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October 24, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Tuesday, October 24, 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: Monday, October 23, 1972

Next Date: Wednesday, October 25, 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.

  • 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

  • Decided

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)
      Tuesday, October 24.

      The more I get to thinking about it, the more the President was concerned about motorcade security. I told him about the report of someone picked up with a shotgun. And he made the point that we should be concerned somewhat with the danger -- that McGovern haters are dangerous type people, especially as they get backed into a corner in desperation, and this raises a question of whether it's wise to do any more motorcading. On Chicago, he wants to make a very short run. And then we got into quite a discussion of the cancellation of Ohio. He was looking for reasons--the war, security, health, weather, so on, but, the more we talked about it, the more it became obvious that we would have to go ahead with it. Although he did have me meet with Connally separately before the political meeting this afternoon, to get his view on it. He, too, feels that there is a certain risk, and that we shouldn't do anymore than we have to. He agrees with the idea of cancelling the California motorcade and the Denver event altogether, so we're going to do just an airport arrival in California, and bring the Mountain people into the Chicago regional meeting, so we don't have to make the stop in Denver.

      This is the first time that I've seen the President concerned about security, but I think that he's now feeling that since we've got the win pretty well locked up anyway, there's no point in running an unnecessary and undue risk. He raised the question again of why we don't have somebody file a lawsuit to knock down the Watergate story, without getting into specific denials, but just a general suit by one of the injured parties.

      We had our regular political strategy meeting this afternoon for a couple of hours, with Connally, Ehrlichman, MacGregor, Colson, and Mitchell. Connally opened, making the point about the peace negotiations, hoping that there wouldn't be anything before the election. It would hurt us because it would look expedient. The President explained the problem, said that negotiations are in a delicate stage, and we have to deal with them as they come. Connally then said that it's important that it appears that the President is in charge, that it's not Kissinger who is running this.

      Also, the President made the point that our role now is to play it loose regarding the election, to keep McGovern off balance and mainly try to keep the whole thing confused. The President told MacGregor that he should not go on the Today Show versus Warnke. But then as they got over talking about what he ought to say-- any idea of avoiding anything current-- the President told him to go ahead, but to attack, not defend. MacGregor said that Kissinger and Haig both felt that we needed him to go on to provide an answer, and that what he should do is make the point that McGovern and the peace by surrender group have seriously delayed the possibility of a settlement. The point was raised for a need for an economic attack on MacGregor, with Stein, Rumsfeld and Walker being our best spokesmen, also Renfrey ought to be turned loose and that we hit that his program would mean higher taxes, higher prices, higher unemployment and a recession. The President wanted to get a 60 second radio spot going on this now also.

      Some discussion on the advertising and it was agreed that we should go heavier on the attack ads -- two-thirds on the attack, one-third positive, and, some copy changes were worked on the "fipflop" tape, to bring it up to some more current issues. We agreed to the President going on television next Thursday for a half hour, a high level type speech.

      End of October 24.
    • 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. V, United Nations, 1969-1972

    Special Meetings of the Security Council

    Vol. IX, Vietnam, October 1972-January 1973

    Paris Negotiations Collapse, October 24-December 13, 1972

    Vol. XVII, China, 1969-1972

    China, March-December 1972

    • 257. Memorandum Prepared for the 40 Committee, Washington, October 24, 1972

      Source: National Security Council, Nixon Intelligence Files, 303/40 Committee Files, China. Secret; Eyes Only. Although no drafting information appears on the memorandum. Holdridge initialed his concurrence.

    • 258. Memorandum of Conversation, New York, October 24, 1972, 6:55-7:45 p.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 850, President’s File—China Trip, China Exchanges. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Attached but not printed were Kissinger’s talking points.

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

    Oceans Policy

    • 440. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, October 24, 1972

      Kissinger informed Nixon of a proposed scenario for resolving the fisheries dispute with Ecuador. Nixon approved lifting the suspension on Foreign Military Sales and a flat fee payment in exchange for informal assurances that the Ecuadorian Government would refrain from seizing U.S. fishing vessels within 200 miles of the Ecuadorian coast.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H-237, NSDM Files, NSDM 194 [2 of 2]. Confidential. Sent for action. A notation on the memorandum indicates that Nixon saw it. Nixon initialed approval of both recommendations. Tab A is published as Document 436. Tab B is published as Document 437. At Tab C was a September 22 memorandum from Office of Management and Budget Director Caspar W. Weinberger to Nixon. At Tab I was Presidential Determination 73-4, issued on October 27, which directed Rogers to inform Congress of the waiver but retained its classified status for national security reasons. (Ibid.) Tab II is published as Document 442.

    Vol. E-2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1969-1972

    Conferences on Nuclear and World Disarmament and Soviet UN Initiative on Non-Use of Force

    Vol. E-4, Documents on Iran and Iraq, 1969-1972

    Iran 1972

    • 227. Telegram 6346 From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State, Tehran, October 24, 1972, 0553Z

      The Shah set out his demands for the replacement of his aircraft, including accelerated delivery of equipment orders previously placed in the US.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, DEF 19–8 US-IRAN. Top Secret; Nodis; Cherokee. Passed to Saigon.

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

    Ecuador

    • 318. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, October 24, 1972., Washington, October 24, 1972

      President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Kissinger recommended a scenario for reaching an agreement with Ecuador regarding the seizures of U.S. fishing boats.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–237, NSDM files, NSDM 194. Confidential. Sent for action. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates that the President saw it. Nixon approved both recommendations. Attached but not published is Tab I, dated October 27. Tab II, which authorized the resumption of military sales to Ecuador and approved bilateral negotiations is Document 319. Attached but not published are Tabs A, B, and C. Tab A is an August 29 memorandum from Irwin to Nixon; Tab B is a September 15 memorandum from Laird to Nixon; and Tab C is a September 22 memorandum from OMB to the President.

  • 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)