born Jan. 20, 1843, Paris, France died May 29, 1924, Paris French diplomat. He worked in the civil service (1870-82) before entering the diplomatic service, in which he served as ambassador to Spain and Turkey. Appointed ambassador to Britain (1898-1920), he spent his first years in smoothing over Anglo-French relations. His efforts were crowned by the signing of the Entente Cordiale in 1904. During World War I he continued to play a vital role in cooperation between the two allies