FSJ Special Collections

Who Runs Foreign Policy?

• Mr. Carr Surveys the Rogers Bill
  July 1924
  Assistant Secretary of State Wilbur Carr gives an optimistic assessment of the Rogers Bill that will institute sweeping reform to the Foreign Service.
• The New Duties of Our Foreign Service
  July 1942
  At the outbreak of WWII some declared that diplomacy would be irrelevant during conflict, yet diplomats perform indispensable and highly consequential roles in times of war.
• Democratic Diplomacy and the Role of Propaganda
  October 1953
  Diplomats must carefully manage messaging and public relations, yet when does the diplomat begin to look like a propagandist?
• Diplomacy and the Press
  January 1954
  The relationship between diplomat and reporter is a delicate one where serving the national interest may mean very different things for sharing certain information with the public.
• RIF and Return
  September 1954
  An FSO receives an unexpected separation notice, and after a year of life out of government, receives an invitation to return to the Foreign Service.
• Morality and Foreign Affairs
  September 1956
  The U.S. must strike a tenuous balance between idealist aspirations and realist groundings as it aims to make foreign policy that is both pragmatic and progressive.
• AID’s First Year
  January 1963
  The first Deputy Administrator of USAID discusses standing up the new agency, its goals and where progress is already being made.
• The Question of Foreign Service Resignations
  July 1970
  The debate on whether FSOs should resign when serving policies they cannot accept centers on how the department’s culture handles dissenting views, professional conformity and the balance between policy implementation and formulation.
• Leaks – A Reporter’s Viewpoint
  November 1980
  A diplomatic correspondent describes how leaks happen, the cautions journalists must exercise in sourcing those speaking on background and the relationship between the press and the public.
• Reform or Withdrawal
  June 1984
  As the United States ponders leaving UNESCO due to frustration with its direction, it must deliberate on how withdrawal may lessen its ability to influence reform from within.

Frontline Diplomacy

• The FSO’s in Manila
  June 1942
  Hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese forces descended on Manila, and American FSOs struggled to evacuate after being cut off for weeks.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis
  July 1971
  An FSO recounts high-level policy deliberations that transpired as nuclear missile-ferrying Soviet ships inched closer to Cuba.
• From Pearl Harbor to Potsdam
  September 1980
  An FSO describes wartime duties that span some of the most consequential discussions and conferences that devised the post-war international order.
• Escape from Mogadishu
  March 1991
  An ambassador recalls the harrowing experience of evacuating from Mogadishu as the Somali city experienced a violent uprising.

Foreign Service Families

• Wriston Report: The Feminine View
  May 1955
  Foreign Service wives and mothers experience many fears about what life abroad means for their families, but an open mind and confidence in one’s own ability to adjust often make living abroad a positive family experience.
• Stop Feeling Sorry for your Children
  September 1960
  A survey of 95 Foreign Service children reveals that the challenges of raising children abroad must be clearly divided between the natural difficulties of growing up and the unique trials of living in multiple countries.
• The Foreign Service Wife
  February 1969
  The wives of American diplomats have unique social advantages and exhibit strong personalities not only due to the great freedom they enjoy, but also the trials such freedom incurs.
• One Step Ahead for Spouses by Katrina Ecton
  May 1991
  Foreign Service spouses face awkward challenges when seeking employment, but State can creatively leverage their unique familiarity with government functions to employ FS spouses in educating others.
• Unwilling Unemployment by Barbara Frechette
  June 1992
  Spouses can gain employment and contribute to the FS community by getting more involved with Community Liaison Offices and again seize the roles spouses played prior to a controversial 1972 directive that changed their status.
• Helping a Spouse Find Work Abroad by Francine Modderno
  September 1994
  There are a number of programs that can help FS spouses find work, even in times of declining budgets and changing demographics within the Foreign Service.

Offbeat

• Jesuit Technical Assistance to the Emperor of China
  February 1958
  For many years Jesuits cultivated diplomatic and scientific relationships with Imperial China to enable cultural exchange and missionary work.
• Post Report From Mars
  April 1958
  An update from Embassy Mars reveals the lifestyle and challenges of a hardship post on the red planet.
• A Yankee at the Court of the Tsars
  June 1960
  John Quincy Adams was in such dire financial straits while representing the U.S. in Russia that his mother felt compelled to write a letter to President James Madison requesting relief.
• Confessions of a Washington Ghost Writer
  June 1980
  Often at Secretary John Foster Dulles’ command, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Burke Wilkinson would drop everything to help top administration officials prepare speeches, articles and testimony.

Categories

Africa

• Escape from Mogadishu
  March 1991
  An ambassador recalls the harrowing experience of evacuating from Mogadishu as the Somali city experienced a violent uprising.

Asia

• The Service’s Only Samurai
  December 1922
  Watari Ebiharah served the American consulate in Kobe, Japan for 39 years, but earlier in life he served a liege lord as a samurai in the waning days of feudal Japan.
• Jesuit Technical Assistance to the Emperor of China
  February 1958
  For many years Jesuits cultivated diplomatic and scientific relationships with Imperial China to enable cultural exchange and missionary work.

Development & Aid

• AID’s First Year
  January 1963
  The first Deputy Administrator of USAID discusses standing up the new agency, its goals and where progress is already being made.

Diplomatic Security

• Embassy Marines
  June 1971
  Marines secure and defend embassies around the clock and have often been the first line of defense against crises.
• Diplomatic Protection: Increasing Security for Embassies & Top Officials May Stimulate Terrorists to Lower Their Sights
  June 1981
  Embassy personnel are frequently the targets of threats and the inherent conspicuousness of diplomatic work invites danger. What can State do to enhance the preparedness and safety of its people?
• Diplomats & Terrorism: A Former Hostage Looks at the Need For Physical Safety and Multilateral Accords
  September 1981
  The chief of mission of the American embassy in Tehran in 1979 reflects on his experience as a hostage and the legacy of the crisis on the principles that safeguard the protection of diplomats.
• Security and Terrorism: Questions, Misgivings Remain
  June 1985
  A Journal survey reveals a startling lack of confidence in the government’s ability to protect its people overseas.
• The 4.2 Billion Man: An Interview with Robert E. Lamb
  December 1985
  The Journal interviews Coordinator for Diplomatic Security Robert E. Lamb as State prepares to establish the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

Dissent

• Morality and Foreign Affairs
  September 1956
  The U.S. must strike a tenuous balance between idealist aspirations and realist groundings as it aims to make foreign policy that is both pragmatic and progressive.
• The Question of Foreign Service Resignations
  July 1970
  The debate on whether FSOs should resign when serving policies they cannot accept centers on how the department’s culture handles dissenting views, professional conformity and the balance between policy implementation and formulation.

Europe

• Jefferson’s NATO
  July 1954
  Thomas Jefferson had his own challenging experiences in organizing a coalition of states to deal with a common threat.
• The USRO and American Foreign Policy
  February 1955
  The USRO coordinated and navigated the surge in diplomatic activity in the early years of the NATO alliance.
• Europe’s Stride Towards Unity: Accents Need for U. S. to Maintain Liberal Trade Policy
  January 1958
  In the immediate post-war period six European nations sought to closely coordinate their economic activity and break down the barriers between them.
• European Defense: A Return to Brussels
  November 1971
  European nations have often struggled to harmonize economic integration with defense integration.
• The Atlantic Alliance
  June 1981
  New administrations have often taken office with hopes to reinvigorate NATO, but alliance politics guarantee challenges to any reform-minded agenda.
• The European Question
  November 1982
  The fate of Europe has been a central concern of the United States for decades, and the extent to which common interest dictates trans-Atlantic unity is debatable.

Foreign Service Families

• Wriston Report: The Feminine View
  May 1955
  Foreign Service wives and mothers experience many fears about what life abroad means for their families, but an open mind and confidence in one’s own ability to adjust often make living abroad a positive family experience.
• Stop Feeling Sorry for your Children
  September 1960
  A survey of 95 Foreign Service children reveals that the challenges of raising children abroad must be clearly divided between the natural difficulties of growing up and the unique trials of living in multiple countries.
• The Foreign Service Wife
  February 1969
  The wives of American diplomats have unique social advantages and exhibit strong personalities not only due to the great freedom they enjoy, but also the trials such freedom incurs.
• One Step Ahead for Spouses by Katrina Ecton
  May 1991
  Foreign Service spouses face awkward challenges when seeking employment, but State can creatively leverage their unique familiarity with government functions to employ FS spouses in educating others.
• Unwilling Unemployment by Barbara Frechette
  June 1992
  Spouses can gain employment and contribute to the FS community by getting more involved with Community Liaison Offices and again seize the roles spouses played prior to a controversial 1972 directive that changed their status.
• Helping a Spouse Find Work Abroad by Francine Modderno
  September 1994
  There are a number of programs that can help FS spouses find work, even in times of declining budgets and changing demographics within the Foreign Service.

Frontline Diplomacy

• The FSO’s in Manila
  June 1942
  Hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese forces descended on Manila, and American FSOs struggled to evacuate after being cut off for weeks.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis
  July 1971
  An FSO recounts high-level policy deliberations that transpired as nuclear missile-ferrying Soviet ships inched closer to Cuba.
• From Pearl Harbor to Potsdam
  September 1980
  An FSO describes wartime duties that span some of the most consequential discussions and conferences that devised the post-war international order.
• Escape from Mogadishu
  March 1991
  An ambassador recalls the harrowing experience of evacuating from Mogadishu as the Somali city experienced a violent uprising.

NATO

• Jefferson’s NATO
  July 1954
  Thomas Jefferson had his own challenging experiences in organizing a coalition of states to deal with a common threat.
• The USRO and American Foreign Policy
  February 1955
  The USRO coordinated and navigated the surge in diplomatic activity in the early years of the NATO alliance.
• European Defense: A Return to Brussels
  November 1971
  European nations have often struggled to harmonize economic integration with defense integration.
• The Atlantic Alliance
  June 1981
  New administrations have often taken office with hopes to reinvigorate NATO, but alliance politics guarantee challenges to any reform-minded agenda.

Offbeat

• The Service’s Only Samurai
  December 1922
  Watari Ebiharah served the American consulate in Kobe, Japan for 39 years, but earlier in life he served a liege lord as a samurai in the waning days of feudal Japan.
• RIF and Return
  September 1954
  An FSO receives an unexpected separation notice, and after a year of life out of government, receives an invitation to return to the Foreign Service.
• Jesuit Technical Assistance to the Emperor of China
  February 1958
  For many years Jesuits cultivated diplomatic and scientific relationships with Imperial China to enable cultural exchange and missionary work.
• Post Report From Mars
  April 1958
  An update from Embassy Mars reveals the lifestyle and challenges of a hardship post on the red planet.
• The Diplomatic Costume Revolution
  May 1958
  In 1853 Secretary of State William Marcy issued a circular establishing new guidance for diplomatic dress that proved controversial with foreign courts abroad.
• A Yankee at the Court of the Tsars
  June 1960
  John Quincy Adams was in such dire financial straits while representing the U.S. in Russia that his mother felt compelled to write a letter to President James Madison requesting relief.
• Automation and the Foreign Service
  March 1971
  Technology will create new efficiencies in diplomatic work but will require a reexamination of personnel policies and customary methods of doing business.
• Interstellar Negotiation
  December 1972
  Given the sheer likelihood of encountering sentient life amongst the stars in the future, what are the considerations for establishing relations with another intelligent, space-faring species?
• Leaks – A Reporter’s Viewpoint
  November 1980
  A diplomatic correspondent describes how leaks happen, the cautions journalists must exercise in sourcing those speaking on background and the relationship between the press and the public.
• Confessions of a Washington Ghost Writer
  June 1980
  Often at Secretary John Foster Dulles’ command, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Burke Wilkinson would drop everything to help top administration officials prepare speeches, articles and testimony.

Presidents & Foreign Policy

• State and Presidential Leadership
  September 1971
  What can State do to repair trust with an administration that doubts its ability to lead foreign policy formulation?
• Presidents and Bureaucrats
  May 1973
  Former Secretary of State Dean Rusk comments on the often challenging relationship between the White House and State, and how professionalism should ultimately guide the Foreign Service through contentious times.
• The Foreign Service and Presidential Control of Foreign Policy
  March 1980
  The president’s influence on foreign policy is subject to the complexity of managing career professionals and political appointees at the senior-most levels of policymaking.
• Truman’s Secret Thoughts on Ending the Korean War
  November 1980
  Recently declassified documents provide crucial insights into policy deliberations during the Korean War as American leadership contemplated escalation and its tenuous relationship with China.

Public Diplomacy

• Publicity in Foreign Affairs
  July 1926
  The intrinsic relationship between State and the media is invaluable in communicating policy and earning support for diplomacy.
• Propagandists in World Affairs
  February 1953
  In a world where competitors masterfully deceive and influence by distorting reality, how can State hold its own?
• Democratic Diplomacy and the Role of Propaganda
  October 1953
  Diplomats must carefully manage messaging and public relations, yet when does the diplomat begin to look like a propagandist?
• Diplomacy and the Press
  January 1954
  The relationship between diplomat and reporter is a delicate one where serving the national interest may mean very different things for sharing certain information with the public.
• A More Open Diplomacy vs. Greater Secrecy
  April 1957
  Diplomacy must manage a balance between openness and secrecy in its conduct, yet diplomatic functions have trended toward more openness.

Reform

• Mr. Carr Surveys the Rogers Bill
  July 1924
  Assistant Secretary of State Wilbur Carr gives an optimistic assessment of the Rogers Bill that will institute sweeping reform to the Foreign Service.
• Reform or Withdrawal
  June 1984
  As the United States ponders leaving UNESCO due to frustration with its direction, it must deliberate on how withdrawal may lessen its ability to influence reform from within.

Russia

• Life as a Russian Worker
  June 1971
  After leaving the Foreign Service, Richard Sanger left to see what life was like in the 1930s Soviet Union, and whether the workers’ paradise was real.
• Our Man At Stalin’s Funeral
  May 1978
  Following Josef Stalin’s sudden death, future Ambassador to the Soviet Union Jacob Beam travels to Moscow to express official condolences.

Terrorism

• Diplomatic Protection: Increasing Security for Embassies & Top Officials May Stimulate Terrorists to Lower Their Sights
  June 1981
  Embassy personnel are frequently the targets of threats and the inherent conspicuousness of diplomatic work invites danger. What can State do to enhance the preparedness and safety of its people?
• Diplomats & Terrorism: A Former Hostage Looks at the Need For Physical Safety and Multilateral Accords
  September 1981
  The chief of mission of the American embassy in Tehran in 1979 reflects on his experience as a hostage and the legacy of the crisis on the principles that safeguard the protection of diplomats.
• Security and Terrorism: Questions, Misgivings Remain
  June 1985
  A Journal survey reveals a startling lack of confidence in the government’s ability to protect its people overseas.

Trade

• The Trade Policy Crisis
  November 1971
  As the U.S. employs protectionist means it hampers fundamental tenets of the global economic order it has strived to integrate.

Tradecraft

• Our Tongue-Tied Foreign Service
  June 1957
  State faces a deficit of language expertise and training methods are in need of dire review.

WWII

• The FSO’s in Manila
  June 1942
  Hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese forces descended on Manila, and American FSOs struggled to evacuate after being cut off for weeks.
• The New Duties of Our Foreign Service
  July 1942
  At the outbreak of WWII some declared that diplomacy would be irrelevant during conflict, yet diplomats perform indispensable and highly consequential roles in times of war.
• From Pearl Harbor to Potsdam
  September 1980
  An FSO describes wartime duties that span some of the most consequential discussions and conferences that devised the post-war international order.