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© Copyright 1981. Merrill Lynch. Pierce, Fenner & Smith. Inc Member SIPC The Cash Management Account program is proprietary to Merrill Lynch, U S Patents Pending COVER: In this issue we present three views of the sometimes adversarial relationship between the State Department spokesman and journalists. Senior department wire correspondent Jim Anderson criticizes what he calls current administration unwillingness to make information available to the press. On the other side of the podium, former spokesman John H. Trattner discusses the evolution of the spokesman's role and the uses of background. And another former spokesman. Hodding Carter III, calls on both government and journalism to inform the public better. Illustration by Henry Payne IV.
Officers and Members of the Congress Swings 19 Governing Board CHARLES S. WHITEHOUSE, President As the administration takes a harder line on Central Amer¬ ANTHEA DE ROUVILLF., Vice President ica, Congress, like a reverse pendulum, now attacks from the WILLIAM SCHOUX, Second Vice left. By I.M. Destler and Patricia Cohen. President JOSEPH MCBRIDE, Secretary MICHAEL SPEERS, Treasurer Administration of Silence 22 WILLIAM MCKINNEY, RALPH BARNETT, UPI reporter Jim Anderson claims that the current State AID Representatives Department press operation is a failure. Electronic journalism JAROSLAV VERNER, ICA Representative is partly at fault, but the principal blame, he says, must be THOMAS MILLER, ADRIAN BASORA, DONALD K. HOLM, attached to the department itself. IRVING WILLIAMSON, State Representatives Decompressing Information 26 SPENCER KING, THOMAS CORCORAN, Retired Representatives Former State Department spokesman Hodding Carter III urges Staff ROBERT M. BEERS, Exec. Director both the press and government to respond more fully to the SUSAN HOLIK, General Counsel public’s need for information. SABINE SISK, Members' Interest! Grievance Representative PAT GUILD, Executive Secretary Some Notes on Background 28 CECIL B. SANNER, Membership and Circulation John H. Trattner, another former spokesman, examines the Scholarship Programs role of the spokesman—its evolution and its burdens—and DAWN CUTHELL comments on the uses of background. Foreign Service Jou rnal AIDing and Abetting 34 Editorial Board JOHN D. STEMPEL, Chairman Big Mike’ was an AID director whose projects were exceeded DAVID WILSON, Vice Chairman in scope only by their outrageousness. By Peter C. Walker. FRANCIS X. CUNNINGHAM MELINDA L. KIMBLE JAMES ROUSH Editorial 18 Association News 20A TAIRA ST. JOHN JAROSLAV VERNER The Foreign Service Journal is the magazine of profes¬ Association is open to the professionals in foreign sionals in foreign affairs, published 11 times a year affairs overseas or in Washington, as well as to Staff by the American Foreign Service Association, a persons having an active interest in, or close associ¬ STEPHEN R. DUJACK, Editor non-profit organization. Material appearing herein ation with, foreign affairs. Membership dues are: FRANCES G. BURWELL, Associate represents the opinions of the writers and does not Active Members—Dues range from $52 to S 104 Editor necessarily represent the official views of the De¬ annually. Retired Active Members—Dues are $40 partment of State, the International Communica¬ annually for members with incomes over $20,000; tion Agency, the Agency for International Devel¬ $25 annually for less than $20,000. Associate Advertising Representatives opment, the United States Government as a whole, Members—Dues are $25 annually. All dues pay¬ JAMES C. SASMOR ASSOCIATES, or AFSA. While the Editorial Board is responsible ments include $7.50 allocation for the Journal and for general content, statements concerning the Association News, per AFSA Bylaws. 521 Fifth Ave., Suite 1700, policy and administration of AFSA as employee Subscription to the Journal: one year (11 issues), New York, N.Y. 10017. representative under the Foreign Service Act of $10.00; two years, $18.00. For subscriptions go¬ (212) 683-3421 1980 on the editorial page and in the Association ing abroad, except Canada, add $1.00 annually. ALBERT D. SHONK CO., News, and all communications relating to these, Second-class postage paid at Washington, D.C. are the responsibility of the AFSA Governing and at additional post office. 3156 Wilshire Blvd. Board. Los Angeles, CA 90010 Microfilm copies of current as well as of back ©American Foreign Service Association, 1982. (213) 388-2981 issues of the Foreign Service Journal are available 2101 E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. JOSHUA B. POWERS, LTD., through the University Microfilm Library Services, 20037. Telephone (202) 338-4045. Offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106, under a contract State Dept.: 632-8160/2548 46 Keyes House, Dolphin Sq., signed October 30, 1967. July/August 1982. Volume 59, No. 7. ISSN London SW1. 01-834-8023/9. Membership in the American Foreign Service 0015-7279. International Representatives. ation affairs by senior officers on active to the requirements of modern diplomacy. duty, the existence of this reservoir is of In the crucial battles which must be waged inestimable value. No matter how bright, for a better understanding of diplomacy, conscientious, and well-informed on the the continuity, as well as the experience minutiae of labor-management problems and reputation, of retired officers can bring LETTERS an officer of Class 5 may be, he cannot to the Association benefits of inestimable possess the breadth of vision, depth of pro¬ value. What we profoundly need is a com¬ fessional understanding, and maturity of bination in the Association of seasoned judgment which this highest-ranking po¬ judgment with current information, ma¬ sition in the Association demands. Nor ture thinking with fresh thinking, disci¬ Invaluable Reservoir can a lower-level officer muster the influ¬ pline with imagination and innovation, ence with departmental officers, Congress¬ prudence and restraint with innovation. When a retired officer was elected to head men, the academic community, and the We have in our officers—active and re¬ the American Foreign Service Association general public which older officers of rec¬ tired—just such a combination available. a year ago, this was in every respect a ognized accomplishment possess. Just as Why not put it together? healthy development. It is to be deeply in diplomacy itself, it is not only impor¬ regretted that a recent last-hour "coup” by tant to know what is needed to make wise SMITH SIMPSON a group of active officers who set up any¬ decisions; it is also important to be per¬ Annandale, Virginia thing but a “Unity” slate denied him re¬ ceived to know. And it does not hurt to be nomination and put forward no other re¬ perceived, because of long experience and The Unity Slate responds: tired officer for the position. Every retired accomplishment, to know more than one The Editorial Board of the Foreign Service officer with whom I have spoken feels this does. This is one of the intangibles of in¬ Journal has offered us, the organizers of the way. fluence and leadership which the Associ¬ Unity Slate, the opportunity to respond to Retired officers constitute an invaluable ation has lacked not only in its new role as Mr. Simpson’s letter. reservoir of experience. It is composed of a bargaining agent with the department We wish to point out that we agree well-seasoned men and women, profes¬ but in its Congressional and other public enthusiastically with Mr. Simpson that re¬ sional in interest and commitment, of affairs relationships as well. tired officers bring valuable experience and long-term vision uncomplicated by per¬ It would be well to keep in mind that a wisdom to AFSA. It is precisely for this sonal ambition and with the leisure to con¬ retired officer is not subject to the debili¬ reason that we—the organizers of the Uni¬ tribute immeasurably to the improvement tating system of rotation which enfeebles ty Slate—sought out the best retired of our foreign affairs performance. Since the Association. That traditional instru¬ members we could find to join the Unity there is a ban upon participation in Associ¬ ment of planned amnesia is not well suited Slate as candidates for retired constituency representatives. It is why we asked Ambas¬ sador Charles Whitehouse to run on the Unity Slate as retired constituency candi¬ date once he decided not to run for AFSA gClemg-nt/ 6 Company president. It is also why we asked Ambas¬ sador Spencer King and—more recently— SUITS 900, COMMSRCS BUILDING 1700 K STR€€T, N.UJ.. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006 Ambassador Douglas Heck to join the M. Juanita Guess Unity Slate as candidates for the other re¬ President tired constituency slots. T€L€PHON€: (202) 872-0060 CRBL6: CLSMCO-UJfiSHINGTON T€l€X: #UJU1-64514 For various reasons the Unity Slate was Detailed Insurance brochure #12/981 available through our Washington office created in some haste but it is incorrect to or at many foreign posts. state that it participated in a “coup." With regard to the role in AFSA of re¬ tired officers as well as of active duty offi¬ | COUNTRIES come cers it is our view that the by-laws are and go. correct in providing for a blend of both on POLITICAL the AFSA Governing Board. The present PARTIES change. board and many members of the Unity Slate have been working together for sever¬ Congratulations PRESSURES of a al years on issues such as implementation shrinking world loom of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, the to the American Foreign Service- larger BUT—the dedication of the “senior glut,” preserving the integrity of Our lifeline of diplomacy AMERICAN FOREIGN the Foreign Service Retirement and Dis¬ SERVICE remains un¬ ability system, and the assignment of po¬ changed. We consider It litical ambassadors. for over 200 years. a privilege to work with you. We believe this mix of experience on the board strengthens the Association. Many issues are of more direct concern to active duty officers than they are to AFSA’s re¬ Clemente & Componij tired constituency, but it is the goal of our SUITE 900, COMMERCE BUILDING slate to use the expertise and ability of our 1 700 K STREET. N.UJ.. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006 entire slate to the best advantage. We wish to take this opportunity to
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Name
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DENNIS HAYES What do Unity Slate Candidate for AFSA President
ANDREW GOODMAN Unity Slate ike. JFK Campaign Manager
Lefever Replies & Nixon The article by Jefferson Morley in the March issue of the Foreign Service Journal on human rights seriously misrepresented the position of the Reagan administration and my position. have in The administration can speak for itself, but permit me to correct the record by providing the readers with a brief state¬ ment of my views on human rights and foreign policy as of June 1, 1981. {These common? were my views before June 1 and are still!] I request that you reprint it in full in the interests of fair and accurate reporting. They were moved by The United States as the leader of the free world should pursue a vigorous and humane foreign policy designed to maintain its own security and that of its allies and to help FIDELITY STORAGE create a world community that respects di¬ versity and is safe for peaceful development. Human rights are an inescapable concern in From presidents to outside of the Beltway, with all our foreign policy decisions because we plenipotentiaries, super-secure vault storage for Americans believe in freedom, justice, and Washingtonians choose Fidelity your silver and other valuables. dignity for all peoples. A civilized concept Storage, the company with We are the only State of our national interest must take fully into account strategic, political, and economic more than 75 years of Department contractor with factors. experience. Fidelity is one of both a quality control program Torture, exile under brutal conditions, the area’s largest moving and and fulltime inspector to harsh emigration restrictions, disappear¬ storage companies, with six ensure the highest standards. ances, and other abuses are reprehensible locations throughout the metro whether committed by friend, foe. or neutral. There must be only one moral yardstick. area—from the District to We have moved Patton, Human freedom and dignity today are Virginia to Maryland. MacArthur and Doolittle. most seriously violated by the Soviet Union. Fidelity’s warehouses are the From generals to general Moscow not only oppresses its own citizens largest and most advanced service officers, join a moving but also imposes its brutal system on other containerized facilities inside or crowd. peoples as in Eastern Europe; it exports that system by direct aggression as in Afghani¬ stan, by proxy Cuban forces as in Ethiopia and Angola, by subversion as in Central America, and by terrorism as in the Mideast. The U.S. government should use all ap¬ propriate means to defend and extend the frontiers of freedom everywhere. These in¬ clude private persuasion, public condemna¬ tion, and trade restrictions. In some cases we must provide economic or military aid to a besieged ally whose human rights record is Inbound or Outbound, Storage or Air Freight, call Fidelity Storage not blameless. At the same time we should encourage that ally to correct its abuses. To (703) 971-5300 • PO Box 10257, Alexandria, Va. 22310 withhold vital aid in the name of human rights and thereby help pave the way for a
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JULY/AUGUST 1982 5 far more repressive successor regime would to eliminate human rights from State De¬ Dr. Lefever’s fervent, if belated, asser¬ be a tragedy. partment consideration.” tions of his faith in human rights do noth¬ 1 based this statement in part on the ing to change the historical record nor to ERNEST W. LEFEVER State Department chapter of the Heritage contradict anything I wrote. President. Foundation's Mandate for Leadership, which I only misrepresented Dr. Lefever by Ethics & Public Policy Center Lefever helped prepare. This chapter says not making more explicit his habit of de¬ Washington, D.C. (on p. 549), “In the longer term essentially liberately obscuring his own anti-human three options exist to deal with the (Hu¬ rights policy proposals. Jefferson Morley replies: man Rights) Bureau. ” Of these, the first As Ernest Lefever never specifies where or choice is "elimination.” Off the Mark how I “seriously misrepresented” him, it is I also based it on Dr. Lefever's statement a bit difficult to respond to his complaint. ofjuly 12, 1979, calling for the removal of Not being a member of AFSA, I do not 1 think Dr. Lefever was bothered by my all laws “that establish a human rights often see the Foreign Service Journal. The statement that “in his statements and standard or condition that must be met interview with Ambassador Malcolm Toon background, Lefever summarized too well . . . before our government transacts nor¬ concerning career and non-career ambassa¬ the administration's long-term intention mal business. ...” dors in your April edition was brought to my attention by someone who knows of my own keen interest in the subject. I found it interesting and strongly sympa¬ thize with Ambassador Toon’s promoting the career service. In at least one respect, however, he was way off the mark. The European I can appreciate the temptation to take aim at big fat targets—the ghastly exam¬ ples of misfits with which we are all famil¬ Condominium iar. But Ambassador Toon did himself and the individual concerned a gross injustice in Washington, D.C. by taking a cheap shot at a certain former Choose a Washington residence with a continental flair. In Georgetown, long "Hollywood actor.” popular with the Foreign Service community. A small and elegant new condominium I have gotten to know this individual building with luxurious single level and spectacular 2-story designs with dramatic well. He came to his job superbly quali¬ staircases. Brick paved courtyards and terraces. Skylighted atriums. Fireplaces. Private fied, with a personal background in the sauna, exercise room and squash court in the building. Garage parking. $139,000 to $315,000. Phone (202) 965-6370. country to which he was to be assigned, in ■ 0% financing ■ equity participation ■ special low downpayment and low addition to first-hand familiarity with the payment rate financing ■ investor financing ■ call for details key issues and a bilingual command of the language. It was a pleasure to assist him to C prepare for his Senate confirmation hear¬ 1$4D£WORIH ing, at which he set a standard which ca¬ reer officers will find hard to match. (This <#OU£E is my observation. It has been echoed to 1045 31st Street. NorlNorthwest me by congressional staffers who were Washington. D.C. present.) In response to a question about his Hol¬ lywood experience, he commented (genial¬ ly) that being an actor had not disqualified the president from other pursuits; and be¬ sides, he had a dozen pictures which proved he was no actor. My friend's prior experience includes a stint as an officer in the U.S. Navy, head of a labor union, director of several businesses, and an aca¬ demic background in economics and for¬ eign affairs. Ochnam Since arriving at his post, he has estab¬ lished close professional and personal rela¬ Developed by Georgetown Jefferson tions with the chief of state, key members Associates of his cabinet, the probable next president A member of the Richmarr Group and his advisers, the ambassador in Wash¬ Sales: ington, and a stunning array of leaders Coldwell Banker from the local and American com¬ munities. fa*SSS.SSS 1 cannot honestly think of anyone, ca¬ reer or non-career, more highly qualified to represent the United States in the post he now occupies. I am sorry he has been
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JULY/AUGUST 1982 11 need for a world-wide political revolution to contain the universal and irreversible Protect your family’s financial security . . . scientific revolution. Brave words. No one Use Share Drafts and Direct Deposit who reads this book could any longer re¬ spond to the nuclear problem with a “shrug of indifference. ” But Schell takes us only to the threshold of a new world. He leaves to others the hard task of giving concrete meaning to the urgent impera¬ tives of the nuclear age. Lord Zuckerman, distinguished scienti¬ fic adviser to British governments, writes with clarity, succinctness, and common sense about nuclear weapons and nuclear war. He does not “obscure reality in a mi¬ asma of words, numbers, and acronyms.” For instance, on the purpose of nuclear weapons: “There is, in fact, no realistic and no theoretical justification for the be¬ lief that nuclear weapons could ever be used as a rational extension of conventional armaments.” Or on the neglected question of how much is enough: The British gov¬ ernment “has given the seal of approval to the concept of‘minimal deterrence’; that is to say the British view is that the size of its nuclear force is adequate to deter aggression." Scientist Zuckerman advances a far- reaching but probably impractical way to It’s a winning combination offered See us before your next overseas as¬ slow down the nuclear arms race. He be¬ by your credit union. Share Drafts signment ... or, if overseas now, lieves the momentum of the arms race is and “Direct Deposit” of payroll are cable us to open a Share Draft ac¬ fueled not on the field by the military, but services essential to the conven¬ count. Contact your finance office in the laboratories by the scientists and ience and security of traveling to start “Direct Deposit.” Then tell technologists. Governments should stop foreign service families. That’s why us how you want your funds dis¬ research and development of new nuclear we call them the “Diplomatic Duo. ” tributed — even to your family’s weapons. But would other governments Share Drafts are our dividend- accounts. You’ll be glad you did. . . and so will your family! agree? And could that be verified? earning transaction accounts, like Lord Zuckerman’s book, like Schell's, checking accounts. Drafts are ac¬ Sorry . . . AID employees who are not cur¬ will give strong support to those who be¬ cepted world-wide — wherever rently members are ineligible. you’re assigned. And. there are no lieve the United States should never initi¬ monthly fees or minimum balance STATE 2020 N. Fourteenth Street ate the use of nuclear weapons or start a S DEPARTMENT Caller #200 requirements. “Direct Deposit” of FEDERAL Arlington. Virginia 22210 nuclear war. CREDIT UNION 703/558-8000: 800 336-4704 your paycheck provides accuracy, —DAVID LINEBAUGH dependability, convenience and Your savings insured to $100,000 by immediate access to your funds NCUA, an agency of the U.S. govern¬ Eisenhower Revised every payday! ment THE DECLASSIFIED EISENHOWER, by Blanche Wiesen Cook. Doubleday and Company, 1981. S17.95. At its best, this book offers a tantalizing glimpse of what may be available when all the classified materials relating to the Ei¬ senhower presidency are opened to the public. Cook, a professor of history at the City University of New York, made sever¬ al visits to the new Eisenhower Library at Abilene, Kansas, and drew upon the de¬ classified papers to write a revisionist his¬ tory of the Eisenhower administration. Unfortunately, The Declassified Eisenhower suffers from two flaws. The first is that only a portion of the Eisenhower papers has been declassified, so that Cook's work con-
12 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL tains unavoidable gaps, for which she com¬ pensates by drawing heavily upon pre¬ viously published sources. The second flaw is more serious. This Foreign Service People book is not an objective history, but starts off from the premise that “since I960 the world’s military-industrial complex has Choose the Mover that come to dominate every aspect of life.” The American diplomats who reported on Makes the Difficult Part the Soviet Union from Riga prior to the establishment of formal U.S.-Soviet rela¬ tions in 1933 are portrayed as unduly in¬ of Their Transfer Easy fluenced by the German culture of the Lat¬ vian capital. Averell Harriman, “an That's because we never miss ... to your teen-ager’s equally international banker,” is depicted as pre¬ a pick up. Plus, of course, our irreplaceable record collection. serving German industry from wartime care of your belongings and So, whatever you’re shipping, our attention to detail. you can be sure that every destruction so it “would be enlisted to Thousands of successful moves item is correctly and carefully serve the West’s economic war against for the foreign service people packed. communism instead of the Thousand Year have made us their first choice. WE INVITE YOU to ask your Reich.” Similarly there are references to And, wherever you live in the co-workers about us — we Eisenhower’s “acquiescence in and materi¬ Greater Washington Area, you stand behind our reputation of al support for British atrocities in Greece,” are convenient to us. care and service. and to the alleged similarity between WE FORWARD YOUR POSSESSIONS Winston Churchill’s famed Fulton, Mis¬ in carefully packed State souri, “Iron Curtain” speech in March Department custom State Department Approved conUiiuers. We are experts at Contractor 1946 and an earlier one by Hitler’s propa¬ proper packing of all your ganda chief Joseph Goebbels. In sum, if precious belongings... from FOR MORE INFORMATION OR this version of history strikes your fancy, delicate objets d’art... to AN EXPERT ESTIMATE CALL the book is for you. Otherwise, it should irreplaceable antique furniture 301/420-3300 TODAY be avoided in the expectation that a more objective work based on the Eisenhower documents will yet be written. —BENSON L. GRAYSON
China and Harvard • •>
CHINABOUND, John King Fairbank. Harper & Row. 1982. $20.
This reviewer respects and admires John Fairbank as a scholar, historian, and teach¬ DISTRICT MOVING & STORAGE, INC. er—he would undoubtedly reverse this or¬ At the Capital Beltway der—a judgment which no one is likely to 3850 Penn Belt Place contest. I subscribe generally to his con¬ m Forestviile, Maryland 20028 viction that in the interest of both nations it is important to continue to improve rela¬ tions between the United States and Chi¬ na—a sentiment which is considerably more controversial. Under these circum¬ stances, I am disappointed to find Fair- bank’s personal memoirs somewhat less Coming home - Going overseas? than compelling. Buy from the I Choose from the complete There is no doubt that his productive Washington area’s largest ■ line of 4-wheel drive Jeeps, — and exciting life deserves an autobiogra¬ 1 plus the AMC Eagle, Concord, phy. Fairbank, born and raised in South | Spirit and Renault for Dakota, tells us of his years in Exeter, AMC Washington, D.C. area or Wisconsin, Harvard, and Oxford, and ■ overseas delivery. Diplomatic how an almost casual remark by a professor Jeep • Renault | corps discounts. Daily rentals started him on his career in Chinese stud¬ Dealer available. Phone or write Dick ies. He begins his adventures in China in I Schmactenberg, 301-656-0800 the early 1930s, where he studied, taught, 4932 Bethesda Avenue, Bethesda, traveled, and absorbed the sights, sounds, n Courtesy Maryland 20814 and smells that are so invaluable to the 755 Rockville Pike, Rockville, understanding ot the country and its peo¬ AMC • Jeep • Renault ■ Maryland 20852 ple. Fairbank returned to teach at Harvard
JULY/AUGUST 1982 13 and, following the outbreak of World War — THIS is II five years later, entered government apaconBea Country ,7io.U«^l service. In the book he relates these exper¬ iences, including several stints in Wash¬ ington and China and his later problems and frustrations during the McCarthy era. FLORIDA LIVING He describes his leadership and determina¬ tion in promoting Chinese studies in the AT ITS FINEST... United States; the role he played in im¬ proving Sino-American relations and in educating anyone who would listen that Beacon Country there is only one China; and lots more. It is ON FLORIDA’S SUNCOAST a somewhat rambling, good-humored, and very readable description of a large Recreation. Natural Beauty. Convenience. All the things you want chunk of recent history from the perspec¬ or need are part of home when you live in a Beacon Community. tive of China, Chinese studies, Harvard, Condominiums, Single-Family Homes and Villas are carefully and Fairbank—all getting approximately designed, quality built and affordably priced for the demanding equal time. homeowner. And Beacon Homes offers a variety of Models and financial packages to suit practically every income. So what is it about this book that both¬ Send for your brochure and see why over 8500 families in the ers me? Perhaps it is the strong "self-image past decade have made Beacon Country their home. of uniqueness” which, while justified, is a bit too dominant throughout the volume. Beacon Homes, Inc. Maybe it is because I am not Harvard. A name worthy of your trust Since Fairbank admits that “today my ac¬ r quired religion is Harvard,” perhaps it Marketing Dept., Beacon Homes, Inc., 2494 Bayshore Blvd. P.O. Box 610, Dunedin. FI. 33528 would help to be of the same persuasion. Please send me literature on Homes I have checked below. Maybe it is the literally hundreds of names Name of scholars, leaders, and friends, most of Address whom seem to float onto a page, then City/State/Zip quickly disappear. Even this may show my I am interested in □ Condominium □ Single Family Home □ Villa bias, because when he reaches the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, and the names of China specialists and political leaders became fa¬ miliar, my attention peaks considerably. If you are China-oriented, a Harvard FREE SQUASH alumni, one of the seemingly infinite number of Fairbank students, or prefer¬ MEMBERSHIPS FOR ably all three, you will want this book on your shelf. If you are none of the above, this is not a "must” book for you. But in AFSA MEMBERS either case, Chinabound represents an im¬ portant piece of history which would be much more difficult for anyone else to re¬ construct from unedited notes and papers. And in this sense, it is also a book that had to be written. —LEO A. ORLEANS Passionate on Vietnam
WHY WE WERE IN VIETNAM, by Norman AFSA members can now play squash at the Capitol Hill Podhoretz. Simon & Schuster, 1982. $13.50. Squash Club without paying the $60 membership fee. By simply showing your AFSA membership card, you will pay It is fair to say that few books about the Vietnam war are of outstanding quality. only the court fees at Capitol Hill's most luxurious fitness However, a certain number of them are facility. Located only a block from the Capitol South important, among them David Halber- Metro stop, the Club also offers free use of changing stam's The Best and the Brightest. Frances rooms, showers, and saunas before and after playing FitzGerald’s Fire in the Lake, Michael Herr's Dispatches, and Frank Snepp’s Decent squash. Internal. These were bestsellers and influ¬ Capitol Hill Squash Club ential. The Pentagon Papers falls into the 2I4 D Street, S.E. • (202) 547-2255 same category. All these books (the Penta¬ gon Papers particularly in the New York Times edition, which was very selective)
14 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL can be termed anti-Vietnam war. On my guidelines” for determining a policy for tional system, and Third World unity and three shelves of books about the war, about the 1980s. This book is the result. Third perspectives. Above all, Rothstein sustains ninety percent of the books are written World critics who denounce the United a conceptual coherence—something which from the anti-war perspective. States for indifference—as well as academ¬ he criticizes both sides for lacking. In per¬ On the other side there are only very few ics and protagonists of whatever persua¬ haps his best line, Rothstein reminds us that deserve mention: Guenter Lewy’s sion—take note. that the importance of the Third World America in Vietnam. Peter Braestrup’s Big There is much to recommend this book. cannot be assessed ”... without refer¬ Story (whose author would probably dis¬ Like Rothstein's previous works, The Weak ences to broader foreign policy goals: the claim being in any category, since he only in the World of the Strong and Global Bar¬ interest of the United States is not merely analyzed the media’s performance during gaining. this work is a sophisticated, lu¬ in access and trade, but also in political the Tet offensive in 1968), and Sir Robert cid, and systematic treatment of a complex security and systemic stability.” Another Thompson’s No Exit From Vietnam. None subject. Not the least, it provides an inter¬ integrating theme is that neither the na¬ of these books is written with passion. esting tour d'horizon of the dynamics of the tional approach focusing on the satisfac¬ During the Vietnam war, and even today, North-South dialogue, its issues, and ac¬ tion of basic human needs, nor the interna¬ the passion was and is for the most part tors, enlightened by analytical vignettes tional approach stressing the restructuring found on the side of the opponents of U.S. on key factors, e.g., stability, the interna¬ of the global economy alone is workable. involvement in that war. Now a book has come out that is pas¬ sionate on the side of the war’s proponents. Norman Podhoretz knows how to write and how to make a case: Why We Were in Have you ever pitied your Vietnam is, first of all, one of the few Ambassador? Or felt books that places the Vietnam war in the envious of the “glamorous” larger setting of the doctrine of contain¬ life that he or she is leading? ment. Furthermore, it is written by some¬ If so,read — one who knows the American intellectual community, which is one of his main tar¬ gets of attack, inside out. And the book also provides a shrewd analysis of the Ken¬ 215 DAYS nedy, Johnson, and Nixon administra¬ tions’ attitudes. IN THE LIFE OF For a rounded appreciation of what hap¬ AN AMERICAN pened, this book alone will not suffice, but it is essential reading for any such rounded AMBASSADOR appreciation. Podhoretz has performed a public service in providing this summary by Martin F. Herz and analysis of how we got into the war and how we got out of it. Few of the people whose actions and reasoning he describes Early comments: and analyzes emerge unscathed. The book, “This is a remarkably revealing book about the Foreign Service and the role of a career predictably, has been attacked on many Ambassador, the workings of an Embassy and its relation to Washington, things Bulgarian counts, but on many more counts it stands and most of all about Ambassador Herz, himself. He tells it as he sees it without pulling as an excellent, even brilliant analysis of any punches and the reader gets an insight into diplomacy which reaches far beyond Bulgaria.” the times in which we live, the mistakes Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker that have been made, and the meaning of “A revelation for readers who think of themselves as ‘informed’ on world affairs ... As a the debacle for the present and for the case study in diplomacy, this book may be invaluable for young Foreign Service officers, future. but it is even more so for the general reader—a rare opportunity to glimpse the range of —MARTIN F. HERZ problems, the risks and opportunities, frustrations and rewards, and what goes on in the mind of a ranking representative of our country abroad.” Department Guidelines Henry C. Alter, Dean of Continuing Education, Cooper Union “The author is too modest about this book. Although it consists of diary notes taken in THE THIRD WORLD AND U.S. FOREIGN Sofia, it contains a wealth of insights on the realities of diplomatic life in general and POLICY: Cooperation and Conflict in the American diplomatic operations in particular. I am recommending it widely to people 1980s. by Robert L. Rothstein. Westview interested in foreign affairs.” Sidney Hook, Hoover Institution, Stafford Press. 1981. $27. “While it is set in Eastern Europe and there are special problems in that area . . . the The fact that this book has been written at account has universal application. I could identify with so much of the description of the daily life and of the myriad of problems of reporting. Embassy morale, consular work, and all is probably more important than what bureaucratic relationships. Herz has done a real service in presenting the life of an it says. Not because it was written by Rob¬ Ambassador as it is.” Da vid D. Ne wsom, former A mbassador andformer ert Rothstein, a recommendation in itself, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs but because it was commissioned by the State Department. After six years of 281 pp., $9.85. Order from School of Foreign Service, North-South stalemate and the promise of Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 20057. more to come, the department needed a Kindly add $1.15 for mailing costs on prepaid orders. fresh look at things, a “framework and
JULY/AUGUST 1982 15 They must be combined in a mutually sup¬ Anyone mistaking the strategic impor¬ portive way. tance of this subject should recall, for ex¬ Rothstein derives his rather modest rec¬ ample, U.S. inability to replace rapidly There’s ommendations from a careful analysis of the large number of tanks Israel lost in the No Place disparate elements: the near- and long¬ early days of the 1973 Mideast war. To¬ Like Home... term mutual interests of both sides, the day, plant and labor problems mean that chaotic state of the international environ¬ the Trident nuclear missile submarine— But King Arthur'K Court car^ make temporary living in ment, specific sector problems (oil, food, the only weapon that just about everyone Washington a lot more com¬ trade, and finance), and several different agrees is needed—cannot be produced fas¬ fortable—and inexpensive. King| scenarios of the future (continued low-lev¬ ter or more cheaply. Besides describing Arthur's Court has big, clean el crises, disintegration and disorder, re¬ such isolated incidents, Gansler shows rooms and kitchenette units with| construction of the system, and policies of that a healthy defense industry is essential all the comforts of home: color differentiation and selectivity). None of for maintaining the military balance with TV, individual air conditioning these scenarios, he believes, can arrest the the Soviet Union. In the 1970s, military and heating, telephone, and free,| inexorable trend toward, at best, slow salaries have absorbed an increasing share indoor parking. growth, at worst, systemic crisis and col¬ of the defense budget, squeezing out You're just 50 feet from the lapse. Rothstein believes the United States weapons procurement. At the same time, subway, so you can be downtown must pursue an “eclectic” policy toward the cost of many standard military items— or at the airport or train station some “interim bargain.” Essentially, the in ten minutes. aircraft, tanks, ships—has risen steadily in Best of all. our affordable rates United States and the other developed real terms. One result: in the 1950s the make King Arthur's Court a countries should try to break the deadlock United States bought about 3000 tactical perfect place to stay—whether by overtly accepting the need for some aircraft per year, in the 1960s only 1000, you're here for a week, a monthj structural reform and making certain sub¬ and in the 1970s just 300. A larger frac¬ —or longer. stantive concessions in return for Third tion of the Soviet defense budget is free for When in Washington, make World acceptance of a more manageable weapons procurement. The Soviets are to¬ yourself at home—at King negotiating process. One only wishes day out-producing the United States in Arthur's Court. Rothstein had been more forceful in rec¬ many categories of military equipment, a Call us at ommending that the United States take fact that cannot be adequately explained or (703) 524-HH50. i the initiative and stop merely reacting to compensated for by the inferior quality of King Arthur’s Court Third World demands. But it is there by Soviet technology. Obviously, factors oth¬ 2250 Wilson Blvd. implication. Arlington. VA 22201 er than quantities of conventional equip¬ None of this is spectacular—nor could ment determine the military balance. it be. There are no sure-fire answers. The value of the study is, not that it furnishes a list of prepackaged answers, but that it asks the right questions. Now we hope it is BUY read by those who commissioned it. —ROBERT K. OLSON SELL The Industry of Defense THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY, by Jacques S. Gansler. The MIT Press, 1980. $9.95 INVEST (paper). Four factors determine the health of the Ed Joyce national military posture: military strate¬ Retired FSIO gy; the choice of forces to match that strat¬ egy; the quality, cost, and efficient use of LICENSED IN D.C. military manpower; and the ability of the and VIRGINIA defense industry to produce needed equip¬ ment at prices the country can afford. Analyses of the first two factors abound, and the third is at least discussed. But CMOUNT Jacques Gansler’s The Defense Industry is virtually the only comprehensive treat¬ ^VERNpFf ment of the defense industry—including concrete, practical prescriptions for im¬ CREALTY A proved economic performance—to appear V-,N ^ C since the 1960s. The so-called “Carlucci 6257 Old Dominion Dr. initiatives” introduced into the Defense McLean, Va. 22101 Department by its deputy secretary bor¬ Off: 821-8300 row much in spirit from Gansler, and they Res: 821-2109 could help institutionalize industrial plan¬ ning at DoD.
16 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Still, if the defense industry is weak, we harsher environment. Since many are are clearly not getting the military capa¬ highly specialized, slackened demand or a bility for which the rest of the economy is lost contract can wipe them out. Renewed sacrificing. demand, on the other hand, does not in¬ A hotel The early chapters of this book describe duce new firms to enter the market because the structure and performance of the de¬ of the many barriers to entry (regulations, with little fense industry since the Vietnam war. The specifications incompatible with civilian first lesson is that the various sectors of the industrial practices, etc.) imposed by the industry—prime and sub-contractors, government. Bottlenecks caused by the to offer. shipyards, and aerospace companies—have specialized and sickly parts suppliers can A little hotel that's practically on different characteristics and different prob¬ thwart plans for increased production. top of some of the biggest names lems. Gansler claims that the Defense De¬ Thus, when the United States sought to in Washington ... like the Kennedy Center, the State Department, and partment and Congress persist in applying replace Israeli losses in 1973, DoD found the World Health Organization. We the same rules and standards to all sectors. that, whereas the prime tank contractor have seventy-seven terrific rooms The second lesson is that a classic free mar¬ (Chrysler) could “surge” production, the and suites that cost less than our ket economy does not and probably cannot sole subcontractor supplying turret cast¬ big neighbors. Every room has a exist in the defense industry as a whole. ings could not. fully-equipped kitchen, a color tele¬ vision, free HBO, a big desk, a Most defense money is not awarded com¬ The reader whose economics is weak queen-sized bed, and a morning petitively, and the "visible hand” of gov¬ should not be deterred from reading this newspaper delivered to your door. ernment affects daily every aspect of the book. Gansler's prose, while not particu¬ All the little things that make a hotel industry. Competition among the relative¬ larly concise, is clear and free of jargon. a home. Plus a delightful cafe, a roof garden and a concierge. ly small number of prime contractors bid¬ The many graphs and charts are remark¬ ding on a major program often ends after able for their clarity. And lest anyone miss Live a little. the development phase, when a sole con¬ something, all the main points are sum¬ tractor is chosen for production. This sys¬ marized again and again—a rather annoy¬ tem encourages firms to “buy in” to the ing repetition. Gansler seems at home production contract with low bids and when discussing the productive capacity of then "get well” on design “improve¬ U.S. defense industries. Chapters on re¬ ments” and cost overruns. Rivalry among search and development, foreign military Riverside Towers Hotel prime contractors is therefore fierce but sales, the defense industries of other coun¬ 2201 Virginia Avenue, NW. does not lead to production efficiencies. tries, and wartime mobilization are thin¬ Washington, DC. 20037 Subcontractors and parts suppliers live in a ner gruel, but one is grateful for them 800-424-2870 or (202) 452-4600 anyway, as they make the book complete. What of Gansler’s recommendations for TAKE THE LUG rescuing the defense industry? He is cer¬ OUT OF LUGGAGE tainly well-qualified to propose them, having degrees in engineering and eco¬ nomics and long experience in the defense industry as well as the Defense Depart¬ ment. A defense “insider,” his views are far from radical or sensational, but sober and hard to sloganize. Though he rejects nationalization out of hand, he renounces FREE! NEW CAR CATALOG an ostrich-like laissez faire just as firmly, BUY DIRECT The comprehensive NAI Master Catalog contains 32 seeking a “theory of the second best.” This pages, over 150 illustrations. DIPLOMATIC and FACTORY LIGHT. DEPENDABLE. tax-free prices, equipment, options, colors, and all the de¬ he finds in a mixed approach, where gov¬ tails on how to order your car at these special savings Send lot fiee catalog ( The Nemet Organization has been meeting the needs of WE MAIL WORLDWIDE V ernment involvement at the level of the Americans throughout the world since 1916 You will have your car. waiting where you want it. 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NEMET*) Telephone (212) 523-5858/Cable NEMETAUTO Toll Free 800-221-0177 —ASHTON CARTER JULY/AUGUST 1982 17 Judges and Ambassadors
As questions regarding career and non-career qualifications are somewhat better than those ambassadors continue to be debated, the sug¬ of Caligula’s horse. gestion has been made that a committee Another possibility would be for the ad¬ somewhat like the one created by the Ameri¬ ministration to create such a committee to can Bar Association to examine candidates for advise the Secretary of State and the White the Federal Judiciary be established to review blouse. In our view the committee created by the qualifications of proposed ambassadors. the Carter administration was a flop and we The ABA established a Standing Committee are not seeking to repeat that experience, but on Federal Judiciary in 1948, as unqualified the Bar Association has very successfully giv¬ appointees, chosen mainly for political rea¬ en discreet and well-founded advice on pro¬ sons, were obtaining seats on the Federal spective judges prior to their selections and Bench. It also came out of the steady growth we see no reason why a small panel of dis¬ and increasing complexity of legal processes tinguished “wise men” could not perform following the Second World War. Although a similar function with regard to ambassador¬ it was initially resisted and used mainly as an ships. aid to the Senate in the confirmation process, Perhaps we should note at this point that every president since 1952 has consulted the while we are proud of AFSA and are flattered committee and it is now firmly entrenched. by the suggestions that it should form such a AFSA believes that a similar committee committee it is our view that AFSA is not and should be created to make recommendations never will be comparable to the American on the qualifications of both career and “po¬ Bar Association, with its nationwide mem¬ litical” candidates for ambassadorships but bership. recognizes that the proposal raises several dif¬ We conclude, therefore, that while we ficult questions. The first and most basic of would be glad to participate, the committee these is where would such a committee fit should be created under appropriate auspices. into the selection process. One possibility We recall that the Bar Association committee would be for a committee of distinguished began in an advisory capacity to the Senate former ambassadors to be created by the Sen¬ and now gives advice to the Executive Branch ate Foreign Relations Committee to review as well. This might well be the route a Com¬ the qualifications of persons presented for mittee on Ambassadorships would follow. confirmation. This process would at the very The need for a committee is obvious and we least stiffen the spine of the committee, whose hope that discussion of this proposal will lead casual and indulgent attitude permits the to its early creation. CD confirmation of candidates provided their
18 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Congress Swings
Like a Reverse Pendulum, Congress Now Attacks U.S. Central American Policy from the Left
By I.M. DESTLER and PATRICIA COHEN
When, in 1977, the Carter ing a bloody civil war against left-wing predecessor. The secretary of state pin¬ administration embarked rebels. pointed El Salvador as the place where on an opening to the left What was the result? Cheers that it would “draw the line” against com¬ in its Central American policy, one of the preferred congressional policy was munism, and underscored the new the greatest impediments was the U.S. finally being pursued? Inter-branch tone by ostentatiously removing Am¬ Congress. The Panama Canal treaties consensus at last? Nothing of the sort. bassador Robert E. White, who had eventually were ratified, for instance, Instead, the Reagan-Haig Central aroused the ire of congressional but only after an enormous political American policies have met with a conservatives. In February, a white pa¬ struggle capped by insulting Senate sharp and growing congressional at¬ per was issued purporting to document reservations and penny-ante House re¬ tack—this time from the left! Cuban and Nicaraguan support of the strictions on the implementing legis¬ guerrillas. Haig promised the Senate lation. Then, when the administration Logical Shift Foreign Relations Committee to do abandoned its support of the Somoza At first glance, this seems totally "whatever is necessary” to prevent a regime in Nicaragua and proposed inexplicable. And certainly it is if one Communist victory. emergency assistance to woo the leftist thinks of congressional behavior as The hard-line rhetoric pleased con¬ Sandinista government that came to simply a reflection of the average poli¬ servatives like Jesse Helms (R.-N.C.), power, the Carter aid bill was delayed cy orientation of its members, for why new chairman of the Senate Foreign by the House and riddled with restric¬ then would a moderate Congress at¬ Relations Subcommittee on Western tions. The Carter administration end¬ tack from the right, and a conservative Hemispheric Affairs. But it generated ed up on the defensive against a rising Congress attack from the left? But on public concern about the prospect of a conservative tide. closer examination there appears to be Vietnam-type quagmire, and brought The 1980 election both confirmed a clear logic to this sort of shift, one criticism from liberals and moderates and reinforced this tide, bringing a that flows from the nature of Congress that the administration was exaggerat¬ Reagan presidency, formal Republican and the broader politics ofU.S. foreign ing the Soviet-Cuban dimension and control of the Senate, and informal policy. Executive-congressional rela¬ underrating the internal sources of rev¬ control of the House by a conservative tions have developed a curious “reverse olution. Representative Michael coalition. In February 1981, Secretary pendulum” effect, in which a move by Barnes (D.-Md.), newly designated of State Alexander Haig announced the the White House in one policy direc¬ chairman of the House Subcommittee sort of policy shift that many conserva¬ tion tends to drive Congress in the oth¬ on Inter-American Affairs, held hear¬ tives had been advocating: a hard line er. Before spelling this out, however, ings where these criticisms were aired, against Soviet-Cuban involvement in we will first examine the congressional while flaws in the hastily prepared Central America, pressure on Nicara¬ response when Haig outlined the new white paper fueled the attack. gua, and stepped-up support for a gov¬ policy toward El Salvador. The Senate Foreign Relations and ernment in El Salvador that was fight- The Carter administration was mov¬ House Foreign Affairs committees, ing, during its final weeks, toward a both more liberal than their parent I.M. Destler is a senior associate at the tougher Central American line—pres¬ chambers, responded to these con¬ Carnegie Endowment for International suring Nicaragua about its support for cerns. And they employed their pri¬ Peace, where he directs the project on execu¬ Salvadoran rebels and expanding mili¬ mary legislative vehicle, the annual tive-congressional relations. Patricia Co¬ tary assistance to El Salvador. None¬ foreign aid bill, to give them weight. hen was a Carnegie intern associated with theless, the new administration chose Legislators focused on two major wor¬ that project. to emphasize its differences with its ries: that the administration’s ap-
JULY/AUGUST 1982 19 proach was reinforcing the hard right minimizing or overlooking continuing floor. So were the numerous commit¬ in its human rights abuses and opposi¬ atrocities and acts of repression. So the tee amendments of the spring which tion to social reform, and that in resist¬ expected presidential action brought would curtail or reshape the proposed ing a negotiation with the rebels it was the anticipated congressional denunci¬ Caribbean Basin initiative. But re¬ discarding an important option for ation: Congressman Jonathan Bing¬ gardless of their eventual fate, the conflict resolution. The statute they ham (D.-N.Y.) labeled it “fraud, pure mere fact of these actions suggested fashioned did not explicitly block ad¬ and simple.” As one aide put it, certi¬ that critical pressure was likely to ministration policy or legislate an al¬ fication gave legislators “a handle to continue. ternative, though a minority would beat {Reagan} on the head with,” and Right-wing Republicans were not have liked to do so. Instead, it em¬ Democrats in particular were not re¬ entirely inactive. Jesse Helms ployed a device used by conservatives luctant to use it. (“Duarte is far to the left of George in the Nicaragua bill of 1980—it re¬ This rather noisy exercise raised the McGovern”) and Stephen Symms (R.- quired that the president “certify” that political costs of the administration’s Idaho) reacted to liberal attacks and certain criteria were met before provid¬ initial policy in El Salvador, and apparent administration concessions ing military aid to El Salvador, and pushed at least its declaratory position with a counterattack of their own. The repeat this certification process every toward the center—toward greater latter came close to winning Senate six months. emphasis on reforms, elections, and floor approval of a resolution to reaf¬ The more critical members, such as negotiations. This brought some do- firm the 1962 congressional commit¬ Christopher Dodd (D.-Conn.), would ment to employ “whatever means may have liked to attach a stronger proce¬ be necessary, including the use of dural handle, such as a legislative veto arms,” to stop Cuban aggression and over the president’s certification deci¬ subversion in the western hemisphere. sion. Most Republicans, led by This resolution was then referred to Richard Lugar (R.-Ind.), would have Senate Foreign Relations, which con¬ preferred something less restrictive, sidered it together with a number of but their effort to change the certifica¬ proposals from the left: one from Dodd tion conditions into “sense of the Con¬ and Paul Tsongas (D.-Mass) calling for gress” goals failed by 5 1 to 47 on the prior congressional clearance for all Senate floor. In the December confer¬ military aid, covert operations, and ence on the bill, the administration’s military action in Central America; an¬ ability to bargain for softer language other from minority leader Robert was limited by the fragility of the co¬ Byrd (D.-W.Va.) to add to the War alition supporting the foreign aid leg¬ Powers Resolution a particular im¬ islation as a whole. Therefore, as pediment on the use of U.S. troops in signed into law in December, the bill El Salvador; and another from Edward required that Reagan certify that the Representative Michael Barnes Kennedy (D.-Mass.), Lowell Weicker government of El Salvador be “achiev¬ (D.-Md.), chairman of the (R.-Conn.), Thomas Eagleton (D.- ing substantial control” of its armed House Subcommittee on Mo.), and Mark Hatfield (R.-Ore.) to forces in order to end “indiscriminate Inter-American Affairs, held condition aid on government partici¬ torture and murder”; that it be “im¬ hearings where criticism of the pation in unconditional negotiations. plementing essential economic and po¬ administration’s hard-line Latin The Senate Foreign Relations Com¬ litical reforms, including the land re¬ American policy was aired. mittee artfully managed to combine form program”; holding free elections; elements of all of these—including a and demonstrating a willingness to ne¬ watered-down version of the Symms gotiate a political settlement. mestic success in the spring of 1982, as bill-—in a joint resolution it reported the House Foreign Affairs Committee to the full Senate in May. But this Denouncing Reagan approved a substantial increase in mili¬ patchwork product was vulnerable to By this move Congress had left the tary aid. But when the newly elected assault from both left and right once it actual decision in the president’s constituent assembly voted to suspend reached the floor. Liberal House critics hands, and few members really be¬ key elements of the land reform pro¬ like Benjamin Rosenthal (D.-N.Y.) lieved that Reagan could afford not to gram, congressional committees react¬ and Gerry Studds (D.-Mass.) were certify, since to do that would mean ed sharply: Senate Foreign Relations looking ahead to Reagan’s second re¬ abandoning his policy. As the chair¬ proposed unanimously to slash mili¬ quired certification in July as a target man of the House Foreign Affairs Com¬ tary aid for fiscal year 1983; House for more critical rhetoric and action. mittee, Clement Zablocki (D.-Wisc.), Foreign Operations voted to kill the After further congressional action in declared, the president really had “no entire Reagan administration supple¬ the summer and fall, the administra¬ alternative.” Yet by asserting that the mental foreign aid request for FY tion position may end up looking bet¬ conditions had been met, the adminis¬ 1982. Both actions were subject to re¬ ter, or worse, than the balance report¬ tration put itself in the position of versal either in committee or on the ed here suggests. But one thing is
20 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL PULL-OUT SECTION Association News
FSLRB Finds Merit In Two AFSA Unfair Accord Reached On Labor Practice Charges AID Open Assignments The Foreign Service Labor Relations After a year of negotiations characterized Board has made a finding of merit in two by both AFSA and AID management as unfair labor practice charges filed by “long and arduous,” the two organiza¬ AFSA against the State Department. tions signed an agreement on June 4 es¬ Both alleged bad-faith negotiation by tablishing an open assignments system. management in failing to respond to pro¬ The two-year agreement, which governs posals made by the Association. The first assignment cycles beginning May 1, concerns standby pay and on-call duty. 1983, covers “all established and known The chief aim of the standby proposal is projected vacancies" overseas and in AID Administrator McPherson and to preserve the freedom of movement and Washington. The agency will inform all AFSA President Whitehouse sign activity of employees during the period Foreign Service employees of vacancies agreement. outside their regular working hours for the 1983 cycle by July 30, 1982, in a when they are away from their duty sta¬ worldwide cable. consonant with the Foreign Service Act tions and not receiving compensation. “I think the agreement is significant of 1980 and the emphasis it places on AFSA's proposal would, inter alia, make in three ways,” AFSA President Charles achieving a high degree of compatibility on-cali duty purely voluntary. S. Whitehouse told Association and among the foreign affairs agencies.” AFSA’s second proposal would ex¬ management representatives after the Added AID Administrator M. Peter pand the definition of "immediate signing ceremony. “It is good for AID to McPherson, “This program just makes a family” in emergency visitation travel have a system fully supported by man¬ lot of sense to me. It seems only fair." regulations. agement and the affected personnel, and All members of AID’S Foreign Service As we went to press, the FSLRB was it is important for agency personnel to eligible for transfer must submit a mini¬ attempting to reach a settlement agree¬ feel they can get an honest, open shot at mum of four assignment preferences by ment with the department before issuing positions that become available. Finally, September 30. Assignment boards will a formal charge. I think the step we are taking today is then attempt to match preferences to po¬ sitions by December. There will be a sec¬ ond update cable January 10, 1983, list¬ Ruling Clears Way for Performance Pay ing any new positions and those left On June 4, the Foreign Service Labor domain of management to determine; unfilled. The agreement provides for ap¬ Relations Board issued a ruling clearing and that the amount of performance pay peals and for revision of the agreement the way for long-delayed issuance of per¬ to be distributed could not be safeguard¬ itself after the first year’s experience. formance pay to the Senior Foreign Serv¬ ed by advance confidential notification to In a side letter, AID agreed to provide ice. Unless it is appealed by manage¬ the employee organization prior to deter¬ AFSA with information on the results of ment, the State Department and AID mination of rank orderings. the new assignments system—who got would appear to be required to imple¬ On being asked to resolve the impasse, what positions and whether they were ment in a timely manner the perform¬ the Foreign Service Impasse Disputes bid on. The agency estimates the system ance pay agreement concluded with Panel determined that the claim ol ICA will cover 95 percent of the vacancies in AFSA and to issue awards of performance management (then joined by AID and the bargaining unit, the rest coming pay to 20 percent of Senior Foreign Serv¬ State management) that these issues were open due to illness, death, etc. ice employees based on selection board non-negotiable and therefore not subject The agreement came after a year of rankings. to third-party arbitration had to be re¬ negotiating which saw the filing of ah The impasse arose when ICA refused solved by the FSLRB. unfair labor practice charge complaining to sign the five-agency, two-union per¬ After reviewing all the facts, includ¬ of agency refusal to negotiate. After the formance pay agreement and refused to ing AFSA’s amicus curiae brief in support charge was settled, there were months of negotiate an agency-specific agreement of the negotiability of the proposals, the proposals, counterproposals, delays, and with its union paralleling the agreement FSLRB ruled that the Foreign Service a final flurry of negotiations that began AFSA had concluded with State and Act did not contemplate these provisions last April. As AID Standing Committee AID. ICA maintained that management as “reserved management rights” and Chairman William Schoux said, could not be bound by selection board they therefore were subject to negotia¬ “Thanks go to the negotiators on both rank orderings; that composition of se¬ tion and third-party arbitration by the sides, all of whom did a fantastic job on a lection boards was exclusively within the FSIDP. relatively complex and difficult subject. ”
JULY/AUGUST 1982 20A AFSA, Management Agree On Payment of AFSA Meets SFSA Obstetrical Care AFSA is pleased to have the opportunity there is a lot of automaticity, there is a The Association and management from time to time to meet with represen¬ lot of complicated bargaining going on reached agreement on June 2 on a revi¬ tatives of similar organizations from oth¬ all the time too. Then, of course, we have sion of regulations to permit payment er countries. Comparing the problems the special Foreign Service allowances, under the department’s medical program and procedures of other diplomatic corps and those we bargain for each year. for the obstetrical care of employees and is a useful and illuminating exercise. Re¬ AFSA At this moment, the biggest dependents assigned abroad. cently we were able to talk with two problem for us is the problem of the two- A year ago the AFSA chapter in Lima representatives of the Swedish Foreign income family. We are finding more and brought to our attention the fact that the Service Association. AFSA President more spouses who don’t want to go department specifically excludes obstet¬ Charles S. Whitehouse and Executive abroad. We have worked to get recipro¬ rical care from its otherwise full medical Director Robert Beers met with Hans F. cal agreements with countries such as coverage. The exclusion placed a severe Gronwall, president of the Swedish For¬ yours, Canada, etc., to get jobs; we have financial burden on employees overseas. eign Service Association, and Mats Elg- some working couples; and we are trying Even if an employee is covered by private- qvist, a counselor in administrative and to get jobs within embassies and AID insurance, meaning eventual reimburse¬ consular matters at the Swedish embassy missions for dependents. It is very, very ment for a portion of her expenses, many in Washington. difficult. hospitals require advance payments for The following is a summary of our SFSA Yes, and you can imagine, since obstetrical care and hospitalization— conversation. We are grateful to Messrs. we have much smaller embassies, that it amounting in some instances to several Gronwell and Elgqvist for their time and is much more difficult to find jobs for a thousand dollars. AFSA’s general counsel interest. couple at one embassy. It works out in advised the department that the exclu¬ Brussels because we have an embassy and sion was a clear violation of the Pregnan¬ AFSA What is your association's admin¬ a mission, or in New York, where we cy Discrimination Act (P.L. 95-555), istrative organization, and what are its have a consul general and the mission to which made distinctions based on preg¬ principal areas of concern? the United Nations, but most places it is nancy a violation of Title VII of the Civil SFSA We have a board that runs the impossible, since very often they are both Rights Act of 1964. organization—14 people plus a presi¬ on the same professional level and the Six months later the department had dent. We have an office where we have same age. We also have the problem yet to respond to our position and AFSA three people—one professional and two where the wife is an office clerk and the prepared to file an unfair labor practice office clerks. Fewer than fifty percent of husband is an officer, and that creates charge. This brought action, a manage¬ our members work in Stockholm. Our some problems. And, we have several of¬ ment proposal simply to delete language main job is in the salary field and taking ficers in Stockholm who have declined to from its regulations in 3 FAM 685.2e, care of special individual problems. go to any job or post because their wives which excludes obstetrical care. We felt There are personnel unions, and we coop¬ have good jobs in Sweden which they this was only half a loaf and counterpro- erate closely with them because we con¬ cannot continue abroad. posed language specifically permitting sider ourselves salary-wise to be in the AFSA Can you stay in the Foreign Serv¬ payment for obstetrical and maternity re¬ same boat. But then, of course, we also ice under those circumstances? lated expenses. We are pleased with the have all the distinct problems that only SFSA You can stay up to a certain point. agreement, which does away with a apply to the Foreign Service—family But if after seven or eight years you can’t needless financial burden for Foreign problems, allowance problems, housing, go abroad, it is very questionable. We Service families stationed overseas. security, education, etc. have a backlog of people who are between AFSA Are your salaries pegged to the 30 and 40 who are staying in Stockholm, Some Reservations civil service? Do you negotiate them and don’t want to go abroad. And that every year? creates a real problem because there are About Reservations SFSA Yes, they are pegged, so there is a people abroad who want to come back to Employees occasionally cable us to re¬ lot of automaticity involved. We have a Stockholm, and the whole rotational sys¬ quest we make hotel reservations for very centralized system in Sweden, so we tem is built on the principle that every¬ them in the Washington area. Unfortu¬ have two or three unions who negotiate one should rotate. We have some guid¬ nately, such requests are of a personal for all the civil servants, about 500,000 ing principles with management that a nature and do not fall into our area of people. They conclude a central agree¬ normal term in Sweden is now between responsibility. The Foreign Affairs Re¬ ment. This year 1 think it was for a gen¬ three and five years and then you are put creation Association, however, will be eral salary raise of about 8 percent, and on a list if you have been in Stockholm glad to help in placing reservations. then there is a fraction of that—one or for more than five years. There is a great Since cables requesting reservations do two percent on top of the eight percent— deal of pressure put on you, but other¬ not meet the conditions for transmission which is negotiated on a local basis. This wise the system would not work. under the telecommunications agree¬ means, for example that we have a total AFSA Do your officers get a good deal of ment, we cannot get authorization even pool of $100,000 or so that we can bar¬ choice in where they would like to go? to reply to employees who make such gain for on an individual basis. It sounds SFSA Quite a lot. Once a year the de¬ requests. Please take note, and contact like very little, but three or four hundred partment sends out a “wish list” identi¬ FARA. people are affected by it. So, though fying the posts that will come open in the
20B FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL From left: Mats Elgqvist (SFSA), Charles Whitehouse (AFSA), Robert Beers (AFSA), and Hans Gronwall (SFSA).
next year. And unless you have just ar¬ specialize and there are those who move. Common Market countries. They have rived at a post, you should say what kind It is always the question of whether one told us that we cotfld tack on a similar of job you want in the future—if you should attract generalists who become program. want to specialize in economic or com¬ specialists or specialists who become gen¬ AFSA This in effect eliminates the need mercial work, etc. If you are stationed in eralists. The theory changes about every for a special work permit for non-citi¬ one of the industrialized countries, then eight years. zens? In other words, a spouse can go out you are supposed to list a less developed AFSA What have you done and what has and look for work anywhere in the Unit¬ country and one behind the iron curtain, been discussed in the way of special ed States? and then it is up to the personnel depart¬ allowances or pay for spouses for giving SFSA Yes, but with the amount of un¬ ment to decide, and they negotiate with parties? employment in this country it’s not that every single officer. Occasionally there SFSA We just met with Marilyn easy. For a wife who is for instance a have been posts that have been hard to Holmes of your Family Liaison Office nurse, however, it is a golden opportuni¬ fill. Ninety percent want to go to Lon¬ and we discussed all these ideas. We dis¬ ty. Professional workers must pass the don, Paris, and Washington. Very few carded some of them, for instance a sala¬ exam and the tests are being run at the want to go to Lusaka. You have to try to ry. We are now hoping to negotiate a various embassies. If you want to work in find a fair system so that every officer pension whereby the spouse who has Texas, California, etc., you must pass goes both to less developed countries and been working will have the opportunity the state exam. others, but it is very difficult to convince to get points for the general additional AFSA Have you found that the problems people to go to these posts. And there are pension that everybody who works in of working couples are so difficult that always medical reasons or personal rea¬ Sweden can earn during his or her active recruitment is falling off? sons for not wanting to go to a place, and life. This is important for those who are SFSA No. We had in the last year about of course these must be taken into prevented from working in Sweden and twelve or fourteen hundred applicants for account. getting the pension, which requires 30 ten posts. It costs a lot to run that kind of AFSA Are these the kind of problems years of active employment, because they screening system. you negotiate with your government were accompanying their spouses abroad AFSA What is the total number in your about? for 15 years. So they would get two or Foreign Service-—clerical and officers? SFSA No, it is the principles—how two and one-half points out of a total of SFSA 1700. long your stay is at a post and also the six possible points per years. This is what AFSA Do you work on what we call mixture of having good and bad posts. we are looking forward to concluding grievances? There are principles we have signed and with the government. SFSA No. They do it themselves. We that the foreign minister has signed, and AFSA What about allowances for clothes try to steer clear of it because we have we monitor these. Once a week we sit used for official entertainment? Or is special lawyers who look after these ques¬ down with Personnel and they present us there a tax deduction? tions. We have had one or two. with a list of upcoming transfers and we SFSA There is no deduction. We used to AFSA You are negotiating, then, almost can ask questions. We see this name on have different scales for various clothes. exclusively on issues that affect the the list and recall that this person has These allowances are tied to the seniority whole, rather than individuals? been posted to Paris, Vienna, and Wash¬ of the people because junior officers don't SFSA Yes. We were interested to hear ington, and now they are suggesting have those obligations. The important about your elaborate medical program London. And we ask how this goes along thing we are trying to do is to get this and about the alcoholism-related activi¬ with the negotiated principles. And they agreement we have negotiated for the ties. We are interested in this because give an explanation and we listen. But spouses. We are trying to widen the alcoholism has been very hush-hush. We we can never say you have to put this number of countries with whom we can are trying to get people to talk about it person there or over our dead body will enter on this. now. How do you feel about this this person go there. AFSA Are we the first country with program? AFSA As career officers do you move be¬ whom you've made such an agreement? AFSA We think it has been successful. tween political assignments and, say, SFSA Yes. We have an open labor mar¬ The confidentiality with which the de¬ economic assignments? ket in Scandanavia and we have no diffi¬ partment has handled cases has been very SFSA Yes, we do. There are those who culties there. We will continue with the laudable.
JULY/AUGUST 1982 20C AFSA Queries Clark Haig, Reagan On Solutions to Laud Careerists in Senior Officer Glut Memorial Service In a letter to Joan Clark, director general Secretary of State Alexander Haig read a of the Foreign Service and director of per¬ letter of praise from President Reagan to sonnel, AFSA’s State Standing Commit¬ the Foreign Service and added laudatory tee has asked management a number of words of his own during the annual me¬ questions on how to resolve the so-called morial ceremony on Foreign Service Day commemorating members of the Foreign senior officer glut while suggesting it is Secretary Haig speaking at Foreign partially caused by “a substantial increase Service who have died under heroic or Service Day ceremony. in non-career appointments in the de¬ tragic circumstances. This year the name partment and overseas. ” of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Ray, who right to take innocent human lives in Drawing on a report by the Senior Of¬ was assistant U.S. military attache at the furtherance of goals held by a radical ficers Association, the standing commit¬ Paris embassy, was added to the plaque few.” Concluded the president: “The tee noted that at present there are 50 to maintained by AFSA in the diplomatic senseless, cowardly murder of Lieutenant 75 senior Foreign Service officers who are entrance to the State Department. Colonel Charles Ray who, while not not assigned or who are filling specially The letter from Reagan cited specific technically a member of the Foreign created temporary positions. In addition, examples of what the president called Service, was serving with our diplomatic noted the standing committee, “there re¬ "recent efforts that have made us espe¬ mission in Paris, reflects the risks that portedly are a significant number of sen¬ cially mindful of the Foreign Service’s increasingly face the men and women in ior officers occupying positions which are contributions.” The Sinai withdrawal our diplomatic corps.” classified beneath the officers’ rank.” could not have been achieved "without Haig added to Reagan’s remarks that This in turn has reduced the number of the diligence and perseverence of our today, "We can afford nothing less than positions available to mid-level officers, Foreign Service,” which has also aided the guiding wisdom of the foreign policy as would one reported solution to the peace efforts in southern Africa. Though professionals. The Foreign Service has glut, the banning of stretch assignments, "diplomacy has always been a risky busi¬ long been known as a byword for profes¬ the process of assigning higher than ness from the days of Benjamin Frank¬ sionalism. Our liberty and our prosperity rank. The committee hoped that justice lin,” said Reagan, “our diplomats . . . are due in some great measure to the could be done to senior officers without are now considered targets for interna¬ professionals who so often know neither penalizing mid-level officers. tional outlaws who arrogantly claim the settled hours or personal comfort. It is indicative of the president’s high esteem for the Foreign Service that for the first Capacity Crowd of Retirees Jams time in many years a professional holds the second highest appointment in this AFSA’s Foreign Service Day Brunch department. ”
AFSA held its traditional posc-Foreign Service Day brunch on Saturday, May 8, Panel Names First with a capacity crowd in attendance at Bohlen Award Winner the Foreign Service Club. AFSA President Charles S. White- Anne Cook Murphy has been selected by house outlined the Association's princi¬ a panel of AFSA’s Awards Committee to pal areas of concern. These include the be the first recipient of the Avis Bohlen unfortunate image of the Foreign Service Award, which cites a family member of a conveyed in the prize-winning film Alist¬ Foreign Service employee "whose rela¬ ing. starring Jack Lemmon and Cissy AFSA Executive Director Robert tions with the American and foreign Spacek; the increasing percentage of po¬ Beers addresses members at brunch. communities at a Foreign Service post litical ambassadors named by the Reagan have done the most to advance American administration; and the problems arising ment and Disability System plus an up¬ interests in the tradition of the late Avis out of overseas assignments for two-in- date on developments in the general area Bohlen. ” The award was created by a gift come Foreign Service families. AFSA of retirement, including Social Security. from Pamela Harriman, wife of Averell Vice President Anthea de Rouville sum¬ The spirited question and answer session Harriman. Murphy is the wife of Richard marized the status of the negotiations to following the speakers’ remarks indicat¬ W. Murphy, currently ambassador to implement the Foreign Service Act of ed that more and more of AFSA’s retired Saudi Arabia. The selection panel mem¬ 1980 on such issues as the Senior Foreign members are taking advantage of the bership consists of AFSA’s president and Service, performance pay, the separate post-Foreign Service Day brunch to in¬ vice president, the director general of the maintenance allowance, and danger pay. form themselves on matters of personal Foreign Service, the director of the Fam¬ Robert Beers, AFSA’s executive direc¬ interest and direct concern that are not ily Liaison Office, and the president of tor, provided a forecast on possible covered in the regular Foreign Service the Association of American Foreign changes in the Foreign Service Retire- Day program. Service Women.
20D FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL clear: in fewer than eighteen months, to see emerge as the outcome in coun¬ Wash.), moved to executive branch the Reagan administration revived tries like El Salvador and Nicaragua— positions; others, like Helms’s aide causes that Reagan’s election victory peace, democracy, open economies, John Carbaugh, remained on the Hill seemed to have buried: the issue and support and admiration for the but redirected their energy from re¬ of human rights in foreign policy, United States—is most unlikely. versing presidential decisions in Con¬ and the so-called Vietnam syndrome Thus, those out of power can rest as¬ gress to influencing these decisions about anti-communist military in¬ sured that any U.S. policy adopted by within the executive. Conversely, lib¬ volvements. those in power will yield messy, unat¬ erals shifted their focus to the Hill, What broader conclusions can be tractive results. Therefore, administra¬ where they were now free of political drawn from this experience? Certainly tion supporters are likely to lie low, obligation to support the admin¬ congressional behavior has not been while critics go public in a big way. It istration. characterized by the deference or inat¬ is doubtful that Richard Lugar will Such criticisms of policy and adjust¬ tention that many executive branch of¬ highlight his Central America policy ments in allegiances are likely to occur ficials would favor. Nor has the Rea¬ involvement in his run for re-election. during any change of administration. gan administration engaged in the sort Even an ideologue like Jesse Helms But in 1980—82 they were reinforced of advance consultation that many in¬ may be forced into pragmatic compro¬ by at least two things peculiar to the side participants and outside analysts mises, as evidenced by his aide’s visit¬ Reagan administration. have prescribed. Rather than seeking a ing San Salvador to warn Roberto One was the sharpness of the ideo¬ clear congressional mandate, it regard¬ logical shift, the degree to which gov¬ ed the election victory as its mandate ernment policy and rhetoric swung and sought to capitalize on the politi¬ very close to one of the poles of Ameri¬ cal fluidity of an administration's early can opinion. By adopting a hard-line months to put across its new line. In approach, the Reagan administration doing so, it seemed to regard the prop¬ yielded some valuable political ground er congressional role as limited to pro¬ to its adversaries: opposition to politi¬ viding support and writing the checks. cal murder and human rights abuses, Congressional critics responded to this and concern about sliding into a war. attitude with noisy, visible challenges The second was visible administra¬ to executive authority which cannot tion disorganization and infighting. but generate doubts in foreign capitals There remains a considerable predispo¬ about the administration’s capacity to sition among members of Congress to deliver on its promises or threats. defer to the executive, reflecting both a wish to avoid ultimate responsibility Rewarding Critics and a genuine belief that only the How do we explain the speed and president and his aides have the capac¬ strength of this reaction? In today’s Senator Christopher Dodd (D. - ity to carry out a clear, positive foreign decentralized Congress, whose mem¬ Conn.), one of the most severe policy. But if executive branch leaders bers are individualistic entrepreneurs, critics, called for prior seem to be demonstrating instead their political rewards tend to go to the poli¬ congressional clearance for all incapacity, their inability to agree on cy critics. Legislators have a wide military aid, covert operations, and articulate a clear policy course, the range of policy views, and many seek and military action in Central claim to leadership is undermined. publicity and reputation by public po¬ America. All of this suggests that a reverse sition-taking on foreign policy issues. pendulum dynamic has been at work on Criticism generates more news than Capitol Hill. It has more than offset support. Amendments aiming to alter D’Aubuisson, head of the extremist both the 1980 elections and the Rea¬ current policy are more consequential, ARENA party, that he could not expect gan capture of the White House. As a and generally more visible, than ac¬ carte blanche support from congres¬ direct result of the change in adminis¬ tions which support that policy. sional conservatives. tration and administration policy, the The incentives are especially The change of mood within Con¬ congressional balance has shifted in the weighted toward criticism in a policy gress is further accentuated by shifts in opposite direction. Of course, congres¬ area where no course of action offers people and institutional allegiances sional noise has been more impressive much promise of politically rewarding brought about by the presidential than congressional action, and use of success. The public does not want to transition. In 1979 and 1980, Con¬ the certification procedure on El Salva¬ “lose” another country to commu¬ gress was the base for conservative for¬ dor does reflect a reluctance to take nism, but neither does it want to lose eign policy staff activists and the think control. But the fact that the adminis¬ American lives in an obscure civil war. tanks that supported them. But in tration must go repeatedly to the Hill Right-wing oppressors are politically 198 1 their focus shifted to the admin¬ for resources to implement its policy— unattractive associates, but so are anti- istration. Some, like Richard Perle, including ever-unpopular aid money Yankee Marxists. What we would like longtime aide of Henry Jackson (D.- (Continued on page 58.)
JULY/AUGUST 1982 21 Administration
The lid is on at the State On June 25, as we went to press, Secretary Haig resigned. Although this article deals with what the author views as the Department. A reluctant press offices’ shortcomings under Haig, we believe that it contains many valuable insights for current and future press office and a administrations. communications revolution have combined to inhibit the flow of news needed for an informed public.
By JIM ANDERSON The 13 years that this reporter has been in contact with the State Department press office have witnesssed an uneven descent into what—we can only hope—is the cur¬ rent rock bottom. A UPI colleague of mine, just back from a decade of cover¬ ing the news in the Far East and Mid¬ east, recently sat in on a noon news briefing at the State Department. She was aghast. “It’s incredible,” she said. “It’s like dealing with a hostile government.” (Incidentally, the “noon news brief¬ ing,” like the “German Democratic Republic,”is now a complete misno¬ mer: It does not take place at noon; it rarely produces news; and, in view of the lack of information, it is not brief.) By contrast, the press conferences and “backgrounders” by the British Foreign Office spokesman, Nicholas
Jim Anderson, State Department correspon¬ dent for United Press International, has covered the department since 1969- He is the senior wire service correspondent there and former president of the State Depart- ment Correspondents Association and the Overseas Writers Club. Left: Jim Anderson notes a de¬ partment spokesman’s comments at a noon briefing.
22 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL of Silence
Fenn, who accompanied Foreign Sec¬ each been through at least a decade of candor in dealing with the press is but retary Francis Pym to Washington in covering the State Department, who part of a larger clampdown on informa¬ April, were enough to make a State represent a growing feeling of resent¬ tion within the U.S. government, a Department reporter weep. Fenn was ment, and who voice the conviction swinging back of the pendulum ten factual, informed, concise, literate, that there is something seriously years after Watergate. For instance, and accurate. It was a poignant re¬ wrong. At a minimum, the adminis¬ the Reagan administration is moving minder of what the State Department tration is wasting an opportunity to to restrict the Freedom of Information press operation used to be, and what it build a national consensus behind its Act, it is making it easier to classify could be again. diplomacy. At worst, it may be repeat¬ documents, and it is cutting down on The reasons for the current decline ing the fatal errors of the Johnson ad¬ such sources of information as the un¬ are numerous. Not all the blame lies ministration, which tried to discon¬ classified briefings and documents that with the State Department nor even nect its conduct of foreign policy from used to come from the Central Intelli¬ with the Reagan administration. Some the wishes of the American public. gence Agency. As John H. V. Shat- is the fault of the reporters and their tuck, Washington director of the masters; some is due to the technical Worst Possible Sources American Civil Liberties Union, told revolution in the communications Some may imagine that by stifling the New York Times, “Generally, this is business. But the chief blame must be the flow of information the adminis¬ a government that is expanding secre¬ attached to the State Department, and tration may escape the publication of cy in almost every way. It’s not just in the main problem is organic—to use some unfavorable or unwanted news comparison with the Carter administra¬ one of Secretary of State Alexander stories. But there should be no mis¬ tion, either. They want to turn the Haig’s favorite words—a symptom of a take: the frequent failure of the press clock back on the Watergate reforms.” failure in the system. office to provide access to information While trying to achieve its stated goal Let us start with the symptom, a does not curtail the stream of news sto¬ of keeping technical information out of press office which has distinguished it¬ ries about foreign policy. They contin¬ the hands of the Soviet Union and its self mainly by raising “no comment” ue to be written, but much of the in¬ allies, the administration and Con¬ to a minor art form. Lars-Eric Nelson, formation comes from the worst gress are both considering restrictions Washington bureau chief of the New possible sources: unhappy partisans that will make it more difficult for in¬ York Daily News, says: “The press poli¬ who leak or fabricate information, for¬ formation about government policy to cy of an administation can’t be better eign embassies, congressional sources reach American citizens. The Soviets than its foreign policy and this admin¬ with their own axes to grind, and other will probably know less, but so will istration doesn’t have a foreign policy. agencies in the government (including Americans. Apart from that, this press operation is the White House staff) which are bus¬ As part of the general clampdown gratuitously stupid.” ily trying to undercut the State De¬ on information, the first task given to Barrie Dunsmore, ABC News: partment. William Clark when he moved from "Any press operation is a reflection of The failure of the press operation at the State Department to the National the secretary of state. In Haig’s case, the State Department is not due, I be¬ Security Council at the White House he doesn’t really like or trust the press lieve, to professional incompetence (al¬ was to prepare a policy that would re¬ and his press office functions accord¬ though there have been many lively duce the number of leaks to the press. ingly. . . . The best spokesmen have arguments in the press corps on this The president, it seems, was furious been those who were able to shape topic since the fiasco of the staged about a story in Time magazine about news coverage without ever being news conference with the Nicaraguan the sale of U.S. planes to China. For quoted. [State Department spokes¬ guerrilla). When it is decided that the some undisclosed reason, the task was man] Dean Fischer doesn’t do this and spigot of information will be turned handed to Rear Admiral John Poin¬ we all suffer because of it, including on, it flows efficiently. Ironically, the dexter, a deputy to Clark, who appears Haig.” few exceptions in the desert of “no to have as much experience in dealing Are these just some cry-baby report¬ comments” are so unusual that they with the press as most reporters have in ers complaining about the administra¬ arouse skepticism. The natural ques¬ running battleships. tion's lack of skill at spoon-feeding tion is, “What are they trying to sell To his credit, Clark asked for the them? On the contrary, these are pro¬ now, and why?” opinion of several reporters on the final fessional, veteran reporters who have The department’s general lack of draft of the memo that Poindexter pre-
JULY/AUGUST 1982 23 is now increasingly difficult to get a simple fact—such as the size of the current AID program or military assis¬ Then & Now tance program, or even population or refugee figures—out of the various desks and regional bureaus in the State Department. Many bureaus now seem to have a policy of automatically turn¬ ing all press calls over to the press of¬ fice, although Dean Fischer swears that there has been no order restricting Department officials from dealing with the press. But, one way or an¬ other, the message has permeated the building. The cries of outrage from Haig and the president about leaks have had a chilling effect. The lid is on. In fairness, two points should be made. In dealing with the past, the news business is a bit like childbirth: one remembers the joy but forgets the James Res ton (1941): Barrie Dunsmore (1982): pain. Everybody remembers the salad days when Hodding Carter III and “Each day at noon, we “Any press operation is a Robert McCloskey were running the would go down the day’s reflection of the State Department press operation dur¬ business. None of it secretary. In Haig’s case, ing the Carter and Nixon administra¬ tions, respectively, but reporters tend could be attributed, of he doesn’t really trust to forget some of the undistinguished course, but if we asked the press and his press eras in between those two paragons. questions, we got office functions Also, the communications world in which the U.S. government operates answers. ’’ accordingly. ” has vastly changed, and not necessarily for the better. Vermont Royster re¬ pared. The reporters—including this would have gone through the bureau¬ cently recalled in Policy Review how it one—were stunned to see that the cratic maze to set up the interview, was when he came to Washington to policy would have had the practical and if, miraculously, an interview cover the White House in 1936: effect of cutting off all professional con¬ were actually to have taken place, the “When the door [to the Oval Office] tacts between reporters and govern¬ system would have been an efficient opened, we gathered around the presi¬ ment officials dealing with “national means of ensuring that the official dent’s desk, no more than twenty of security information”—a term so didn’t say anything worth reporting. us. There were some desultory ques¬ broadly defined it would have included Clark removed that offending para¬ tions; I remember being overcome at almost everything the government graph from the memo, but the consid¬ being a few feet away from the presi¬ did. It would have required every con¬ eration of such a thorough gag rule dent, at being one of the little band tact with “members of the media” to appears to have left a residual belief on entitled to this privilege.” be cleared beforehand by an assistant the part of many State Department of¬ James Reston of the New York. Times secretary of the department and re¬ ficers, who are sensitive to political nu¬ recently described how it was when he quired the official interviewed to pre¬ ances, that they will never be punished came to cover the State Department in pare a memorandum covering the for not speaking to a reporter, but that 1941: “Each day at noon, we would go main points of his or her discussion their careers could be jeopardized by an down the day’s business. None of it with the reporter. No busy official incautious word to one. As a result, it could be attributed, of course, but if
24 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL we asked questions, we got answers. relationship between reporters and the sion that the reporters’ needs for a daily You could say, ‘Mr. Secretary, I don’t person they are trying to cover. story were incompatible with his re¬ understand how your ambassador At the State Department, the cam¬ quirements for quiet diplomacy. Infor¬ could make a statement like that.' He eras and lights are a holdover from the mation aboard his plane became mun¬ would answer, 'It’s very simple. The Iranian hostage crisis, when Carter ad¬ dane or even nonexistent. ambassador was drunk at the time.’ ministration officials decided some¬ The low point was probably his Contrast that with the current situa¬ thing was needed to counter the de¬ summer 1981 trip to Asia, during tion, in which a State Department moralizing film footage coming from which he tried to brief reporters thor¬ spokesman faces as many as ten televi¬ Teheran every night. The first effect of oughly on his aims and the current sion cameras and more than one hun¬ having cameras at the briefing was that relationship with China. His intent dred reporters in the briefing room, Hodding Carter became a national fig¬ was pure, but his language, character¬ many of them from foreign news agen¬ ure and TV presence as he supplied a istically, was not. A preliminary cies. Each stammer, each bead of counterpoint to the Iranian “students” background briefing by Haig at the sweat, every indiscretion on the part of who were dominating the television State Department left most of the re¬ the briefer could appear on the evening screens. But the cameras stayed when porters with the impression—which news, to arouse anger, contempt, or Hodding Carter left, and their pres¬ turned out to be correct—that the laughter. ence continues to trivialize the level of United States planned to upgrade the And, one must admit, some of the information coming from the brief¬ list of military equipment that the questions at the daily briefing are ings. It makes one long for the elitist Chinese would be permitted to buy. dumber than the answers. The ques¬ days on the three black sofas in the But because he worded it so careful¬ tions are sometimes argumentative, secretary of state’s anteroom. ly, reporters from the Washington Post politically loaded, or naive. On any and the New York Times believed that given day, contentious questions may Worse Than Necessary the decision had not yet been made. come from the partisans in the Israel But, even given the changed situa¬ The reporters from those two impor¬ vs. PLO dispute; from the two sides in tion in the world of communications, tant papers badgered Haig unmerci¬ the Taiwan vs. China debate; from var¬ the State Department press operation fully about it during the trip, stopping ious pressure groups, including one is lamentably bad, worse than it has to just short of accusing him of intention¬ which believes that the Club of Rome be. The current situation accurately re¬ ally misleading them. is a Marxist plot to destroy Western flects Alexander Haig’s not entirely The strained relations between Haig culture and that Alexander Haig, misplaced mistrust of the press. It and the press finally ruptured when while masquerading as a Roman must be said that he did try to estab¬ Haig’s spokesman, Dean Fischer, and Catholic, is really a secret member of lish good relations. He tried several Richard Burt, then director of politi¬ the Italian P2 Masonic lodge. different experiments, including an co-military affairs, talked to two re¬ The television correspondents, who early "social evening,” a disaster dur¬ porters in a hotel bar in New Zealand tend to have louder voices and sharper ing which several reporters practically during the same trip. Intending to elbows than most of their colleagues, mugged him with an endless stream of demonstrate that not a sparrow falls are angling for a juicy 15-second re¬ questions as he vainly tried to make anywhere in the world without A1 sponse from the spokesman which will easy banter. There was a series of four- Haig’s approval and inspiration, even give them a "talking head” other than person breakfasts with the secretary— when he is in China, they erroneously their own and might make the differ¬ meant to be informal and not for attri¬ told the reporters that Haig was the ence in persuading the producer to bution—which lasted until one re¬ principal author of a U.N. Security make room for a State Department sto¬ porter, apparently misunderstanding Council resolution on the Israeli ry on the evening news. But real un¬ the ground rules, infuriated Haig by bombing of the Iraqi nuclear reactor. derstanding does not come in 15-sec¬ running the whole thing as an In fact, the work had been done pri¬ ond slices and, as Reston says, "It is interview. marily at the United Nations, and the least qualified and loudest who On his various trips around the Jeane Kirkpatrick, furious at what tend to dominate when the television world (Haig, like his predecessors, she considered to be Haig’s raid on her cameras are around.” The presence of usually takes 10 or 12 reporters who territory, complained to the president, one obstreperous reporter backed by a pay their own way), the secretary who then came down on Haig. Rela- camera crew can destroy the relaxed gradually came to the apparent conclu¬ , (Continued on page 33-)
JULY/AUGUST 1982 25 Decompressing
Both government and the press need to work harder to help the public carry on an informed debate on world affairs and reach a consensus on foreign policy.
By HODDING CARTER III
Why is it that the press and government do not do a better job of maintaining the public dialogue that is so necessary if the people of this country are to in¬ terpret national policies and deal with current issues? Both are guilty of fail¬ ing to help the public arrive at an un¬ derstanding of the many crucial ques¬ tions of our times. In a country in which all but thirty or so cities are served by monopoly newspapers, print news is presented as if the market were competitive. There is a grabby, short-hand headline, a compressed lead, and an inverted pyra¬ mid of information. A lead paragraph of twenty-five words, to be followed by six hundred or so more words, cannot Hodding Carter III was assistant secretary of state for public affairs and department spokesman, 1977—1980. Prior to that he had been the editor of the Delta Demo¬ crat-Times in Greenville, Miss., and a Nieman fellow in journalism at Harvard. He is now the anchorman and chief corre¬ spondent for Inside Story. This article is adapted from a talk given at the Foreign Service Club as part of the series “Public Diplomacy in the ’80s” sponsored by the ICA Standing Committee. Left: Hodding Carter at a noon press briefing in 1978. FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Information
do justice to a subject of any complex¬ subjects are so complex, so fragile, that the numbers of those people are large ity; it is inherently distorted. If that is it is not worth the effort to translate indeed. But we didn’t get out the facts true of the print press, what of televi¬ our work to a public that has neither and consequently our thesis was badly sion? I used to tell reporters who the time nor the education to pay at¬ misunderstood. worked for me in Greenville, Missis¬ tention. The information government Most editors and newsroom direc¬ sippi, that we could take the entire 22 gives out is also often poor because of tors seem to believe that Americans minutes of the “CBS Evening News" the well-founded but often misapplied really don’t care about foreign policy. I and put it into two and one-quarter belief that we may confound or destroy used to think that in Greenville. But columns of the Delta Democrat-Times. sensitive negotiations and inner diplo¬ they would have cared about the Tokyo A minute and half is a long time in matic workings. There is a belief that Round, for instance, had we presented television, yet anything we see on TV as the guardians we should be given the steelworkers with the ways the ne¬ sticks with us with far greater gravity the benefit of the doubt until such gotiations affected their plants’ ability than that which we read. If the com¬ time as we have demonstrably failed. to function in the world market and, pression of the newspaper lead distorts ultimately, their jobs. Nobody in reality, then television too must dis¬ Great Mistakes Greenville cared about South Korea— tort. Television is a vital communi¬ Only rarely is the inclination not to except of course the merchants who cating force, but it has not come to share adequate information with the bought or sold goods there. Nobody grips with the information it must people a result of glaring mistakes or cared about Asian relations—except handle. criminal behavior or political machi¬ the soybean, rice, and cotton farmers, An example of the power of televi¬ nation. It is usually the belief that the whose ability to exist depended on sion is the grip in which it held the material seems too premature to dis¬ those markets. nation during the Iran hostage situa¬ close. One of the great mistakes we The press is inhabited by people tion. Compare the intensity of the made in the Carter administration was who do care about doing better. Those public interest with that when hos¬ the number of times we accepted this who work in public policy should start tages were held for a similar period of argument. The press office pushed for by dealing directly with those who time by North Korea. There were no nine months to explain what the gov¬ deal with the news—at every level. A cameras in Pyongyang. Television ernment was trying to do with the Pa¬ cynical approach, one that restricts in¬ news is determined by pictures, and in nama Canal treaties. The answer formation, will create an audience that the Iran situation the networks had would always come back from the sev¬ trusts neither press nor government daily footage of the mobs and the prin¬ enth floor that since there was not yet and is ripe for experiments of less ap¬ cipals. In Washington, for reasons that an agreement, to talk about it would peal to us all. At the end of his term, seemed good at the time, the decision be to interfere with the process of get¬ Henry Kissinger for one recognized was taken that the State Department ting one. But during those nine the necessity of an expanded public spokesman would deal with the issue months, the enemies of the treaties dialogue if something approximating a as frequently as it was raised by report¬ went about the business which would national consensus on foreign policy ers. In retrospect, there were better culminate in the most extraordinary was to be constituted. ways to serve the public’s right to expenditure of political capital for the The press is consoled by polls that know. We could, perhaps, have con¬ achievement of a long-term interest of show it is trusted more than govern¬ ducted background briefings rather the United States that I have ever seen. ment. But those polls also contain dis¬ than had the spokesman appear daily The same thing happened with SALT II. quieting information. It would there¬ on television. We were forced into a There was an absolute veto on public fore be useful if journalists, too, follow situation where we were responding on education for fear of jeopardizing the Kissinger’s prescription. Something television to words that came by net¬ negotiations. But the opponents of the that writer Jim Perry said would be work satellite faster than information process suffered no such inhibitions. applicable to both sides of the govern¬ coming by diplomatic cable. As a result, we gave up the ground we ment-press relationship: “It’s our cas¬ In the foreign affairs profession, as should have been holding at a time tle all right, and we ought to defend to in government in general, there is a when we desperately needed to mobi¬ the last man its battlements and its sense that we do our work best when lize those for whom the issue was rel¬ position. But we are mighty big and we do it with the least interference evant. The recent groundswell of pub¬ we are mighty powerful and we ought from outside observation. We feel our lic support for arms control shows that to have more visitors’ days.”
JULY/AUGUST 1982 27 Some Notes
Recently, the department’s spokesman has been cast into the glare of a public spotlight, but some of his most important work in explaining administration policy occurs behind the scenes.
By JOHN H. TRATTNER Tongue somewhat in cheek, a close associate of the secretary of state expressed doubt a few years back about the value of the daily press briefing. It was during a tense moment in the early months of the hostage episode with Iran. "Do we really need a spokesman down there every noon, generating headlines and making problems?” he said. Given the circumstances of the time, with deci¬ sions being taken by harried policy¬ makers under the intense stare of an excited press and a hypnotized public,
John H. Trattner is a resident associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. A former journalist, he joined the Foreign Service in 1963. working first for theoldU.S. Information Agency, inhere he was a press attache at embassies in Warsaw and Paris and a deputy public affairs coun¬ selor at the U.S. mission to NATO. In 19 75 he joined State s Office of Press Rela¬ tions as deputy director, becoming deputy spokesman in 1977—78. After two years as senior assistant to the deputy secretary of state, he served as department spokesman 1980-81. Left: John H. Trattner fields a question during the noon briefing.
28 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL on Background
it was a point one might sympathize the same time, what had been an inter¬ touching on very tender or urgent areas with even if its author weren’t serious. mittent task—counseling and assist¬ indeed, need some kind of response He had expressed that sense of semi¬ ing the secretary in press situations— then and there, not days later when the exasperation often felt over the years by became a serious, daily responsibility. machinery has ground out answers that others in similar positions: the press, Of the several capacities in which may no longer matter. For the spokes¬ always the press to worry about—and any contemporary spokesman oper¬ man, therefore, it is fairly regularly a the damned press guidance. ates, people are most familiar with his matter of going it alone—winging it, The press-relations function did not daily on-the-record, on-the-podium in current parlance. And that is part of develop, though, as a way to torture stance at midday. Yet when he as¬ what he’s paid for. management and the bureaucracy or to sumes it, neither of the institutions he If spokesmen were asked to list the entertain spokesmen and their staffs. It works with—the department and the factors most critical to doing the job exists mostly because reporters cover press—always has a realistic concept of effectively—on the briefing platform the State Department and ask questions. what he can and cannot do. In a busi¬ and off it—three would be on every If there were no such job as depart¬ ness where the most important and in¬ list. They are access, guidance, and ment spokesman, it would, as the cli¬ teresting information is also likely to truth. che tells us, have had to be invented. be the most sensitive, the spokesman Regardless of the circumstances in Ever since its institution, spokesmen is, each day, caught to some extent which any spokesman works or the am¬ have struggled, most of them gamely, between the instinctive hope of the de¬ plitude of his instructions, access at all to endow this creature of necessity partment that he will say as little as levels of the department is basic and with some virtue. In the last five years possible and of the press that he will vital. On the record or otherwise, a television has made the job one of the say as much. spokesman states, explains, and de¬ more visible in the government's for¬ fends policy; he also speaks for the de¬ eign affairs establishment. But few Inevitably Unsatisfying partment and, on a great many occa¬ know much about it. By definition, this can never work sions, personally for the secretary. To After 1945, as press interest in the out to the total satisfaction of either deal with policy or represent the secre¬ department grew in scope and volume, side, of course. But spokesmen, who tary, however, he must know and un¬ so did the need to respond to it in an are used to and tolerate that inevitabil¬ derstand both. In particular, his per¬ organized way. Individual reporters ity, keep running into people in both sonal relationships with the most had long been querying individual of¬ quarters who do not. In the depart¬ senior officials are important. Better ficials about whatever interested them ment, for example, otherwise sophisti¬ than anyone else, the secretary can pro¬ or attracted their attention. At some cated colleagues sometimes try to side¬ vide an authoritative sense of how to point, a supplement to this emerged. step reality by pretending that press handle tough issues and thus lend con¬ Periodic sessions began, where a desig¬ questions can be ignored at will. fidence to a spokesman’s words. Simi¬ nated officer met with reporters as a “Don’t say anything on that,” they larly, knowledge of a subject in detail group around a table to deliver an¬ will advise the spokesman, who knows is indispensable to anyone who must nouncements and statements and to a sensitive matter is certain to be the address it publicly, and the spokesman answer questions. Eventually, some¬ first one raised by reporters in the press must therefore constantly commune where in the 1950s, this became a dai¬ briefing. “Try not to get into it." Half with his sources of information, ab¬ ly event. In the 1960s a specially out¬ an hour later, the spokesman is ankle sorbing what he needs by eye, by ear— fitted briefing room was dedicated by deep in questions on that very issue— and by that most valuable of senses, the secretary. Meanwhile, the rank of and taking flak from journalists who the sixth. As a means to these ends, the briefing officer was rising to its want him to be completely forthcom¬ nothing can replace or improve on di¬ present level of assistant secretary, and ing on it. rect access. a small staff was helping him and man¬ To be sure, there are a few questions As for guidance, its essence is the ning the telephones. Their second- which, for a variety of good reasons, grasp and sense of things a spokesman floor Office of News turned into the can never be wholly or intelligently develops precisely through this access larger Office of Press Relations and de¬ answered; everyone involved accepts to key associates and information. veloped a variety of services for jour¬ that fact. Others can be held for reply Written press guidance is a major ad¬ nalists and department officials alike later, after time for research and reflec¬ junct to this. It is used by the spokes¬ who needed various kinds of help. At tion. Still other questions, however, man each day as an aid in responding
JULY/AUGUST 1982 29 to questions. Much of it is quite per¬ ishable and must be replaced or over¬ hauled frequently. Produced at the bu¬ reau level and cleared upward if necessary, guidance can be voluntary or requested, detailed or general, A Footnote broad-gauged or specific, legible or il¬ legible—helpful or useless. The Best Guidance on Handling Bureaus alert to developments with a press impact on their interests, and which do not wait to be asked, invari¬ ably turn out the best guidance. So do those of their public affairs advisers the Press who write the material themselves in¬ stead of asking others, and who kindle good relationships with the bureau leadership. People who have labored Despite some troublesome prac¬ subject under discussion, his objec¬ all morning, or perhaps for days, to tices, nothing is about to replace tives, how well he understands write and clear a piece of guidance may background as the transmission that what he is hearing. Use the occa¬ naturally feel rather proprietary about drives the foreign policy news ma¬ sions the conversation supplies to it, especially if the spokesman in actual chine. Like it or not, it is here to underline what the U.S. policy or use deals it what they feel is mortal stay. It makes sense, therefore, to viewpoint is, to correct errors or injury. For years, however, spokesmen sketch a few sensible rules of thumb misimpressions, to gather the re¬ have had recourse to an old, unwritten for those who engage with the press porter’s own information, observa¬ but undoubted rule allowing them to on background. tions, and comments. Refrain from use their considered judgment and ex¬ Agree with the reporter ahead of volunteering information that ex¬ perience to question any guidance, and time what is being discussed. If ceeds what is necessary. to revise or otherwise adapt it to the possible, indicate areas of a subject Avoid being inadvertently realities and imperatives of the or related subjects that cannot be quoted on the record. It never hurts moment. included. If, despite this, the con¬ to confirm at the outset what the Whatever their authors’ views of versation begins to edge off limits, basis of the conversation is to be. If their handling, most guidances are not be quick to say no. Or if questions no sourcing of any kind is desired, documents intended for verbatim use. are asked outright that cannot be deep background is the correct ba¬ Rather, they are suggestions, remind¬ answered, say as much, adding sis. If it is to be simple background, ers, and sources of facts and figures. frankly that no signal should there¬ decide what attribution will be used The proper use of written guidance is by be inferred. Never, even on in the finished story. Be helpful precisely what the word itself sug¬ background, use “no comment” within the limits imposed by the gests—as a guide. It is usually not a since most of the time it will be subject at hand, and be courteous. script, and it is never a bible. interpreted (correctly) as “yes.” Treat the reporter as an equal. Do The case for truth—the third item Don’t ask who a reporter’s other not be provoked, inveigled, or flat¬ on every spokesman’s list of essen¬ sources are. tered into indiscretion. Don’t be tials—is pointed up by a bit of humor Remember that background con¬ glib or try to impress with knowl¬ from the mid-1970s that made the tact is an opportunity for the source edge, gossip, or name-dropping. As rounds of the Washington press in the as well as the reporter. Carefully in most things, common sense will wake of Watergate and Vietnam. The judge such matters as the extent of take one far. difference between U. S. diplomats the reporter’s information on the —J.H.T. and U. S. spokesmen, it asserted, is that diplomats are paid to lie for their
30 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL country, spokesmen to lie to their For the most part, the daily briefing ties that—spokesmen would be the country. is a routine affair. The exceptions come first to agree—it sometimes doesn’t People got a good laugh with that at times of big breaking news (such as deserve. It often generates stories one, but there was a distinctly bitter Libyan jets being downed in the Medi¬ which are not really stories, written aftertaste. In foreign policy as in every terranean) or crisis (the Yom Kippur only because the briefing took place. other area, the image of the U. S. gov¬ war) or significant policy departures In short, the daily briefing can be hab¬ ernment for most citizens is one con¬ (the United States’ taking Britain’s it-forming. structed and tended largely by the side in the Falklands dispute). In such press. That image is still smudged by stories, the major interest at the brief¬ Conflicting Expectations the heritage of the 1964—75 period ing comes in the first three or four The sum of all this is something less when, rightly or wrongly, suspicion of days, and some are only one-day sensa¬ than great excitement every day, even government, its officials, and its tions. Even in long-run matters like though the briefing meets needs which spokesmen spread wide among the the hostage drama in Teheran, there are by any measure legitimate and for press, and hardened into a resistant were many days of no real news which it originally evolved. As we stain. Today’s spokesmen are by no whatever. have seen, the spokesman is somewhat means beyond its reach, though a hesi¬ While reporters who cover the brief¬ squeezed between conflicting expecta¬ tant, gradual restoration of credibility ing don’t therefore expect to come tions of department and press. But a has occurred, like plants taking tenta¬ away with big news every day, a num¬ more specific way of looking at the tive root in an area devastated by a ber of professional reasons draw them briefing of today is to note the in¬ volcano. Granted, the press itself, es¬ to it. Among these, first, is that most creased number and complexity of is¬ pecially its television component, is of their substantive information origi¬ sues, their degree of sensitivity, the under increasingly critical and well- nates outside the briefing or outside immediacy with which news of action directed scrutiny by a range of observ¬ the department, with sources who usu¬ and reaction travels around the globe, ers who dislike what they see variously ally speak on a background basis or at and the much larger numbers ot re¬ as distortion, superficiality, bias, arro¬ an even further remove from direct porters covering the briefing and lis¬ gance, and hype in the coverage of identification and attribution—- tening in at other sites in Washington government. Nonetheless, a Washing¬ “deep” background. At the briefing and New York. This has, over time, ton Post poll published about a year ago itself, reporters seek to add to and au¬ raised the threshold of discretion and found that when press and government thenticate this by eliciting on-the- tightened the constraints within differ over the accuracy or truth of a record comment and up-to-the-minute which the spokesman operates. given story, a majority of the public facts; the spokeman’s response might Outside the briefing, however, the believes the press. supply the peg around which to orga¬ picture changes. A hefty part of every nize and hang a story. spokesman’s day is spent in touch with Flagrant Violations Second, the briefing is an opportu¬ individual correspondents, a lew in Despite this history, truth was long nity to check in on half a dozen run¬ person, most by telephone. Virtually ago inscribed as a central tenet of ning stories to see if anything new is all these exchanges are on one form of spokesmanship. The fact that a few being said publicly—a sort of protec¬ background or another. Reporters call were held to have flagrantly and re¬ tive coverage. Third, reporters have a to get further elaboration of points peatedly violated it in 1964—75 has chance at the briefing to keep tabs on made in that day’s briefing, to try a underlined its importance for spokes¬ what their fellow journalists are work¬ different angle of approach, to check men in the years since. Never know¬ ing on. Last, radio and television must on late-breaking developments. Per¬ ingly to lie or mislead has become a always cover the briefing because some haps a reporter has questions to pose in fundamental for department spokes¬ fragment of what the spokesman says private that he did not ask at the brief¬ men. Its meaning and utility were well may be useful in a story being gathered ing in order to preserve the exclusivity caught in a remark by Kurt Becker, elsewhere as well. of a story he is on to. until recently the government spokes¬ As a central, regular event, though, In these kinds ot dialogue, the man in Bonn. “If you tell the truth in a the briefing is an occasion around spokesman is no longer an identified democracy,” he once said, “you maxi¬ which it is dangerously convenient for individual but an informed source like mize, rather than minimize, your reporters to plan their work. It occu¬ others a reporter talks to in the course chances for success.” pies a notch in some reporters’ priori¬ of writing a story. While there are still
JULY/AUGUST 1982 31 limits on what can be said, they are ing would start again by the beginning also serve the narrow or selfish ends of now pushed further back. Views, com¬ of the new week (they were right); sources and journalists alike while sac¬ ments, facts can all be offered with a • The British had privately told the rificing the greater public interest. range and depth not possible in the on- United States they could accept the Needless injury to individuals can oc¬ the-record setting, and confidentiality Peruvian plan for a solution; cur. Leaks can confuse the public, de¬ and discretion can still be served. • Argentina had told Peru that, for liberately or not, about what is, or Skillfully and knowledgeably em¬ the moment, it would work only only may be, policy. Some of them ployed, this sort of contact not only through the U.N. secretary general; understandably cause governments to serves the reporter’s needs. It can ad¬ • The State Department’s mood was undertake countermeasures, which in¬ vance, emphasize, and clarify depart¬ “one of frustration’’ with the Argen¬ variably bring only limited or tempo¬ ment positions, motivations, and ob¬ tine junta, seemingly unable to agree rary results, some of them self- jectives and contribute greatly to the among themselves on anything but the defeating. accuracy of what appears in print or on toughest conditions for a settlement. Ordinary background, too, can be the air. It can also kill incorrect stories Department officials were not very taken advantage of on one or the other or parts of stories that would be as hopeful the Peruvian idea would side of the press-government relation¬ embarrassing to the journalist and his succeed; ship. A conversation ostensibly held to organization as they would be trouble¬ • The British had ceased insisting impart and receive information rel¬ some to the department. Even when, on self-determination for the Falklands evant to a legitimate news story might as sometimes happens, he is unable to inhabitants in favor of a less-categoric be used as cover to advance the inter¬ utter a word of substance or drop the U.S.-Peruvian alternative. ests of the source; little or no news may slightest hint of what is really going None of these tidings, which were be involved. There have been instances on, the spokesman still has ways to clearly the heart and substance of what of reporters offering themselves as will¬ help a reporter avoid running into such the story had to offer and composed ing channels for views put forward in problems. perhaps eighty percent of its news, was these conversations, surrendering part ascribed to any source identified by of their integrity for the highly suspect The Background Mechanism name or position. Some were not news value of what they receive. Fur¬ It can fairly be argued that in this sourced at all. All of it was knowledge ther—in a situation similar to the one-on-one capacity, giving separate and observation which, had the report¬ courtroom jury told by the judge to time and patience to reporters and er sought it on the record, would not ignore the witness’s last remark when their particular projects and require¬ have been there—for him or his read¬ it is still ringing in their ears—official ments, the spokesman does more im¬ ers—because none of its sources would sources are free to take advantage of portant work in the key business of the have wanted to talk to him on that background by placing in the public department than in anything else he basis. domain facts or views they wish to es¬ does. That, in turn, is one illustration But the information did exist; it was tablish and later, to the outrage of re¬ of the significance of the mechanism of there to be reported; and background porters, denying them on the record if background in the journalism of for¬ and deep background made it avail¬ necessary. For example, if sharp dis¬ eign policy. able. Nor could any reader have had pleasure has arisen over the actions of Most diplomatic reporting contains much doubt that the views imputed to another government, its full force can at least some key material derived in various diplomats and their govern¬ be expressed without making it an offi¬ this way, and the more sensitive a sto¬ ments were really theirs, or that the cial position. ry’s subject, the greater its reliance on actions reported had not really been background is likely to be. Typical ex¬ taken. In such ways, years of mostly Crisis Diplomacy amples could be adduced indefinitely, reliable reporting in the background No discussion touching on press- but one story in the New York Times on mode has won the confidence of the government relations can ignore the a Friday in early May will suffice. It regular foreign policy news audience. singular problem created by certain was written at the height of diplomatic Consciously or not, they are willing to crises which directly and painfully maneuvering in the Falkland Islands trade the accountability of the on-the- abrade U.S. interests and nerve ends. crisis, a day or so after an Argentine record posture for the increased, if un¬ The Iran hostage situation was one of cruiser and a British destroyer had confirmed information and the greater these, not so much for the substantive been sunk, and reported on how penetration into a situation that are geopolitical implications or the impact Washington viewed the prospects for a conferred by background. on policy, which were certainly serious solution. Those who read the entire Unfortunately, that is not all they enough, but because of the magnitude 13-paragraph article got, in the fol¬ trade. Devices like the leak, and other the affair quickly came to assume in lowing order, these separate pieces of exploitation, rob background of some American minds. For months the hos¬ information: of its value to one or more of the tage problem held a lock grip on the • Informants in the Washington groups—the press, the public, the public imagination and at times a visi¬ diplomatic and American official com¬ government—whose interests are con¬ ble monopoly of the attention and en¬ munity saw no real progress so far. cerned. Leaks can bring useful infor¬ ergy of policymakers. Many of these observers thought fight¬ mation to public attention; they can It has been often charged that the
32 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL press—specifically television—pro¬ Administration of Silence ing the first year of its existence with duced most of this. Among the images petty struggles over bureaucratic turf commonly evoked in analyses of why
JULY/AUGUST 1982 33 AIDing and
An AID directors quickly consumed. Derby and Big sing Polly Wolly Doodle,” was the Mike made excellent company, one the ambassador’s final word. penchant for high foil for the other’s witticisms, but Revenge came a month or so later when it came to matters of policy and when Somalia was flooded over one- technology leads to some judgment the ambassador wished third of its territory. Mike was in his Mike were building dams in the glory. More than 100,000 men, wom¬ low humor Sahara. en, and children were stranded on bits Keeping both eyes on Mike was not of high ground, without food or shel¬ By PETER C. WALKER an easy task. He spewed forth more ter, threatened by typhus and plague. ingenious ideas in one hour than the Derby called an urgent meeting of the u "Tever mind estimating the entire agency in Washington could di¬ country team, and the AID director I ^^1 percentage of camel’s gest in one week. AID bureaucrats was asked to speak first. -A. ^ milk in Somalia’s food were driven to desperation and given “Now, here’s the plan,” said Mike, production and sending in useless eco¬ to requisitioning paper shredders pulling out a telescoping pointer as he nomic reports to Washington,” Am¬ when his massive proposals would walked to a chart on the wall. “At bassador Debevois Minot III— cross their desks. Working in the field 0600 this morning I got through to "Derby”—told me on my arrival in with Mike could be even worse, for one the Joint Chiefs in Washington. They Mogadishu. “Your job, as far as I'm never knew what to believe. There was are ready to pull out all the stops, MATS concerned, is to keep both eyes on the time that he proposed a camel- will send in three C- 130s to drop 100- Mike O’Hara.” Derby was a seasoned driven grist mill for Somali nomads pound sacks of flour, CINCEUR will career officer and knew how to use his that was to be developed and built bring in a C-142 with two choppers, a staff well, but I nonetheless questioned with agency funds. The ambassador team of doctors, and a platoon of med¬ the wisdom of assigning his deputy gave him the look of an indulgent par¬ ics. And ComSixthFIeet will move a chief of mission to stand watch over ent who hears his son’s latest excuse for baby flat-top down from the Med to the AID director. I didn’t yet know an allowance advance or newest reason launch additional choppers over the Mike O’Hara. why he needs the car till three a.m. distressed areas to spot stranded tribes¬ O’Hara—"Big Mike"—was one of men and drop more food. I’ll be task Derby’s favorites and a very engaging Polly Wolly Doodle force commander operating out of Mo¬ character. Pushing fifty, he looked Mike was at his finest, however, gadishu, and we’ll call it Operation thirty, with a disarming smile and when he felt slighted by the ambassa¬ Manna.’ twinkling eyes set behind heavy dor, which happened one sultry morn¬ Mike paused for a breath. horned-rimmed glasses. His undeni¬ ing when the torrid sun made the dirty “Wait a second,” roared the ambas¬ able charm and insouciance penetrated white minarets and crumbling build¬ sador. “One minor question. What is the guard of the rather crusty ambassa¬ ings of the Somali capital more de¬ the cost per day of operating a helicop¬ dor and made him a favorite of women pressing than ever. Derby summoned ter carrier out of the Mediterranean?” in every capital to which he was as¬ me to his office, where a timid-looking “I’m glad you asked that question. ” signed. He was on his fourth wife O’Hara sat beside his desk. Mike pulled a paper from a stack of when I met him. Each had been a tre¬ “Sit down, Peter," the ambassador well ordered briefs in clearly labeled mendous discovery, each the greatest said. “Mike here wants to use my manila folders that filled a large vinyl- woman he had ever met. Each had meeting with the prime minister to covered, snap-closed file box with an been rarer than a fine wine and as outline his self-help criteria.” Derby’s engraved plate on the front that said irritation was plain. With war immi¬ “Operation Manna.” “Joint Chiefs es¬ Peter C. Walker is a retired Foreign Ser¬ nent between Somalia and Ethiopia, timates it will cost about a million dol¬ vice officer. He has served in Belgrade. the last thing Derby wanted to discuss lars a day.” Malta. Greece, and Madagascar. and as was “self-help criteria.” “Will Defense pay for it?” consul general in Mozambique. He teas an “Well, those are my instructions,” “Oh, no,” said Mike. “We’ll charge economic officer in Somalia 1961-63. said the AID director defensively. it to the AID program and get it out of This story was adapted from the author's “Washington tells me, ‘no self-help, Congress next year.” forthcoming book on his Foreign Service no aid to Somalia.’ Derby had heard enough. The plan experiences. “Dammit all, tell your agency to was too grandiose; it had a cast of thou- 34 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Henry Payne IV JULY/AUGUST 1982 suffering theybroughttothe Somalis pocket.” operation, it’llcomeoutofyour sake ifanythinggoeswrongwiththis dor said.“Butgoahead,andforgod’s quickly andonlyBigMikehadaplan. was areliefeffortascomposedbyWag¬ Big Mike’srelief operationwasaswell wars, plagues,andhordesof locusts. the HornofAfrica—floods, droughts, seemed tomeldintothememory ofa thousand yearsofsimilardisasters in ner. Butsomethingneededtobedone medicines onthestrickenmasses.It American seraphimcaststardustand wings attheconductor’scuewhile disaster continuallyemergingfromthe sands andelaboratestageprops,with Abetting The floodscameandwentthe “No babyflat-tops,”theambassa¬ chievous grin.Whetherin aFrench salon orstanding proudlybeforehis dah. Hewasanexceedingly handsome man, withhighcheekbones, astraight with Derbyontheambassador’sveran¬ destine whiskeyandsodawhenhemet commander oftheSomaliNational gested apicnictome,withbothour lips seemedalwayscurledinto amis¬ nose, andgleamingwhite teeth. His Army, aMuslimwhoenjoyedclan¬ eral Elmiandentourage.was families comingalongaswellGen¬ test onadifferentscale.BigMikesug¬ American technologywasputtothe seemed ephemeral. saved thousandsoflives,buttheresult executed asaPattoninvasion,andit fort, theAIDdirector’sdeploymentof Not longafterthedisaster-reliefef¬ called it“TheUmbroiler.” Itshould spare ribs.TheAbercrombie catalog better yet,“TheUmbelievable.” have beencalled“TheUmbrage” or, placed hamburgerpattiesor barbecued suspended bythepole,onwhichyou concentrating thesun’sraysonagrill opened uplikeaninvertedumbrella, aluminum polewithareflectorthat would testthatveryday.Itwasan Abercrombie andFitchwhichwe fully, amarvelousnewinventionfrom fore Elmiandmeatlunchtime.He admiring theman. had justreceived,heannouncedpride- technology wouldmakeitsdebutbe¬ surance andpride.Youcouldnothelp troops onparade,heradiatedself-as¬ We setoutin jeepsonemorning, Big Mike'snewestexampleofhigh 35 before the sun began to bake the the sun. All eyes were fixed on the ties. “Of course, they didn’t ask the ground, and by lunchtime we had reddish patties. For ten minutes all Somalis, but one fine day a prize bull reached our picnic spot on the coast, eyes remained fixed on the reddish pat¬ arrived at the port and your AID direc¬ where miles of dunes were studded ties. After five minutes the patties tor of the time arranged a ceremony for with clumps of thick grass. After a were still uncooked, and Mike had be¬ turning over the creature to the Somali swim, we unloaded the picnic baskets, gun diversionary conversation. In an¬ Republic. On the appointed day, the unfolded lightweight chairs, and be¬ other five minutes, as Mike brewed American ambassador was present, to¬ gan the cookout. Elmi grinned at one of his typically ingenious rationali¬ gether with the president of the repub¬ Mike. “You don’t mean to tell me that zations, tender chunks of roast kid lic, the prime minister, the district this American gimmick of yours really were brought to our table by nomads commissioner, and other notables, in¬ works. By god, if it does, you can or¬ whom the general had commanded to cluding myself. The bull was let out der a million copies through your AID fetch native fare to make up for shoddy into the pasture with the Somali cows. program, pepper the Somali bush with American technology. The food was Everybody expected him to do his them, and revolutionize the life of the delicious. stuff, but he refused to perform and lay nomad. ” When we got back, General Elmi down lazily in the grass. There was “Don’t give me that stuff, Elmi,” could hardly wait to tell Derby about consternation among the notables, replied Mike. “Just wait and see.” And Big Mike’s latest debacle. The AID particularly the American ambassador, so at high noon, under the blazing director fumed under his desert hat, who was from Texas and knew all sun, approximately one degree north expecting a recitation about the pit- about bulls and cows. At that mo¬ of the equator and in the middle of the falls of high technology and the virtues ment, an aged nomad with a walking summer, Big Mike set up his Aber¬ of the simple but pure life. Instead, stick stepped forward and said, ‘I can crombie and Fitch miracle. As a score Elmi told a parable—or, perhaps, a talk to bulls. I will ask him what is the of spear-carrying nomads clustered para-bull. matter.’ The president nodded his as¬ around to witness the “White Man’s “It seems that the Americans decid¬ sent and the old man went up to the Magic,” Mike placed several ham¬ ed that what Somalia needed most for bull. ‘Why are you lying down on the burger patties on the grill. General its economic development was a fine job?' he whispered in the animal’s ear. Elmi explained to the spectators in So¬ bull to improve the cattle herds,” Elmi “ ‘Well,’ replied the bull, ‘I was mali that the Americans had invented told the ambassador while Big Mike sent over here to advise, not to a new way to cook meat by the heat of turned the color of his hamburger pat¬ work.’ ” CD
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JULY/AUGUST 1982 37 But that same unpopularity also Congress Swings ment aid and conservatives who emphasized military assistance. Dis¬ suggests one overriding conclusion— (Continued, from page 21.) sension over El Salvador could shatter that the administration should, for the ■—means that the Congress can have, this coalition. sake of its own political interest as well and will have a real effect on policy. Of Is there a better way, one that might as U.S. national interest, play down course, the reverse pendulum has not work? The obvious alternative is for an the Central American conflict. This been operating in all policy areas—on administration to reach for the center, prescription will be hard to implement economic policy, the Reagan momen¬ to avoid accentuating the reverse pen¬ if our leaders really believe that events tum dominated congressional action in dulum and try instead to dampen its there are as crucial to U.S. interests as 1981 and his embattled recovery pro¬ swing. In fact, in its key foreign policy relations with Europe, East Asia, the gram still defines the issues in 1982. campaigns with Congress last year, the Mideast-Persian Gulf states, or the So¬ But neither is it simply limited to Reagan White House pursued a strik¬ viet Union. But if the consequences of Central America, as demonstrated by ingly more centrist path—balancing the internal power struggles in these the nuclear freeze movement and the military and economic policy instru¬ poor, small Central American states sudden surge in arms controls pro¬ ments, even stressing continuity with just are not that important to the posals. its predecessors. Only in this way United States, then the administration Is all this good or bad? The congres¬ could it prevent humiliation on the spotlight should be shifted to other sional reaction to both Carter and Rea¬ AWACS sale to Saudi Arabia and win places. This cannot be done, however, gan administration policies reflected under a hard-line policy that is bound public concerns that seemed to be ne¬ to generate political contention and glected by the administrations, and cause the spotlight to return. Instead, Congressional pressure succeeded in the administration should move to moving policy at least somewhat. Con¬ bury the contentious issues in broader gress thus provides a useful constraint international negotiations involving on any administration tempted to go Mexico and Venezuela, play up the Ca¬ on ideological binges, a temptation ribbean Basin initiative, and play particularly acute in areas of the world down the U.S. stakes in any particular of secondary interest to key allies and outcome in El Salvador. D’Aubuis- adversaries. In addition, Congress has son’s strong showing in the March managed to affect Reagan’s policy, at elections renders this all the more least to date, without imposing rigid desirable. controls on the president or statutory Simultaneously, we can follow Rob¬ insults to other sovereign states. ert Pastor’s recent suggestion in the New Republic and try to turn domestic Shattering a Coalition constraints into diplomatic virtues. Senator Stephen Symms On the negative side, the combina¬ Serious consultations with a range of (R. -Idaho) counterattacked from tion of the administration's initial congressional leaders will clarify these the right by submitting a thrust and the critical reaction has constraints, and the results may help resolution to reaffirm the grossly exaggerated the importance of convince the Salvadoran government commitment to use force if the Central American region and the that it must be open to serious negotia¬ necessary to stop Cuban U.S. stakes there. Coping with Con¬ tions, and that a worsening record on aggression. gress has levied an enormous tax on the human rights or economic reform time and attention of senior policy offi¬ might well cause Congress to with¬ cials, who must make a major effort in draw aid. Similarly, the fact that the congressional arena explaining and enactment of the new assistance appro¬ Americans will not abide combat in¬ defending themselves in order to limit priation. Reagan’s proposal for strate¬ volvement should be used to convince legislative action. The public nature of gic arms reduction, outlined in a the center-right in El Salvador that we the fight means that yet another U.S. speech at Eureka College, may prove to will not bail them out militarily. The administration comes across as com¬ be another step in the centrist direc¬ odds for the complete success of such a promised and shaky in its capacity to tion. The problem with a centrist ap¬ policy are not overwhelming but the deliver on policy promises. The ad¬ proach, of course, is the risk that no¬ prospects for other options are hardly ministration risks ending up looking body will be very enthusiastic about it. any better. Such a course, might, if both wrong and impotent. What may If congressional energy and sentiment properly explained, command broad if be worse, the controversy threatens are polarized, then a middle-of-the- unenthusiastic congressional support. key legislation such as foreign assis¬ road policy will be attacked from the The reputation the administration tance. The fiscal 1982 aid appropri¬ left and the right! The likely unpopu¬ would gain for pragmatism and rea¬ ation, the first such bill passed in three larity of any near-term outcome in sonableness in this area might even years, was the result of a fragile coali¬ Central America compounds the po¬ spill over to other issues, to its benefit tion of liberals who favored develop¬ litical problem. and our own. CH
38 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL travel back and forth to posts alone, rev¬ that equipment and variety of educational eled in the added confidence this responsi¬ opportunities of large American high bility gave them. Allied to the previous schools, as well as their closer proximity to FOREIGN two factors was frequent mention of con¬ real life problems, were advantageous. siderable social association with adults (“I Does one become an expatriate? Yes and no. was exposed to adults at an early age”) Many commented that it was harder to SERVICE which gave them greater assurance in com¬ readjust to an American school, after being parison with their stay-at-home peers. away from this country, than to a totally PEOPLE They also appreciated the unusual oppor¬ strange one abroad. Usually, this was over¬ tunities to meet interesting adults of all come in a few months, but for many, there nationalities and stations in life, from na¬ continues a feeling of being somewhat Learning About tive servants to statesmen and artists. apart and not being able to join fully in the Foreign Service Life A substantial number wrote of serious parochial views and interests of their fel¬ interest in international relations spring¬ low students who had never left home. from Our Juniors ing from their experiences abroad. The Some mention identity crises: “I was too notes of idealism, concern for the elimina¬ cosmopolitan to be simply an American.” The annual AFSA/AAFSW Merit Scholar¬ tion of misery and for local aspirations But the collateral evidence of school rec¬ ship competition provides a window on (“The world does not revolve around the ords and counselors reports indicates that how the high school generation views and U.S.”) are commendably dominant. There this select group thrived competitively is affected by life in the Foreign Service. A is also frequent reflection of interest in or¬ and were well accepted by their peers in review of more than 90 brief essays written ganizational mechanics and in the com¬ the United States after a short adjustment by this year’s contestants confirms some plexity of intractable problems. “I have period. stereotypes but reveals a few conclusions come to understand more about American On another dimension, there is repeated that may surprise some readers. It is true foreign policy by seeing it in action.” evidence that patriotism is generally en¬ that this is not a scientifically balanced These interests have been followed up in hanced by Foreign Service life. There may opinion sample. It is a self-selected group many cases by participation in model be a defensive element in this, but it is of achievers in the higher brackets of intel¬ United Nations sessions, doing work on deep and sincere. “Many things about the lectual capacity. Furthermore, there may American elections, interning in Congres¬ U.S., which I otherwise have taken for be in the essays a little calculated euphoria, sional offices, and working for internation¬ granted, I appreciate more now.” “I have rightly expecting the judges’ sympathies al agencies. always been sure who I was.” “The most to be generally pro-Foreign-Service-life- Does their education suffer? All have had important thing the Foreign Service has style (a word that appears frequently in the some of their education abroad, quite a few done for me is provide me with a feeling of essays). Be that as it may, certain highly more than half of it. Predominantly, this satisfaction of having learned and explored credible themes stand out. was at American or international schools, the world around me. I am as American as What do they like about Foreign Service life? but there was a substantial sprinkling of apple pie and coffee.” The most frequently mentioned factor is local schooling, often in languages other —H. G. TORBERTJR. broadened perspectives, both in the sense than English. On their own testimony, Chairman of exciting and novel experiences and of with only one or two exceptions, they AFSA Committee on Education cross-cultural understanding. “The great¬ think it was a positive rather than negative est thing ... is growing up under the factor. One young lady went so far as to Deaths premise that people are different and their say, “I have attended five secondary differences are natural”; “I have learned to schools [she was an evacuee] and do not RALPH HILTON, who split his long career accept what is different and be more re¬ believe this has hindered my education in between journalism and the Foreign Ser¬ served in my judgments”; “{Foreign Serv¬ any way.” Most soberly admitted readjust¬ vice, died March 12 at Hilton Head Hos¬ ice experience] eliminated tunnel vision”; ment difficulties in changing schools. But pital in South Carolina following a long "I believe I have no prejudices for or the majority of those who made a compari¬ illness. He was 74. against any group of people.” son felt they got more out of their schools Hilton began his working career at the Perhaps the second most prevalent abroad than those in the U.S. They attrib¬ age of 12 as a columnist and janitor for the theme, and food for sober thought by par¬ uted this to the smaller size of schools Simpsonville County News in Mississippi. ents, especially Washington-entangled abroad (the comparison was usually with a His family moved to Jackson when he was ones, is that family ties are stronger large, suburban Washington high school); 15, and he joined the Daily News there. abroad, partly of necessity. “We took all greater discipline; a more serious attitude When a student at George Washington our vacations together and that made for toward study (select international group of University, he covered the Mississippi close family unity”; “My parents passed on students); the great advantage and sense of congressional delegation for his hometown to my brothers, sisters, and me a love for accomplishment of language study in situ; paper. Hilton became a free-lance journal¬ other cultures and respect for other nation¬ more teacher attention; the supportive ef¬ ist, then joined the Associated Press. In alities.” A third strong theme is that of fect of the relatively elite and compact in¬ 1943, Nelson Rockefeller, then undersec¬ added maturity, independence, and ability ternational community; less peer pressure retary of state for Latin American affairs, to cope with problems. This seems to vary on social problems such as drugs; and spe¬ asked him to join the staff of the office of in direct proportion to difficulties encoun¬ cial environmental advantages—“Educa¬ Inter-American Affairs in Lima, Peru. For tered in diplomatic life. Several, who had tion is . . . learning to appreciate the new the next 22 years, Hilton served as consul, been involved in uprisings, evacuations, and the different.” One student in a Bom¬ consul general, and charge d’affairs of sev¬ and hostage situations, reacted positively bay school mentioned the educational val¬ eral U.S. missions in Latin America. He to the experience gained. Others, who ue of finding that “I was part of a minor¬ held posts in Costa Rica, Argentina, Para¬ have attended boarding schools and had to ity.” On the other hand, most recognized guay, and in Europe. He was a member of
JULY/AUGUST 1982 39 both the Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs and the State Department Board of Examiners. Hilton was the editor and a contributor to Tales of the Foreign Service, published in FOREIGN EXCHANGE 1978 by the Journal in conjunction with University of South Carolina Press. The book is still in print and as popular as ever. Curiosity about the island named for a dis¬ ART OLD JEWELRY tant relative led him to retirement on Hil¬ ton Head Island, where he fulfilled a long¬ PAUL JACOULET Japanese woodblock prints ANTIQUE AND OLD JEWELRY and fragments time dream by founding and running a wanted. Moro, P.O. Box 64376, Los Angeles, CA from foreign cultures sought for purchase by former weekly newspaper, the Island Packet. He 90064. Foreign Service collector and designer. Please call later founded the Savannah Journal-Record Betty Battle at (202) 244-9109 or write 4856 Rock- wood Pkwy., NW, Washington DC 20016. arid Southern World magazine. A self-con¬ RENT-A-CAR fessed “unreformed newspaperman,” Hil¬ ton once said (tongue in cheek): “being an Al RENT-A-CAR, featuring new 1982 FORDS, of¬ BOOKS editor is the easiest job on earth.” fers economical daily, weekly, and monthly rates. Mary Jane Kendall Hilton, his first We rent all size cars, from sub-compacts to station IF YOU ARE LOOKING for an out-of-print book, wife, died in 1970. He later married the wagons. 8 passenger vans and trucks also avail¬ perhaps I can find it. Dean Chamberlin, FSIO-re- former Dorothy Asnip, who survives him, able. Ask about our weekend specials. For informa¬ tired. Book Cellar, Freeport, Maine 04032. as does his daughter, Mary Jane Field, and tion and reservations call (703) 684-4087. AMERI¬ CAN INTERNATIONAL RENT-A-CAR, 2804 two stepsons, two sisters, three grandchil¬ CURRENT PAPERBACKS airmailed within 5 days Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. at reasonable prices. Send for monthly list to Circle dren, and ten step-grandchildren. Enterprises, Box 1051, Severna Park, Maryland RESIDENCE WANTED 21146. JEANNE-MARIE KRYZA, wife of retired Ambassador E. Gregory Kryza, died of FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR, non-smoker, needs VACATION cancer on April 11 at Georgetown Univer¬ apartment/houseshare/housesit in BONN/CO¬ sity Hospital in Washington, D.C. A LOGNE area for 1982-83 academic year or 10/1/ HOME LEAVE VACATION: Jordan Hollow Farm, memorial mass was celebrated on April 28 82-2/15/83. Contact: Kiechel, Box 4853, Washing¬ 45 acres, Blue Ridge foothills. $18 per person per ton, DC 20008. at Dahlgren Chapel, Georgetown night double occupancy, private bath. Children un¬ University. der six free. (301) 897-9313 or (703) 778-2209. “Jeannette,” as she was known to her PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Route 2 Box 375, Stanley, VA 22851. many friends, accompanied her husband on Foreign Service assignments to Tan¬ At your next party, you’ll be able to rave about us! INVESTMENTS gier, Santo Domingo, Curacao, Brussels, POTOMAC PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, 602 Belgrade, Nairobi, Kinshasa, Rio de Jan¬ Pendleton St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Taking care of your house is our ONLY business. (202) 362- INVESTMENTS/IRAs: G. Claude Villarreal (former eiro, and Nouakchott. 2543, (703) 548-3029. FSIO), Account Executive, Dean Witter Reynolds She was born in La Verrie-Vendee, Inc., 1850 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006. France. A graduate of the University of REAL ESTATE (202) 862-9000. Members New York Stock Paris, she was a professeur au lycee in France Exchange. prior to her marriage. She also taught in NORTH MYRTLE BEACH. Thinking of a vacation TAX RETURNS the Arlington, Virginia, school system. or retirement home, or other investment in coastal She is survived by her husband, now South Carolina? If so, call or write Bill Dozier (FSO- living at 2028 Wellfleet Ct., Falls retired), Dozier Associates, POB 349, North Myrtle TAX RETURNS. All tax matters including consulta¬ Church, Virginia 22043; two sons, Frank Beach, S.C. 29582. Tel. (803) 249-4043. tion, extensions, filing one late return, IRS repre¬ T. of New Haven, Connecticut, and sentation, for one annual fee ($125). Milton E. Carb. CENTER STAGE: Your real estate problems de¬ E.A., 833 S. Washington St., #8, Alexandria, VA Christopher D. of Falls Church; a brother, serve the spotlight I will give them. Life in the For¬ 22314. (703) 684-1040. Guy Deniau, of Pau, France; and a sister, eign Service merry-go-round has given me a spe¬ Yvonne Lartigue, of Bayonne, France. cial understanding of your needs. I will help you with TAX PROBLEMS, returns and representation. T.R. buying, selling or renting a house, and I also provide McCartney (ex-FS) and John Zysk (ex-IRS), En¬ property management services. Elizabeth H. Mas¬ rolled Agents. Business Data Corp., P.O. Box ters. VAN METRE PROPERTIES, INC., 9880 Main 57256, Washington, DC 20037. (703) 522-1040. Birthday St., Fairfax, VA 22031. Tel.:(703) 385-3930. TAX SHELTER GUIDANCE.
LOY HENDERSON celebrated his ninetieth NORTHERN VIRGINIA BOUND? Bill Mason EXCHANGE RATES birthday on June 28. Bruce Laingen writes (FSSO, retired) understands your needs. Contact that Henderson “remains the ultimate him at Showcase Realty, 5105 Backlick Road, An- nandale, VA 22003. Tel.:(703) 354-6500. gentleman, the classic diplomat, the pub¬ Classified advertising in the FOREIGN EXCHANGE is lic-spirited private citizen. {His birthday open to any person who wishes to reach the profes¬ BEAUTIFUL SPACIOUS LAKEFRONT HOME. sional diplomatic community. The rate is 50 cents presents] a unique opportunity for all of us Prestigious retirement community, Leesburg, FL. 1 per word per insertion. Telephone numbers count to remember him with our best wishes, hr. north of Orlando. Mnfg., 7 rooms, privacy, land¬ as one word and zip codes are free. To place a and . . . reaffirm to ourselves and to the scaping, super club house, marina, security, bro¬ classified ad or to receive our rate card for regular Service the importance of discipline, in¬ chures. $59,000. SIGNELL, COLUMBIA PLAZA display advertising, write Foreign Service Journal, tegrity, and commitment to the health of C 813. 2400 VA. AVE.. N.W., WASHINGTON. DC 2101 E St. NW. Washington, DC 20037. Checks (201) 296-6332. should accompany all classified insertion orders. our profession."
40 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Overseas insurance either replaces your household effects at today's prices or
Actual Cash Value Current Replacement Cost Most overseas insurance policies cover your The American Foreign Service Association is household effects for their replacement cost less sponsoring a Package Insurance Program for AFSA depreciation. This means that your $500 stereo sys¬ members only. The AFSA program covers you for the tem purchased 5 years ago may have an actual cash replacement cost of household furniture and personal value of only $250 today. That’s what most overseas effects that are lost or destroyed. insurance policies (or the Claims Act) would pay if it This means that your $500 stereo system would were lost or destroyed—hardly enough to replace the be replaced with a similar system at today’s prices entire system at today’s prices. even though they may be higher than $500, subject only to the policy deductible of $50.00. Under the AFSA plan you can also add coverage for valuables or worldwide personal liability for you and your family. All with the assurance that you’ll get fast, fair claims service. And the rates are low. Basic property insurance costs only 750 per $100 of coverage. Give yourself some peace of mind before you ✓ move overseas. Send for our free brochure to help you determine how much insurance you need S and how much it will cost. Or call your AFSA s' insurance specialist at: S
14 East Highland Avenue Philadelphia, Pa. 19118 (215) CH2-8200. yS Send me your free brochure S (with built-in application form) that S answers my questions about s' overseas insurance. / yf Name
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