HE DIPLOMATIC ART

The viewpoint here, and all the attempts at humor, are thoroughly British. This former Foreign Service officer's kaleidoscope of life among the Corps Diplomatique is a series of comparisons of the modes of operation of the foreign representatives of many nations, past and present, interspersed with thinly-veiled attacks on some of those nations most powerful at the present time (he holds that many top-ranking American ambassadors earn their positions by the size of their campaign contributions, and that German representatives often neglect to refrain from assailing their hosts' cuisine and accommodations). Soviet diplomacy's recruitment policies and problems, colorful local customs of ambassadorial installation, the strictures of protocol, diplomatic immunity, intelligence operations, and the etiquette of attire are run through as a prelude to his analyses of three major topics: the United Nations, summit meetings, and military diplomacy. Roetter's most perceptive comment, ostensibly directed at one specific international military and defense organization, could as well be applied to the entire subject of his study: ""The only consolation is that everyone knows the whole rickety setup will be scrapped for something more sensible at the first sign of real trouble.