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March 12, 1973

Introduction

This almanac page for Monday, March 12, 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: Sunday, March 11, 1973

Next Date: Tuesday, March 13, 1973

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.

  • 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)
      Monday, March 12th. The President had Henry and me in this morning to talk about ambassadors. He decided he wants a non-career man to Taiwan, Hill, Bob Hill to Pakistan, Farlan to Mexico, send Reynolds to Columbia or Venezuela. Raised the question of Brazil and Argentina; said to do Keating to Israel and Vail to Germany; told Henry to call him rather than my doing it. He said that Pappas didn't insist on Tosca going to Greece and so wanted me to call Mitchell and tell him we want Tosca here as Assistant Secretary for Africa, and said that we ought to work it out to let them keep Newsom in the Africa desk, and send Sisco to Russia as another alternative. He wanted to know the Jimmy Roosevelt status on his roving Ambassador assignment. Also got into the State Visit business, he wanted to try to move the Shah and Willy Brandt up to May visits, and then the African in the fall, or as a reserve, if either the Shah or Brandt can't come in May. Also, a Latin American, in the late spring or in the fall. Then he wants to plan a Latin American trip with three countries this fall, Brazil, and then something on the way back, probably also Venezuela.

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      DECLASSIFIED - E.O. 13526, Sect. 3.4: by MS, NARA, June 12, 2013
      Audio Cassette 31, Side B, Withdrawn Item Number 11 [AC-31(B) Sel 8]
      Duration: 9 seconds

      The question of whether they would have an uprising; you have to check Caracas out carefully.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      He also wants a ten day trip to Africa; three countries, Nigeria, Congo and Ethiopia. Henry recommended considering adding the Sudan also; probably will hold that until spring of next year, although he might want to do it earlier.

      Later in the day he said to consider the possibility of doing Latin America this spring, right after Easter, a one week total trip with one day stops, no return dinners, just lunches. He still wants to do Europe in the fall, early fall, as a state visit, grand tour type of approach. He got into the news analysis sheet that Buchanan and Mort Allen had whipped up, and was concerned, because it's practically all bad news, except for the POW's which we had no control over, that was the one good thing. He thinks that they should point out the positives, too. That this is dwelling too much on problems instead of opportunities, and ruins the team spirit setup, and he questions whether Ehrlichman's value isn't greater at thinking and creating rather than doing, and whether we don't need him working in this area. Also he felt Ehrlichman should be editing the President's speeches, such as the one on the cities. He should have, should not have said the crisis was over. It was a bad way to put it, and John should have caught that. Price should edit the President's speeches after the original drafts are done.

      He raised the point that he wanted me to have Dent get a candidate fielded and going against Sam Ervin, to give him some trouble in his district, to slow him down a little on his Watergate activities.

      End of March 12th.
    • 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. XVIII, China, 1973-1976

    Kissinger's Visits to Beijing and the Establishment of the Liaison Offices, January 1973-May 1973

    • 20. Conversation Between President Nixon and his Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, March 12, 1973

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation No. 876–4. No classification marking. The editor transcribed the portions of the conversation printed here specifically for this volume. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon met with Kissinger in the Oval Office between 9:30 and 10:29 a.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files)

    Vol. XXII, Panama, 1973-1976

    Panama, 1973-1976

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

    Arab-Israeli Crisis and War, 1973

  • 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)