bout de papier, Vol. 27, No. 2 (2013) — Spring 2013 // Printemps 2013, pp. 42–45
For those applicants who had survived the ordeal depicted in the last issue of bout de papier, there remained further tests. Before the oral examination, candidates were expected to answer yet another set of essay questions as well as one of those “objective tests” (ones for which only one correct answer was possible) highly favoured by the Civil Service Commission, which frowned on the creative possibilities and consequently uncertain evaluations of essay responses (which were too “subjective” for their delicate sensibilities even though they bore a closer relation to what might be encountered in work in the Department of External Affairs). As with the other components of the examination, these elements were longstanding features of the process whereby candidates eventually proceeded, if successful along the way, to the interview stage. Once again, the questions likely reveal more about the cultural biases and attitudes of the examiners than about the qualifications of the applicants. The copy from which these texts were drawn included markings which presumably indicated which answers were given by our informant — if so, can reassure readers that his application was successful even though not all of his answers were correct.
Civil Service of Canada — Foreign Service Officer, Grades 1 and 2
FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER, GRADES 1 AND 2 Department of External Affairs
WRITTEN EXAMINATION – PAPER THREE PART A (60 marks)
1949, Time: 2 hours (Answer any two of the following questions)
From this section of the paper an assessment will be made of your knowledge of, and ability to deal with, questions of a kind which junior officers may be required to handle in the Department. Due allowance will be made for lack of experience both in handling official business and in the technical forms of draftsmanship. Your answers should display common sense, an appreciation of the general principles involved and capacity to state a case or to suggest a solution.
1. (a) Do you agree that when acting in a quasi-judicial capacity a judge or administrator should follow the principle that “the course of practical justice lies midway between the extreme positions taken by the disputing parties?” (b) Fearing that a war with neighbouring State X is imminent, State Y orders that all ships in port in State Y should be delayed 48 hours before being allowed to proceed. The owners of the Canadian vessel “Hindmarch” (which was so delayed in State Y) ask you what courses of action are open to them to obtain compensation for the losses incurred by the delay. Assuming that the owners have a claim for these losses, draft a letter of reply.
2. (a) In your view, is the object of punishment the prevention of crime? (b) Compare and contrast “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity”. In your view, would the International Court of Justice hold, if asked for an advisory opinion, that “crimes against humanity” are punishable under international law?
8. In one of his recent speeches, the Prime Minister stated that in the event of war between the U.S.8.R. and the U.S.A., Canada could not remain neutral. Outline the arguments which, in your opinion, could be given for and against such a statement. How has the climate affected industrial development and geographical location affected the growth of commerce in any one of the following countries: Canada, the United Kingdom, France. Examine one of the following, outline the purposes for which it was created and assess its contribution to economic stability. (a) The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank (b) The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (c) The European Recovery Programme At the International Civil Aviation Organization, several countries have expressed the desire for the merger of all airlines of all states into a single system which would be internationally owned and operated. They base their arguments on several assumptions, one of the most important being that at the present time air transportation is in almost a state of monopolistic competition. Discuss this problem. Indicate whether or not you agree with this assumption, and outline some of the practical difficulties that might arise under a system of international ownership of airlines.
Evaluate, with particular reference to Canada, the importance of two of the following methods of combatting depressions: (a) Government deficits (b) Interest rate manipulation (c) Foreign lending (d) Tax reductions Write a memorandum indicating in what way a North Atlantic Security Pact can be made compatible with the United Nations Charter and contribute to the strengthening of the United Nations. As an officer of the Department of External Affairs you receive a telephone message from the Stag Line Ship Company in Halifax, stating that one of their ships the “Stag-at-eve” has been detained in a sea port of Illyria and that its cargo of wheat, flour, steel rails and tractors, consigned to another country with which Illyria is in a state of hostility, is being discharged. Write a note stating the action you would propose to take to protect Canadian interests in the matter.
WRITTEN EXAMINATION – PAPER THREE
Warning. – Use only the pencil provided by the supervisor PART B (40 marks)
1949. Time: I hour
“Full Employment in a Free Society” was written by: (a) Beveridge (b) Keynes (c) Laski (d) Cripps (e) None of these Which of the following plays was not written by Bernard Shaw? (a) The Apple Cart (b) Major Barbara (c) The Doctor’s Dilemma (d) Eros at Breakfast (e) Androcles and the Lion The musical comedy “Carousel” is based upon: (a) a play (b) a short story (c) a novel (d) a poem (e) an original script Koussevitzky is the conductor of:
(a) Boston Symphony Orchestra (b) New York Symphony Orchestra (c) N. B. C. Symphony Orchestra (d) London Symphony Orchestra (e) None of these Alekhine is famous as:
(a) A Russian marshall (b) A chess champion (c) A political theorist (d) An orchestra leader (e) None of these John Henry Bagshaw appears as a character in: (a) Sam Slick (b) Sarah Binks (c) Sunshine Sketches (d) Pickwick Papers (e) None of these John Locke wrote:
(a) Spirit of Laws (b) Laws of War and Peace (c) Second Treatise on Government (d) “On Liberty” (e) None of these Machiavelli was, by and large, an exponent of:
(a) Monarchic government (b) Oligarchic government (c) Republican government (d) Government by constitutional monarchy (e) Anarchy The Geneva Trade Agreements include provision for: (a) Immediate elimination of British preference tariffs (b) Gradual decrease and eventual elimination of British
preference tariffs (ec) Maintenance of British Preferential Tariff at about their
present level (d) Gradual increase in British Preferential Tariff (e) No interference with British Preferential Tariff The Trades and Labour Congress of Canada:
(a) Officially supports a political party and encourages member
unions to do the same (b) Does not support a political party but encourages member
unions to support (c) Officially supports a party and obliges member unions to do
the same (d) Does not support a party and discourages member unions
from supporting (e) Does not support a political party and forbids member unions
to support Recent great iron ore discoveries in Northern Quebec are being developed by:
(a) A provincial Crown Company (b) An American private company (c) A Canadian private company (d) The Canadian subsidiary of an American company (e) None of these 12. The Prime Minister of South Africa is: (a) Smuts (b) Malan (c) Hofmeyr (d) Strydom (e) Swart
13. His policy might best be described as: (a) Isolationist (b) Strongly nationalist (c) Mildly nationalist (d) Imperialist (e) Internationalist
14, With the passage of the “Commonwealth Relations Act” Ireland technically: (a) Clarified her former status as a “Republic within the British Commonwealth” (D) Did not change her status as a “Republic within the British Commonwealth” (c) Left the Commonwealth while retaining allegiance to the Crown (d) Repudiated allegiance to the Crown while remaining within the Commonwealth (e) Became a foreign country
15. Decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada may be referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council: (a) Only in civil cases (b) Only in criminal cases (c) Only in cases where the Crown appears as a litigant (d) In all cases (e) In no cases
16. Which of these economists is frequently characterized as an early exponent of the approach to economics of the late Lord Keynes? (a) Say (b) Malthus (c) Ricardo (d) Smith (e) Turgot
17. A country not normally considered within the so-called “sterling area” is: (a) Sweden (b) The Netherlands (c) Norway (d) Argentina (e) Chile
18. A particularly outspoken opponent of Canadian membership in the Pan-American Union is: (a) Pearson (b) Massey (c) King (d) Lower (e) Duplessis
19. His argument is based on the idea that: (a) The British connection precludes participation (b) Participation would lead to a decrease in Canadian prestige abroad (c) Binding international obligations are undesirable (d) Participation would weaken national unity (e) Participation would lead to decreased European trade
20. The Fabian Society is primarily associated with the study of (a) Ancient history (b) Social problems (c) Contemporary science (d) The drama (e) None of these
31. Yehudi Menuhin is know best as: (a) An orchestra leader (b) A concert pianist (c) A cellist (d) A composer (e) None of these >2. “The Emperor Jones” was written by: (a) Shaw (b) Synge (c) O’Neill (d) Coward (e) None of these ‘3. “Representative Government” is the title of an essay by: (a) John Stuart Mill (b) James Mill (c) Edmund Burke (d) Thomas Carlyle (e) None of these
4. Which of the following poets flourished during the “Victorian” period: (a) Gray (b) Goldsmith (c) Rosetti (d) Pope (e) Shelley 25. The “Passamaquoddy Project” is concerned with: (a) Hydro-electric development (b) Harbour development (c) Canal development (d) Forestry development (e) Irrigation development
26. The unofficial financial critic of the Progressive Conservative Party in the House of Commons is: (a) Diefenbacker [sic] (b) Fleming (c) Macdonnell (d) Drew (e) Graydon
27. John Steinbeck wrote: (a) Cannery Row (b) Lost Horizon (c) For Whom the Bell Tolls (d) Cry, the Beloved Country (e) King’s Row
28. “Chicago” is a poem by: (a) MacLeish (b) T. S. Eliot (c) Sandburg (d) Lindsay (e) None of these
29. “The Ice Floes” is a poem by: (a) Pratt (b) Carmen (c) Thompson (d) Carr (e) Scott
30. Sir Joseph Porter K.C.B. is: (a) À British statesman (b) An author (c) À character in a novel (d) À professional soldier (e) À character in an operetta
41. The Chalk River Atomic Energy Plant is administered by: (a) The Department of National Defence (b) The Atomic Energy Commission (c) The United Nations (d) The National Research Council (e) À private concern da. Should Canada devalue her dollar: (a) The price of exports would tend to rise (b) The price of gold would tend to fall (c) The price of imports would tend to fall (d) The price of imports would tend to rise (e) The cost of living would tend to fall
56. The 1948 Canadian Rugby Champion Team was from: (a) Toronto (b) Ottawa (c) Winnipeg (d) Calgary (e) Montreal
34. The rationing of a scarce commodity through the consumers is likely to lead to: (a) A rise in price (b) A fall in price (c) Illegal trading (d) An increase in supply (e) A decrease in demand 355. “The Unknown Country” was written by: (a) Lower (b) McInnes (c) Hutchison (d) Raddall (e) None of these
56. “Giovanni Boccaccio” was: (a) A thirteenth century painter (b) A fourteenth century author (c) A fifteenth century painter (d) A fifteenth century sculptor (e) A seventeenth century author
37. The Character of “Fagan” appears in: (a) Oliver Twist (b) Pickwick Papers (c) David Copperfield (d) Nicholas Nickleby (e) None of these
38. In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” Gildenstern is: (a) A jester (b) A page (c) A soldier (d) An ambassador (e) A prince
59. General DeGaulle’s most effective political appeal appears to be that he: (a) Offers right wing government (b) Offers left wing government (c) Promises to increase social benefit legislation (d) Promises stability (e) Is anti-communist 10. Which of the following was not a member of Mr. Truman’s cabinet on January 1, 1949: (a) Forrestal (b) Marshall (c) Krug (d) Tobin (e) Schwellenbach
11. The United States “Bureau of the Budget” is directly controlled by the: (a) President (b) House of Representatives (c) Senate (d) Two Houses of Congress (e) Secretary of the Treasury
12. The Postmaster General of Canada is: (a) Mr. Garson (b) Mr. Glen (c) Mr. Bertrand (d) Mr. Fournier (e) None of these
15. The place of the French Language in Canada was first guaranteed by: (a) The Quebec Act (b) The Act of Union (c) The B.N.A. Act (d) The Proceedings of the Imperial Conference of 1926 (e) The Statute of Westminster
14. The well known phrase “autonomous communities within the British Empire” first appears in the: (a) B.N.A. Act (b) Proceedings of the Imperial Conference of 1926 (c) Colonial Laws Validity Act (d) Statute of Westminster (e) Proceedings of the Conference on colonial legislation and merchant shipping, 1929
45. The “North-West Staging Route” is: (a) A chain of trading posts (b) A mountain trail (c) Another name for the Alcan Highway (d) A series of airports (e) An early American Stage-Coach Trail
16. The province with a bi-cameral legislature is: (a) British Columbia (b) Manitoba (c) Ontario (d) Quebec (e) Nova Scotia
47, The Canadian House of Commons is elected for a maximum term of: (a) Three years (b) Four and one-half years (c) Five years (d) Six years (e) Seven years
18. The power to disallow provincial legislation may be exercised (a) by the Governor General in Council at any time (b) by the Governor General in Council within one year of the passage of legislation (c) by the House of Commons within six months of the passage of the legislation (d) by the Governor General alone at any time (e) by parliament within six months of passage
19. In December, 1948, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that: (a) the prohibition of the import, manufacture and sale of oleomargarine in Canada was intra vires of the Federal Government (b) prohibition of import, manufacture and sale was ultra vires of the Federal Government (c) that prohibition of import was intra-vires of the Federal Government but legislation re-manufacture and sale was ultra-vies (d) that the Dominion and the Provinces have concurrent
jurisdiction over margarine (e) that the Provinces have complete jurisdiction on all phases of the trade in margarine
50. Excluding British and French, the racial origin of the largest number of Canadians is: (a) Danish (b) Ukrainian (c) Norwegian (d) German (e) Dutch
51. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has 50,000 watt transmitting stations in all of: (a) Toronto, Quebec, Sackville and Montreal (b) Vancouver, Edmonton, Halifax and London (c) Watrous, Toronto, Sackville and Montreal (d) Regina, Windsor, Sherbrooke and Moncton (e) Winnipeg, Sherbrooke, Toronto and Montreal
52. Which of the following figures most closely approximates the Canadian “national income” for 1948? (a) Seven Hundred Million Dollars (b) One Billion Six Hundred Million Dollars (c) Four Billion Dollars (d) Thirteen Billion Dollars (e) Thirty-Seven Billion Dollars
53. The Chief of Staff of the Canadian Army is General: (a) Foulkes (b) Simonds (c) Worthington (d) Crerar (e) None of these
54. Which is the largest of the following Canadian Arctic Islands: (a) Devon (b) Prince of Wales (c) Somerset (d) Banks (e) Victoria 35. The Dominion-Provincial Wartime Tax agreements expired on: (a) August 15, 1946 (b) May 8, 1946 (c) January 1, 1946 (d) January 1, 1947 (e) None of these dates
36. On the day on which this paper is written, Canada is represented in Newfoundland by: (a) An Ambassador (b) A Minister (c) A High Commissioner (d) A Liaison Mission (e) None of these
37, Which of the following is not a Provincial Premier: (a) Jones (b) Kennedy (c) Johnson (d) Douglas (e) None of these
38. Excluding wheat, Canada’s most important export by value (1946) was: (a) Pulp and paper (b) Gold (c) Lumber (d) Base metals (e) Fish
39. Fundamentally the most important single cause of the chronic United Kingdom economic difficulties is: (a) Shortage of United States’ dollars (b) Loss of investment fields abroad (c) Growth of advanced manufacturing industry abroad (d) Depletion of resources (e) Emigration
60. Which of the following cities is the farthest South? (a) Victoria, B.C. (b) Ottawa, Ontario (c) Montreal, Quebec (d) Fredericton, New Brunswick (e) Halifax, Nova Scotia 9
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 27, No. 2 (2013) — Spring 2013 // Printemps 2013, pp. 42–45. Read the rest of this issue →
