File No. 811.415 C35/60.

The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State .

No. 43.]

Sir: I have the honor to report that the annual banquet of the “France-Amérique” which this year was given in honor of the French Champlain Delegation, was held yesterday evening, the President of the Council, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Monsieur Poincaré, presiding.

Monsieur Gabriel Hanotaux, President of the Society and also of the Champlain Delegation, in an eloquent speech expressed the thanks of the delegation for the cordial and hospitable reception it had received in the United States and particularly requested that I should transmit to the President the “grateful expressions of appreciation for his reception of the delegation.” In terminating his speech he proposed the health of the United States and of President Taft.

Monsieur Louis Barthou, a member of the delegation, who since his return has become Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Chamber of Deputies, also delivered a speech, in which he spoke most appreciatively of the attention paid to the members of the delegation during their entire stay in the United States.

I therefore beg that there may be conveyed to the President the expressions of thanks which were pronounced by Monsieur Gabriel Hanotaux in the name of the members of the delegation.

I have [etc.]

Myron T. Herrick.