Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume II, Organization and Management of U.S. Foreign Policy, 1969–1972

20. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant (Haldeman) to Secretary of State Rogers¹

Washington, February 1, 1969.

The President has directed that all State Department matters concerning the President’s personal schedule be cleared through my office. This will also apply to all details of the President’s schedule when he is on foreign trips.²

Will you please take the necessary steps to insure that all such matters arising in the State Department are referred to my office—and that I have the opportunity to review all incoming cable traffic regarding the President’s schedule and all outgoing traffic before it is sent. This would include any proposed turn-downs as well as acceptances or other schedule details. No commitments, express or implicit, for the President’s time should ever be made without prior approval from my office. As you well recognize, this is essential to insure proper coordination.

This procedure should not, of course, in any way affect the normal clearance procedures already established with Henry Kissinger’s office except in the specific areas of the President’s schedule.³

HR Haldeman

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Office Files of William P. Rogers: Lot 73 D 443, Box 3, Personal Papers of William P. Rogers. No classification marking. Copies were sent to Kissinger and Ehrlichman. A blind copy was sent to Ken Cole.
2. In his diary entry for January 31, Haldeman wrote the following: “Had long session about schedule and [President] called [Kissinger] and me in to meeting with General Goodpaster about K’s problems with State. P refused to tackle it head-on. Started by shifting schedule and personnel responsibilities regarding State from K to me, to get K out of trivia. Especially emphasized this about trip.” (The Haldeman Diaries: Multimedia Edition)
3. In a February 3 memorandum to Rogers, Haldeman indicated that the President had “somewhat revised” the procedure outlined in this memorandum: “I will continue to have responsibility for schedule planning but the responsibility for personnel appointments has been assigned to John Ehrlichman.” (National Archives, RG 59, Lot 73 D 443, Box 3, Personal Papers of William P. Rogers) In another February 3 memorandum to Rogers, Haldeman indicated that the President had directed him to assume responsibility for overall planning of the President’s proposed European trip, and that he assumed “that steps have been taken to insure that I receive copies of all incoming cable traffic and all outgoing traffic before it is sent regarding all details and facets of the President’s trip.” (Ibid.)