© The Author(s) 2019 219
A. O’Sullivan, The Baghdad Set,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15183-6_10
CHAPTER 10
Oh So Social
Try to keep it coming now. Millions of little observations—things that
may seem to you on the spot of no importance at all—atmosphere,
setting, habits, routine, spirit, temperament, popular reactions,
methods, possible aims and results, the cordial frequency or chilled
absence of your own invitations to sip vodka or nibble caviar, etc, etc.
All that, I think, is what we want from your (to us) wholly mysterious
corner of the earth.
—Arthur R. DaytonA balance of power among great nations does not necessarily equate to an
intelligence and security equilibrium among the powers. Even at the
zenith of Nazi hegemony in mid-1942, the performance of the German
foreign intelligence services (Abwehr and RSHA VI) was generally poor,
much to Hitler’s chagrin. Though weaker by far than the United States
and the Soviet Union in military and economic terms, the British had at
least 400 years of espionage and counterintelligence behind them.
Moreover, they had Bletchley Park and ULTRA, and that made them
Advice from a seasoned scout to a younger cub. Dayton to Allen, 3 June 1944,
Record Group 226, Entry 217, Box 1, National Archives and Records
Administration, College Park, MD [NARA].