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March 7, 1973

Introduction

This almanac page for Wednesday, March 7, 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: Tuesday, March 6, 1973

Next Date: Thursday, March 8, 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 The White House - Washington, D. C.

  • 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.

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  • 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.

  • 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.

    President's Personal File

    The President's Personal File is essentially a President's secretary's file, kept by Rose Mary Woods, personal secretary to the President, for two purposes: (1) preserving for posterity a collection of documents particularly close to the President, whether because he dictated or annotated them, or because of the importance of the correspondent or the event concerned and (2) giving appropriate attention–letters of gratitude, invitations to White House social events, and the like–to members and important friends and supporters of the Nixon administration. This generalization does not describe all the varied materials of a file group which is essentially a miscellany, but it does identify the reason for the existence of the file group's core. 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)
      Wednesday, March 7.

      The President had me in early this morning for quite a long while. Reviewed the stag dinner deal last night is concerned about some way of identifying people when they're introduced. Stans apparently did a good job which pointed out the need to do this at other parties, which we don't get done. I suggested the idea of giving people identification cards to hand to the introducing aides, which he thinks is a great idea, so we're going to try that. He was disturbed that we have the Navy singers for tonight, they had the Army last night, and he thinks that they are much better. It turned out later that Steve had changed this, and we do have the Army tonight, too. The President talked with Rollins and told him to work Harry Dent on developing candidates. Was concerned about whether General Wheeler got a thank you on Vietnam. Talked to Packard on California, and Packard thinks Finch should go for the Senate and raised this with him. Doesn’t want Baroody to push Connally, or have Packard do so, and have him head up this committee job, and that led to the question about Laird. He came up with the idea of making Laird counselor to the President. He feels that we need people who can work the Hill, and we need advice inside on how to do it and thought Laird was around town, we ought to get him to do it. Later today, when we were talking he said that he had thought about that some more and thinks the idea of Laird as counselor is a bad idea. But we could make him consultant to the President to advise on strategy, sit in on all meetings and so on, while he's around Washington. Then spend time on the Hill, direct the battle, and so on. He told me to check Harlow first, and then see if we could work it out with Laird.

      He decided not to send the Denton letter until we get all the POW's out. Feels we've got to push for a role call amnesty vote. Should start building the social issue. Wants me to call Roger Stevens, making the point that the President noted what he's doing at the Kennedy Center, and here's one vote for Roger Stevens in terms of having clean plays and so on. Referred to one of the lines he developed for his State Department appearance yesterday, about he who compromises with terrorists today will be terrorized by the terrorists tomorrow, which he thought was a good line and had bite, and wants Rogers to look for that kind of thing. On IRS, he wants the Senate-- or some Senator or Congressman to ask for a full field IRS check on all members of the House and Senate, plus White House staff and Cabinet on a yearly basis.

      He got into-- he said this morning he wanted to have a schedule review this afternoon on plans for going out to the country and meeting with the Congress and so on. Sort out everything, find different ways to get across our message, and determine what our purpose is in going to the country, what does it do? Change the polls? Get mail to the Congress? Or what? And told me to be ready for a meeting on that this afternoon. He wants Ehrlichman to put special attention on developing a good agenda for the Leaders meeting, thinks that's a better use of his time, for the big bullet, than the things he's doing.

      Called Timmons in today and raised the question of whether he ought to see the freshmen group in Congress that were fighting for him today. Agreed to do so. He's going to see them at 5:00 tomorrow and shifted McClellan to a breakfast tomorrow morning. Said again that the road show idea doesn't appeal to him, and wants some new recommendations.

      This afternoon he had me go over the schedule meeting, but got into some other things first. Wanted me to give Manalo and Fina a modest raise in pay and also said that Rose had mentioned to Bebe that she hadn't had a pay raise in all the time that she had been here. He thought that giving her a pay raise would help the morale thing there. I recommended against it but said that I would be glad to do it. He wanted me to call Risner and Denton, the two POW leaders, and get a reading from them on when the President should have a POW event, and also tell them that the President would like to chat with them off the record some time when they can be in Washington. He commented that the VFW award kids who came in just looked terrible. He thought that they were probably bare-footed, were wearing jeans and awful-looking clothes, and he doesn't think we should allow that. On the stag dinners, he thinks they’re good do for pro groups and that we should do more of them, because they're much easier for him then a mixed dinner.

      Getting into the schedule he wants to have a formal arrival ceremony for Thieu at El Toro, and then have him stay at San Clemente, no ceremonies at the compound. He said to schedule this Friday until 4:30. And then he'll go to Camp David and he can see someone up there on Saturday morning. And he has to come back down Sunday morning for the church service. Wanted Rogers added to the Cabinet agenda to cover aid to Vietnam. Then we talked some about the Kennedy's 13 Great Mistakes book, wants me to find Malcolm Smith, find out what he really did and what happened on the book. We covered a number of the other schedule items and philosophy, then he had to leave to get ready for the dinner.

      The dinner tonight, which I attended, went very well. The President gave a good wrap-up talk on the overall world situation and ended by reading the Denton letter, which, of course, overwhelmed everybody. He had done the same thing last night. The evening was extremely effective and very impressive to those who were there.

      End of March 7.
    • 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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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. X, Vietnam, January 1973-July 1975

    Neither War nor Peace, January 27-June 15, 1973

    Vol. XXI, Chile, 1969-1973

    "That Chilean Guy May Have Some Problems": The Downfall of Salvador Allende, January-September 1973

    Vol. XXXI, Foreign Economic Policy, 1973-1976

    The End of Fixed Exchange Rates, January-March 1973

    Vol. E-8, Documents on South Asia, 1973-1976

    India-Pakistan 1

    • 111. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, March 7, 1973

      President Nixon approved a reversion to the 1967–1971 policy for South Asia that would authorize sales of non-lethal military aid to Pakistan and would provide the Pakistanis with armored personnel carriers sold under the 1970 “one-time exception.” Nixon also conditionally authorized the release of suspended pre-1971 loans to India.

      Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 202, Geopolitical File, Pakistan, Chronological File, 13 September 1971–7 March 1973. Secret. Sent for action. Nixon approved the recommendations. A copy without Nixon’s signature’s approvals is in the National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 628, Pakistan, Vol. X, Sept. 72–Oct. 73, Country Files, Middle East.

    • 112. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, March 7, 1973

      President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Kissinger advised President Nixon of Prime Minister Bhutto’s recently stated claims of Soviet-Indian alignment against Pakistan and presented a letter of reply for Nixon’s signature.

      Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 202, Geopolitical File, Pakistan, Chronological File, 13 September 1971–7 March 1973. Secret. Sent for action. Attached but not printed is a signed copy of Nixon’s March 8 letter to Bhutto. (Ibid.)

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

    American Republics Regional

    • 1. National Security Study Memorandum 173, Washington, March 7, 1973

      Summary: Kissinger instructed the CIA, the Treasury, and the Departments of State and Defense to carry out a review of U.S. policies and programs in Latin America.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files, Box H–197, Study Memorandums, NSSM 173. Secret; Limdis. Copies were also sent to the Chairman of the JCS, and the Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs. The study prepared in response to this memorandum is published as Document 5. The August 30, 1969, Rockefeller Report on Quality of Life in the Americas is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, December 8, 1969, pp. 495–540. Nixon’s October 31, 1969, address outlining a policy of “mature partnership” with Latin America, is ibid., November 17, 1969, pp. 409–414. NSSM 15, February 3, 1969, is published in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. E–10, Documents on American Republics, 1969–1972, Document 1. NSSM 108, December 10, 1970, is in the National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files, Box H–178, Study Memorandums, NSSM 108.Summary: Kissinger instructed the CIA, the Treasury, and the Departments of State and Defense to carry out a review of U.S. policies and programs in Latin America.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files, Box H–197, Study Memorandums, NSSM 173. Secret; Limdis. Copies were also sent to the Chairman of the JCS, and the Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs. The study prepared in response to this memorandum is published as Document 5. The August 30, 1969, Rockefeller Report on Quality of Life in the Americas is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, December 8, 1969, pp. 495–540. Nixon’s October 31, 1969, address outlining a policy of “mature partnership” with Latin America, is ibid., November 17, 1969, pp. 409–414. NSSM 15, February 3, 1969, is published in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. E–10, Documents on American Republics, 1969–1972, Document 1. NSSM 108, December 10, 1970, is in the National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files, Box H–178, Study Memorandums, NSSM 108.

    Vol. E-12, Documents on East and Southeast Asia, 1973-1976

    Japan

    • 169. National Security Study Memorandum 172, Washington, March 7, 1973., Washington, March 7, 1973

      Kissinger instructed the Departments of State, Defense, Treasury, Commerce, and the CIA to review U.S. policy toward Japan.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–197, NSSM Files, NSSM 172 (2 of 3). Secret. Copies were sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs. NSSM 122, on policy toward Japan, is scheduled to be published in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, Volume XIX, Part II, Japan, 1969–1972.

    Thailand and Burma

    • 364. Memorandum From Richard T. Kennedy of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, March 7, 1973., Washington, March 7, 1973

      Kennedy recommended that Kissinger tell Clements to prepare additional military assistance for Thailand.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 565, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 10, 1973–. Secret. Sent for urgent action. Kissinger initialed the “approve” option, and a notation from Scowcroft indicates that Kissinger followed up by calling Clements. A notation on the first page indicates that Tab B, attached, the proposed telegram to Unger, was given to the situation room for dispatch on March 9. Tab A, a telephone conversation between Kissinger and Clements from March 5, is attached but not published. Tab C, telegram 3675 from Bangkok, March 7, is attached but not published. On March 16, Kissinger asked Richardson to make twelve 105 mm howitzers available for Thailand in addition to the eight C–123 aircraft. (Memorandum from Kissinger to Secretary of Defense; ibid.)

    Vol. E-15, Part 1, Documents on Eastern Europe, 1973-1976

    East Europe Regional

    • 3. Minutes of Senior Review Group Meeting, Washington, March 7, 1973, 3:13-3:44 p.m., Washington, March 7, 1973, 3:13-3:44 p.m.

      The Senior Review Group considered economic policy for Eastern Europe and concluded that the Department of State should prepare a detailed plan for economic engagement with each country.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H-113, SRG Meeting Minutes. Confidential. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. NSSM 163, October 27, 1972, is printed as Document 25 in Foreign Relations, 1969-1976, volume XX, Eastern Europe and Eastern Mediterranean, 1969-1972. The Department of State’s response to the Senior Review Group’s request is Document 4.

  • 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)