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January 13, 1973

Introduction

This almanac page for Saturday, January 13, 1973, 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: Friday, January 12, 1973

Next Date: Sunday, January 14, 1973

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 Key Biscayne, Florida

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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. IX, Vietnam, October 1972-January 1973

    America Leaves the War, December 30, 1972-January 27, 1973

    Vol. XXXIX, European Security

    Opening Negotiations, December 1972-July 1973

    Vol. XLII, Vietnam: The Kissinger-Le Duc Tho Negotiations

    Settlement Accomplished: The Accords Initialed and Signed, January 1973

    • 47. Memorandum of Conversation, Paris, January 13, 1973, 9:48 a.m.-4:55 p.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 866, For the President’s Files (Winston Lord)—China Trip/Vietnam Negotiations, Camp David Memcons, January 8–13, 1973 [January 23, 1973]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place at La Fontaine au Blanc, St. Nom la Bretèche. All brackets, except where noted, are in the original. The tabs are attached but not printed; on Tabs A, B, C, see Appendix 3.

      After the meeting, Kissinger informed the President: “We confirmed the final texts of the agreement and all associated understandings, and settled all the remaining issues of principle in the protocols.” Repeating what he had said many times before to Nixon, Kissinger made clear: “The problem now of course is in Saigon.” To that end, he and others were making every effort to persuade Thieu to accept the settlement as negotiated. For example, he continued:

      “I had a very useful session with Thieu’s envoys, former Prime Minister Do and former Ambassador to the U.S. Diem, last evening. They had also gotten the right messages from Capitol Hill. Diem is returning to Saigon and their report should be of help. We have also provided Bunker with argumentation about the agreement, which I used here as well with the South Vietnamese, in order to start paving the way for Haig’s mission.” (Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. IX, Vietnam, October 1972–January 1973, Document 276)

      The Capitol Hill reference is to Nixon’s directing Kissinger to get prominent conservatives and supporters of South Vietnam in the Senate—Republican Barry Goldwater from Arizona and Democrat John Stennis from Mississippi—to say publicly that the settlement was good for South Vietnam and that President Thieu should accept it. See ibid., Documents 294–297. “Haig’s mission” refers to Haig’s trip to Saigon where he was to see President Thieu on January 20. According to Haldeman, President Nixon explained how Haig should carry out this task:

      “His [the President’s] strategy there is to keep the whole approach with Thieu on our terms, and we don’t want to appear to be begging, especially on the record. The P made the point that Haig must take a very hard line on Thieu, that he’s here only as a messenger, not to negotiate, that the P has been totally in charge of all this, and he will go ahead regardless of what Thieu does.” (The Haldeman Diaries, Print Edition, p. 569)

      Haig met with Thieu in Saigon on January 18 and 20. For his reports on the meetings, see Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. IX, Vietnam, October 1972–January 1973, Documents 292, 310, and 311.

  • 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 Communications Agency Sound Recordings Collection contains public statements that took place between 1969 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    I - Various Administration Events

    • WHCA-SR-I-125
      WHCA dinner dance with General Redman, General Terry, and Colonel Priddle [not received by NARA]. (1/13/1973)

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

    L - White House Press Office Briefings

    • WHCA-SR-L-105
      Press briefing by Ronald Ziegler. (1/13/1973, 4 Ambassadors Presss Center, Miami, Florida)

      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-6006
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 01:29:22

      17. Utley/Dobyns: Paris peace talks, with Kissinger to meet with President Nixon. Time Code Start: 34:30. Keywords: Paris Peace Talks, the war Vietnam War, treaty, treaties, negotiations, government, officials. Network: NBC.

      18. Utley/Karnow: Commentary on the past week of Paris peace talks. Time Code Start: 37:35. Keywords: Paris Peace Talks, Vietnam War, treaty, treaties, negotiations. Network: NBC.

      19. Hackes: The Vietnam war and more on the Paris peace talks. Time Code Start: 39:35. Keywords: Paris Peace Talks, Vietnam War, treaty, treaties, negotiations. Network: NBC.

      20. Utley: Film of bombing on Hanoi, B-52 downed and two more POWs. Time Code Start: 41:12. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War, bombings, aircraft, crashes. Network: NBC.

      21. Utley/Delaney: Rice imports in South Vietnam. Time Code Start: 43:45. Keywords: Vietnam, food, agriculture. Network: NBC.

      22. Utley: Senators comment on the Super Bowl with First Lady Pat Nixon. Time Code Start: 46:25. Keywords: Presidents, families, wife, sports, Senate, Senators, officials, football. Network: NBC.

      23. Mudd/Pierpoint: Paris peace talks, Kissinger to meet with President Nixon. Time Code Start: 48:04. Keywords: Paris Peace Talks, Vietnam War, treaty, treaties, negotiations, government, officials. Network: CBS.

      24. Mudd/Fenton: Paris peace talks with Kissinger. Time Code Start: 49:40. Keywords: Paris Peace Talks, Vietnam War, treaty, treaties, negotiations, government, officials. Network: CBS.

      25. Mudd/Wagner: Vietnam. Time Code Start: 51:50. Keywords: Vietnam War. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)