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May 18, 1974

Introduction

This almanac page for Saturday, May 18, 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: Friday, May 17, 1974

Next Date: Sunday, May 19, 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 Grand Cay, Bahama Islands

  • 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.

    No Federal Register published on this date

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. XXVI, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1974-1976

    Syrian-Israeli Disengagement Agreement, January-May 1974

    Vol. XXXV, National Security Policy, 1973-1976

    Intelligence and the Experiment in Competitive Analysis

    Vol. XXXIX, European Security

    Basket III, May-December 1974

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

    India-Pakistan 2

    • 161. Telegram 6591 From the Embassy in India to the Department of State and the Embassy in the United Kingdom, New Delhi, May 18, 1974, 0600Z

      Chargé d’Affaires Schneider reported on his telephone conversation with Indian Foreign Secretary Kewal Singh that morning. Singh had telephoned Schneider to inform him that, at 8 a.m., India had conducted a “peaceful nuclear explosion.”

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Secret; Exdis. A copy was sent niact immediate to Damascus. On May 23, the President instructed the NSC to study non-proliferation and the NPT in light of the India test; this document will be printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XXXV, National Security Policy, 1973–1976.

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

    India-Pakistan 2

    • 162. Telegram Tosec 794/104621 From the Department of State to the Mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Washington, May 18, 1974, 2238Z

      Deputy Secretary of State Kenneth Rush acknowledged Secretary of State Kissinger’s orders for a “low-key” response to the Indian nuclear test and speculated on its long-term implications for nonproliferation and regional instability, but requested permission to develop a longer-term response.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. It was drafted and approved by Kurze. It was repeated priority to London for Moynihan; and sent immediate to the Mission in Geneva. In Telegram 764 from Damascus, May 18, Kissinger instructed that the Department not issue a strong statement on the Indian nuclear test. Official reaction was to be limited, and any statement would be to the effect that American policy does not favor nuclear proliferation in general because of its adverse effect on world stability. (Ibid.)

    Vol. E-14, Part 2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1973-1976

    • 47. Telegram 6591 From the Embassy in India to the Department of State, the Interests Section in Syria, and the Embassy in the United Kingdom, New Delhi, May 18, 1974, 0600Z

      Summary: Deputy Chief of Mission Schneider reported that Indian Foreign Secretary Singh had telephoned to inform him that India had carried out a peaceful nuclear explosion.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D740123–0916. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Sent Flash to London for Moynihan and Niact Immediate to Damascus for Kissinger, who was engaged in shuttle negotiations for a Israeli-Syrian disengagement agreement. Also published in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume E–8, Documents on South Asia, 1973–1976, as Document 161.

  • 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-6949
      "Agronsky & Co.". Police officer Carl Shoffler, James McCord.
      CBS
      Runtime: 0:30
    • WHCA-6953
      Weekly News Summary, Tape II.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 01:28:47

      35. Brokaw/Valeriani: Secretary of State Kissinger's negotiations. Time Code Start: 79:15. Keywords: cabinet, advisors. Network: NBC.

      36. Brokaw/Nessen: Vice President Gerald Ford in Hawaii. Time Code Start: 81:22. Keywords: Vice Presidents, travel, trips. Network: NBC.

      37. Rather/Jones: Vice President Gerald Ford in Hawaii. Time Code Start: 86:21. Keywords: Vice Presidents, travel, trips. Network: CBS.

      38. Rather/Kalb: Secretary of State Kissinger's Middle East negotiations. Time Code Start: 94:29. Keywords: Middle East, Mideast, war, cabinet, advisors, travel, trips, truces, treaty, treaties, negotiations. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)