7
were inherently dangerous, neither the scout nor his or her genuine pur-
suits—cover activities such as teaching English, researching books, survey-
ing unknown territory, photographing ancient ruins, or digging up
potsherds—were at risk. In other words, there was no reason to see oneself
as a bad actor. On the contrary, as Baden-Powell observed: ‘The scout is
looked up to as a brave man. ... A good spy—no matter which country he
serves—is of necessity a brave and valuable fellow.’^21
It is hardly surprising that those who were thought best qualified to be
scouts were well-educated, well-travelled, well-connected, and well-heeled
members of the privileged upper and upper-middle classes. Most were
recruited because of their educational background (usually public school
and the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, or London),^22 their occupa-
tions (usually diplomatic, military, or professional), their knowledge of
foreign languages and cultures, and their overseas location and/or their
freedom to travel overseas. A private income was of course a great advan-
tage, but of greatest importance in an era that predated aptitude testing
and online recruitment were one’s social connections. The successful dip-
lomatic career of Sir Reader Bullard (1885–1976), for instance, who rose
to become one of Churchill’s most distinguished wartime ambassadors (in
Tehran), was remarkable not so much because of Bullard’s evident compe-
tence as because he was the son of a London docker, was state-school
educated, and lacked any social connections. To become a scout, whether
under diplomatic cover or not, one simply had to have the right pedigree
and know the right people, or come to the attention of the right people.
One usually had to be acceptably ‘well bred’ (in other words, descended
from what was termed a ‘good’ family), to have attended a major (public)
school and university (athleticism, especially a ‘blue,’ could exonerate
those with poor degrees or none at all), to have had what was described as
a ‘good’ (First World) War, and to belong to a reputable London club,
and/or a hunt, and/or the MCC.^23 The final requirement, unless able to
procure one’s own recruitment independently, was for one’s father, some
other close relative, or a family friend with the right connections to inter-
cede on one’s behalf (Fig. 1.1).
It is therefore hardly surprising that gender was significant. The lack of
female scouts was undoubtedly attributable to the fact that young women,
however privileged, had little opportunity to acquire the educational,
occupational, and social advantages that privileged young men did by
default. They may have learned European languages at home from their
governesses, but genteel young women led such sheltered lives even in the
PROLOGUE: OF SPIES, SCOUTS, AND COVER