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September 16, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Saturday, September 16, 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: Friday, September 15, 1972

Next Date: Sunday, September 17, 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.

  • 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, September 16.

      President was very concerned this morning about a Rather story on CBS that was based on two leaked CIA documents, and wanted me to check that out; I had Dave Young run a complete check. President is going to hang on to the list, so that we can move on those people at the appropriate time. He doesn't want any FBI check or anything made on it, just a list of those who had access to the CIA documents, so we have a basis on which to move.

      Henry was in to report further. He had covered his whole trip results with the President last night, but went into some details today, particularly on timing of announcements. We agreed we'd deposit the SALT agreements on October 3, announce the trade agreements on the 10th, timing of SALT II on the 16th, and the European Security Conference and MBFR on October 23, or 24th, or 25th. Henry feels that he's got things well in hand with the Soviets, he also thinks there may be a possibility as he always does on Vietnam. Apparently Le Duc Tho was pretty outgoing in their Paris meeting and said "Do you really want to bring this to an end now?" Henry said, "Yes," and he said, "Okay, should we do it by October 15?" and Henry said, "That'd be fine." Le Duc Tho came across the table, shook hands with him, and said, "We have finally agreed on one thing, we will end the war on October 15."

      I had a phone call session with Connally on planning for his television commercials. He wants to hold up on the credibility commercial, because he thinks it hits McGovern too hard, at least now, and that we should wait till he bottoms out before we hit him that hard. He's going to start week after next with the defense commercial, and then welfare, and then go to the credibility one. He thinks that he's in good shape, he's not going to move committees into the non-key states, but figures Democrats there should move in to our organizations. He did agree to create a National Committee kind of thing to bring in people who want to tie up with Democrats in the non-key states.

      Had a long talk yesterday with Billy Graham. He feels things are very good, that he felt a couple weeks ago that we were behind in California, but he now feels we're pulling ahead there. Thinks we're going to have to give up almost totally on the black vote, we only have a few friends in that area. That Kennedy coming into the campaign and Shriver on the ticket make the difference. He also is concerned that the radical youth are really working for McGovern; for example, they were doing a very heavy registration effort in San Francisco. He doesn't think we'll win as big as it looks now, but thinks we're in good shape. Says the bugging isn't hurting us at all, it's too clouded; people think the Democrats placed it themselves and that they've overplayed it. He thinks that the President is finally succeeding in creating an Eisenhower father image for himself, there's no one else, and he should stay above partisanship. He thinks Wilkes-Barre was tremendous, especially the wedding. President should try to do this kind of thing every three or four days on an unexpected basis to show he's interested in people.

      He heard a black two-star general on television who defended Nixon on Vietnam, and did a superb job, said it was the greatest defense of Nixon he's ever heard, and the greatest exponent of Nixon he's ever heard. He was really enthusiastic about it. Thinks that the President needs three or four motorcades in friendly situations but not too much other exposure. He should avoid all chances of negatives, let McGovern go on making more mistakes. Thinks we're still all on the positive side on the Jewish question. No problems regarding the Soviet Jews, expects to win Florida 70 percent, and then told me about Johnny Carson, trying to figure out how he can help the President, and Graham telling him the way to do it is be a little biased in his favor from now on, like he has been biased against him.

      President hit me on the drug speech draft. It's twice too long, and he wants it cut down, come out hard and crisp, get a good memorable phrase, determine what the headline is and get all that worked out. The speech crew has been given that to try to develop. He's agreed to do the Italian picnic tomorrow.

      Got into a talk about Disraeli and the analysis that Gladstone ended up as an exhausted volcano after his enormous reform programs, and that the British people come to times when they don't want to be improved, and that we in this country may be at that stage. He's doing a lot of talking about the approach to policy for the second term in that context. That not only do we clear out our enemies and build our own establishment, that we clear out the bad programs and so on too. I reviewed our latest wave-- three poll results in the key states with him, and they're overwhelmingly favorable, and it makes the point that we probably should make a quiet decision now to move money out of some of the key states and into West Virginia, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, which are the only doubtful ones, and see if we can't pick up all 50. So we are going to work on that. President left mid-afternoon for Camp David.

      End of September 16.
    • 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

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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. XX, Southeast Asia, 1969-1972

    Thailand

    Vol. XXIX, Eastern Mediterranean, 1969-1972

    Cyprus

    Vol. E-7, Documents on South Asia, 1969-1972

    Afghanistan, 1969-1972

  • 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.

    Digitized versions can be found in the National Archives Catalog.

Audiovisual Holdings

Context (External Sources)