Antics of the Advance Men

By Henry Kissinger

Nixon's 1969 European journey was my first introduction to the antics of the advance men: they were clean-cut, efficient, and disciplined individuals whom H.R. Haldeman had proudly picked from advertising agencies and junior executive positions. Their sole responsibility was to make certain that everything ran smoothly for Nixon, who must never face the unexpected contingencies he hated so much. The advance team held itself responsible for ensuring that Nixon was seen by others only in the most favorable light.

This sometimes led to absurdities. On a state visit to Ottawa in 1972, an advance man decided that the tan furniture in Pierre Trudeau's office would not flatter Nixon on television and took it upon himself to redecorate the Prime Minister's private office with blue-covered sofas. He was stopped at the last minute by an incredulous associate of Trudeau almost incoherent with rage.

On the European trip, the advance men's first exposure to the world of diplomacy, they solved their problems by acting as if they were running a political stopover in Des Moines. They paid no attention whatsoever to our ambassadors, many of whom they distrusted as lame-duck Democratic holdovers, and only minimum heed to the sovereign governments that were our hosts. When White House Aide John Ehrlichman sought to prescribe a guest list for a dinner at 10 Downing Street, David Bruce, our Ambassador in London, who had seen too much in a distinguished diplomatic career to be intimidated by a new Administration, cabled: "Surely the absurdity of telling the British Prime Minister whom he can invite to his own home for dinner requires no explanation." Other advance men in Paris, surveying the residence of our Ambassador there in preparation for the President's dinner for De Gaulle, gave rise to further palpitations.

They noticed some photographs of John Kennedy. Special high-level dispensation was required before Ambassador Sargent Shriver--married to President Kennedy's sister Eunice--was permitted to keep the pictures of his brother-in-law on visible display.

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