During his seven-plus years as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., absorbed a pertinent lesson: nations, even friendly ones, communicate and cooperate with one another slowly and formally. Nongovernmental groups can help bridge the gaps with speed and effectiveness. Last week Lodge, taking leave of absence from TIME INC., where he has been a consultant on international affairs, became the first director general of the new Atlantic Institute.
Established last January, the Atlantic Institute hopes to serve the NATO community as a channel of ideas and information between men on both sides of the ocean. It has prestigious,...