, Jidda, London, Paris, Moscow, and USUN.

Vol. XXXI, Foreign Economic Policy, 1973-1976

The End of Fixed Exchange Rates, January-March 1973

• 6. Letter From the West German Chargé d’Affaires Ad Interim in the United States (Noebel) to President Nixon, Washington, February 9, 1973

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, Staff Member & Office Files, President’s Personal Files, Box 16, Name/Subject File, Volcker, Paul. No classification marking. The original, which is marked “Provisional Translation,” has several handwritten revisions which have been incorporated into the text.

Vol. E-6, Documents on Africa, 1973-1976

Zaire

• 257. Telegram 1093 From the Embassy in Zaire to the Department of State, Kinshasa, February 9, 1973, 1645Z

  Ambassador Vance reported that despite Zairez’s initiatives with communist governments in Guinea and the Peoples Republic of China, it had not changed its basic policy toward the United States.
  
  Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL PORT-ZAIRE. Secret. Repeated to Lisbon, Luanda, Brussels, London, and Paris.

Vol. E-8, Documents on South Asia, 1973-1976

Indian Ocean Region

• 54. Telegram 379 From the Embassy in Sri Lanka to the Department of State, Colombo, February 9, 1973, 1715Z

  The Embassy reported that the Government of Sri Lanka had elected not to pursue a MAP program with the United States. The Embassy believed that the reason for the rejection of U.S. training was related to non-alignment: specifically, the Sri Lankan Government’s desire to avoid accepting Soviet aid to balance that of the United States.
  
  Source: National Archives, RG 84, Colombo Embassy Files: Lot 77 F 54, DEF 19–8, Military Assistance. Secret. It was drafted by Seger and cleared by ADCM. It was repeated to London, Moscow, New Delhi, SecDef, DOD/ISA, DOD/DSAA, and CINCPAC.

Vol. E-11, Part 2, Documents on South America, 1973-1976

Uruguay

• 327. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, February 9, 1973

  Summary: The Central Intelligence Agency described the ongoing crisis between President Bordaberry and elements of the Uruguayan military, nominally over the appointment of a new defense minister. It concluded that although civilian support for the military position was slim, the military could still overthrow President Bordaberry if it chose to.
  
  Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Support Services (DI), Job 79T00861A: Intel Pub Files (1973), Box 4, Folder 30: Uruguay (Sit Rept 1). Secret; [handling restriction not declassified].

• 328. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Eliot) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, February 9, 1973

  Summary: Eliot summarized the dispute between President Bordaberry and the different branches of the military and reported that instructions had been given to the Embassy to remain neutral.
  
  Source: Nixon Library, NSC-Latin America, Box 796, Folder 3. Confidential. In a memorandum to Scowcroft on the same date, Howe reported that there did not appear to be any “foreign involvement” in the dispute and that it “does not concern political orientation and factions but rather the degree of civilian versus military control in the government.” He noted that Uruguay “has one of the few democratic governments that have survived in Latin America” but that there appeared “to be no immediate policy implications for the US.” (Ibid.)

• 329. Memorandum From Serban Vallimarescu of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft), Washington, February 9, 1973

  Summary: Vallimarescu reported on the situation in Montevideo, analyzed the roots of the conflict and noted the degree of support for each side.
  
  Source: Nixon Library, NSC-Latin America, Box 796, Folder 3, Uruguay Vol. I [1 of 2]. Secret. Sent for urgent information.

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.

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-E0200 Photographer: Parish, William | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0200-, Dr. Marina Whitman. 2/9/1973, Washington, D.C. unknown. Marina Whitman.

Roll WHPO-E0201 Photographer: Parish, William | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0201-, Closeup portrait of Dr. Marina Whitman. 2/9/1973, Washington, D.C. unknown. Marina Whitman.
• Frame(s): WHPO-E0201-, Dr. Marina Whitman seated at her office desk. 2/9/1973, Washington, D.C. unknown. Marina Whitman.
• Frame(s): WHPO-E0201-23, Portrait study of Dr. Marina Whitman. 2/9/1973, Washington, D.C. unknown. Marina Whitman.

Roll WHPO-E0202 Photographer: Schumacher, Karl | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0202-, Dr. David Hubs and family. 2/9/1973, Washington, D.C. unknown. Dr. & Mrs. David Hubs, Hubs children.

Roll WHPO-E0203 Photographer: Kightlinger, Jack | Color or B&W: B&W

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0203-, Tim Elbourne holding a walkie-talkie and a telephone. 2/9/1973, Washington, D.C. unknown. Tim Elbourne.
• Frame(s): WHPO-E0203-12, Portrait of Tim Elbourne holding a walkie-talkie and smiling. 2/9/1973, Washington, D.C. unknown. Tim Elbourne.
• Frame(s): WHPO-E0203-18, Portrait of Tim Elbourne holding a telephone and smiling. 2/9/1973, Washington, D.C. unknown. Tim Elbourne.

Roll WHPO-E0205 Photographer: Parish, William | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0205-02-03, The Red Room. 2/9/1973, Washington, D.C. Red Room, White House, State Dining Room. Tricia Nixon Cox, VFW Auxilliary members.
• Frame(s): WHPO-E0205-04-17, Tricia Cox greeting members of the VFW Auxiliary. 2/9/1973, Washington, D.C. Red Room, White House, State Dining Room. Tricia Nixon Cox, VFW Auxilliary members.

Roll WHPO-E0206 Photographer: Parish, William | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0206-, Max Friedersdorf displaying a rug indoors and outdoors. 2/9/1973, Washington, D.C. unknown room, White House Grounds. Max Friedersdorf, unidentified man.

Roll WHPO-E0222 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: B&W

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0222-, Far East Tour. Henry Kissinger in Bangkok, Thailand during meetings with Thai officials. 2/9/1973, Bangkok, Thailand unidentified sites. Henry Kissinger.

Roll WHPO-E0224 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0224-, Far East Tour. Henry Kissinger in Bangkok, Thailand during meetings with Thai officials. 2/9/1973, Bangkok, Thailand unidentified sites. Kissinger, Thai officials, Americans.

Roll WHPO-E0225 Photographer: Knudsen, Robert L. | Color or B&W: Color

• Frame(s): WHPO-E0225-02-17, Far East Tour. Henry Kissinger in Bangkok, Thailand during meetings with Thai officials, and leaving a building. 2/9/1973, Bangkok, Thailand unidentified room. Kissinger, Americans, Thai official.

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.

L - White House Press Office Briefings

• WHCA-SR-L-129
  Press briefing by Ronald Ziegler. (2/9/1973, Press Center, Laguna Beach, California)
  
  Runtime: 40:00:00
  
  Keywords: Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media, press secretary
  
  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-6101
  WTOP Local News. Walter Cronkite interviewed
  CBS
  Runtime: 00:30:35
• WHCA-6119
  Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
  ALL NETWORKS
  Runtime: 1:30
  
  1. Smith/Sherwood/Patterson: POW releases. Time Code Start: 00:00. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War, releases. Network: ABC.
  
  2. Smith/Matney: Transit strike. Time Code Start: 04:44. Keywords: bus drivers, mass transit, transportation, commuting, strikes, employees, economy, recession, inflation, money, wages, costs, unemployment. Network: ABC.
  
  3. Smith: Interview with Margaret Chase Smith. Time Code Start: 07:35. Keywords: Senators, women, media, interviews. Network: ABC.
  
  4. Smith: Commentary on riding herd on Congress. Time Code Start: 10:03. Keywords: House of Representatives. Network: ABC.
  
  5. Chancellor: More on the release of the POWs with Friedheim. Time Code Start: 11:46. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War, releases. Network: NBC.
  
  6. Chancellor: South Vietnam's President Thieu says there is no ceasefire in Vietnam. Time Code Start: 14:00. Keywords: South Vietnam, Presidents, speeches, statements, Vietnam War, ceasefires. Network: NBC.
  
  7. Chancellor/newsen: International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS) monitors comment on the apparent war-like acts around them. Time Code Start: 15:50. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War, releases, exchanges, ceasefires, management organizations. Network: NBC.
  
  8. Cronkite/Schieffer: More on the release of the POWs. Time Code Start: 18:07. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War, releases. Network: CBS.
  
  9. Cronkite/Kalb: Kissinger in Laos; a settlement to come soon. Time Code Start: 22:00. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War. Network: CBS.
  
  10. Wagner: Fighting in Quang Tri province in vietnam. Time Code Start: 24:18. Keywords: Vietnam War. Network: CBS.
  
  11. Cronkite/Shepard: The monetary crisis overseas. Time Code Start: 27:02. Keywords: international, money, currency, exchange rates, values, increases, decreases. Network: CBS.
  
  12. Sevareid: Commentary on the monetary crisis. Time Code Start: 29:35. Keywords: money, currency, exchange rates, values, increases, decreases. Network: CBS.
  
  13. Cronkite/Shaw: Leonard Garment comments on President Nixon's leadership in the area of civil rights. Time Code Start: 32:12. Keywords: Presidents, cabinet, advisors, speeches, African Americans, desegregation, racism, racial discrimination, African Americans. Network: CBS.
  
  14. Cronkite: Governor Carter (Jimmy Carter) comments on President Nixon's new budget. Time Code Start: 34:23. Keywords: Presidents, Governors, statements, economy, economics, budgets, finances, recession, inflation, money, wages, costs, unemployment, prices. Network: CBS.

• New York Times of February 9, 1973

• AP Images photos from February 9, 1973
• Getty Images photos from February 9, 1973

The Vanderbilt Television News Archive is the world's most extensive and complete archive of television news. They have been recording, preserving and providing access to television news broadcasts of the national networks since August 5, 1968.

• February 1973 Broadcast Index

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

• February 9, 1973