A Most Civil Servant

Allan Gotlieb can explain Washington to the average American as well perhaps as anyone in that confusing power center, and surely better than most. More than that, Gotlieb is one of the most intelligent, articulate, witty, energetic, urbane and effective officials in the nation’s capital. And one of the most popular. He will be missed when he leaves the city in January.

So who is Allan Gotlieb? And if he’s so darn good, why didn’t he get elected President?

Since 1981, Gotlieb, now 60, has been Canada’s ambassador to the United States. He is recognized as one of the outstanding foreign diplomats to be assigned to Washington in years. He came in under liberal Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and stayed on under conservative Brian Mulroney. Gotlieb, a frequent visitor to Los Angeles, will retire next month after three decades of service to his country and helping to forge the landmarkU.S.-Canadian trade treaty. He will go to Harvard to lecture and study for a few months, and then will probably settle in Toronto in some private position. If Americans are fortunate, he will write a book on U.S. politics.

In an interview with Washingtonian Magazine, Gotlieb recently talked about Washington andhow he was able to be effective by ignoring the traditional rules of diplomacy and plunging into power politics. “Washington is a rough town,” he said. “You have to keep on top of who’s in the job, who’s leaving, and who’s left, who’s up and who’s down, who can help your country and who can’t. That might seem calculating, but that’s the very reason for being an ambassador. That’s what I’m supposed to do . . . . You join the fray. The trick is doing this without losing your dignity.”

Allan Gotlieb in fact mastered the fray, and added a splash of dignity to it.