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October 5, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Tuesday, October 5, 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: Monday, October 4, 1971

Next Date: Wednesday, October 6, 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.

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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)
      Tuesday, October 5th. The President had me in first thing this morning for some general schedule notes. The more odd among them being that, in spite of all his sarcastic comments about tennis, and the people that are interested in tennis, he now wants to stage a special tennis match at the White House courts, putting up bleachers, setting up line men, etcetera; having Billie Jean King, and Stan Smith, and some of the top stars play. This springs out of his phone call to Billie Jean King yesterday, when she became the first woman to win $100,000. He also decided he ought to have one Evening at the White House this season, and we should have Lawrence Welk star at it. And he wants to find a reason for a reception where we have only conservative newsmen, something honoring Goldwater, or Buckley's birthday, or something like that. He's also decided maybe Detroit, the Economic Club, was more worthwhile than he thought, and that he recognizes that he goes overboard on the theory that everything has to be so perfect, but we got a lot of good reaction out of Detroit, so maybe he should do more of that kind of Q and A.

      He met with Shultz, Connally, McCracken, and Stein for several hours this morning on Phase II. They got back into the argument of prime time for the announcement, and the group pretty well persuaded him that he did need prime time in order to sell the general public on the need for cooperation on everyone's part. He agreed then that he would do that, but very briefly—ten minutes. Making the point that the, of what the program in general is, and saying there would be special interest groups that will oppose this, but it will only work with the cooperation of the people, and I ask for your support, and so on. He'd also work in the points on the international monetary progress and the wide-ranging consultation that he's had before making this decision. I suggested that he consider 7:00 news time instead of prime time, and he thought that was a very good idea, and also the rest of the group agreed to it, so that ended up being the plan. After that meeting, Henry was in.

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      DECLASSIFIED - E.O. 13526, Sect. 3.4: by MS, NARA, June 12, 2013
      Audio Cassette 14, Side B, Withdrawn Item Number 1 [AC-14(B) Sel 1-1]
      Duration: 30 seconds

      The President hit him on Allende, which Connally had raised at the end of the other meeting. Because he's moving now in Chile on expropriating American companies. Connally recommends that we move on him in a very tough way and Henry agrees. So the President is going to go ahead on that, making Allende a villain and kicking him. That led him in to the point with Henry that we need to have some sort of Latin American meeting. Maybe gather all the heads of states in Mexico City or something of that sort.
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      Henry then reported on the very positive reactions he'd had this morning to his announcement of his trip to China.

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      DECLASSIFIED - E.O. 13526, Sect. 3.4: by MS, NARA, June 12, 2013
      Audio Cassette 14, Side B, Withdrawn Item Number 1 [AC-14(B) Sel 1-2]
      Duration: 10 seconds

      He said Dobrynin had told him that this was diplomacy in the grand style, and that it's exactly what Kennedy wanted to do, but couldn't.
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      This, of course, delighted both Henry and the President.

      He then met with Safire for a while to go over what he wants to cover in the speech. Gave him some pretty good light, guidelines on the basis that he wants to refer to the fact that the freeze has been enormously successful due to the cooperation and support of the American people, and then that we're going to follow on with the continued program. He doesn't want much detail on how it works, but we will have a Pay Board and a Price Board. Our goal will be to reduce inflation to 2 or 3 percent. This will be a great benefit to every American. There may be selfish interests that oppose it, but it will, he will count on the cooperation of the people. This is the way to provide more jobs, new prosperity. Says the handling of profits is very ticklish, this is the time not to assume that prices always must go up. The consumer should get some of the break on productivity, too, so let's have some price reductions. He wants more poetry than prose, upbeat confidence, reassured, things are going well. This is not a new program. He wants to hit interest hard on the basis that rates are too high, and include a reference to all his consultations. Make the point that we can make '72 the greatest year economically—prosperity with peace and without inflation. We don't need an army of bureaucrats to administer this. The American citizens are our army. He wants to use the line of confidence more than sacrifice; ask for cooperation and support. He wants to reuse the good sentences from his earlier announcement in the Congressional speech. The purpose this time is exhortation, not an announcement.

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      DECLASSIFIED - E.O. 13526, Sect. 3.4: by MS, NARA, June 12, 2013
      Audio Cassette 14, Side B, Withdrawn Item Number 2 [AC-14(B) Sel 2]
      Duration: 44 seconds

      Late in the day, we had a new flap, because Bill Rogers up at the UN, had indicated his support of the Fulbright Amendment in opposition to the Byrd Amendment regarding Rhodesian Chrome, which creates a huge problem almost necessitating our repudiating Rogers. But we decided to try to get Byrd to withdraw his amendment on the grounds that Rogers was doing this in order to win four black African nations' votes on the China question. And that we’d re-raise a point at a later time. Nobody seems to feel this is very likely to work, but they're going to give it a try.
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      The President left at 5:30 for a reception at Rollins in Delaware.

      End of October 5th.
    • Original audio recording (MP3)

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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. V, United Nations, 1969-1972

    U.S. Position Papers and Assessments of General Assembly Sessions

    UN Finances and Reduction of the U.S. Assessment

    Secretary-General Succession

    Vol. XIX, Part 1, Korea, 1969-1972

    Republic of Korea Troops in Vietnam and Force Modernization, April 1971-December 1972

    Vol. XXI, Chile, 1969-1973

    Cool and Correct: The U.S. Response to the Allende Administration, November 5, 1970-December 31, 1972

    Vol. XL, Germany and Berlin, 1969-1972

    Germany and Berlin, 1969-1972

    Vol. XLI, Western Europe; NATO, 1969-1972

    Malta

    • 236. Minutes of a Senior Review Group Meeting, Washington, October 5, 1971, 3:35-3:57 p.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–060, Senior Review Group Meetings, SRG Meeting—Malta 10/5/71. Top Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. All brackets are in the original. The meeting focused on the response to NSSM 135, Document 232.

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

    Chemical and Biological Warfare; Geneva Protocol; Biological Weapons Convention

    • 245. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Johnson to President Nixon, Washington, October 5, 1971

      Responding to the IPMG’s report on the Geneva Protocol, Johnson, like Edward David, recommended Alternative 1 of Option B. This alternative affirmed that the Protocol did not cover riot control agents and herbicides, but maintained that, in future conflicts, the U.S. would not initiate their first use.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, General Files on NSC Matters, Box 8, NSC Miscellaneous Memos, October & November 1971. Secret.

    Vol. E-16, Documents on Chile, 1969-1973

    Cool and Correct: The U.S. Response to the Allende Administration, November 5, 1970-December 31, 1972

  • 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.

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Audiovisual Holdings

Context (External Sources)