DIPLOMACY.

Waipa Post, Volume 43, Issue 3327, 25 July 1931, Page 4

DIPLOMACY.

SIR RONALD LINDSAY, Ambassador from the Court of St. James to the United States, says that diplomatic negotiations are not greatlydifferent from ordinary business dealings, and that the best results are obtained by intelligence, tact, and candour. Sir Ronald has had a long and distinguished career in his country's diplomatic service. The success that has attended his own diplomatic negotiations is proof of the soundness of his methods. Civilised governments are coming to see, with him, that candour is the best policy among the nations, as among individuals. When he calls the popular idea that diplomacy is nothing but deceit and trickery "an ancient libel" on his profession, Sir Ronald is less fortunate in choice of words. The truth is not in fact libellous, whatever statutory or common law may say on the subject; and the truth, of course, is that for ages diplomacy was little else but trickery and deceit. The world would have been saved countless wars and saved oceans of blood if truth and candour had dominated international negotiations from the beginning of written history. What would be a libel on the diplomatic profession would be the charge that its ethics have not improved with civilisation. Wise governments have learned by experience that duplicity does not pay. Consequently they are approaching each other more and more openly, with greater candour and a larger confidence in the good intentions of others. As a result of this attitude diplomacy has lost much of its earlier Machiavellian taint. The business of international relations is the biggest business in the world, and the men entrusted with its conduct should rank high in the confidence and esteem of the nations they serve.