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Memoranda from the President, 1969-74: Memos--March 1969
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Memoranda from the President, 1969-74: Memos--March 1969
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DOCUMENT WITHDRAWAL RECORD [NIXON PROJECT]
DOCUMENT
DOCUMENT
NUMBER
TYPE
SUBJECT/TITLE OR CORRESPONDENTS
DATE
RESTRICTION
N-1
MEMO
RN to JDE, Re. idea of staying
[15]
ex the house in San clemente
3/13/69
e(Nixon)
N-2
MEMO
Copy of N-1
3/13/69
c(NIXON)
[15]
FILE GROUP TITLE
BOX NUMBER
President's Personal Files
/
FOLDER TITLE
Memac- - March 1969
RESTRICTION CODES
A. Release would violate a Federal statute or Agency Policy.
E. Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
B. National security classified information.
financial information.
C. Pending or approved claim that release would violate an individual's
F. Release would disclose investigatory information compiled for law
rights.
enforcement purposes.
D. Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy
G. Withdrawn and return private and personal material.
or a libel of a living person.
H. Withdrawn and returned non-historical material.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
NA FORM 1421 (4-85)
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
DOCUMENT WITHDRAWAL RECORD [NIXON PROJECT]
DOCUMENT
DOCUMENT
NUMBER
TYPE
SUBJECT/TITLE OR CORRESPONDENTS
DATE
RESTRICTION
N-1
MEMO
RN to JDE, Re: idea of staying
ex the house in San clemente
3/13/69
C(Nixon)
N-2
Memo
Copy of N-1
3/13/69
C(NIXON)
FILE GROUP TITLE
BOX NUMBER
Presedent's Personal Files
/
FOLDER TITLE
Memac- - March 1969
RESTRICTION CODES
A. Release would violate a Federal statute or Agency Policy.
E. Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
B. National security classified information.
financial information.
C. Pending or approved claim that release would violate an individual's
F. Release would disclose investigatory information compiled for law
rights.
enforcement purposes.
D. Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy
G. Withdrawn and return private and personal material.
or a libel of a living person.
H. Withdrawn and returned non-historical material.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
NA FORM 1421 (4-85)
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
Presidential Materials Review Board
Review on Contested Documents
Collection:
President's Personal Files
Box Number:
1
Folder:
Memos - March 1969
Document
Disposition
15
Return Private/Personal
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 4, 1969
TO:
John Ehrlichman
FROM:
The President
I would suggest that the European trip
might be a good test of our letters to the editor operation
across the country, as well as letters to radio and
television commentators who may have commented
favorably.
Would you see what the 5 O'clock Group
can bring off on this.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 13, 1969
TO:
Herb Klein
cc:
John Ehrlichman
FROM:
The President
It is vital that in the next five or six weeks
before the ABM votes are taken that we get a better than even
break in seeing that those who support ABM get on all the
programs. This not only means "Meet the Press, 11 "Face the
Nation, Issues and Answers", but the "Today" show, the radio
talk shows and their counterparts at local levels.
I want you to use every possible method to see to
it that articulate supporters of ABM get their fair amount of
time on these shows. This will be difficult because, as you know,
Huntley-Brinkley, Cronkite and most of the ABC staff are
opposed to our decision, but I want you not only to see that our
people get on,, but these programs are to be carefully monitored,
and every time one of these opponents opens his mouths calls
should flood the station. But even more important, I want you to
get on personally and arrange for equal time for somebody from
our side.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
- 2 - -
Apart from this reaction, of course, I would
like for you to game plan a scheme whereby we, on a positive
basis, see that Packard, Laird, any scientists that Kissinger
can dig up that might go our way, and other people (for example,
Rockefeller who will speak out for us) get equal time on this
subject and that they are properly briefed before they go on.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 4, 1969
TO:
Pat Buchanan
FROM:
The President
In the briefing material for the campaign
you had a quote from Andre Malrowe about the United
States' use of power.
Would you see if you could find that quote
and send it in to me.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 4, 1969
TO:
John Ehrlichman
FROM:
The President
I would suggest that the European trip
might be a good test of our letters to the editor operation
across the country, as well as letters to radio and
television commentators who may have commented
favorably.
Would you see what the 5 O'clock Group
can bring off on this.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 4, 1969
TO:
Bob Haldeman
FROM:
The President
We should pick dates for the dinners I am
going to give for the major Ambassadors who have retired,
and also for Bliss and for Warren.
The guest lists for such dinners take a
lot of planning, and also we need lead time in getting proper
entertainment.
I think I have already indicated the Ambassadors
to be invited. They include Bruce, Harriman, Murphy and
Bolen and Tommy Thompson.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 4, 1969
TO:
Bob Haldeman
FROM:
The President
We should pick dates for the dinners I am
going to give for the major Ambassadors who have retired,
and also for Bliss and for Warren.
The guest lists for such dinners take a
lot of planning, and also we need lead time in getting proper
entertainment.
I think I have already indicated the Ambassadors
to be invited. They include Bruce, Harriman, Murphy and
Bolen and Tommy Thompson.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 4, 1969
TO:
Pat Buchanan
FROM:
The President
In the briefing material for the campaign
you had a quote from Andre Malrowe about the United
States' use of power.
Would you see if you could find that quote
and send it in to me.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 11, 1969
TO:
John Ehrlichman
FROM:
The President
You will recall that on several occasions I
have suggested the 5 O'clock Group might direct some of its
activities toward the letter to the editor and call to television
commentators and programs. I feel that such action might
produce more in the way of hard achievement than discussions
on the grand strategy as to when RN should appear and how
many press conferences he should have, etc. I realize that
some of the latter can also be helpful and, of course, is
essential to maintain morale of the group. From the standpoint
of what such a group can really contribute it is important always
to have in mind that everybody has some idea as to what the
President can do and that the primary service of the President's
associates is to see what they can do in his support beyond what
he does himself.
In this connection, Paul Keyes has often spoken
about the necessity to monitor television programs -- not only
the political programs but the entertainment programs in which
there are often deliberately negative comments which deserve
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
- 2 -
some reaction on the part of our friends. One of the programs
Paul suggested we watch was the Smothers Brothers. In looking
at it Sunday night they had one sequence in which one said to the
other that he found it difficult to find anything to laugh about - --
Vietnam, the cities, etc., but "Richard Nixon's solving those
problems" and "that's really funny."
The line didn't get a particularly good reaction
from the television audience but beyond that it is the kind of
line that should, particularly at this time, receive some calls
and letters strenuously objecting to that kind of attack. I
think it is not too late (you will probably be reading this
memorandum on Tuesday morning) to have a few letters go to
the producers of the program objecting to this kind of comment
"particularly in view of the great public approval of RN's
handling of foreign policy, etc. etc."
AB I have pointed out ad infinitum this was
automatic reaction on the part of the Kennedy adherents and it
should be an automatic reaction wherever we are concerned,
both when we find something we want to approve and when we
find something we want to disapprove.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
- 3 -
Would you give me an indication as to what
kind of program is being set up to handle particularly TV
commentaries of this type as well as the letters to the editor
approach. (The latter, of course, is not nearly as important.)
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 12, 1969
TO:
John Ehrlichman
Arthur Burns
Bryce Harlow
FROM:
The President
In about five weeks we will have completed
100 days since the Inauguration. I would like to have this week
a summary of the legislative proposals we have already sent to
the Congress, and a hard analysis of what other legislative
proposals will have been sent to the Congress for action before
the 100 day period expires. I think we are going to have to put
some deadlines on the departments with regard to those legislative
proposals that we think have some substantive political meaning.
F rom what I have been able to see to date most of our 96
directives have been responded to in an unsatisfactory way as far
as our objective was concerned. Most of the departments have
asked for time to "study" the directives, and there is very little
prospect for action. I would like to hav e a report on this by the end
of the week.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 12, 1969
TO:
John Ehrlichman
Arthur Burns
Bryce Harlow
FROM:
The President
In about five weeks we will have completed
100 days since the Inauguration. I would like to have this week
a summary of the legislative proposals we have already sent to
the Congress, and a hard analysis of what other legislative
proposals will have been sent to the Congress for action before
the 100 day period expires. I think we are going to have to put
some deadlines on the departments with regard to those legislative
proposals that we think have some substantive political meaning.
F rom what I have been able to see to date most of our 96
directives have been responded to in an unsatisfactory way as far
as our objective was concerned. Most of the departments have
asked for time to "study" the directives, and there is very little
prospect for action. I would like to hav e a report on this by the end
of the week.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 12, 1969
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
CC:
Henry Kissinger
FROM:
The President
I would like to have a talk with Bunker at some
time in the next two or three weeks. I have been reading his
cables and he seems to be much more concerned about the
attacks in South Vietnam than we are here. I have never met
Bunker and feel that because of the importance of his position
I need to talk to him so that I can judge for myself what weight
to give to his cables. Get him back here as soon as it is
convenient so that it does not look like a crisis, but under no
circumstances do I want his return delayed beyond three weeks.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 12, 1969
TO:
Bob Haldeman
FROM:
The President
You might have Flanigan give Jim Shepley a call
and see if Shepley would recommend any one of the very
outstanding group he had on the Time-Life Asian trip this year
for Ambassador to the Philippines or Ambassador to Bonn.
Some of them were really impressive and while most are
presently very active chief executive officers their interests are
so much in the direction of foreign policy we might be able to
get one. What I need is To get a couple of RN people in some of
these key posts as soon as possible.
I realize that F lanigan may hav e told State that he
was going to let a State Department person have Canada. I had
decided this long ago in my own mind and I will not reverse my
decision.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 12, 1969
TO:
Bryce Harlow
FROM:
The President
H. Allen Smith took me on at the Congressional
Reception for "his failure to be informed" with regard to the
appointment of Martin on the Loan Board. Would you check
this out and unruffle his feathers if his concern is legitimate.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 13, 1969
TO:
John Ehrlichman
FROM:
The President
From talking to several of the Congressmen I
think there are a number of invitations of the Mundt type hanging
around in Harlow's office which should be put in the pot for future
consideration.
Again, I urge you to remember that we are so
swamped with mail that we tend to try to just answer it and file
the inquiry when we know we aren't going to do the particular
event. I think you have got to set up a system where every event
inviting us for some trip is passed through your office for informa-
tion, no matter how ridiculous it seems to be.
For example, the anniversary of the Seaway will be
coming up this summer. I think, rather than going to Chicago or
Cleveland, we ought to go back to the little town in New York
(around 20,000 -- I believe it was Messina) where the Queen and I
went through the ceremony before.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS PROJECT
DOCUMENT CONTROL RECORD
ITEM REMOVED FROM THIS FILE FOLDER
A RESTRICTED DOCUMENT OR CASE FILE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM
THIS FILE FOLDER. FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE ITEM REMOVED
AND THE REASON FOR ITS REMOVAL, CONSULT DOCUMENT ENTRY
NUMBER N- / ON EITHER THE DOCUMENT WITHDRAWAL RECORD
(GSA FORM 7279 OR NA FORM 1421) OR NARA WITHDRAWAL SHEET
(GSA FORM 7122) LOCATED IN THE FRONT OF THIS FILE FOLDER.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
NLN Form 101 (revised 6-05)
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 13, 1969
TO:
John Ehrlichman
FROM:
The President
I was impressed at both the Congressional receptions
to note the number of good ideas that members of Congress had --
particularly for domestic programs and some foreign ones -- ideas
that had imagination and emotion and were not as routine as most
of those that seem to come up from our White House and Cabinet
teams.
I realize that about 75 percent of these ideas are
unworkable, but now and then one of them really has the quality
that should be considered. What happens here is that White House
staffers and Cabinet members -- not being responsible to any
constituency and not getting out to the country or reading any significant
amount of mail from the country -- get very much out of touch with
the country and become pretty ingrown and incestuous intellectually.
I want you to put some very sensitive person on the project of seeing
what programs are advocated in the Congress to which we might give
some consideration in the Executive branch. I know that many
Congressmen and Senators send their bills to the Executive Branch
for consideration, and many of them are simply for home consumption
with no thought that they might work. On the other hand, Clarence
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
- 2 -
Brown has a suggestion for bonds which would give private citizens
a chance to participate in the rebuilding of cities, etc., which
might have an immense amount of moxie in it. And several others
of this type were suggested.
What is needed here is to take this out of the Harlow
group who are frankly too busy and who look upon their jobs, properly,
simply to respond in a way requiring the least possible action to
Congressional pressures -- and put it in some place in the
executive group. Perhaps Bud Wilkinson's office is the place to
put this project. Some young fellow there, like the young fellow
from UCLA, might be a potential candidate, although this will take
perhaps more than one and maybe two people to implement on a
part-time basis. Follow through and see what you can do. What I
am interested in here now -- I wish to emphasize not to massage the
Congressmen and Senators on their pet ideas, many of which are simply
too far out to even consider -- but to feed into our own executive
organization a little more imagination and ingenuity. I sense that
we seem to be pretty short on such ideas due to the very good reason
that we are simply too busy fielding the balls that are being knocked
our way. Let's correct this.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 17, 1969
(dictated March 13, 1969)
TO:
Henry Kissinger
FROM:
The President
Senator Hartke of Indiana has a scheme
which he thinks I am familiar with on the apparent complete
obstruction which seems to inhibit action on our part in the
Minzenty case. There may be nothing to this but, on the other
hand, there just might be a chance that he has something
which could be helpful.
For these reasons, I think we ought to
explore getting him away. And this is probably a small price
that the Soviets and Hungarians would pay for a few other things
we have that we might do for them.
Would you have people -- Dick Allen -- explore
this situation with Hartke, with State, etc., and see if we might
try to make a break-through.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
Kissinger
Senator Hartke of Indiana has a scheme which
he thinks I am familiar with ALE the apparent complete
All
obstruction which seems to inhibit action on our part in
There may he norting to chis but
this case. On the other hand, there just might be a chance
that he has something which could be helpful.
For these reasons, I think we ought to explore
getting him away. And this is probably a small price that
the Soviets and Hungarians would pay for a few other things
we have that we might do for them.
Would you have people Biballin perhaps Allot ANa
isa IS god man on this explore this situation with Hartke,
with State, etc., and see if we might try to make a break-
through.
Historical File
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 13, 1969
TO:
John Ehrlichman
FROM:
The President
From talking to several of the Congressmen I
think there are a number of invitations of the Mundt type hanging
around in Harlow's office which should be put in the pot for future
consideration.
Again, I urge you to remember that we are so
swamped with mail that we tend to try to just answer it and file
the inquiry when we know we aren't going to do the particular
event. I think you have got to set up a system where every event
inviting us for some trip is passed through your office for informa-
tion, no matter how ridiculous it seems to be.
For example, the anniversary of the Seaway will be
coming up this summer. I think, rather than going to Chicago or
Cleveland, we ought to go back to the little town in New York
(around 20,000 -- I believe it was Messina) where the Queen and I
went through the ceremony before.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS PROJECT
DOCUMENT CONTROL RECORD
ITEM REMOVED FROM THIS FILE FOLDER
A RESTRICTED DOCUMENT OR CASE FILE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM
THIS FILE FOLDER. FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE ITEM REMOVED
AND THE REASON FOR ITS REMOVAL, CONSULT DOCUMENT ENTRY
NUMBER N- 2 ON EITHER THE DOCUMENT WITHDRAWAL RECORD
(GSA FORM 7279 OR NA FORM 1421) OR NARA WITHDRAWAL SHEET
(GSA FORM 7122) LOCATED IN THE FRONT OF THIS FILE FOLDER.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
NLN Form 101 (revised 6-05)
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
March 13, 1969
TO:
John Ehrlichman
FROM:
The President
Congressman Stanton of Ohio told me there was
a group of approximately 100 in the House and Senate who meet
from time to time on Sunday morning for Mass. He thought it might
be well, if consistent with our program for religious services, if on
some Sunday after Mass we were to invite the group over to the
White House for our religious service at which a prominent Catholic
(I suggest Archbishop Cooke) would give the sermon, and then
afterwards have them for coffee.
The idea is excellent and I want it implemented. Call
him and find out the character of the group, and let him give you
guidance as to how the meeting should be worked out for one of our
early Sunday morning affairs. I would see that, in addition to the
Congressional people who were invited (which might take most of the
available seats) we invite a few of our Catholic contributors who are
rather prominent as well as those on the staff who might want to come.
But don't, of course, let it be an entirely Catholic affair. The Cabinet
should be well represented at this one.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum