Ambassador in Paris
Galbraith, Evan
AMBASSADOR IN PARIS: THE REAGAN YEARS Evan Galbraith/Regnery Gateway/$16.95 Ernest van den Haag In the past—without telephones larly important. Indeed it is important and jet planes—ambassadors...
...occurred to the State Department that Not all our ambassadors have fully most of the cabled information, difunderstood, or are able to accomplish, ficult as it was to procure in the eight-their new task...
...Neither was above try- , language on 1: ing to use policy toward America and i• Catalog a the American embassy for purposes of 1 yo domestic political advantage...
...And bassadorial life interesting...
...only to bureaucrats who want to make Further, in closed societies, embassies a record...
...I Ben only had to impress and persuade wish he had had more careful editors: the Court...
...Later France ac-we we must need...
...Yet unfortunately, Evan forming their governments about what Galbraith was the exception rather than was going on in the country to which the rule...
...and there are some other tion, and appeared on television...
...Having lived in Paris as an overstaffed, since they are used for international banker, he spoke French much spying...
...Today an embassy knowledge of their language and his is at best one of many sources of such love of their civilization...
...Some • Arm Tougert your cwopy-n v Free . : a Call toll-tree: 1-80t}243-12341 • diplomacy was needed indeed to avert 1 or fill out and send this ad to - 0 damage to American interests...
...Governments often anyone (it hardly ever is), and add to make trade and travel difficult and em- it...
...Olin Professor of Jurisprudence and But Galbraith did grasp the truly imPublic Policy at Fordham University...
...Imummimmoi, G albraith was confronted with a A offers difficult situation...
...Surely there are enough another by telephone or in person...
...Not his real task was not to sit in the em-quite...
...But much of what they Ernest van den Haag is the John M do need not be done by the embassy...
...Evan Galbraith, our eenth century, is now readily available ambassador to France 1981-86, has...
...I did what they could to make the life of 1 personnel...
...Soviet embassies are not equipped...
...Gal- • Audio-Forum braith managed to avoid it...
...Ours, so used by the CIA well (for an American...
...Neither as I ^ Spanish ^ French ^ German ^ Polish I tedious as the former, nor quite as witty ^ Greek ^ Russian ^ Vietnamese %0 Bulg as the latter, the ambassador's diary en- 0 Other ^Turkish ^Hausa I tries are informative, lively, and often Ala I= ow mg we so sOlb THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR JULY 1988 47...
...This may not represented abroad by plenipoten- be easy with respect to Afghanistantiaries...
...easier to negotiate directly with one But France...
...has had a more revealing...
...They do not detract, however, worked hard and produced results...
...from the readability of his informative America is better known and liked in book replete of "instruction and France because of his efforts...
...and he used information, competing with newspa- his gifts fully in the service of his pers, TV, and official travelers of all country...
...There are Name I substantial analyses of French and 1 American foreign policy and of the I Address Apt.* I sources that produce it...
...I doubt that the U.S...
...It never seems to have pursue...
...Galbraith understood early on that Are embassies obsolete then...
...Above all, in free so- cable): "economics, finance, agricieties, embassies have become the ma- culture, military affairs, politics, scijor public relations centers for their ence . . . transportation . . . drugs, home countries and the policies they crime, labor...
...They help to overcome the bassy reading the cable traffic, too obstacles governments put in one voluminous anyway to be read by another's way...
...kinds...
...Galbraith traveled all over, there is no word "appendixes" in any gave speeches like a candidate for elec- language...
...All of it is well written, but the diary part—a cross be- I City I tween Eleanor Roosevelt's My Day and . William F Buckley, Jr.'s published State/Zip I 1 I am particularly interested in (check choice):diaries—is most fascinating...
...He lapses...
...It was...
...Today the principals find it although more efforts could be made...
...ly proud of its language, this is particu- True, the personnel barely suffices for what they do...
...He from public sources, and much of it is came to the job magnificently not needed...
...portant job of a modern ambassador...
...foreign have a what quired a government of a socialist . president "cohabitating" with a conser- 1 • . vative cabinet...
...We have 130 courses the American ambassador difficult and • in 47 languages, so Learn 1 • to hinder his mission...
...The French appreciated his they had been sent...
...State Dept...
...speaks the language of the country to Their principals needed to be which he is ambassador...
...American embassies are ex-still are of importance as contacts with pected to report on everything (all by the government...
...When he ar- f BUDIOCCIRUM® the best in self-instructional foreign lanrived, France had a socialist-led govern- I guage courses using audio cassettes, fea- I ment that included Communists, who turing those used to train U.S...
...amusement alike...
...qualified persons in America who Ambassadors were important too in in- speak French...
...Much of this traffic is of importance bassies help travelers and businessmen...
...I Room B706, On-the-Green I His book clearly suggests that Gal-Guilford, CT 06437 braith's interests were not limited by his I (203) 453-9794 I public relations activity...
...Indeed it is important and jet planes—ambassadors were everywhere to send someone who important in diplomatic negotiations...
...In France, just- only to a minor degree, are overstaffed...
...His style is easygoing and he persuasive and diligent representative has no trouble making his am-in Paris since Benjamin Franklin...
Vol. 21 • July 1988 • No. 7
