356. Editorial Note
During a March 27, 1969, morning meeting with Secretary of Commerce Stans and the Chairman and the President of the National Association of Manufacturers, President Nixon “went on to talk about the Office of the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations, and to tell the visitors of his eventual plan to put that office into the Commerce Department ‘out of the White House and away from State’ … adding that there was a little too much Congressional opposition to the move to be able to do it now. He then looked at Secretary Stans and repeated his previously expressed wish that Maury do his best to name a good man for that office (if at all possible before he goes to Europe.)” (Memorandum by Butterfield for the President’s File, March 27; National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, Staff Member and Office Files, President’s Office Files, Box 77, President’s Meetings File) That afternoon the President discussed the question of the Special Trade Representative in a meeting with Bryce Harlow, H.R. Haldeman, Henry Kissinger, and Robert Mayo. According to Haldeman’s brief notes, the President told Harlow: “Stans names the man[,] not State—but can’t put it into the dept. Keep Rogers out of it. tell Stans.” (Ibid., Haldeman Notes, Box 40)