CAMBON (Jules) - Lot 57

CAMBON (Jules) Born in Paris, 1845—died in 1935. Administrator and diplomat, French ambassador to Washington and later to Berlin, a key figure in French diplomacy in the late 19th century. Autograph letter signed “Jules Cambon,” addressed to Mr. Deligne. [No place, no date]. 2 pages, in-8 format. An interesting letter concerning an appeal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Cambon writes that he has “just written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to put forward the candidacy of Mlle Bailleux,” which is to be presented “to Mr. Leygues by the Quai d’Orsay.” He expresses some reservations, however, regarding the outcome of his efforts: “I hope to succeed, but you know that I am not always heeded….” This document sheds light on the mechanisms of recommendation and the networks of influence within the French diplomatic service, illustrating the role that senior officials could play as intermediaries in careers and appointments. It should be noted that Jules Cambon was appointed French ambassador to Washington in 1897, where he played a decisive role in the peace negotiations between Spain and the United States, participating in the drafting of the Treaty of Paris in 1898.