Salt Lake Telegram | 1932-12-29 | Page 4 | Poet-Ambassador of France Faces Unhappy Season

Poet-Ambassador Poet Of France Faces Unhappy Season By y lIER HERBERT ERT PLUMMER WASHINGTON Dec 29 The 29 The lot Jot lotof lotof of that stock stocky and genial gentleman Frances France's poet ambassador to the United States States States-Me M. M Paul Claudel- Claudel promises to be anything but a happy one in the coming months With France in fri default on her war debt payments to this country the responsibility for seeing that the thc wedge now being driven between Washington and Paris grows no larger rests squarely on his shoulders As dean of the Washington diplomatic dip- dip corps a position to which he hc has just succeeded he will be projected projected pro pro- personally more in fri the limelight limelight lime- lime light ight than he ordinarily would be For example it fell to him to lead the he diplomats to the White House forthe forthe for the he annual diplomatic reception on he the very day his government served notice that the debt payment would not be made If His Excellency felt any embarrassment embarrassment embar embar- it was not noticeable He led lcd his colleagues into the Blue Room one observer wrote He Hc peered through tortoise-rimmed tortoise glasses wore a brilliant red sash around his plump waist a kept Ah bon boa Bon Eon he Kept repeating as he strolled about His black and md gold sword rattled against his leg M. M Claudel is one of the best known of the capitals capital's resident diplomats His fame as a poet and playwright is isas isas isas as great as his renown as a diplomat Residents of the far end of fashionable fashionable fash fash- Sixteenth street where are housed most of the foreign diplomatic missions are accustomed to seeing him emerge from irom the big French embassy embassy embassy em em- bassy early in the morning and trudge down the hill to the little stone church a few blocks away to hear mass masS- It Itis Itis itis I Ia is a daily pilgrimage for fur him Then he returns to the embassy to spend an hour or so in meditation reading or writing on subjects far re removed removed removed re- re moved from the cares of state stale The ambassadors ambassador's statements and speeches reflect his ability as an au au- au- au thor They are arc invariably models of composition and diction The story is still told around the capital of his part in drafting the historic historic his his- tone joint statement issued by President President President dent Hoover and Premier Laval after the French leaders leader's visit to this country in October of or last year The statement had been awaited by the whole world ea eagerly erly Hour flour after alter hour passed Finally late on Sunday Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day afternoon it came It was rumored that the statement was ready long before but M. M Claudel convinced that it was a making history-making document in insisted insisted in- in that c each ich word be polished and When finally Issued it was rated a literary gem gent