The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2007

War II] war effort, though the fighting in Europe had just ended by the time I was accepted. But I didn’t particu- larly want to go into the military because, being an independent type, I prefer to be able to have an exit! FSJ: What was the process for join- ing the Foreign Service at that time? Did you take a standardized exam? JC: No, I filled out an application for employment and sent it to Washington. Within a few months, I was inter- viewed by a representative of the Department of State in New York City. I arrived in D.C. on July 4, 1945, and was sworn in the following day as a $1,800-a-year clerk. FSJ: Did you have any input into where you went on your first assignment? JC: Not formally. They did ask me if I’d be interested in going to Chungking, China, where they had an opening. I said I realized I was available for worldwide service, but I didn’t think I’d like the climate in Chungking since I had talked with a number of pilots who had flown there for Pan American Airways, where I was working at the time. Then they asked me what I thought of Berlin, and I just repeated that I was available for worldwide service. I got assigned to Berlin and arrived there on Sept. 14, 1945. FSJ: What was it like living and working in Germany right after World War II ended? Did you have to help set up an embassy, or was a facility already in place? JC: The mission was under U.S. military command at that stage, sub- ject to their regulations; in fact, we all had to wear a uniform. This was also true for the British and French. FSJ: Did you speak German at this point? JC: No, I didn’t. I was selected because I was young and healthy. FSJ: Did you have very many dealings with your counterparts from other countries? JC: My boss, Loyd Steere, the deputy director of the Office of Poli- tical Affairs, attended the meetings of the Allied Kommandatura, comprised of the United States, United King- dom, France and the Soviet Union, and they governed the city of Berlin. Mr. Steere thought it would be very educational for me if I went along to those meetings, took a few notes and saw what was going on. It was indeed fascinating because I was able to observe first-hand the Soviets, the French, the British and, of course, the Americans interacting. It gave me a real window on history. FSJ: But otherwise, most of your contacts were within the mission? JC: Yes, except that we were very social in the evenings and moved around freely. In fact, up until the middle of November 1945, we would occasionally meet a number of the Russians at various functions. FSJ: Had you spent any time over- seas before this? JC: My parents were English immigrants to the United States, and they sent me to secondary school back in England for two years, from 1937 to 1939. (They felt I needed some disci- pline!) I returned to the States just before Hitler invaded Poland. FSJ: So you were already accus- tomed to being on your own, which I guess is good training for the Foreign Service. Did you know any diplomats growing up? JC: No, though I remember my mother used to comment that she thought diplomats must lead very interesting lives. FSJ: You were in Berlin for how long? JC: My assignment was for two years, but the ambassador asked me to stay on, which I was happy to do. I remained a secretary in the political section, but during my second tour I worked for the director, James W. Riddleberger. Both he and my first boss, Loyd Steere, had served in the U.S. Embassy in Berlin before World War I, so they brought a lot of experi- ence and history to their work. When the U.S. High Commission was set up in 1949, Mr. Riddleberger became political adviser to General Lucius Clay and then later to the High Commissioner, John McCloy. In addi- tion, the headquarters moved to Frankfurt in 1949, so I spent my final months there. FSJ: After five years in Germany, what was next for you? JC: I came back to the depart- ment in 1950 as a secretary in the office handling aviation issues in the Economic Bureau. That led to an assignment in London as an economic assistant doing civil aviation reporting in the Civil Air Attaché’s Office, from 50 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 0 7 Left: Ambassador Joan Clark today. Right: In Berlin, 1945. “When you do administrative work, you can see results. It doesn’t get lost.” — Amb. Joan Clark