DIPLOMAT'S CAREER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22000, 5 January 1935, Page 9 (Supplement)

DIPLOMAT'S CAREER

SIR MAURICE DE BUNSEN

The late Sir Maurice de Bunsen was a distinguished member of the British Diplomatic Service. In the fateful days of July, 1914, he was Ambassador at Vienna and as such played an important part in the attempt to prevent the outbreak of war. Although, unfortunately, he did not keep a diary many of his letters have been preserved, and these have been used as the basis of a memoir by Mr. Edgar T. S. Dugdalo. Comments on events written at the time of their occurrence have a value of their own as the writer is necessarily uninfluenced by subsequent happenings. When de Bunsen first joined the Service British sympathy in official circles was definitely pro-German. Alter the beginning of the century a gradual change is discernible —France takes the place of Germany. The book throws many such interesting sidelights on history. There are several references to the Kaiser's disagreement with Austria's policy of denying the Serbs access to the Adriatic. Baron von Schoen, who was German Foreign Minister from 1906 to 1910, told de Bunsen, in a conversation in 1927, that the Kaiser had been against that landing at Tangier in 1905, but that Bulow had compelled him to agreo to it. Maurice de Bunsen joined the Diplomatic Service in 1877 and was stationed in succession at Washington. Berne, Madrid, Paris, Japan, Siain, Constantinople, Paris and Lisbon. Early in 1906 he returned to Madrid as Ambassador—an important post in view of the marriage of Princess Ena to King Alfonso three months later. He remained in Madrid until October, 1913, when he was appointed to Vienna. The next nine months were crowded with more complexities and dangers than those of the rest of his life combined and the account of them is the most interesting part of the book. In 1918 de Bunsen headed the British Mission to the South American Republics, and at the end of the year retired from the Service. " Maurice de Bunsen: Diplomat and Friend," by Edsar T. S Lhiftdale. (Murray.)