A Climacteric

Abstract

Garnett’s departure from the Foreign Office coincided with a period that is often seen as a climacteric in British history. That it was a turning point, a period of transition, and one of triumph, underpinned by concerns about the cost of empire and the means of defending it, is undoubted. Ironically, perhaps, the months preceding Garnett’s departure had also seen significant developments in many areas of British foreign affairs that had previously caused him concern. As previously noted, institutional reform at the Foreign Office led in 1918–19 to the amalgamation, at least nominally, of diplomatic service and foreign office staff. Extensive reforms were also introduced into the Consular Service. As previously noted, the commercial attaché service was reformed in 1918. These developments were the culmination of long-standing dissatisfaction with the promotion and representation of British interests, and, more especially, of commercial interests, worldwide. They also aimed to allay criticisms that had mounted during the war, but had existed many years before, of the inequities in pay and conditions for diplomatic and consular postings. The establishment in 1917 of the Department of Overseas Trade, though highly problematic, also reflected a broader sense of Britain having missed opportunities in developing its commercial interests.