The Foreign Service Journal, February 2011

8 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1 with him and other interlocutors, but my most vivid memory is of him play- ing his cello. While no Yo-Yo Ma, he was quite accomplished, and playing certainly provided him the respite he needed during those heated negotia- tions. Steve and I then went our separate ways, with me leaving the Foreign Service to make my way in the non- governmental organization world. We crossed paths from time to time, most recently in October 2010 in Washing- ton, D.C. He didn’t recognize me right off, and was obviously quite weak, but after I reintroduced myself we spent quite awhile reliving those days in Salisbury. He was lucid and engaged, very much his old self. I was delighted to see him, and we promised to get together again soon. I left the next week for a trip to Ghana, Ethiopia and Liberia, from where I write. I never got that chance, and am devastated to hear the news of his passing. He was indeed a great diplomat, an insightful and experi- enced negotiator, a “key player” in every sense of the phrase, and a fine human being. My condolences to his family and friends. Steve McDonald Director, Africa Program Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Washington, D.C. ... And in Dakar I remember Steve and Sue Low for their generosity and across-the-board kindness when my wife, Penny, our two (soon to be three) children and I all arrived in Dakar in the late summer of 1963. I was Steve’s replacement, and he and Sue were heading off to their new assignment in Brazil. Steve and I shared a love of music. He played the cello; I, the trumpet. Steve, of course, knew that Dakar was my first Africa assignment. The most interesting and relevant bit of advice he gave me was that I should try to slip into “Guinee-dite-portu- guese” (Guinea-Bissau) if I could fig- ure out how to do it. He had suc- ceeded once. He also suggested I get acquainted with the Dakar office of the African Party for the Independ- ence of Guinea and Cape Verde, known as PAIGC, which might facili- tate my entry. I managed it twice. The first visit was assisted by a Lebanese merchant in Bathurst, who arranged for a Portuguese Air Force pilot to fly his single-engine plane from Bissau to pick me up in Bathurst. The second visit was preceded by a meeting with Amilcar Cabral and his PAIGC team in Sekou Toure’s Conakry. Our ambassador in Dakar, Mercer Cook, encouraged both adventures, but I doubt they would have happened with- out Steve’s initiative. Steve replaced me many years later (November 1979) as ambassador to Nigeria. What a coincidence! It was not just music that we had in common. Don Easum FSO, retired New York, N.Y. Where Credit Is Due I read the December Speaking Out by Raymond Malley, “U.S. Foreign Economic Assistance in Perspective,” with great interest. But I was stunned that in writing about the problem of rapid population growth, he gave credit to the World Bank, Scandina- vian aid agencies and private groups, but neglected to mention the role of the U.S. Agency for International De- velopment. Both in the field and in Washing- ton, supported by some billions of dol- lars over the past 40 years, USAID has probably had the most significant im- pact of any development agency in ad- dressing problems of rapid population growth. Neither did the author mention the efforts of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, another major donor for many decades. Charles N. Johnson USAID FSO, retired Gainsville, Va. L E T T E R S Send your Letter to the Editor to journal@afsa.org. Dear Readers: In order to produce a high- quality product, the FSJ depends on the revenue it earns from advertising. You can help with this. Please let us know the names of companies that have provided good service to you — a hotel, insurance company, auto dealership, or other concern. A referral from our readers is the best entrée! Ed Miltenberger Advertising & Circulation Manager Tel: (202) 944-5507 E-mail: miltenberger@afsa.org You Are Our Eyes & Ears!