The Reagan Diaries

by Ronald Reagan

  [Photo session; final briefing on tax plan, called it “truly tax reform”; addressed the Council of the Americas; met with Ed Zorinsky (D-NE), considered him a staunch ally.]

  Wednesday, May 22

  [Photo session with Scottish Rites group; flew to Annapolis to address graduation at naval academy.]

  Back to the W.H. for a late lunch then met with George S. re a meeting with Gorbachev. George will be seeing Gromyko before long—at Helsinki. I told him to suggest mid November here in Wash. & if they insist on a neutral locale—make it Geneva. We’re going to offer Wash. with a commitment that a subsequent meeting would be in Moscow.

  [Ambassadorial formalities; photo session; taped radio broadcast.]

  Bud MacFarlane is up on Hill negotiating with Sen. on a bill by Nunn who wants to cap MX at 40 missiles & only 12 this year. We want 21 & 50 (we’ll try for the 2nd 50 down the road). Bud thinks he has Nunn willing to go for 50 & possibly 18 this year. I okayed that.

  Thursday, May 23

  Always there is trouble—for hours yesterday Bud M. was on the hill trying to persuade Sam Nunn & a few of his fellow Demos.—namely Bob Byrd to change Sam’s bill to limit production to 12 instead of 21 MX missiles in the coming year. No go! Finally this morning I phoned Sam & offered a compromise—he didn’t say yes or no—only that he’d talk to Bob Byrd. As the day went on Bob dug in his heels. By this afternoon we got an agreement with Sam that flanked Bob in a way. Sam is usually with us on defense matters but on the MX his big gripe is the basing mode. He just doesn’t want to put them in existing silos. Even our best mil. experts have said that’s where they should go.

  [Telephone conversations with school children.]

  Dick Wirthlin’s poll figures were interesting & holding up well—except for the Nicaragua issue. We have to do a job of education with the people—they just don’t understand it. Lunch in the East Room to award a dozen Medals of Freedom—friends Jimmy Stewart & Frank Sinatra were among the recipients.

  [Meeting with Senator Russell Long (D-LA) on employee-stock ownership aspect of tax reform; greeted National Arthritis Foundation poster girl; award-winning high school basketball player; Multiple Sclerosis Mother and Father of the Year; photo for Italian press; met with retiring ambassador to Australia; interviewed by Molly Dickinson, writing book with James Brady (later published as Thumbs Up: The Life and Courageous Comeback of White House Press Secretary Jim Brady); met George Ward, president’s first agent in Hollywood.]

  Friday, May 24

  We had an N.S.C. meeting on the whole subject of Central Am. I’ve asked all the Cabinet members present—dept. heads, etc. to come back within the month with ideas on how we can more effectively help our Latin Am. friends upgrade their economies, create opportunities for entrepreneurship, etc. We are providing (our govt.) 61% of all the funding to Central Am. We need to find ways to get more in the line of ec. development for that money.

  Signed a bill today that rectified one of Congress’s major errors. We cancelled the requirement for detailed log keeping of use of Co. or business cars which were also privately used.

  Had a meeting with Dith Pran whose story was told in the movie “The Killing Fields” & Dr. Haing Ngor, who played the part in the picture getting an Oscar for it—& his wife. They plead for help in restoring their country’s freedom. I assured them we were & would do everything we could.

  George S. came in—we have a problem with an Ambas. we appointed at the request of one of our Congressional leaders. He has become a pain in the Anus & George wants to fire him.

  [Addressed convention of National Association of Manufacturers; videotapings. Saturday, May 25: watched celebrity tennis tournament at W.H. (Shultz was among the players) to raise money for anti-drug efforts.]

  Sunday, May 26

  A special dinner—the MacFarlane’s, Shultz’s & Regans with our special guests—Mr. & Mrs. Shevchenko—he is the defector who turned double agent & then came over to our side from the Soviets. It was an interesting evening & it goes without saying that our guest sang for his supper. He confirmed that the Soviet leaders do have an inferiority complex about their Super power standing—that they are a super power only in mil. power. That will be a factor in the arms control talks. He also affirmed that they do nurse a feeling that we may be a threat to them.

  [Monday, May 27: laid Memorial Day wreath at Arlington National Cemetery; flew to Orlando, Florida, for performance by marching bands; flew to Miami for party fund-raiser; returned to W.H. Tuesday, May 28: mentioned meeting various children in Orlando the previous day; received report of kidnapping in Beirut; cabinet meeting on tax reform; delivered televised speech on tax-reform proposal; noted that calls to W.H. afterward were favorable.]

  Wednesday, May 29

  Brian Crozier—England came by. I’ve corresponded with him & read his writings frequently but this was the 1st meeting. He made a suggestion—we should not allow the Soviets to have so many more agents in our country than we do in theirs. I know our estimate is around 4000 here.

  This was King Hussein (Jordan) day. He’s doing a great & courageous thing in his efforts to bring about peace in the Middle East. We are working with him & intend to carry on. We’ll face a battle in Congress but he needs “arms” & we should provide them. He’s threatened by Syria because of his efforts to bring about peace with Israel. Syria is fully armed by the Soviets. Our problem is the need for the P.L.O. to participate in peace talks but their reluctance to agree that Israel has a right to exist as a Nation. Meetings went well. Back at the office a brief meeting with the widow of our agent Camerena who was murdered in line of duty in Mexico. She’s a lovely little lady, without bitterness but certainly with grief. Her 3 sons weren’t with her. Geo. S. came by […]. We’ve agreed.

  [Addressed group of citizens on tax reform.]

  Cleaned up desk & went upstairs. Had to stay under cover. Nancy has the Queen for tea.

  [Thursday, May 30: flew to Williamsburg, Virginia, for speech on tax reform; flew to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for same purpose, noted it was the “home of Oshkosh B’Gosh overalls. I wore them as a kid”; flew back to Washington for dinner in honor of Clare Boothe Luce. Friday, May 31: met with Madame Prime Minister Milka Planinc of Yugoslavia; visit from Senator Howard Baker (R-TN), on his way to Japan; flew to Malvern, Pennsylvania, to deliver speech on tax reform; met with entrepreneurs; helicoptered directly to Camp David.]

  Saturday, June 1

  My radio broadcast was on the tax reform. Then in the afternoon—a beautiful day—we had a horseback ride followed by a swim. I phoned a Mrs. Gerney—woman who was trapped under an overturned derrick in N.Y. (her legs crushed) for 6 hours. She’s captured everyone’s hearts with her courage & faith & I told her that when I reached her in Belleview. This weekend has us under a possible problem. Kuwait, it is rumored, may execute several terrorists convicted of murders in the embassy bombings in Kuwait. There is a rumor that the terrorists would execute some of our Americans they have kidnapped in Lebanon. If all that happens I‘m in favor of an air strike against a target in Lebanon that we know is a terrorist base.

  [Sunday, June 2: relaxed by pool, swam; returned to W.H.; reception and dinner for Ford’s Theatre.]

  Monday, June 3

  An NSC meeting dealt with what to do about the Salt II un-ratified treaty which expires in Dec. So far the Soviets & us have operated on an agreement that even though the treaty had not been officially adopted we’d both conduct our arms policies within the treaties restraints. We’ve done so but they have cheated a number of times. Now we are coming to a time when we’ll have to dismantle Poseidon subs as we add Tridents to our Navy. Question—do we do that even though they are cheating or do we announce that we’ll no longer abide by the agreement? I’ve had 5 options presented to me & now it’s up to me & frankly I don’t have the answer yet. Dr. David Owens, former labor foreign minister in Eng.—now head of a new party that’s coming on like gang busters in old “blighty” was last on my schedule this aftern
oon. He put in a pitch for continuing to observe the restraint. He brought up the subject without knowing where we are or that we’ve been meeting on the subject. He voiced one of our concerns—what do our allies in NATO want us to do. Well the hot potato is mine to handle.

  [Issues-briefing lunch; interviewed by columnist James J. Kilpatrick.]

  A photo session for a new official photo—my very unfavorite thing to do.

  Tuesday, June 4

  [Meeting with GOP congressional leadership to report on tax reform, Nicaragua, and chemical weapons.]

  Sen. Jake Garn brought the Shuttle Crew he flew with by for a picture complete with wives & one husband. Cap came in re the resignation of Gen. Vessey as Chmn. of the Joint Chiefs. I’d named Admiral Watkins to replace him but Cap says he prefers to remain as Chief of Naval Operations. We have another Admiral I may name.

  [Attended Domestic Policy Council meeting, chaired by Attorney General Edwin Meese with reports on further management reforms.]

  Then I dropped by a meeting of several CEO’s of Corp. Am. who are here to plug our tax reform before Cong. An N.S.C. briefing on what to do about the Salt II treaty provisions we & the Soviets are pledged to observe but on which they are cheating. Come Sept. under our agreement we’d have to dismantle a Poseidon missile Submarine. I was presented 5 options with no consensus on any of them. Our allies want us to continue observing Salt II. Our friends here at home think we look silly doing that in the face of Soviet cheating. I have to have an answer before Monday.

  [Dinner party at the home of columnist George Will. Wednesday, June 5: flew to Oklahoma City to speak on tax reform and attended party fund-raiser; flew to Atlanta, with speech on taxes and fund-raiser.]

  Thursday, June 6

  [Visited high school that turned itself around in ten years, called it “an exhilarating experience.”]

  Then off to Alabama to do a fundraiser for Sen. Denton. This too set a new record in $ raised in the state. This was a lunch for about 4000. Jerry returned to Wash. with us so he could be on hand to vote on the aid to Contras bill. On the ride back I made my decision on the Salt II matter. We will continue to practice restraint on the building of Nuclear weapons. That restraint will keep us generally within the frame work of the Salt II but only commensurate with the Soviets observance of the Salt II restraints & for only as long as the Soviets abide by Salt II restraints.

  Friday, June 7

  More talk about Salt II & legislative strategy re the situation in Nicaragua. We carried the Sen. on a bill to provide $38 mil. in help to the Contras—non lethal. We headed off attempted amendments from our friends among others which would have endangered passage.

  Called Don Devine who withdrew his name from the Sen. confirmation process. This was another lynching. He did just what I wanted him to do in his appointed position & he’ll be greatly missed. He saved the govt. $6 Bil.—something his Senate critics have never done.*

  [Had lunch with Vice President Bush; appeared before group of editors; left for Camp David. Saturday, June 8–Sunday, June 9: relaxed by pool; received NSC intelligence reports on upcoming visit by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of India and position of allies on SALT II; returned to W.H. and watched a classified film on Prime Minister Gandhi, commented, “These films are good preparation for his visit. They give you a sense of having met him before.”]

  Monday, June 10

  Pres. Barletta of Panama in for a short visit. He needs Ec. help & I don’t know how much leeway we have. He’s supportive of our position on Nicaragua & believes we can’t use a carrot unless we have a stick to back it up. Today was the day we told Congress & the world what we intended doing about Salt II. Apparently my decision was right—at least I’m being called a Statesman by both the left & right.

  This morning an unusual & exhilarating experience. I shook hands with & addressed some 250 local & state office holders who in recent months have switched from the Dem. Party to Repub. Bulk are from the South. Geo. Shultz came in—just back from the NATO Ministers meeting. It went well. George saw Helene V.D. in London & told her our feeling that having married a native Austrian she should resign as our Ambas. It hit her pretty hard as I was sure it would but she took it well. She’s been a darn good Ambas. & is very well thought of by the Austrians. I don’t think this will take effect until the end of the year.

  [Greeted NBA champion L.A. Lakers; interviewed by Reader’s Digest.]

  Tuesday, June 11

  Had a group of Dem. & Repub. Congressmen in the Roosevelt Room for a session on why they should support the bi-partisan bill before the House to give aid to the Nicaraguan freedom fighters. I think we did some good.

  Lunch was with 5 top space scientists. It was fascinating. Space truly is the last frontier & some of the developments there in astronomy etc. are like science fiction except they are real. I learned that our shuttle capacity is such we could orbit 300 people.

  Later in my office one of the guests Dr. Edward Teller reported on where we are on our Defense research for a way to halt nuclear missiles. The bad news is that our Congressional advocates of lower defense spending are cutting our research funds at a critical moment that will be very hurtful to the program.

  We have house guests, Nancy’s brother & wife, Betsy Bloomingdale & Maureen—a very pleasant dinner. They are all here for tomorrow nights State Dinner—P.M. Gandhi of India.

  Wednesday, June 12

  Today was supposed to be a rainy one & I’ve been praying since last night. So this morning at 10 A.M. the outdoor mil. ceremony & welcome to the P.M. of India took place in the sunshine on the S. Lawn. Less than an hour after the ceremony, it rained.

  In our meetings, I think we got along fine & that was his purpose in being here. He made it plain to me that while India wants to maintain the friendly relations over the years with the Soviet U., at the same time however he says India does not want the Soviet U. to have a foothold anywhere in S. Asia.

  Later this afternoon I met with the Sen. Steering Committee. This is a solid group of conservative Sens. who generally support the Admin. We talked strategy of getting things like budget cuts, the tax reform etc. through the Cong. After this meeting I had an emergency meeting—NSC & Don Regan. We can’t get the arms package for King Hussein (Jordan) thru Congress. The Am. Jewish lobby which consistently opposes arms to Arab states. In this case though Hussein is our greatest hope for an Arab-Israeli peace. I have to ask Hussein to let me delay our approach to Cong. about the arms. I can however on my own slip him about 60 Stinger missiles. Good news—Congress passed our aid to Contras bill.

  [State dinner for Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Thursday, June 13: flew to New Jersey for speech on tax reform; returned to W.H.; photo session; interviewed by James Buckley for Radio Free Europe; ceremony honoring General James Doolittle; videotapings. Friday, June 14: awakened with news of plane hijacked in Middle East, mostly Americans onboard; gave awards to corporations for volunteerism; received positive poll report; went to Fort McHenry with Mrs. Reagan for Flag Day observance, noted, “At last minute my actor’s instinct told me to skip the part of an otherwise patriotic speech that dealt with tax reform. I was right”; went to Camp David and continued to receive reports through the night on the hijacking. Saturday, June 15: following hijacking situation closely. Sunday, June 16: decided to cancel scheduled appearance and returned to W.H.]

  Monday, June 17

  Day started with what’s getting to be my regular early call from Bud. Nobbi Barri has taken up the hostages from the hi-jackers & has them someplace in W. Beirut. His price is release of the 760 Shiites held by Israel. Israel is probably saying they will—but the U.S. at the highest level of govt. must ask them to do it. This of course means that we,—not they, would be violating our policy of not negotiating with terrorists. To do so of course—negotiate with terrorists—is to encourage more terrorism. I suggested that if Israel said to Barri—we were going to release these detainees anyway, we’ll expedite it if you let the Americans go—no
one would be giving in to terrorists. After all Barri took the hostages away from the hijackers.

  I just told Bud “why don’t we ask Israel by saying you kidnapped & are holding 760 hostages—we ask you to release them in order to free Barri’s hostages.” That way we wouldn’t be dealing with terrorists—just asking that hostages be freed by both sides.

  [Meeting with Economic Policy Council on our trade disputes with the European Commission; met with bipartisan congressional group on need to upgrade chemical warfare stock with binary weapons; announced appointment of David Packard to chair commission to study Department of Defense, commented, “It’s the only way I can see to let the people really know how much we’ve improved things.”]

  Then a little practice for tomorrow night’s press conference. I’m lonesome—Nancy is in N.Y. for tonite & tomorrow nite.

  Tuesday, June 18

  Well there were good reasons when we talked it over why some of my ideas about Berri & the Israelis wouldn’t work. Today, however, Berri did release 3 of the hostages. One was a Greek citizen with an American girlfriend & the 3rd an 18 yr. old American.

  [Meetings with CEO of Dart Kraft; with leader of inner-city organization and with family group, all pledged support for tax reform.]

  Then it was time to get ready for our sessions with Pres. Borguiba of Tunisia. They were good sessions & he is really a friend of America. Tunisia is the only Moslem or Arab country that practices Monogamy & gives women equal rights. The Pres. is also a declared enemy of Quadaffi. He is 85 yrs. old, in bad health […].

  [Staged press conference, considered it a success. Wednesday, June 19: received view of pilot on hijacked plane; photo session with Donald Peterson, head of Ford; flew to Indiana for appearances on tax reform; returned to W.H.; saw NASA film on space shuttle.]

  Thursday, June 20

  Awakened by a 6 A.M. phone call. In San Salvador guerillas opened fire on an outdoor cafe killing 15 & wounding 13. Of the 15, 2 were Am. business men & 4 off duty Marines from our embassy guard. They were in civilian clothes & unarmed. We called a Security Planning Session to take up this & our hostages in Beirut. We finally settled on availing ourselves of the generous proposal by Algeria to ask that the hostages be turned over to them—a face saver for Nabbih Berri. Algeria wants us to find out what Israel would do with the 766 Shiites if there were no hostages left in Lebanon. We would then give the answer to that question to the Algerians who would use it in dealing with Nabbih. In the meantime the Israelis are not being helpful. They have gone public with the statement that they would release their prisoners if we asked them to. Well we can’t do that because then we would be rewarding the terrorists & encouraging more terrorism.