248. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of Commerce Stans and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Henry Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts, Box 10, Chronological File. No classification marking.

249. Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 507–4. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portions of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon met Kissinger in the Oval Office from 9:08 to 10:32 a.m. (Ibid. White House Central Files)

250. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt and William Hyland of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 715, Country Files, Europe, USSR, Vol. XIV. Secret. Sent for information. Haig initialed the memorandum. Kissinger returned the memorandum to Sonnenfeldt on June 8 with a handwritten note in the margin: “Turn into memo for Pres. 1st class.” In a memorandum to Kissinger the next day, Hyland reported that he had done a brief covering memorandum from Kissinger to the President, recommending that Nixon read the first and last sections. Kissinger responded: “Damn it. I don’t want to see another memo for Pres. with that ambiguous heading. Pres. knows damn well I don’t write these memos. Pres. doesn’t read tabs. Turn into one memo. Anyone not wanting to work this way should resign.” Kennedy returned the package to Hyland on June 15 with instructions for further revision. No memorandum to the President, however, has been found.

251. Memorandum From Winston Lord of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 66, Country Files, Europe, USSR, Dobrynin Backup (Talkers) [3 of 3]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Haig initialed the memorandum.

252. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 491, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 6 [part 2]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Kissinger forwarded this memorandum and another summarizing its “highlights” to Nixon on June 15. A note indicates that the President saw both memoranda. According to his Record of Schedule, Kissinger met Dobrynin at the White House; the two men then left at 6:20 p.m. for an “overnight” at Camp David. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76) For their memoir accounts, see Kissinger, White House Years, p. 834, and Dobrynin, In Confidence, pp. 221–223.

253. Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 255–30. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portions of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon met Kissinger in the Executive Office Building on June 9 from 9:24 to 10:29 a.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files)

254. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 491, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 6 [part 2]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only; [codeword not declassified]. Printed from an uninitialed copy. A map showing the movement of the Soviet submarine tender, May 20–25, is attached but not printed. Although no drafting information appears on the memorandum, Haig forwarded a draft at Kissinger’s request on June 9. (Ibid., Kissinger Office Files, Box 128, Country Files, Latin America, Chronology of Cuban Submarine Base Episode, 1970, 1971 [2 of 2])

255. Memorandum for the President’s File

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, Staff Member and Office Files, President’s Office Files, Box 85, President’s Meeting File, Beginning June 6, 1971. Secret. Sent for information. Drafted by Sonnenfeldt.

256. Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 518–3. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portion of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon—who had just returned from a weekend vacation at Key Biscayne—met Kissinger in the Oval Office from 10:32 to 11:11 a.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files)

257. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 491, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 6 [part 1]. Top Secret; Sensitive. Young submitted this memorandum and another summarizing it for the President to Kissinger on June 18. Kissinger then forwarded both to Nixon on June 21. Notations on the memoranda indicate that the President saw them. The meeting was held in the Map Room at the White House. According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting lasted from 5:11 to 5:47 p.m. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76)

258. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 715, Country Files, Europe, USSR, Vol. XIII. Secret. Sonnenfeldt and Johnston forwarded a draft of this memorandum, with Peterson’s concurrence, to Kissinger on June 11. (Ibid.) According to a notation and attached correspondence profile, the President saw the memorandum from Kissinger on June 22.

259. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 715, Country Files, Europe, USSR, Vol. XIII. Confidential. Sent for information. Sonnenfeldt forwarded a draft of this memorandum to Kissinger on June 10 with the comment: “Though our press has played it as an attack on us, there is also in the speech some optimism about improving relations.” Kissinger wrote in the margin: “Do wrap-up of all these speeches, comparisons & trends—soonest—At any rate by COB June 15.” (Ibid.) No other memorandum has been found. According to a notation and an attached correspondence profile, the President saw the memorandum on June 22.

260. Memorandum for the President’s Files

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 491, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 6 [part 1]. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting was held in the Oval Office. According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting lasted until 3 p.m. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76) A tape recording of the conversation is in the National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 521–5.

261. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 715, Country Files, Europe, USSR, Vol. XIII. Secret. Sent for information. Sonnenfeldt forwarded this memorandum with a memorandum to Kissinger on June 17. According to a notation and an attached correspondence profile, the President saw the memorandum from Kissinger on June 24.

262. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 715, Country Files, Europe, USSR, Vol. XIII. Confidential. Sent for information. Johnston forwarded this memorandum with a memorandum to Kissinger on June 15. The memorandum from Johnston, which Sonnenfeldt cleared, recommended against forwarding Burns’s letter to Nixon. A notation and attached correspondence profile indicate that the President saw the memorandum from Kissinger on June 24.

263. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 491, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 6 [part 1]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Young sent a draft of this memorandum and another summarizing its “highlights” for the President to Haig on June 24. According to an attached note, the memoranda were held for Kissinger until his return from a meeting with Le Duc Tho in Paris on June 26. Kissinger then decided to file both rather than forward them to the President. The meeting was held in the Map Room at the White House. According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting lasted until 6:04 p.m. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76)

264. Conversation Among President Nixon, the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), and the White House Chief of Staff (Haldeman)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 527–4. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portion of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon, who had just returned from a weekend vacation at Key Biscayne, Florida, met Kissinger in the Oval Office from 1:55 to 2:43 p.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files)

265. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 491, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 6 [part 1]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Young forwarded a draft of this memorandum and another summarizing it for the President to Kissinger and Haig. On the issue of whether to forward the memoranda to Nixon, Kissinger wrote: “Just file.” According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting, which was held in General Hughes’s office, lasted from 2:34 to 3:29 p.m. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76)

266. Editorial Note

267. Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 531–27. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portions of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon met Kissinger in the Oval Office from 4:21 to 4:31 p.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files)

268. Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 531–31. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portion of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon met Kissinger and Haig in the Oval Office at 6:29 p.m. Haig left at 6:54, and Nixon and Kissinger continued to talk until 7; the transcript printed here covers this conversation. (Ibid., White House Central Files)

269. Memorandum From Ernest Johnston of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 491, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 6 [part 1]. Secret. Sent for information. A copy was sent to Sonnenfeldt. Haig forwarded the memorandum to Kissinger with the comment: “I am afraid something has slipped the cog here because I don’t see anything for your use tonight except the more general considerations outlined in the strategy paper at Tab B.”

270. Conversation Among President Nixon, the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 534–3. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portions of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon met Kissinger and Haig in the Oval Office on July 1 from 9:54 to 10:26 a.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files) Haig drafted a memorandum of the conversation; printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XVII, China, 1969–1972, Document 137. For his memoir account, see Kissinger, White House Years, pp. 734–736.

271. Information Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Hillenbrand) to Acting Secretary of State Irwin

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 1 USSR. Confidential. Drafted by Perry on July 1. Irwin initialed the memorandum and its attachments, indicating that he saw them.

272. Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 536–14. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portions of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon met Haig in the Oval Office on July 3 from 10:01 to 10:15 a.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files)

273. Note From the Soviet Leadership to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 492, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 7 [part 2]. No classification marking. Dobrynin forwarded the Soviet note to Kissinger on July 5 with the following handwritten message: “I am sending herewith a communication from Moscow which I am instructed to forward to you and through you to President Nixon in connection with the conversations we had on this subject.” Kissinger later recalled that Vorontsov gave Haig the Soviet note on July 5. (Kissinger, White House Years, p. 835) Dobrynin claimed, however, that he delivered the note to Haig himself. (Dobrynin, In Confidence, p. 225) According to Haig (see Document 275), Vorontsov (“our friend”) delivered the note to the White House at 5:15 p.m.

274. Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 6–153. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portion of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon called Haig at 9:08 p.m.; the two men talked until 9:13. (Ibid., White House Central Files)

275. Message From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1031, For the President’s Files—China/Vietnam Negotiations, Exchanges leading up to HAK trip to China, December 1969–July 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Haig used the following pseudonyms in the message: the “friend” is Vorontsov; the “messenger” is Dobrynin. Kissinger later recalled that he was in Bangkok when Haig telephoned Lord at 3 a.m. to deliver the news, “speaking in double-talk (which an illiterate child could have deciphered).” (Kissinger, White House Years, p. 835) Kissinger’s recollection, however, is evidently in error on the issue of when Haig called Lord. Although no record of the conversation has been found, Haig could not have called Lord before delivery of the Soviet note in Washington at 5:15 p.m., or 5:15 a.m. (July 6), Bangkok time. Haig, on the other hand, may have called Lord before drafting this message to Kissinger, which was sent on July 6 at 3:33 a.m. GMT, or 9:33 a.m., Bangkok time.

276. Editorial Note

277. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1031, For the President’s Files—China/Vietnam Negotiations, Exchanges leading up to HAK trip to China, December 1969–July 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only.