bout de papier, Vol. 7, No. 3 (1990), pp. 34–35
The success of the Centennial caravans and train in their perambulations around the country this summer should be taken to heart by those in this Department who are grappling with the unending problem of establishing Canadian missions overseas This Memorandum would suggest that the same principle of mobility employed in presenting our country’s history to the native population can surely be applied to representational functions overseas. In short, the time has come to consider “mobile missions”
Consider, for example, the possibilities inherent in the idea of an entire chancery and mission contained in one or more tractor trailers, brightly decorated in a red and white motif, with the word “Canada” spelt out on the side in huge letters after the style of the Centennial caravans. Further refinements would of course be feasible, including Canadian Ambassador accompanied by his entire staff, could hook up the diplomatic rig and rumble regularly from capital to capital This idea would also obviate the necessity of buying expensive permanent quarters which have to be maintained at great expense to the Canadian tax-payer (the entire Canadian Embassy could be cleaned for a few dollars at the local carwash).
Mobile missions would go far toward speeding up the whole process of Canadian diplomacy, at present an agonizingly slow business. For example, if Canada decided to break off diplomatic relations with any particular country, our mission could withdraw itself within hours, provided it was equipped with a good road map and the tires held out. Indeed, the whole process of diplo matic rupture would be so galvanized if mobile missions caught on generally, that we would be able to exercise considerably “formal protests”.
In time, of course, there would be nothing to stop further advances in the development of such mobile posts. Amphibious High Commissions, Hover-Chanceries, Self- Propelled Consulate Generals might all develop out of the small beginnings suggested here. With the modern trend toward flexibility, good communications and efficiency, there is no telling where innovation might end
A useful side-effect of motorized diplomacy would be that the whole destructive concept of sacking embassies, fashionable in a number of countries, would quickly become a thing of the past with missions that could out-manoeuvre their attackers, unless of course the post had the misfortune to run out of gas at the strategic moment
All this is not to say that there would not be problems in putting a number of such self-propelled missions into service. Treasury Board might well baulk at the idea of External Affairs using more diesel fuel annually than the Navy, and nobody would want to see the Canadian Permanent Mission to the United Nations towed away… for being double-parked on United Nations Plaza. However, we are confident such minor technical problems could be ironed out in due course. If it decides to implement this plan, the Canadian Government will have scored an impressive “first” in international diplomacy, while its diplomats will be known the world over as men* on the move.
*Editor’s Note: and women too.
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 7, No. 3 (1990), pp. 34–35. Read the rest of this issue →
