MEMORANDUM

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

(Outside System)

ACTION

March 1, 1972

MEMORANDUM FOR MR. KISSINGER

FROM: Helmut Sonnenfeldt

SUBJECT: Canadian Ambassador Wishes to Give You Dinner Before President's Trip to Ottawa

Cadieux called to say that he is giving a dinner for Rogers on March 10 and would like to give one for you -- both preliminaries to the President's trip to Canada (for which, incidentally, we still do not have a firm date).

I think you should agree to this. Cadieux himself has done yeoman work to keep US-Canadian relations from blowing up under the hammerblows of the economic problems. While he has frequently mentioned his wish to see you he has never been importunate. I think we should do what we can to smooth the way for the President's trip -- I still cannot see what earthly purposes can be served by letting economic differences drive us into acrimony with the Candaians. They do have means at their disposal for hurting us and, with the election impending, politicians cannot be forever relied upon to resist the pressures to twist the elephant's trunk. We have no interest in deliberately working for Trudeau's fall (if he loses Ontario, where the Liberals are already in the minority in the provincial government) he has had it. The Conservatives are no bargain for us.

In short, I think you should take the opportunity offered for a gesture of conciliation and friendship.

Cadieux proposes the following dates for your consideration: March 27, 28 and 29; April 3, 4, 5 and 6.

RECOMMENDATION

That you agree to accept Cadieux's invitation.

Approve

Disapprove

That you indicate an acceptable date from among those listed above.

Date

April 3

HOWARD H. CALLAWAY

PINE MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA 31822

January 18, 1971

Dr. Henry Kissinger
The White House
Washington, D. C.

Dear Dr. Kissinger:

I was privileged to attend the National Leadership Conference of Americans for Winning the Peace at The White House last Monday and I want to commend you for an excellent job. The entire program was excellent, but I especially enjoyed the briefing that you gave and the question and answer period that followed.

As you can well imagine, Mr. Dolf Droge made an extremely enthusiastic and impressive presentation. I hope that he will be made as available as possible to talk to groups throughout the country, and especially to student and youth groups.

If there is any way that I can be of assistance to you in your important job, please call on me.

HHC:w

To horse enthusiasts, Belle Meade means the home of Iroquois, until 1954 the only American-bred winner of the English Derby (of 1881), of Luke Blackburn, the Man O'War and Citation of the 80's and 90's, of Bonnie Scotland and his son, Bramble, founders of a great American family of Thoroughbreds. A splendid collection of oil-paintings of these and other equine greats, adorn the walls of the library. Through the years, the most enthusiastic of America's turf-men came to the annual auction of yearling colts in hopes of bidding in a well-blooded, record breaking money-maker to carry their colors.

Luke Blackburn winning, as usual.

The "Belle Meade Stud" is generally considered to have been started by W. G. Harding in 1835. When the last dispersal sale in 1904 completed a 69 year history, the place had earned the designation of the then "oldest and greatest" American Thoroughbred nursery.

The above picture, from an old sporting magazine, shows Iroquois being paraded before the stands at Epsom Downs after his victory in the English Derby.

Iroquois was bred in Pennsylvania and raced in the colors of Pierre Lorillard, the tobacco king. But he was a noted stallion at Belle Meade for 13 of his 21 years. In 1892 he was leading sire of winners in the nation. The annual Iroquois Steeplechase is named for him.

On Belle Meade's mansion grounds are still to be seen the other appurtenances of an early southern plantation, including the tall smokehouse, the garden house, the dairy house (all of brick and stone), the carriage house, the stable, and the 1793 double log cabin. About the spacious lawns, enclosed by century-old rock walls, 125 species of trees may be found, thus comprising an arboretum to further interest visitors.

The colossal carriage house and stable, where were kept the well-groomed carriage and riding horses that afforded fast-stepping transportation of a by-gone era, is at the rear of the mansion. Within the carriage house, is a fine collection of the vehicles in which our ancestors rode in pride and comfort, before the advent of the automobile.

Beyond the mansion grounds, there was a grist and saw mill, blacksmith shop, and a vast assemblage of barns, stables for the racing stock and a show area for the annual auction sale of blooded colts.

1- The Mansion.

2- The Carriage House and Stable, described above.

3- Smokehouse; here tons of meat were cured and kept.

4- Gardener's House, including tool room and greenhouse.

5- Mausoleum; where the family was formerly interred.

6- Dairy House; in this Tudor-Gothic stone structure milk and butter were prepared for sale in Nashville.

7- Log Cabin; purchased from the Dunham family, originally (1780) settlers in the county. John Harding furnished forage and farrier for travellers on the Natchez Trace; here his son William, builder of the mansion, was born in the year 1808.

- AN INVITATION -

Spend a pleasant hour in the Belle Meade grounds and let your mind and fancy travel back over these nearly 200 years, to the life and customs of those who here helped to create and develop the historic Cumberland Settlements of Middle Tennessee.

BELLE MEADE
MANSION

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

"... Three examples, Belle Meade, Belmont, and Rattle and Snap, are certainly as fine as anything of the period that can be found in the United States, and belong among the few truly great houses ..."

—From the Preface to Grandeur in Tennessee, 1946

GIFFORD A. COCHRAN.

Harding Road U.S. Highway 70

Tennessee Highway 100

7 miles south of downtown Nashville

VISITING HOURS

9 to 5 week days, 1:30 to 5 Sundays
Closed Christmas week, Dec. 21-29

ADMISSION—Adults, $1.00; Children six through fifteen (accompanied by an adult), 25¢.

A property of the
Association for the Preservation of Tennessee
Antiquities

BRIEF STORY OF BELLE MEADE

Romantic "Belle Meade", the mansion house of a once
4300 acre princely plantation, which became a world-famous
Thoroughbred nursery and stud, is one of the South's most
interesting showplaces. The name chosen by the founder,
means beautiful meadow.

On U.S. Highway 70 (Harding Road) and Tenn. Highway 100, about 7 miles southwest of downtown Nashville, the storied mansion and grounds were acquired in 1953 by the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities for restoration, administration and for the reception of visitors. It is neither a museum or a "Museum House"; its furnishings exemplify those of a family of resourceful, industrious and prosperous Southern plantation owners of a bygone century.

On the 24 acre remnant of the fabulous domain developed
by early settler John Harding (1777-1865) beginning in 1807,
is poignantly illustrated a pattern of life uniquely American.
First came the log cabin (still standing) of the hard-working,
frugal pioneer. Then followed the great house, symbol of
honestly earned prosperity, taste and gracious living; at first
on a simple scale, later quite lavish. Representing the third
and declining phase is the elaborate carriage-house-stable,
a sign of expansiveness in the early 90s that was the prelude
to the end.

The old log cabin, birthplace in 1808 of General William Giles Harding a year after his father John Harding had bought the first 250 acres of Belle Meade, is of keen interest to historians and is one of the oldest houses in Tennessee. Its site was chosen in 1780, by Daniel Dunham who came that year with the first group of pioneers who settled Nashville. Here he was given a settler's claim to 640 acres of land and here he built for himself and his family a log cabin, known as Dunham's Fort or Station. He and other members of his family were killed in its defense during the frequent raids of hostile Indians. The original cabin was burned in 1792 during an Indian attack but was rebuilt (as it now

stands) about 1793 and served as a way-station on the
famous Natchez Trace road, which passed by its door. The
cabin and tract, sold by Daniel A. Dunham to John Harding
in 1807, was part of the land the son inherited from his
pioneer father.

Harding, on acquiring the land, soon built a substantial
brick house on the site of the present mansion but this
burned in 1852. His son, Gen. Wm. Giles Harding who was
then operating Belle Meade, at once rebuilt the mansion as

it now stands. The plans, representative of the Greek Revival
style, are attributed to the renowned American architect
William Strickland, designer of the State Capitol, the Down-
town Presbyterian Church and other notable buildings in
Nashville and over the nation.

The noble proportions of the portico, the perfect balance
of portico and house, the plaster cornices, and the stairway
are features particularly admired by devotees of classic ar-
chitecture.

During the War between the States, Belle Meade was for
two weeks before the Battle of Nashville, December, 1864,
the headquarters of Confederate General James R.

Chalmers, Division Commander under General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Nicks in the portico columns bear witness to the fighting on the front lawn preceding Chambers' retreat.

Good management made the farm lands highly productive
and in addition to horses, the plantation raised and sold
breeding stock of ponies, Aldernay cattle, Cotswold sheep,
and Cashmere goats. Horse feed was raised and sold to
Nashville and a dairy was operated during the later years.

Belle Meade, with deer park, etc., was the show place of
Middle Tennessee for about 50 years preceding its dismem-
berment following 1904. Its owners, John Harding, his son
William Giles Harding and the latter's son-in-law Gen. William
H. Jackson, were all leaders in the life of their section,
particularly in civic and agricultural affairs. Upon the death
of Gen. Jackson in 1903, the great plantation was divided,
sold and ceased its operations.

A famed seat of Southern hospitality, there is much of
interest all through the old home. The view below is within
the double parlor, showing the two fireplaces equipped with
mantels of classic 18th century Adam design. Above each
mantel are family portraits; at left, that of John Harding the
pioneer Virginia founder and at right, his great-grand-
daughter Selene Jackson. An enormous French mirror hangs

between and in front of it is a square piano of the Victorian
period, to the music, of which, with fiddle and drum, the
young people danced and romanced during the "gay nine-
tys."

The furnishings of the mansion have been gathered and
given to it by Tennessee devotees of historic preservation
and consist of many interesting antiques from early southern
homes. Many are the original Harding and Jackson pieces,
including the family portraits. Slight changes may be made
each year as originals or more desirable furnishings are given
or are made available for purchase. This affords benefactors
an opportunity and a haven in which to place their heirloom
pieces if found to be appropriate by the Board of Governors.

Belle Meade is a property of the Association for the Pres-
servation of Tennessee Antiquities, a non-profit organization
created in 1953, pioneering in a state-wide movement to
acquire, restore and preserve sites of historic interest not
previously in custody. The A.P.T.A. is composed of 4000
members, 17 chapters, and 10 sites are now being shown
to the public.

General Wm J. Harding
1808 - 1886