New-York tribune., 1922-12-31
ClaudeI the
Mystic and
Diplomat
Author of ''The Tidings
Brought to Mary" Is
3 Battling Personality
Bv Nellie F. Turner

Niss Turner, 4cko has lived for
stars in France. Is q close friend Of
Cionf~f. ord otter fhs premiere Of
~Ths Tidisos Brought % MGry" IN
Paris, accompanied the productions 70
FYank(Orf. acting as promptcr dc laTe'
Paul claudel is as much a source Of
wonder 20 his friends ss 70 any strang-
er who fnds irreeone!lable Ciaudel the
mystic and clsudel the diplomat II
is not unusual FOR a man whose daily
interests are not literary 20 write poet
ry and have II published. Pierre Lott
managed 20 be a consul and AZ the same
time 70 write literature. But Pierre
Lott was pre-eminently a writer.
Claudel seems 20 live two separate
lives. sincere and intense in each. and
successful. His literary reputation Is
too secure 70 need my word, his sue.
cess IN his diplomatic career Is indis-
pHtsble.
The secret seems 10 lie in the COM
piete detachment Of his inner and
outer life. When consul he went
through bis Office routine ss system
sueally a. any bureau clerk. His man
nsr was matter Of fact. his mind keen
critical. Ne was to every one who en-
tered his Office the complete business
man. know there is no standard sp-
pearanee for a poet. but Ciaudel least
Of all men suggested a remote mystic
soul 70 the casual acquaintance.
He Is Of middle height. stoeky'
face like a Roman centurion's. lie
gave the impression while in his ONCE
Of a man Of great dignity, sure con
tact with every day affairs, and GER
tain man-of-ihe-world air. witty and
urbsne. pleased those with whom he
had TO deal in the consular service.
His eyes arc tho key to the riddle
u ANYTHING can be said 10 reveal some
thing that one learns only after years
Of knowing a person. They are very
brilliant, with a fixed, rather staring
look. At the back Of them Is some
thing remote. guarded, the spirit that
comes out only in his work, and which
n, coneeals successfully even in his
personal life
claudel docs not speak Of himself
that self which is in his poems. lie
viii not even discuss them. lie was
in Paris when the "Tidings Brought
70 Mary" was produced, and 50 far as
! know did not see II.
Lurne Poe, Of the Theatre poevre'
took the production Of "Ihe Iidings
10 Frankfort-am-Main when Clauoel
MA. consul there. There was more pop
Mar interest in the arrival OF the
French players than there might have
b.en otherwise. Claudel was besleged
for interviews, comments, articles. But
claudel had nothing 20 say. He re-
sisted ali publicity. would not see the
production Of his play. lie would
have nothing 10 do with his business
affairs as author Lugnc Poe had to
handle everything for him.
Ciaudel the mystic, the writer and
claudel the man Of the world. The
latter is always at your service, subtle,
courteous, witty and charming, the
Japansse ambassador, as one wishes
but the Clnudel who writes Is loath TO
share even the finished product. What
ne does must be dragged from him.
Paul Claudel, now In his hfty-hfth
year, Is the author Of number OF
poetie dramas-"The Tidings Brought
20 Mary" "Tho Exchange" "The Hos
tagep and other works. Here Is his
diplomatic "whos who; viee-eonsul IN
New York, 1898; consul in Boston
1902; Shanghai. 1894; Foochow, 1896;
chevaler Legion d'Honneur, 1905;
first secretary Of embassy at Peking,
1906; consul at Tientsin, 1906; consul
at Prague, 1907 consul general at
Frankfort, 1911; Hamburg, 1913. Sent
upon diplomatic mission 70 Italy in
1915. Charge de legation. Rio De Ja-
neiro, 1915; Minister to Brazil, 1917;
Minister 10 Denmark, 1919; Ambassa-
rg0f