Office of the Historian

43. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for International Economic Affairs (Flanigan) to President Nixon1

Washington, February 19, 1970.

The Presidential statement at Tab A2 was drafted by Peter Flanigan and reviewed and approved by Dr. Kissinger, Mr. Harlow and Mr. Keogh.

Briefly, the statement:

  • —compliments the Task Force for the depth and breadth of their work and the oil industry for its cooperation.
  • —notes the divergence of views among the Task Force regarding several recommendations.
  • —directs the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness to chair an interdepartmental Oil Policy Committee to provide direction, coordination and surveillance for the oil import program.
  • —directs the Department of State to initiate negotiations with Canada and Mexico for free energy exchange arrangements.
  • —directs the Secretaries of State and Defense to review the findings and recommendations of the report with numerous governments.
  • —directs the Oil Policy Committee to carefully review the information from upcoming Congressional hearings,3 and to consider immediately both interim and long-term adjustments to the oil import program.

Recommendation

That you approve the Presidential statement (Tab A) to accompany the Cabinet Task Force Report on the Oil Import Program.4

Peter M. Flanigan
5
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, Subject Files, Confidential Files, Box 25, [CF] FG 221–22 Oil Import Controls. Sent for action. A handwritten notation at the bottom of the page reads: “Mr. President: Request your approval of this proposed Presidential statement tonight—so that it can be run off and distributed to the Congress by 11 a.m. tomorrow. A.”↩
  2. Attached but not printed. The final statement, which the President made when the Task Force Report was released to the public, February 20, is printed in Public Papers: Nixon, 1970, pp. 193–195.↩
  3. Flanigan replaced the word “studies” with “information.”↩
  4. Nixon initialed the approve option.↩
  5. Flanigan crossed out Ehrlichman’s typed name and signed the memorandum.↩