THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2023 71 • “[Grew] had faith that rational, well-intentioned people would choose compromise over conflict. He believed in nurturing personal relationships to build trust. ... He needed to believe these things, because they were the fundamentals of diplomacy. Without them diplomacy failed.” (page 19) • “[Secretary of State] Hull’s ‘highminded, far-seeing statesmanlike pronouncements’ against Japan’s aggression [against China in 1937] were praiseworthy and necessary for the record, but would have absolutely no effect on Japan’s actions. ‘In other words,’ [Grew] wrote, ‘the righteous indignation theme can now do no further good and should be soft-pedaled.’” (page 133) Kemper’s book is a superb read for anyone who believes in the profession of diplomacy. It is unfortunate that the book leaves out Grew’s career between his entry into the Foreign Service in 1906 and his appointment to Japan in 1932. He held sensitive posts in those years, especially U.S. ambassador to Turkey (1927-1932). That and other postings must have shaped his approach to the difficult Japan assignment, but we are left guessing about what might have gone before. John Limbert is a retired Foreign Service officer and academic. During a 34-year diplomatic career, he served mostly in the Middle East and Islamic Africa, including two tours in Iraq. He was among the last American diplomats to serve in Iran, was ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and president of the American Foreign Service Association. n
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