331. Editorial Note
In anticipation of a peace agreement in Paris, President Richard M. Nixon and members of his staff, including speechwriter Raymond K. Price, began drafting a short speech for Nixon to deliver on national television on the evening of January 23, 1973.
On January 18, 9:40 a.m., Kissinger and the President had talked generally about both Nixon’s inaugural address and the January 23 speech—especially what to include and exclude in the latter:
K: The only thing I would perhaps mention is, but that’s more for your speech on the 23rd than for your inaugural [January 20], I don’t know whether I would nail myself so much to the word lasting peace or guaranteed peace because this thing is almost certain to blow up sooner or later.
P: Well I think rather than lasting and guaranteed in relation to this in the inaugural I’m not going to speak of this specifically. I’m going to speak of this in conjunction with our whole policy as being a structure of peace in the world, see my point.
K: No, no, the inaugural is fine. I was thinking more of the 23rd.
P: No, I wouldn’t guarantee that this was a lasting peace. I’d, as a matter of fact we’ve got to say that this will depend upon the intention of all parties to keep this. The fact that we sign an agreement does not mean that peace can be lasting.
K: But one thing the agreement will do is to put Indochina into the perspective of a world wide structure for peace.
[Page 1151]P: Yeah, yeah. I agree with you. But you work on that, I will not bother my mind with it. I will not need that, incidentally, I don’t want to even see it until about 7:00 Sunday night [January 21]. See I will have inaugural affairs all day long, so by 10:00 p.m. Monday night I want to see the draft of whatever you think we ought to say Tuesday, see.
K: Right, I’ll have it.” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 18, Chronological File)
Despite Nixon’s stricture about not wanting to see a draft until January 21, it is clear that on January 19 he read a first draft and added to it. Moreover, Kissinger also read it. In a telephone conversation at 4:19 p.m., the following exchange took place between Nixon and Kissinger:
K: I wanted to tell you what Ray Price said, I think this is really an outstandingly good speech. It sets out just the right tone … and idealistic….
P: We spent a lot of time on it and we hope it turns out. There’s a lot of solid stuff there and there’s no crap at least.”
Then, after briefly mentioning South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu, the two returned to the speech:
P: As you realize, when I use that term ‘we stand on the threshold of peace’, that’s the lead of this speech.
K: Well, Mr. President, there’s no question….
P: I didn’t use ‘peace’, I said ‘an era of peace.’
K: Well, I think you could say that even if you didn’t get an agreement next week.
P: I agree.
K: Because you’re putting it in a really statesmanlike context.
P: A broader context—toward the Soviet Union and so forth.” (Ibid.)
On the evening of January 22, Nixon, Haig, and Price met to discuss the speech. From this session a second draft emerged. Haig reported on the 45-minute meeting in a message to Kissinger, then en route to or already at Paris. According to Haig: “He [Nixon] was, of course, concerned about the assurances for Thieu which I believe are quite explicit in this draft and would not wish to make the warning any stronger. I tend to agree with him on this since too strong a statement could start a domestic debate which would be counterproductive and perhaps ultimately weaken the impact on Hanoi.” (Tohak 21, January 23, 0400Z [January 22, 11:00 p.m., Washington time]; ibid., NSC Files, Box 860, For the President’s Files (Winston Lord)—China Trip/Vietnam, Sensitive Camp David, Vol. XXIV)
The central clauses in this draft vis-à-vis the assurances stated: “The United States will continue to recognize the Government of the [Page 1152] Republic of Vietnam as the sole legitimate government of South Vietnam. We shall continue to aid South Vietnam within the terms of the agreement, and we shall support efforts by the people of South Vietnam to settle their problems peacefully among themselves.” And, after noting that the peace must last, the draft continued: “This will mean that the terms of the agreement must be scrupulously adhered to. We shall do everything the agreement requires of us, and we shall expect the other parties to do everything it requires of them.” (Ibid.) These words were reproduced exactly in the President’s speech.
The following morning of January 23 in Saigon, Ambassador to Vietnam Ellsworth Bunker met with Thieu to convey in outline Nixon’s speech scheduled for delivery at 10 p.m. that evening in Washington. According to a backchannel message from Bunker to Kissinger: “Thieu was very pleased with the points which the President intends to cover, especially those reaffirming recognition of the GVN as the only legitimate government of South Viet-Nam; promise of assistance; the reference to the unity between our two countries; and warm words for the Government and people of South Viet-Nam.” (Tohak 24/350 from Saigon, January 23, 0613Z; ibid.)
President Nixon addressed the nation on television and radio at 10:01 p.m. on January 23. For text of his address, see Public Papers: Nixon, 1973, pages 18–20.