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August 4, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Wednesday, August 4, 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: Tuesday, August 3, 1971

Next Date: Thursday, August 5, 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.

    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.

  • The Congressional Record is the official daily record of the debates and proceedings of the U.S. Congress.

Archival Holdings

  • 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.

  • 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. I, Foundations of Foreign Policy, 1969-1972

    Foundations of Foreign Policy, 1969-1972

    • 95. Press Conference by President Nixon, Washington, August 4, 1971

      Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Richard Nixon, 1971, pp. 850-851. The section printed here is from item 2 of the press conference, entitled “The President’s Trip to China.”

    Vol. IV, Foreign Assistance, International Development, Trade Policies, 1969-1972

    Expropriation Policy, 1969-1972

    Vol. V, United Nations, 1969-1972

    Chinese Representation in the United Nations

    Vol. XIII, Soviet Union, October 1970-October 1971

    Between Beijing and Moscow: Summit Announcement, July 19-October 12, 1971

    Vol. XXI, Chile, 1969-1973

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

    • 241. Special National Intelligence Estimate, Washington, August 4, 1971

      Source: Central Intelligence Agency, NIC Files, Job 80B01046A, Deputy Director of Intelligence, Registry of NIEs and SNIEs. Secret; Controlled Dissem. The full text of the SNIE is Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. E–16, Documents on Chile, 1969–1973, Document 78.

    Vol. XXIX, Eastern Mediterranean, 1969-1972

    Greece

    • 320. Memorandum for the Presidentʼs Files, Washington, August 4, 1971

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 594, Country Files—Middle East, Greece, Vol. II 1 Nov 1970–31 Dec 1971. Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Haig. The memorandum was not initialed by Haig because it was retyped by the White House staff on August 11. A tape recording of this Nixon–Tasca conversation is ibid., White House Tapes, August 4, 1971, Oval Office, Conversation No. 554–8.

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

    Western Europe Region and NATO

    • 70. Minutes of a Defense Program Review Committee Meeting, Washington, August 4, 1971, 3:55-4:30 p.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–103, Defense Program Review Committee Meetings, DPRC Meeting NATO Force Improvements 8-4-71. Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. The August 16 cover memorandum from Jeanne Davis to Kissinger is stamped: “HAK has seen, Sep 7, 1971.”

    France

    Malta

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

    Oceans Policy

    • 406. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon, Washington, August 4, 1971

      Rogers proposed a scenario for ending the suspension of military sales to Ecuador and resuming fishing negotiations with the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Governments.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 799, Country Files, Latin America, LA Gen., Vol. VI, Jul 71-1974. Secret; Exdis. For the text of Section 3(b) of the Foreign Military Sales Act, see the source note to Document 387.

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

    Chemical and Biological Warfare; Geneva Protocol; Biological Weapons Convention

    • 234. Telegram 3312 From the Mission in Geneva to the Department of State, Geneva, August 4, 1971, 1545Z

      The telegram reported that the U.S. and Soviet Co-Chairmen had reached agreement on the text of the draft Biological Weapons Convention.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–1973, DEF 18–3 Switz (GE). Confidential; Immediate. It was repeated to USNATO, Moscow, USUN, USDel SALT V, London, The Hague, Ottawa, Paris, Rome, and Tokyo.

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

    • 334. Telegram 141330 From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union, Washington, August 4, 1971, 1456Z

      The U.S. Government responded to the Soviet proposal for a five-power nuclear disarmament conference. This response noted that, even though the Chinese refused to take part in the proposed conference, the U.S. Government considered the proposal worthy of continued interest.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 716, Country Files, Europe, USSR Vol. XV. Secret; Priority. It was repeated to all NATO capitals, Canberra, Wellington, Tokyo, Hong Kong, USMission Geneva, and U.S. Delegation to SALT. Drafted by Spiers (PM); cleared by Brown of EA, Farley (ACDA), Sonnenfeldt (White House), and Richardson; and approved by Hillenbrand.

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

    American Republics Regional

    • 45. Minutes of Senior Review Group Meeting, Washington, August 4, 1971, 2:50–3:40 p.m., Washington, August 4, 1971, 2:50-3:40 p.m.

      The Senior Review Group discussed options for responding to the expropriation of property owned by U.S.-based companies overseas.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–112, SRG Minutes (Originals), 1971. Secret. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room. An attached August 11 covering memorandum from Davis to Kissinger was stamped “HAK has seen” on September 7. A copy was sent to Kennedy, Hormats, and Nachmanoff. The participants discussed a July 31 paper prepared by an ad hoc group chaired by Legal Advisor John R. Stephenson which is published in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume IV, Foreign Assistance, International Development, Trade Policies, 1969–1972, Document 157. The undated memorandum to the President mentioned in the Summary of Conclusion is printed as Document 168, ibid.

    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

    • 78. Special National Intelligence Estimate, Washington, August 4, 1971

      Summary: This estimate included a detailed analysis of Allende’s administration and highlighted the popularity of his initial economic redistribution programs and the overall effects of nationalization. Following a thorough discussion of Allende’s positions, the estimate concluded that Allende would continue his socialistic economic policies, that his leadership had been astute, and that the military appeared to be reluctant to enter into politics to depose him.

      Source: Central Intelligence Agency, History Staff Files. Deputy Director for Intelligence, Registry of NIEs and SNIEs. Secret; Controlled Dissem. Prepared in the CIA and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State and Defense, and in the NSA. Concurred in by the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, the Director of Intelligence and Research, Department of State, the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Director of the National Security Agency. The Assistant General Manager of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Assistant to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation abstained.

  • 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 of many of these transcripts can be found on the Yale University Library website.

Audiovisual Holdings

Context (External Sources)