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January 4, 1974

Introduction

This almanac page for Friday, January 4, 1974, 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: Thursday, January 3, 1974

Next Date: Saturday, January 5, 1974

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 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.

  • Each Public Papers of the Presidents volume contains the papers and speeches of the President of the United States that were issued by the White House Office of the Press Secretary during the time period specified by the volume. The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In instances when the release date differs from the date of the document itself, that fact is shown in the text note.

    To ensure accuracy, remarks have been checked against audio recordings (when available) and signed documents have been checked against the original, unless otherwise noted. Editors have provided text notes and cross references for purposes of identification or clarity.

  • 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.

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.

    • Annotated and Unmarked News Summaries [Note: Although there was no News Summary on this date, due to the way News Summary products were compiled, you should also consult nearby days for potentially relevant materials.]

  • 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. XXXVIII, Part 2, Organization and Management of Foreign Policy; Public Diplomacy, 1973-1976

    International Information Policy, Public Diplomacy, and Cultural Affairs

    Organizing for Defense, Economic, and Global Issues

    Vol. E-11, Part 1, Documents on Mexico; Central America; and the Caribbean, 1973-1976

    El Salvador and Honduras

    • 154. Telegram 37 From the Embassy in El Salvador to the Department of State, San Salvador, January 4, 1974, 1710Z

      Summary: The Embassy reviewed the record of Salvadoran President Molina after a year and a half in office and noted that the U.S. role in El Salvador would remain small in 1974, given the lack of major U.S. interests in the country.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, [no film number]. Confidential. Repeated to Tegucigalpa, Managua, San José, and USCINCSO.

    Vol. E-11, Part 1, Documents on Mexico; Central America; and the Caribbean, 1973-1976

    Jamaica, The Bahamas, and the Eastern Caribbean

    • 442. Telegram 34 From the Embassy in Jamaica to the Department of State, Kingston, January 4, 1974, 1600Z

      Summary: The Embassy reported on Manley’s announcement that he intended to renegotiate the Jamaican Government’s agreements with the aluminum companies involved in the country’s bauxite industry.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Country Files—Latin America, Box 786, Jamaica, Vol. I. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. In a December 24, 1973, memorandum to Casey, Kubisch stated that while the Jamaican Government clearly intended “to seek changes in the way that the companies have been doing business,” information available to the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs and to the Embassy in Kingston did not indicate that nationalization of the industry was imminent. (Ibid., RG 59, Central Files, 1970–1973, ARA/CAR Files, Lot 74D416, Bauxite) Telegram 21 from Kingston is dated January 3. (Ibid., Central Foreign Policy File, P750001–1772)

  • 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.

    S - White House Press Office Briefings (continuation of the L-series)

    • WHCA-SR-S-435
      Press briefing by Gerald Warren. (1/4/1974, San Clemente Press Center)

      Runtime: 15:00

      Keywords: Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media

      Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by __ (initials of WHCA engineer)

      Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.
    • WHCA-SR-S-436
      Press briefing by Gerald Warren. (1/4/1974, San Clemente Press Center)

      Runtime: 15:00

      Keywords: Press conferences, news conferences, interviews, media

      Production credits: Audio feed supplied by WHCA; Recorded by __ (initials of WHCA engineer)

      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-6726
      Weekly News Summary, Tape II.
      ALL NETWORKS

      15. Smith/Jarriel: The White House tapes. Time Code Start: 38:46. Keywords: courts, trials, investigations, prosecutions, bugging, bugs, wiretapping, wire taps, surveillance, spying, Watergate, hearings, burglary, impeachment, resignations, recordings. Network: ABC.

      16. Smith/Kaplow: Saxbe sworn in as Attorney General. Time Code Start: 40:40. Keywords: Senators, law officials, confirmations, swearings in, sworn in, ceremony. Network: ABC.

      17. Smith/Schoumacher: Bernard Baker released. Time Code Start: 42:55. Keywords: Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals. Network: ABC.

      18. Smith/Koppel: Israel's Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan meets with Secretary of State Kissinger. Time Code Start: 44:13. Keywords: Middle East, Mideast, Israeli, war, military, leaders, meetings, cabinet, advisors. Network: ABC.

      19. Smith/Young: Unemployment up; spotlight on General Motors. Time Code Start: 46:38. Keywords: labor, strikes, jobs, unemployment, statistics , employees, cars, automotive industry, auto manufacturers. Network: ABC.

      20. Smith/Miller: New mayor in Detroit, Michigan. Time Code Start: 49:33. Keywords: Mayors, elections, campaigns, campaigning, candidates. Network: ABC.

      21. Smith: Commentary on people being kept in the dark about oil. Time Code Start: 52:28. Keywords: energy, petroleum, drilling, oil supply, oil supplies, imports, shortages, sales, costs, increases. Network: ABC.

      22. Chancellor/Brokaw/Stern: White House tapes; Senate committee reaction. Time Code Start: 54:09. Keywords: law officials, attorneys, lawyers, bugging, bugs, wiretapping, wire taps, surveillance, spying, recordings, Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, scandals. Network: NBC.

      23. Chancellor/Nessen: Saxbe is Attorney General. Time Code Start: 57:33. Keywords: Senators, law officials, confirmations, swearings in, sworn in, ceremony. Network: NBC.

      24. Chancellor: Watergate burglar Bernard Barker released from prison. Time Code Start: 59:15. Keywords: Watergate, Senate committee hearings, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals, prisons, inmates, releases. Network: NBC.

      25. Chancellor/Levine: Arab oil in the U.S.. Time Code Start: 60:07. Keywords: Arabian, Arabs, Middle East, Mideast, meetings, energy, petroleum, drilling, oil supply, oil supplies, imports. Network: NBC.

      26. Chancellor/Hunt: More on a trumped up energy shortage. Time Code Start: 61:20. Keywords: energy crisis, petroleum, oil, gasoline, fuel, shortages, rationing. Network: NBC.

      27. Chancellor/Valeriani: Israel's Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan meets with Secretary of State Kissinger in Washington, D.C.. Time Code Start: 63:53. Keywords: Middle East, Mideast, Israeli, war, military, leaders, meetings, cabinet, advisors. Network: NBC.

      28. Brinkley: Commentary on American politics; Americans prefer conservative presidential candidates; Senator Ted Kennedy leads poll with `76 Democratic nominations, Vice President Gerald Ford ranks 1st overall. Time Code Start: 66:16. Keywords: public opinions, polls, approval ratings, Gallup poll, Harris poll, political ideology, Presidential elections, campaigns, campaigning, candidates, nominations. Network: NBC.

      29. Mudd/Shorr/Pierpoint: White House tapes case. Time Code Start: 68:17. Keywords: law officials, attorneys, lawyers, bugging, bugs, wiretapping, wire taps, surveillance, spying, recordings, Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, scandals. Network: CBS.

      30. Mudd/Goldberg: Watergate burglar Bernard Barker released from prison. Time Code Start: 71:30. Keywords: Watergate, Senate committee hearings, investigations, testimony, testify, cover-ups, break-in, burglary, theft, plumbers, scandals inmates, releases. Network: CBS.

      31. Mudd/Drinkwater: Gas rationing in Oregon with McC. Time Code Start: 73:32. Keywords: energy, petroleum, oil supply, gasoline, fuel, shortages, rationing, natural resources. Network: CBS.

      32. Mudd/Kalb: Israel's Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan meets with Secretary of State Kissinger over peace in Middle East. Time Code Start: 75:53. Keywords: Middle East, Mideast, Israeli, war, military, leaders, meetings, truce, treaties, negotiations, cabinet, advisors. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)