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March 13, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Monday, March 13, 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: Sunday, March 12, 1972

Next Date: Tuesday, March 14, 1972

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 The White House - Washington, D. C.

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  • 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

  • The Congressional Record is the official daily record of the debates and proceedings of the U.S. Congress.

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 13.

      International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] was the big item again at the staff meeting. We got into a sort of a round robin discussion on what the general perception of the senior staff group was. They all seem to feel the American Telephone and Telegraph [AT&T] attack by Dole was counterproductive, that we just escalate the issue by counterattacking. They think Anderson has been very effective. Rumsfeld argued we should take our losses and get out. Finch argued we should keep the drumbeat to stand by the decision, the more we deplore raising the President’s name, the more it gets tighter connected to the case. Most of them seem to feel that bringing American Telephone and Telegraph [AT&T] in, it indicates there must be something to the International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] deal, otherwise we wouldn't be counterattacking. Question is whether we can turn the hearing to the merits of the decision. Problem is that we have no administrative-- Administration spokesman, such as the Star story or Geneen talking to McCracken and so forth, also we need a facts sheet explaining how the antitrust operation works. Maybe we should call in the wires and the network bureau chiefs, and point out their misstatements of facts. Our speakers need witnesses to quote, saying this was a sound settlement, such as past antitrust heads. Kennedy apparently is now asking for Price Commission data on International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] requests, because they've asked for more than anyone. Also suggested by MacGregor that we should sell our subcommittee data, where Geneen testified and all, since that would help us. Mitchell feels that we're not in too bad shape that the American Telephone and Telegraph [AT&T] thing helped, because it confused the issue, and that we have renounced the hotel contributions, but there will remain in the end a way out, by demanding that the Democrats do likewise. President didn't seem overly concerned about that whole issue today, although he did have a long session with Colson this afternoon on it.

      Rogers called me this morning at the-- before the start of the staff meeting, and he was really furious, because he said that some Congressmen were up at Clark MacGregor's last night for dinner, and he was, too. And an argument arose about the Kissinger briefing on Wednesday, at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rogers had heard nothing about such a briefing. Rogers says therefore he won't testify on Tuesday, as he's scheduled to do. He says Wayne Hays and some others said they wouldn't go to Kissinger’s briefing that they were on Rogers's side, and so on. Problem is Reilly Evans was sitting there listening to all this. He thinks there's a problem with Kissinger having a private briefing, Rogers does, so he's going to cancel his own committee appearance. He thinks it's going to make a huge flap. He thought the understanding was that he would be handling the Hill. But there's a problem of doing it both ways, one in public and one in private, and that we shouldn't have this kind of thing, that we can go on through it before, and so on. I found out that State was aware of the Kissinger briefing plan. That Charlie Browd from State sat in the meeting on Friday that Henry insisted on doing the meeting after Rogers testified, so he wouldn't interfere with Rogers' testimony. And Dave Asher regularly attends the Kissinger briefings of this kind, so Rogers really has no complaint other than once again his own ego.

      The President, I raised this with him this morning, and he felt we should postpone the House meeting on Wednesday, but that Kissinger has to see the House group at some time. We should postpone it because Throckmorton can’t make it. Have MacGregor put it off, and then when we do schedule it, include the House leaders as well as the committee members.

      President had MacGregor in a little later, and raised the same point with him. Said that if the problem is, that if Kissinger doesn't meet with the committees, then we're going to have the constitutional issue on the White House mystery man, which does us even more harm, so we've got to work it out.

      The President asked me to talk to Mitchell today about disclosure of campaign contributors, and I did raise it with John. He said we'd have a substantial problem if we did that, because our money was raised on the basis that we would not report it. He thinks we should just say that we'll follow the statutes, and we should just straight-arm it, saying we're complying with the law. Our answer would be that the President’s not involved, this is a private committee for his reelection. He thinks it will all go away April 7 when we start reporting. We'll include all the dollars we've collected then, and since we've had a mass mailing, we should have a large number of people, which we can also mention, although we won't give them names. He thinks the whole issue will go away April 7, and it's just not possible for us to do anything any other way than by straight-arming it as of now.

      President felt that we should work up a statement for Stans on the contributions, using the line that we will report everything according to the law, that we have absolutely nothing to hide, that we are setting up the machinery now for reporting, mention that the President’s not doing any campaigning now in the primary campaigns.

      President also got into the Gridiron some more, he seems to be glad he's made the decision to go. And he decided today to give the Chinese panda bears to the National Zoo in Washington, called Crosby Noyes to tell him so, quoting my story about the pandas needing to have mating lessons before they came over.

      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PRIVACY- Reviewed and released under Deed of Gift, DR, NARA, September 11, 2014
      Audio Cassette 19, Side B.
      Duration: 6 seconds

      The President left for the day went over to the EOB to have dinner so as to escape Helene Drown.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      End of March 13.
    • 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. 

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    Nixon Library Holdings

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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. XVII, China, 1969-1972

    China, March-December 1972

    Vol. XX, Southeast Asia, 1969-1972

    Thailand

    Indonesia

    Vol. XXIV, Middle East Region and Arabian Peninsula, 1969-1972; Jordan, September 1970

    Persian Gulf States

    Vol. E-1, Documents on Global Issues, 1969-1972

    Oceans Policy

    • 424. National Security Decision Memorandum 157, Washington, March 13, 1972

      The President approved instructions for the U.S. delegation to the preparatory meeting for the 1973 Law of the Sea Conference and requested a report to guide the development of subsequent negotiating positions.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 364, Subject Files, National Security Defense Memoranda, Nos. 145-264. Secret. A copy was sent to the Director of Central Intelligence.

    Vol. E-10, Documents on American Republics, 1969-1972

    Cuba

    • 256. Study Prepared in the Department of State, Washington, March 13, 1972., Washington, March 13, 1972

      The Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs at the Department of State prepared a study on Soviet Naval Deployments to the Caribbean.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–189, National Security Study Memoranda (NSSM), NSSM 144. Top Secret. It was sent under a covering March 13 memorandum from Ronald I. Spiers, in his capacity as Chairman of the NSC/IPMG, to Kissinger in response to NSSM 144, January 14. (Ibid.)

    Vol. E-10, Documents on American Republics, 1969-1972

    Haiti

    Vol. E-13, Documents on China, 1969-1972

    • 117. Telegram 625 From the Embassy in France to the White House, March 13, 1972, 1219Z, March 13, 1972, 1219Z

      Ambassador to France Watson asked how he should handle press inquiries about his talks with the Chinese.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1037, Files for the President-China Material, China, March 10, 1972-April 1973. Secret; Eyes Only. Sent to the White House eyes only for Kissinger. A handwritten notation on the telegram reads: “HAK, Haig, Lord.”

    • 118. Telegram 626 From the Embassy in France to the White House, March 13, 1972, 1219Z, March 13, 1972, 1219Z

      Ambassador to France Watson informed President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Kissinger of his first meeting with Chinese Ambassador to France Huang Chen and relayed Huang’s relief that their talks in the future would only be shared with Kissinger and President Nixon.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1037, Files for the President-China Material, China, March 10, 1972-April 1973. Secret; Eyes Only. Sent to the White House eyes only for Kissinger. A handwritten notation on the telegram reads: “HAK, Haig, Lord.”

  • 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)