C. S. A. Ritchie

Charles Stewart Almon Ritchie joined External Affairs in 1934 and served in London during the Second World War. Later appointments took him to West Germany, the United Nations, Washington, NATO, and the British high commission. He also kept diaries, publishing accounts of diplomatic life including The Siren Years and Storm Signals. ^{1, 2}

He arrived in Washington in 1962 amid disputes over nuclear weapons and Canadian defence commitments. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, John Diefenbaker briefly recalled him to Ottawa. Ritchie persuaded the prime minister to send him back early, cautioned Canadian officials about public criticism of American policy, and reassured the State Department of Canada’s support. ¹