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May 26, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Wednesday, May 26, 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, May 25, 1971

Next Date: Thursday, May 27, 1971

Schedule and Public Documents

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. V, United Nations, 1969-1972

    Secretary-General Succession

    Chinese Representation in the United Nations

    Vol. XI, South Asia Crisis, 1971

    South Asia Crisis, 1971

    • 60. Minutes of Washington Special Actions Group Meeting, Washington, May 26, 1971, 4:35-5 p.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Ruff. No drafting information appears on the minutes. The meeting was held in the White House Situation Room.

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

    "One of Two Routes": Soviet-American Relations and Kissinger's Secret Trip to China, April 23-July 18, 1971

    • 235. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, May 26, 1971

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–224, National Security Decision Memoranda, NSDM 110. Secret. Sent for information. A note on the memorandum and attached correspondence profile indicate that the President saw the memorandum on May 26. Sonnenfeldt forwarded two drafts to Kissinger on May 19: a memorandum for action, recommending that Nixon approve NSDM 110; and this memorandum for information, notifying Nixon that Kissinger had approved the NSDM on his behalf. “The Soviets had recently inquired informally about the talks,” Sonnenfeldt added, “expressing the hope that we will give an early and positive reply to their proposal for talks.” (Ibid.)

    Vol. XXIII, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1969-1972

    • 233. Memorandum From President Nixon to Secretary of State Rogers, Washington, May 26, 1971

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Office Files of William Rogers, Entry 5439, Lot 73D443, Box 25, WPR-President Nixon. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Haldeman referred to this memorandum in his diary when recording a conversation that he had with Kissinger on June 1. He wrote: “What really is bothering him [Kissinger] is he thinks Rogers is engaged in secret negotiations, that the P[resident] knows about it and isn’t telling Henry. So he asked me to ask the P what he sent to Rogers last week via military aide, which the P mentioned to Rogers on the phone while both Henry and I were in there, and also the direct question: is Rogers conducting a secret negotiation that K[issinger] doesn’t know about. Henry says if he is, then he, Henry, will have to quit, that he can’t tolerate something of that sort.” ( Haldeman Diaries: Multimedia Edition, June 1, 1971)

    Vol. XXIV, Middle East Region and Arabian Peninsula, 1969-1972; Jordan, September 1970

    Saudi Arabia

    Vol. XXIX, Eastern Europe, 1969-1972

    Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty

    Vol. XXXIX, European Security

    MBFR and the Conference on European Security, December 1970-December 1971

    • 54. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, May 26, 1971

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 715, Country Files, USSR, Vol. XIII. Secret; Sensitive; Outside System. Sent for information. A notation on the first page reads: “The President has seen.” Sonnenfeldt drafted this memorandum and forwarded it to Kissinger on May 18 for his signature. In a covering memorandum, Sonnenfeldt wrote: “As you requested, I have redone my memorandum to you on this subject as a memorandum for the President. I have omitted the comments on Secretary Rogers’ remarks.” In his original memorandum to Kissinger, May 17 (also attached), Sonnenfeldt wrote that “our own position” on MBFR “is becoming highly confused, since the Secretary of State on Sunday stated that we had always favored MBFR as part of CES (completely wrong), and if the Soviets now come around to that position we would favor it (also wrong since we are maintaining the Berlin precondition).” For Rogers’s comments to journalists on the National Broadcasting Company’s television and radio program, “Meet the Press,” see Department of State Bulletin, June 7, 1971, pp. 734–736.

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

    Iran 1971

    • 128. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, May 26, 1971

      Kissinger summed up the series of letters from the Shah which assured Nixon of the UAR’s good intentions and requested that the U.S. Government press the Israelis to change their position in the peace negotiations.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 755, Presidential Correspondence, Iran, M.R. Pahlavi, Shah of Iran Correspondence. Secret. A stamp on the document reads “The President has seen.” Tab A is published as Document 129. Tab B is not published. Tab C is published as Document 124.

    Iraq 1969-1971

    • 291. Telegram 92470 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Belgium, Washington, May 26, 1971, 2123Z

      The Department forwarded a message from the Belgian Ambassador to Iraq, in which he cautioned Washington against retaliation for the seizure of the U.S. Embassy property.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 17 US-IRAQ. Confidential. Drafted by Scotes. Cleared by Papendorp; approved by Seelye.

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

    India and Pakistan: Crisis and War, March-December 1971

    • 135. Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, May 26, 1971, 10:38-10:44 a.m.

      Nixon and Kissinger discussed a letter that had been received from Indian Prime Minister Gandhi and another to be sent to Pakistani President Yahya.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Recording of Conversation between Nixon and Kissinger, Oval Office, Conversation No. 505–4. No classification marking. The editor transcribed the portion of the conversation published here specifically for this volume.

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

    Peru

    • 629. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, May 26, 1971., Washington, May 26, 1971

      President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs Kissinger speculated that the reasons why President Velasco declined an invitation for a state visit to the United States might include: still-tense relations between the United States and Peru, internal political problems, and/or scheduling problems.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 793, Country Files, Latin America, Peru, Vol. 2, July 1970–13 December 1971. Confidential; Nodis. Sent for information. Nixon wrote on the bottom of the memorandum, “Cool it.” In his May 18 covering memorandum Nachmanoff recommended that Kissinger sent the memorandum to the President, stated that “a successful Peruvian experiment, with a constructive relationship with the United States, may be a better defense against the extension of Chilean or Cuban models than regimes based on the rapidly deteriorating traditional structures of the oligarchy, the church and the ‘traditional’ military.”

    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

    • 69. Telegram From the Embassy in Chile to the Department of State, Santiago, May 26, 1971, 1835Z

      Summary: Korry reported that negotiations between Chile and the Kennecott and Anaconda copper companies were not proceeding well. He then discussed the increasing pace of the socialization of the Chilean economy.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, INCO 15–2 CHILE. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis.

  • 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)