-1-

EULOGY FOR MARQUIS WILLIAM CHILDS 10/3/90

Many years ago - longer ago than I care to admit -
after a particularly exhausting shuttle in the Middle East,
Nancy and I returned late one night to Andrews Airforce
Base. There was an area for reporters and another for a
small group of officials who had come to greet us. Somewhere
between these two groups stood Marquis Childs. He was
present neither as a reporter nor as an official. He had
simply come to welcome home a friend and to tell him that he
was glad the United States was engaged in a search for
peace. Mark shook our hand and left.

Few gestures have touched me more.

It was characteristic of Mark. The Administration in
which I served was not his favorite. He often opposed our
policies. But he had grown up in an America which still

-2-

treated our national destiny as a common enterprise, not as
a confrontation between groups eyeing each other with
suspicion and sustaining themselves with mutual vilifica-
tion. Even as he castigated many of our policies, Mark took
pride in whatever progress was being made toward what he
considered a permanent American agenda for peace and
progress. Mark was quintessentially American in his opti-
mism, his belief in man's perfectibility and in his affable
good will. Therefore, he greeted the slightest progress in
East-West negotiations with buoyancy and pride while the
skeptics searched for angles and hidden motives. He assured a
broad and diverse readership that America's national commit-
ment to individual freedom and the rights of the individual
was still alive; and he renewed that commitment with every
column and every book he ever wrote.

Mark was also my friend. I spent many a happy and
instructive evening in his company and in Jane's, who, as we

-3-

all know, meant everything to him. Cynics may consider our
friendship an example of the symbiotic relationship between
the press and officials in our capital. But Mark was not a
cynic and he did not need me for the sort of information in
which he specialized. His concerns had to do not with
tactics but with trends. He had a fifth sense for underlying
currents. And his concern was progress, peace and freedom.
For two generations he mulled over these issues in various
forms, and he always came back to the ultimately human theme
that was his staple. Daily motives interested him less than
the theme of raising our sights to those essential values
that make government service worth anything in the first
place. This is why one had to pay attention whenever Mark
Childs pointed out a shortcoming, and why one felt almost
decorated when he nodded in approval.

My last meeting with Mark was in San Francisco, some
three yars ago. I went there to deliver a speech to the

-4-

Trilateral Commission. Mark and Jane invited me for tea in their apartment. I told Mark what I was about to say, which was, in effect, a critique of the INF Agreement then being negotiated. Mark, in his gentlemanly way, asked searching, pointed, even sympathetic, questions. But I could tell his heart was not in my proposed speech. Every fiber of his being strained to believe that we were truly at the beginning of a new era and that certain risks would have to be run on behalf of peace - in effect, that we had to raise our sights and keep them there.

Mark's sense for the essential had not left him, and events since have vindicated much of his intuition.

Mark was the sort of friend who spurred all whose lives he touched to try harder for the values in which he believed with passion, wisdom and constant hood humor.

And we will always remember him.

-1-

CHILDS EULOGY 10/3/90

Many years ago, I was a foreign correspondent for The Times based in Baghdad, when the war was still very recent. I was assigned to a team covering political events in Iraq. One day, as we were heading out to our daily coverage of the战事, I saw a man standing by the side of the road, looking verylágly and alone. I knew that this man could be either a reporter or an official. He could be selling newspapers or trying to骗 me. I decided to follow him and see where he was going. After a short time, I realized that this man was not a reporter nor an official. He had simply come to welcome home a friend and to tell him that he was glad the United States was engaged in a search for peace. Mark shook our hands and left. I went back to my team, but I could see that he was still a foreign correspondent for The Times, so I decided to follow him again. This time, instead of selling newspapers or trying to骗 me, he seemed to be looking for some kind of help. I asked him what he needed, and he told me that he was trying to cross the border into Turkey. I told him that I was a foreign correspondent for The Times, and that I could help him cross the border. As we arrived in Turkey, the man called me a friend, and we went back to my team. After the war, when I was back in London, I was still a foreign correspondent for The Times, and I went back to my team in Baghdad. From that day on, whenever I saw a man like this one, I thought, 'I will never tell him that he can trust me.'

But it was characteristic of Mark. The Administration in which I served was not his favorite. He often opposed our policies, especially the one that he called the 'oil and gas' policy. But he had grown up in

-3-

my one friendship

might consider this an example of the symbiotic relationship
between the press and officials in our capital. But Mark was
not a cynic and he did not need me for the sort of informa-
tion in which he specialized. His concerns had to do not
with tactics but with trends. He had a fifth sense for
underlying currents. And his concern was progress, peace and
freedom. For two generations he mulled over these issues in
various forms, and he always came back to the ultimately
human theme that was his staple. The baseness of official
motives interested him less than raising our sights to those
essential values that make government service worth anything
in the first place. This is why one had to pay attention
whenever Mark Childs pointed out a shortcoming, and why one
felt almost decorated when he nodded in approval.

My last meeting with Mark was in San Francisco, some
three yars ago. I went there to deliver a speech to [that
ogre of conservatives,] the Trilateral Commission. Mark and

-1-

CHILDS EULOGY 10/3/90

After a particularly exhausting shuttle in the Middle East, Nancy and I returned late one night to Andrews Airforce Base. There was an area for reporters and another for a small group of officials who had come to greet us. Somewhere between these two groups stood Marquis Childs. He came as neither a reporter nor an official. He had simply come to welcome home a friend and to tell him that he was glad the United States was engaged in a search for peace. Mark shook our hands and left. Few gestures have touched me more.

But it was characteristic of Mark. The Administration in which I served was not his favorite. He often opposed our policies and was frequently critical. For he had grown up in

-2-

a period in which our national destiny was treated as a
common enterprise, not a confrontation between groups eyeing
each other with suspicion. Even as he castigated the poli-
cies to which he objected, Mark took pride in whatever
progress could me made toward what he considered a permanent
American agenda for peace and progress. With his pen, Mark
Childs assured a broad and diverse readership that America's
national commitment to individual freedom and the rights of
the individual was still alive; and he renewed that commit-
ment with every column and every book he ever wrote.

Thus it was the case that Mark greeted every arms
control agreement and the slightest progress in East-West
negotiations with buoyancy and pride while the skeptics
searched for angles and hidden motives.

Mark was my friend. I spent a catalogue of happy,
instructive, memorable, evenings in his company and in
Jane's, who as we all know meant everything to him. Cynics

-3-

My last meeting with Mark was in San Francisco, some
three yrs ago. I went there to deliver a speech to that
ogre of conservatives, the Trilateral Commission. Mark and

-4-

Jane invited me for tea in their apartment. I remember
telling Mark what I was about to tell the group, in effect a
critique of the INF Agreement that was being negotiated at
the time. Mark, in his gentlemanly way, asked searching,
pointed, questions though I could tell his heart was not in
what I was proposing to say. Every fiber of his being
strained to believe that we were truly at the beginning of a
new era and that certain risks would have to be run on
behalf of peace - again, in effect, that we had to raise our
sights and keep them there.

Mark's sense for the essential had surely not left him,
and events since have vindicated his intuition.

Mark was the sort of friend who spurred all whose lives
he touched to try harder for the values in which he believed
with the passion of life itself.

-1-

Guia's Edits

CHILDS EULOGY 10/2/90

After returning from a particularly exhausting shuttle
in the Middle East, Nancy and I arrived late at night at
Andrews Airforce Base. There was an area for reporters and a
small group of officials to greet us. Somewhere between
two came as
these groups stood Marquis Childs. He was neither a reporter
nor an official. He had come to welcome home a friend to
was placed in the United States was engaged in
Mark
tell him that he appreciated the efforts for peace. He shook
our hands and left. Few gestures touched us more.
I have me
But, it was characteristic of Mark. The Administration in
which I served was not his favorite. He opposed and criti-
cized many of our policies. For he had grown up in a period of
American History our national history as
in which the American destiny was a common enterprise, not a
confrontation between mutually suspicious groups. Even as he
eying each other with suspicion.

-3-

tactics but trends. He had a great sense for underlying

For two generations he always returned to that theme of

humanity which was the staple of his trade. He did not so

much seek to expose the baseness of official motives as to

raise our sights to the essential values that make govern-

ment service worthwhile. This is why one paid attention whenever

he pointed out shortcomings and felt as if decorated by his

approval.

My last meeting with Mark was in San Francisco three

yars ago. I was there to deliver a speech to that ogre of

conservatives, the Trilateral Commission. Mark and Jane

invited me for tea in their apartment. And I told Mark what

I would say which was in effect a critique of the INF

Agreement then being negotiated. Mark, in his marvelously

polite way, asked searching questions. But I could tell his

heart was not in what I proposed to say. Every fiber of his

-4-

[Y]

Strained, truly being wanted to believe that we were at the beginning of a

and certain on behalf of, again, new era, that risks had to be run for peace and that in

that (would have) would have

and effect, we had to raise our sights, and keep them there.

I knew then that Mark's

And of course his sense for the essential had not left

him, and, but it never could, events since came vouchsafing

 lies within the sort of, spurred

the sort of, spurred

Mark was a friend who forced all whose lives he touched

to try harder for the values in which he believed so pas-

of life itself.

sionated

And

we will always remember him.

-1-

CHILDS EULOGY 10/2/90

After returning from a particularly exhausting shuttle
in the Middle East, Nancy and I arrived late at night at
Andrews Airforce Base. There was an area for reporters and a
small group of officials to greet us. Somewhere between
these groups stood Marquis Childs. He was neither a reporter
nor an official. He had come to welcome home a friend to
tell him that he appreciated the efforts for peace. He shook
our hands and left. Few gestures touched us more.

It was characteristic of Mark. The Administration in
which I served was not his favorite. He opposed and criti-
cized many of our policies. But he had grown up in a period
in which the American destiny was a common enterprise, not a
confrontation between mutually suspicious groups. Even as he

-2-

castigated policies to which he objected, he took pride in
any progress toward what he considered the permanent Ameri-
can agenda of peace and progress. With his pen, Mark Childs
assured a broad and diverse readership of America's national
commitment to individual freedom and the rights of the
individual; and he renewed that commitment with every
column, every book, and every speech he ever made.

And so it happened that he greeted every arms control
agreement and every progress in East-West negotiations with
buoyancy and pride even while skeptics were looking for
ulterior motives.

Mark was my friend. I spent many happy and instructive
evenings in his company and in Jane's, who as we all know
meant everything to him. Cynics will consider this an
example of the symbiotic relationship between press and
officials in this capital. But Mark was not a cynic and he
did not need me for special information. His concern was not

-3-

tactics but trends. He had a great sense for underlying
currents. And his concern was progress, peace and freedom.
For two generations he always returned to that theme of
humanity which was the staple of his trade. He did not so
much seek to expose the baseness of official motives as to
raise our sights to the essential values that made govern-
ment service worthwhile. This is why one paid attention when
he pointed out shortcomings and felt as if decorated by his
approval.

My last meeting with Mark was in San Francisco three
yars ago. I was there to deliver a speech to that ogre of
conservatives, the Trilateral Commission. Mark and Jane
invited me for tea in their apartment. And I told Mark what
I would say which was in effect a critique of the INF
Agreement then being negotiated. Mark, in his marvelously
polite way, asked searching questions. But I could tell his
heart was not in what I proposed to say. Every fiber of his

-4-

being wanted to believe that we were at the beginning of a
new era, that risks had to be run for peace and that in
effect we had to raise our sights.

And of course his sense for the essential had not left
him.

Mark was a friend who forced all whose lives he touched
to try harder for the values in which he believed so pas-
sionately.

We will always remember him.