Govt hunts missing Nixon state gifts

Press, 24 August 1977, Page 8

Govt hunts missing Nixon state gifts

NZPA-Reuter Washington The American chief of protocol will go to court today to ask for permission to search 200 packing cases containing material from the Nixon Presidency in the hope of finding a number of missing gifts from foreign leaders, the State Department has said. A department spokesman said there were unresolved questions concerning the whereabouts of gifts from foreign Governments to former President Nixon and members of his family. The chief of protocol (Mr Evan Dobell) has asked Mr Joel Solomon, head of the Government’s General Services Administration, to make an inventory of the gifts to the Nixons in its possession, the spokesman said. Under the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of 1966, gifts worth more than $5O belong to the Government and must be turned over to the chief of protocol. At least a dozen of the missing gifts were presents from Iran, according to the "Wyhington Post” news-.

i paper. It said that the Iranian Ambassador (Mr Ardef shir Zahedi), according to incomplete records now in the i possession of the State De- > partment, always remem- ; bered the Nixons at Christ- : mas and the New Year, on f their birthdays and anniveri saries, and with get-well - gifts. Among the missing gifts i presented to the Nixons dur--1 ing their six years in the • White House was one i presented to Mr Nixon’s - wife, Patricia, by the Shah 1 of Iran on his State visit to Washington in 1972, the • “Washington Post” said. r The gift was described by • the White House gift unit as • “a very fine hand-painted i miniature of the President ! done on ivory ... 18 carat ; gold oval frame on easel i back surrounded with golden leaves and branches, many ; ‘blossoms’ of single and| f clustered turquoise and sapi phire stones.” The State Department lists 1 “a magnificent clock,” a . “beautiful inscribed tray,”! • “golden tapestry-like material,” “an ornate gold box.”: > “A gold Swiss vest watch,” [ > and two matching “his-and-j

I hers” watches set into gold • coins among the missing ■ gifts, the newspapers said. Among the countries that • gave the Nixon’s gifts now [said to be missing were Ghana, India, Indonesia, I Iran, Ireland, Italy, Nicairagua, the Soviet Union, Tai[wan, and West Germany.