John Arthur Pilcher
Encyclopedia
Sir John Arthur Pilcher GCMG (1912–1990) was a British diplomat, capping a long career with a posting as Her Majesty's ambassador to Austria
(1965-1957) and as ambassador to Japan
(1967–1972).
His career in the Foreign Service
was marked by appointment as one of His Majesty's Vice-Consuls in China in 1940.
Pilcher was the British ambassador
to Austria in 1965 when the Queen conferred with the honour of Knight Commander
in the Order of St Michael and St George
.
Sir John ended his career as Her Majesty's ambassador in Tokyo from 1967 through 1972, He was considered by some of his peers as "the last of the scholar-diplomats."
Although Sir John was appropriately diplomatic in his professional duties, he was capable of extraordinary frankness in dispatches sent to Whitehall
. While there is no doubt that Sir John was sincere, his seeming inability to recognize an inherent double-standard in his views is revealing about the attitude that many British and European scholars took towards non-Europeans in the early postwar decades. For instance, the substance of a declassified 1972 letter to the Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home was published in the Japan Times in 2003. In that dispatch, Sir John expressed views which are no less controversial today than when he wrote them.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
(1965-1957) and as ambassador to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(1967–1972).
Career
Pilcher's entered the consular service after passing an open examination in 1935.His career in the Foreign Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom, dealing with foreign affairs, as opposed to the Home Civil Service, which deals with domestic affairs...
was marked by appointment as one of His Majesty's Vice-Consuls in China in 1940.
Pilcher was the British ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Austria in 1965 when the Queen conferred with the honour of Knight Commander
Knight Commander
Knight Commander is the second most senior grade of seven British orders of chivalry, three of which are dormant . The rank entails admission into knighthood, allowing the recipient to use the title 'Sir' or 'Dame' before his or her name...
in the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
.
Sir John ended his career as Her Majesty's ambassador in Tokyo from 1967 through 1972, He was considered by some of his peers as "the last of the scholar-diplomats."
Although Sir John was appropriately diplomatic in his professional duties, he was capable of extraordinary frankness in dispatches sent to Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
. While there is no doubt that Sir John was sincere, his seeming inability to recognize an inherent double-standard in his views is revealing about the attitude that many British and European scholars took towards non-Europeans in the early postwar decades. For instance, the substance of a declassified 1972 letter to the Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home was published in the Japan Times in 2003. In that dispatch, Sir John expressed views which are no less controversial today than when he wrote them.
See also
- List of Old Salopians
- List of Ambassadors from the United Kingdom to Austria
- List of Ambassadors from the United Kingdom to Japan
- Trilateral CommissionTrilateral CommissionThe Trilateral Commission is a non-governmental, non-partisan discussion group founded by David Rockefeller in July 1973 to foster closer cooperation among the United States, Europe and Japan.-History:...