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Kenneth ClarkKenneth Clark
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Session:         Page of 763

Clark:

What year?

Q:

Probably it was either 1951 or 1952. We were all invited to appear, if we were interested in a career appointment, and it was simply an oral, no written.

Clark:

Was that Wristonization, or prior to it?

Q:

I believe it was prior. At least I did not know the term at that time. A certain number, I was one of four in one state for example, selected in the orals.

Clark:

You know, I suspected this because of the way you formulate the question. It was clear that it could be formulated that way only by someone who'd had some experience.

Q:

It occurred to me in asking the question simply that there are talented minorities who might not be able a select examination, might have the kind of field experience which would be easily adaptable to Foreign Service work.

Clark:

You know what my personal opinion about this whole thing is? That really what it reflects more than anything else is a sort of a traditional exclusivity of the Foreign Service, which comes out of the British class-oriented approach to Foreign Service thing, and -- oh, what the hell, there ought to be some areas that even a classless democracy should be able to indulge in the luxury of this kind of snobbery. Up to the point where it begins to hurt, you know, or interfere with efficiency or effectiveness. And that's





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