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March 6, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Saturday, March 6, 1971, 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, March 5, 1971

Next Date: Sunday, March 7, 1971

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 Camp David, Maryland

  • 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.

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)
      Saturday, March 6.

      The President at Camp David all-day. Called several times in the afternoon, mainly on some follow-up on the press conference and projects that he had initiated. He's made a lot of the phone calls that Colson set up for him to make, and is getting good reaction from them; so he thinks this is a good idea. He has some other ideas for additional phone calls. Continued on other--

      [End of tape reel AC-05(A)]

      [Begin tape reel AC-05(B)]

      Continuing Saturday, March 6. The President got into an analysis of the various forms of press conferences and other TV appearances. He feels that he can make the press conference more conversational and thus meet the feeling that it has versus the conversations. He thinks he can keep in the good humor, the personal, and the low key thing. His real question is, which has the best effect on the audience, the hard, fast, antagonistic thing or the low-key calm approach?

      Maybe most people don't like him being too sharp, maybe it's better to give long answers rather than short, clipped ones. The real question is which gives the greatest sense of confidence and communication and which affects the most people, especially which affects the swing voter. He made the point that if you read about war, you find that the great failures are by the commanders who can't make hard decisions, make the hard decision of concentrating their effort. In other words, doing the prudent thing down the middle always loses. You've got to take the big steps, you’ve got to put all your weight against what really matters, and have it work out.

      This conversation led him into wondering what Dick Moore thought about it. He obviously called him and then called me a little later, saying he had talked to Moore, and that Dick felt that the conversation on TV is the best because it shows the man; and he thinks that far more important than all the programs and substantive material is the man. For instance, he referred to the Buchanan "worst horn?" memo as being an outstandingly good thing.

      Also, of the two press conferences, Moore prefers the December one that was clipped and banging 'em out, although he liked the idea in Feb-- in this last one of going over the heads of the press and talking directly to the people. He prefers not limiting the press conference to one subject, though.

      Then he talked to Rose who said it was hard to say which one was best. That our friends liked the idea of his putting them down in December. But this time the press was more respectful, so the President talked more to the people. The question still is: Do the people want to see a fight or do they want to get the direct message? Moore also made the point that we have too much on the plate now, that the people don't understand or care about revenue sharing, and environment and reorganization and so forth, and we're inundating them with all of this stuff which they can't grasp. The fundamental point is that there are only two or three main issues that matter, and we should just ride those. Moore is very high on the use of radio, feels we ought to do that on weekends, and he likes the aiming at special groups on radio. This gets to the question of whether we're overdoing the process of dominating the canvas, and whether we’re-- we are inundating as Moore says. We've got to make clear to our own people that the domestic subjects are only holding action at best. They don't gain us any political mileage. We've got to build on the human interest and "Nixon the Man" things, but we've got a long ways to go in doing that.

      End of March 6.
    • 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. XI, South Asia Crisis, 1971

    South Asia Crisis, 1971

    • 6. Minutes of Senior Review Group Meeting, Washington, March 6, 1971, 11:40 a.m.-12:20 p.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–112, SRG Minutes, Originals, 1971. Secret; Nodis. No drafting information appears on the minutes. The meeting was held in the White House Situation Room. A briefer record of the meeting, prepared by Brigadier General Devol Brett of OSD, is in the Washington National Records Center, OSD Files, FRC 330 76 0197, Box 74, Pakistan 092 (Jan–Jul) 1971.

    Vol. XIII, Soviet Union, October 1970-October 1971

    "A Key Point in Our Relationship": Backchannel Talks on SALT, Berlin, and the Summit

    Vol. XXIX, Eastern Mediterranean, 1969-1972

    Turkey

    Vol. E-5, Part 1, Documents on Sub-Saharan Africa, 1969-1972

    Nigerian Civil War

    • 213. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, March 6, 1971

      British and U.S. officials had an open exchange of views regarding Nigeria, including prospects for political stability, economic development and Nigerianization, and U.S., British, and French relations with Nigeria.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL UK-US. Confidential.

    Uganda

    • 247. Telegram 38065 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Uganda, Washington, March 6, 1971, 0313Z

      The Department recommended moving toward normal relations in a low key manner, avoiding public statements.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL Uganda-US. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Farnham (AFR/ESA) and Kinter (AF/E); cleared in AF/E, AID/AFR/ESA and L/AF; and approved by Moore. Repeated to Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, London and Nairobi.

  • 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 Videotape Collection contains “off-the-air” recordings of televised programs produced between 1968 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    • WHCA-4212
      Excerpts From the "NBC Nightly News" Indochina War Coverage, Tape II (Weekly News Summary).
      NBC
      Runtime: 00:22:40

      15. Chancellor: South Vietnamese troops retake Tchepone. Time Code Start: 14:20. Keywords: Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      16. Streithorst: South Vietnam sends reinforcments into Laos; evacuating troops from Laos. Time Code Start: 15:06. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      17. Chancellor: Statistics on captured supplies. Time Code Start: 17:30. Keywords: Vietnam War, military, statistics, equipment, weapons. Network: NBC.

      18. Brinkley: Wounded South Vietnamese veterans ask for U.S. [?]. Time Code Start: 18:00. Keywords: Vietnam War, veterans, aid, vague description, not in Vanderbilt News Archive, needs review. Network: NBC.
    • WHCA-4217
      Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 1:30

      1. Chancellor: Laos war action. Time Code Start: 00:00. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      2. Streithorst: U.S. helicopters carry South Vietnamese troops into and out of Laos. Time Code Start: 00:50. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War, aviation, transportation, Armed Forces, military, troops. Network: NBC.

      3. Chancellor: Laos successes. Time Code Start: 03:25. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      4. Brinkley: Wounded South Vietnamese soldiers. Time Code Start: 03:50. Keywords: Vietnam War, veterans, aid, vague description, not in Vanderbilt News Archive, needs review. Network: NBC.

      5. Lewis: Wounded South Vietnamese soldiers, demand pensions. Time Code Start: 04:18. Keywords: Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      6. Brinkley/Nessen: Presidential commission on school segregation (Counselor to the President Robert Finch). Time Code Start: 06:08. Keywords: desegregation, racism, racial profiling, racial discrimination, civil rights, African Americans, schools, students. Network: NBC.

      7. Berkholtzer: Presidential commission on school segregation, in San Francisco, California. Time Code Start: 08:30. Keywords: desegregation, racism, racial profiling, racial discrimination, civil rights, African Americans, schools, students. Network: NBC.

      8. Klein: McGovern in Madison, Wisconsin. Time Code Start: 11:17. Keywords: Presidential elections, campaigns, campaigning, candidates. Network: NBC.

      9. Mudd/Schieffer: Troop withdrawals; Laos war. Time Code Start: 13:52. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War, military, departures. Network: CBS.

      10. Rabel: Assaults on Khe Sahn in South Vietnam. Time Code Start: 16:06. Keywords: Vietnam War, mlitary, troops, bases. Network: CBS.

      11. Mudd: Senator Dole on Republican Party. Time Code Start: 17:43. Keywords: political parties, Republicans, GOP, leaders. Network: CBS.

      12. Chancellor: Air power in Laos; South Vietnamese retake Tchepone. Time Code Start: 18:15. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War, aircraft. Network: NBC.

      13. Chancellor: Helicopter pilot interviewed. Time Code Start: 19:04. Keywords: Vietnam War, military, troops, aviation, helicopters. Network: NBC.

      14. Chancellor: Number of South Vietnamese troops in Laos. Time Code Start: 20:14. Keywords: Laos, Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

Context (External Sources)