My dear P.M.,

A criticism of the work of the British Diplomatic Service abroad
that has occurred to me from time to time is that it continues to
confine itself too narrowly to diplomacy.

As one goes back into the past, long before the War, the work of
an Embassy or Legation abroad was confined to contact with highly-
placed individuals and an interpretation of their thoughts and
probable actions, for, in those days, the few influential people
at the head of a State were the State to all intents and purposes.

However, as democracy developed, it brought with it the factors of
public opinion and the Press, which have obviously become
increasingly important in the relations between States.

The field has widened tremendously in consequence. In my opinion,
the modern diplomat abroad has to be a man of many more parts than
formerly. He has to keep himself informed of the balance of public
opinion on international questions as reflected in the press, and
he has to have a clear picture of the country to which he is
accredited, which entails a lot of travelling and of constantly
meeting people of all shades of opinion and of all walks of life.

This entails a life of searching activity on the part of the
Ambassador and of his entire staff, and it is an interpretation of
the diplomatic function that I do not think the old style
European-trained diplomat is, in most cases, capable of accepting.

Apart from its comparatively simple function as the diplomatic
mouth and ear of its country at a foreign capital, I see the
modern Embassy or Legation as an 'Intelligence collecting centre',
which should have its lines of information coming in from all
parts of the country and from all spheres of the country's
activity, being digested and checked by experts and coming before
the Ambassador or Minister regularly, so that he can at any moment
tell his own government how any proposal is likely to be received,
not only by the Government to which he is accredited but by the
country. It should not be impossible, in addition, to have means
at its disposal for the dissemination of ideas and opinions.

It is my impression that in a great many cases the Embassy staff
confine their attention too closely to meeting members of the
Government and their colleagues. It may be due to lack of staff or
to lack of ability or too specialised diplomatic training on the
part of the staff. But, as I say, it is my impression that our
diplomatic posts abroad have not always kept pace with the
necessities of the day.

This is a generalisation that is obviously untrue in certain
cases-but again, I think, is obviously true in others. It is
probably all a question of the individual.

I asked Hankey [1] what he thought about the above and he said
that he realised that the criticism had grounds. In going on to
speak of successful Ambassadors, he mentioned D'Abernon (Berlin)
[2], Geddes (Washington) [3], Lloyd (Cairo) [4], and possibly
Crewe (Paris) [5]-none of them 'career' men. This did not mean
that there were not outstanding men amongst the diplomats proper,
but he remarked on the value of non-diplomatic training.

In this regard the remarkable tribute paid to D'Abernon by his
successor in Berlin (Sir Ronald Lindsay), in a recent despatch, is
worth quoting:-

One event in Germany in 1926 has received no mention in this
report, namely, the departure of my predecessor. With Lord
D'Abernon's actual work you are familiar, and on it I need not
expatiate. I may, however, allow myself to refer to the quite
extraordinary position he acquired in the country to which he was
accredited. His deep knowledge of the art of government, his
vitality and keen interest in every branch of life, his
reasonableness and readiness to talk politics when other
representatives would talk in terms of peace treaties; all these
qualities, combined with the chaotic conditions prevailing in
Germany during his years of office, enabled him to command
extraordinary authority in the land. I have never heard of any
Ambassador in any modern Western European country who attained to
such a position as that of Lord D'Abernon in Germany.

I am, Yours sincerely,
R. G. CASEY