Hale Boggs and Gerald Ford, "Private Report to President Nixon," July 20, 1972

Boggs and Ford made a formal report to Congress on August 3, 1972. Click here to see it. This report was given to President Nixon. It included the following:

"We realize we were shown only what they wanted us to see, and nearly all the places we visited had been meticulously prepared for our arrival (the environs were swept clean; the hosts carefully briefed on what to do and say; little children primed to undertake games and classroom activities as we arrived). But, of course, we do much the same for foreign officials visiting our country, so we are not critical in mentioning these preparations. Actually, they suggest the Chinese leadership goes to impress foreign visitors, including Americans, favorably. That may bode well for the effort you have so well begun to clear away unnecessary barriers to improved relations between our countries."

Click here to download the complete private report in pdf format.