Evening star., 1936-10-06
PAUL CLAUDEL I'LL,
|. EX-FRENCH ENVOY
Former bmbassador to US.
Undergoes Blood Trans.
fusion.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PARIS, October 6.-Paul Claudel,
poet and diplomat and former French
Ambassador to washington, under
went q blood TRANSMISSION here today.
His condition was reported as ex-
tremely serious.
Paul Claudel was one of the most
distinguished Ambassadors the French
government ever sent to Washington
He rose from the ranks" That Is
to say that he did not belong origi-
nally to the diplomatic, but to the
consular corps.
The French diplomatic corps con-
tinues to be o CLOSED corporation" :"
1t Is only seldom that man is trans
ferred from the consular to the diplo-
matte service. To achieve such dis
tinction the officer must be q man Of
outstanding ability.
Claudel, whose parents were middle
class people, Joined the consular serv-
Ice because 1t was the only way
young man without means could travel
around the world and see foreign
lands. And there are few parts of the
five continents which Claudel has not
visited in his consular and diplomatic
career.
Considered Poor Talker.
The former French Ambassador was
a poor talker. His great power of
expression was in writing He was
q witty man, but few people could
understand his jokes because his
French was as unintelligible as his
English. But as q poet he held
privileged rank in French literature.
Claudel was born on August 6, 1868.
and entered the French consular serv-
ice as very young man. He spent
IL years Of his life in China in various
consular posts, where he understood.
as much as white man can under
stand, not only the Chinese mentality,
but also their literature.
The outbreak of the war found him
as French Consul General in Hamburg,
Germany. After the war he was
shifted to the diplomatic service and
Appointed Minister to Rio de Janeiro.
Later he was transferred to Denmark.
In 1921 Claudel was appointed AM
bassador and sent to represent France
at Toxic, where he remained until
1926.
Transferred to Brussels
On December 3, 1926, he was ap-
pointed Ambassador to Washington,
where he remained until March, 1898,
when he was unceremoniously trans
ferred to Brussels.
This unexpected transfer hurt
Claudel's pride more than anything
else that happened in his long and
distinguished career. The French
government did not give him the
usual timely warning. He simply was
informed by cable that he was through
and that another diplomat would be
sent IN his place. He took it like a
good soldier, however, and went to
his post in Brussels. where he re-
manned until 1885, when he was pen
stoned.
Clauoei was an extremely popular
ambassador in Washington. It took
some time before people could begin
to understand his brilliant mind. He
was shy and different. But when
those who came in close touch with
him began to realize his sterling
qualities, they became his lifelong
friends.
At one time he had certain diff
culties with Henry L. Stimson, the
Secretary of State in the Hoover ad-
ministration. Claudel explained later
what the trouble was: "Stmson in
sisted on talking his college French to
me and I did not understand what he
was saying. I used to answer in my
i broken English and he did under
stand what I was saying. And We
both jabbered along for hours with
out knowing what We meant to say"