The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2014

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014 17 AFSA Scholarship afsa.org/scholar AFSPA afspa.org AKA StayAKA.com BOQ Lodging www.boqlodging.com Clements Worldwide clements.com Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage www.dcredlinehomes.com Diplomatic Automobile www.diplosales.com Embassy Risk Management Embassyrisk.com The Hirshorn Company hirshorn.com/afsa McGrath Real Estate Services www.homesdatabase.com/ jimmcgrath PROMAX Management Inc. www.promaxrealtors.com WJD Management wjdpm.com 50 Years Ago L ast fall the chatelaine of this department [Washington Letter] asked us to move in and keep the shop swept out while she went off to Europe for a breather. Somewhat timidly, we consented, although we felt then and have continued to feel something of a trespasser. Now Gwen Barrows writes fromMallorca that she is leaving the Journal . To readers this will be sad news indeed. For eight years they have watched the mag- azine develop under her guidance, broadening its range, deepening its signifi- cance. Month after month they have turned to this Letter for the special flavor of Washington gossip and shop talk, captured by the sensitive antennae of her faithful legman, the Exhausted Bureaucrat. (Stout fellow, he refuses to confide in any interloper.) To us, as no doubt to other Journal contributors, Gwen Barrows was first a sympathetic, appreciative and stimulating editor, later—and happily, there we can substitute “is” for “was”—a valued friend. While selfishly we must regret her decision to seek release from the often-frustrating labors of editorship, we respect the motives that impel her to do so, and wish her every success in her new undertaking. As Icelanders say at parting, “Bless.” —FromWashington Letter by Ted Olson; FSJ , February 1964. fromwanted lists are denied. Interpol officials deny any implication that high-profile cases get special treat- ment. But Billy Hawkes, chairman of the Commission for the Control of Interpol Files, said he supports many of the recom- mendations in the Fair Trials report. —Steven Alan Honley, Editor The Dangerous States of America? In recent months the French, Ger- man and British governments have been urging their citizens to avoid, or at least be leery of visiting, 16 major American cities. The list includes Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Richmond, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, St. Louis, Atlanta, New Orleans, Miami, Los Angeles and El Paso. At first glance, these warnings seem to be mirror images of the travel advi- sories the Department of State issues to protect Americans going overseas. But the European advisories are even broader. The French Foreign Ministry warns its citizens to avoid New York City landmarks like Times Square and the Statue of Liberty, but says it is only necessary to avoid of Harlem, the Bronx and Central Park at night. In Washington, D.C., travelers should avoid the northeastern and south- eastern quadrants of the city altogether. And walking anywhere in Richmond is considered dangerous. Germany doesn’t warn its citizens about any specific cities, but it does cau- tion against letting it all hang out: “Nude bathing and changing clothes at the beach stirs up public agitation and can lead to unpleasantnesses.” To read these government travel warn- ings for yourself, check out the GovBeat blog on the Washington Post website. —Valerie Sanders, Editorial Intern n