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The author (center), with Viscount Louis Mountbatten and India's Pandit Nehru, at a Fourth of July party given by Mountbatten in New Delhi.
WIDE WORLD
Headaches of an Ambassador
By HENRY F. GRADY
Former U.S. Ambassador to Iran
A U.S. official shows up drunk in Athens, the Russians call your wife a "blood-
drinking woman," or a congressman gets fresh with a queen-it's all in a day's work,
says the author, who here reports his most embarrassing and infuriating experiences.
DON' Tsuppose I shall ever forget the horrified
I
of capitalist imperialism. I felt rather flattered, to
fascination with which I once watched an exu-
they wished to serve their country-an their
tell the truth; I think an honorary society should be
wives' social ambitions- - as United States ambassa-
berant American congressman pat the Queen of
formed for those who have thus been attacked by
dors. I know that in 1948, when it was assumed that
Greece on her lovely shoulder and announce,
the Russians, although I'm afraid the organization
'You're the cutest little queenie I ever met!" Nor
Governor Dewey would be elected President, the
might be so large as to be unwieldy.
will the memory soon fade of my battles by cable-
number of political bankrollers who thought they
While I felt that this Russian attention was some-
gram with my own State Department or my battles
were signing themselves up for diplomatic appoint-
what more of an honor than receiving an unearned
in person with various and sundry Russians. But in
ments several times exceeded the number of diplo-
degree from an American university or an unwanted
sifting through my recollections of four and a half
matic posts in existence, not counting, of course,
medal from a foreign court, I must confess that I
years as a United States ambassador, first in India,
the really difficult and unpleasant stations. Some of
thought things were getting a bit thick, as my
then in Greece and finally in Iran, I think my favor-
these inquiries were quite detailed-what sort of
British colleagues would put it, when the same
ite reminiscence concerns the fashion in which the
house does the ambassador live in, how is the servant
Soviet propagandist got around to describing my
Soviet radio recorded my transfer from Athens to
situation, the food supply and the social life?
wife.
Tehran.
It seems that everybody and his wife wants to be
"Henry Grady's blood-drinking woman," believe
'Henry Grady, the Butcher of Greece," the
an ambassador, especially the wife. She wants her
it or not, was the appellation applied to Mrs. Grady.
Moscow radio shrilled, "has arrived in the capital of
husband, who has had great success making soap or
I thought of my gentle Lucretia, the sort who would
Iran with his shirt drenched in the blood of Greek
selling learned books, to crown his career in striped
politely decline a glass of sherry offered at a ladies'
patriots." These gory pleasantries, which the Reds'
pants and spats and to be called His Excellency,"
garden-club meeting, and didn't know whether to
propaganda radio was beaming to Iran, were the
while she is given equal respect as Her Excellency."
laugh or pound my desk in rage. Yet this was to be
Russian way of acknowledging that I had in effect
(I once sat next to the wife of a British colonial
her invariable title on the Russian radio from then
presided over the distribution of $1,500,000,000
governor, and heard constant reference to "H.E." -
until we eventually left Iran for the sanity of
worth of American aid to Greece. The 'patriots," of
what "H.E." said, what "H.E." did, and only
private life back home in San Francisco.
course, were the guerrillas-many of them not
slowly came to realize that "H.E." was not just
When the national political campaign was in full
Greeks at 1-who had plunged Greece into a hor-
my husband," but His Excellency, the distin-
swing, I am certain that a considerable number of
rible civil war. There was more - the usual nonsense
guished governor.) Being an ambassador does have
heavy contributors to party funds on both sides of
about my being a "lackey of Wall Street," and a tool
its points, but as one who has, so to speak, been
the fence were mentally picking the spots in which
through the mill, I
(Continued on Page 168)
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"ocrText": "o\nThe author (center), with Viscount Louis Mountbatten and India's Pandit Nehru, at a Fourth of July party given by Mountbatten in New Delhi.\nWIDE WORLD\nHeadaches of an Ambassador\nBy HENRY F. GRADY\nFormer U.S. Ambassador to Iran\nA U.S. official shows up drunk in Athens, the Russians call your wife a \"blood-\ndrinking woman,\" or a congressman gets fresh with a queen-it's all in a day's work,\nsays the author, who here reports his most embarrassing and infuriating experiences.\nDON' Tsuppose I shall ever forget the horrified\nI\nof capitalist imperialism. I felt rather flattered, to\nfascination with which I once watched an exu-\nthey wished to serve their country-an their\ntell the truth; I think an honorary society should be\nwives' social ambitions- - as United States ambassa-\nberant American congressman pat the Queen of\nformed for those who have thus been attacked by\ndors. I know that in 1948, when it was assumed that\nGreece on her lovely shoulder and announce,\nthe Russians, although I'm afraid the organization\n'You're the cutest little queenie I ever met!\" Nor\nGovernor Dewey would be elected President, the\nmight be so large as to be unwieldy.\nwill the memory soon fade of my battles by cable-\nnumber of political bankrollers who thought they\nWhile I felt that this Russian attention was some-\ngram with my own State Department or my battles\nwere signing themselves up for diplomatic appoint-\nwhat more of an honor than receiving an unearned\nin person with various and sundry Russians. But in\nments several times exceeded the number of diplo-\ndegree from an American university or an unwanted\nsifting through my recollections of four and a half\nmatic posts in existence, not counting, of course,\nmedal from a foreign court, I must confess that I\nyears as a United States ambassador, first in India,\nthe really difficult and unpleasant stations. Some of\nthought things were getting a bit thick, as my\nthen in Greece and finally in Iran, I think my favor-\nthese inquiries were quite detailed-what sort of\nBritish colleagues would put it, when the same\nite reminiscence concerns the fashion in which the\nhouse does the ambassador live in, how is the servant\nSoviet propagandist got around to describing my\nSoviet radio recorded my transfer from Athens to\nsituation, the food supply and the social life?\nwife.\nTehran.\nIt seems that everybody and his wife wants to be\n\"Henry Grady's blood-drinking woman,\" believe\n'Henry Grady, the Butcher of Greece,\" the\nan ambassador, especially the wife. She wants her\nit or not, was the appellation applied to Mrs. Grady.\nMoscow radio shrilled, \"has arrived in the capital of\nhusband, who has had great success making soap or\nI thought of my gentle Lucretia, the sort who would\nIran with his shirt drenched in the blood of Greek\nselling learned books, to crown his career in striped\npolitely decline a glass of sherry offered at a ladies'\npatriots.\" These gory pleasantries, which the Reds'\npants and spats and to be called His Excellency,\"\ngarden-club meeting, and didn't know whether to\npropaganda radio was beaming to Iran, were the\nwhile she is given equal respect as Her Excellency.\"\nlaugh or pound my desk in rage. Yet this was to be\nRussian way of acknowledging that I had in effect\n(I once sat next to the wife of a British colonial\nher invariable title on the Russian radio from then\npresided over the distribution of $1,500,000,000\ngovernor, and heard constant reference to \"H.E.\" -\nuntil we eventually left Iran for the sanity of\nworth of American aid to Greece. The 'patriots,\" of\nwhat \"H.E.\" said, what \"H.E.\" did, and only\nprivate life back home in San Francisco.\ncourse, were the guerrillas-many of them not\nslowly came to realize that \"H.E.\" was not just\nWhen the national political campaign was in full\nGreeks at 1-who had plunged Greece into a hor-\nmy husband,\" but His Excellency, the distin-\nswing, I am certain that a considerable number of\nrible civil war. There was more - the usual nonsense\nguished governor.) Being an ambassador does have\nheavy contributors to party funds on both sides of\nabout my being a \"lackey of Wall Street,\" and a tool\nits points, but as one who has, so to speak, been\nthe fence were mentally picking the spots in which\nthrough the mill, I\n(Continued on Page 168)"
}