President Loubet treated Admiral Cotton with marked consideration and
respect, and after congratulating him upon his command and giving
expression to many sympathetic messages to be conveyed to
[Page 407]
our Government, invited him
and his aide-de-camp to Paris as guests of the Government. A handsome
compartment was provided for him on the train, a state carriage was
awaiting him at the station here on his arrival, a French officer was
attached to his person as aide-decamp, he was assigned to a prominent
seat at the banquet given by the President and at the breakfast of the
minister of foreign affairs, both in honor of King Edward VII, who was
visiting here at the time. The President invited the admiral to sit in
his box with him and the King at the gala performance at the opera, sent
him the President’s box at the Theatre Français the next evening and his
box at the opera the evening after. These special marks of attention
have been much commented upon and must be interpreted as a pronounced
expression of appreciation of the Government of France of the courtesy
shown it in ordering our vessels to participate so conspicuously in
honoring the return of President Loubet and his ministers to France.
I inclose herewith a clipping from the Paris edition of the New York
Herald.
[Inclosure.]
Extract from the Paris edition of the New York
Herald, May 1, 1903.
A cordial greeting was exchanged yesterday afternoon between M.
Loubet and Rear-Admiral Cotton aboard the cruiser Jeanne d’Arc, which had just brought the President of the
Republic from Tunis.
Soon after the firing of the usual salutes, in which the ships of the
American squadron took part, Rear-Admiral Cotton, accompanied by his
staff and the commanders of the Cincinnati
and the Machias went aboard the French
cruiser, where they were greeted by Commandants Huguet and
Boisse.
The drum-roll salute announcing their arrival, says the Journal, was
drowned in the noise made by the cheering of the people on the quay
and the tooting of whistles from the harbor craft.
Conducted by Commander Huguet, the American officers descended the
companion way to the saloon, where M. Loubet was awaiting them.
After a mutual greeting, Rear-Admiral Cotton said that it had given
him a great personal pleasure to be delegated by Mr. Roosevelt to
convey to the President of the French Republic the expression of the
sincere wishes for the welfare of France and its President
entertained by the American people.
M. Loubet responded that he was deeply touched by this manifestation
of friendship, for which France was deeply appreciative. He referred
to the warm reception President Roosevelt recently extended to
General Brugere and Admiral Fournier, and said that the French
people were glad to see the popular President of the United States
continue the traditions of Franco-American friendship.
M. Loubet expressed great admiration of the American war ships, and
invited Rear-Admiral Cotton to dine with him next Saturday at the
Elysée.
The admiral then presented his staff, and the party then repaired to
the dining saloon of the Jeanne d’Arc, where
a collation was served. The visitors withdrew after having been
aboard the Jeanne d’Arc for twenty-five
minutes.
The visit was returned on the part of the President by General
Dubois, accompanied by Commandant Huguet, who proceeded aboard the
Chicago a few minutes later. Rear-Admiral
Cotton, surrounded by his officers, met Commandant Huguet on deck,
while the marines presented arms and the ship’s band played.
After the first compliments had been exchanged, Rear-Admiral Cotton
conducted his visitors to his stateroom and offered them a glass of
champagne. General Dubois, in the name of the President, thanked the
rear-admiral for his visit and asked him to convey to President
Roosevelt M. Loubet’s expression of friendship. He also said that M.
Loubet was extremely pleased that the rear-admiral had accepted the
invitation to dinner. The rear-admiral’s flag officer and the naval
attaché of the American embassy at Paris are included in the
invitation.
