◆ SpookStack

Cee cai ineanemnene ated inthe mind’s eye as the gegerat pattern — cynical, long-lgired young gentlemen tadaling jrom one cocktail party fo another, never meeeing ordinary people, and proclaiming a belief a noth- ing at au. Perhaps the worst example was in Argentina, where I went this year It was ohvious even then that ebanges were coming. 1b was also ooly tog obvioas chat the wete grabbing tremen- us trade there. Maclean's chair now? THE SORT OF real THAT HAPPENS IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE WHO is sitting in Donald Could I get }the Embassy sta® to palk about [ and disguss what we might do? Could £ hell, The Ambassador, ant of the better ones, wis new there. ‘There was also @ good Labour Adviser, who was, not ont of the Foreign Oiece mould. The present Head of our Americon: Department ot Tthe Foreign Office is a diplomat who has never been to the United States! He is a top-ranking au- thority on Eastern affairs. le has studied conditions intimately in Bagdad and Béirut—but not in Brooklyn. But, with the excep- tion of thess two, mast of the rest in thig/ key! area seemed ta kd out: of this world, : LEVITY | Y¥Y final picture of} the Argentine: British diplomatic stat will always be a wonder- fuk Allce-in-Wonderiand uiat, influence inthis area was going on between us and the Americans, This position, Ve was ex-Indian Army— kuowing “absolutely nothing.” in his own words, about fluancial Dolicy, economics or polttics { How did he get there ? CYNICS “ Bi” He told me, “the Crown Agents advertised it apd Y was on a list of retired suldjers and so they saw me and T gof it” nothing remains s man owas in a key, dinner. Many of the Embassy stalt were there with their indies, just! to Meet ws. i Every attempt Lmade ta dis- cuss Argentina and British pras- pects there was met with levity and cynicism, Tp counter it, they trotted out every stale joke ever heard about the Labour Government. Incidentally, ihe Socialists had already beon out of office three years. From quips about groundiuts te jokes about the Coal Bokrd and even about the amouny of milk for expeetant motherg in} i947—we had the lot. : DISORDER-| | HE final curtain was peqity fine disorder, as T lost my temper and displayed how un- suitable I would be for appoint- ment te the eyniert, Inefectual, pratiling bedy we call our diplo- matic seevice. Spies? Of course we havé to ake fhem seriously. But the trouble in the Forfisn fice goes much deeper Man |