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Printed: CONSULATE OF FRANCE | REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE
Printed: IN MALTA AND CYPRUS
[printed: La Valette, le ................................ 19]
Printed: 48, Old Bakery St.
and I had had to replace, at the beginning of 46, somewhat at short notice, after a period when I had no help whatsoever, a big pretentious Maltese clerk, now decorated, of course, with the Legion of Honour, and who, after two years of management in Malta following the departure of Garreau for London, had swollen up to believing himself also of a race above all at least a minister of France... But that is in the past. I tried to ask the Department to appoint a career consul in Cyprus (in full agreement with Lapierre) or at least to give him the powers of vice consul to reinforce his authority, for I am far away, but the Ministry, for lack of funds, has procrastinated. You no doubt remember me. Admitted to the Naval College in 1920, I sailed in the national and merchant navy from 1920 to 1932 (midshipman in 1922 in submarines, master mariner in 1927), then after some posts as second officer and commander of small ships, and that of 1st lieutenant of the liner of 40.000 tx L'Atlantique, I resigned, predicting a catastrophe which unfortunately occurred six months later, and I entered the Foreign Affairs service by competitive examination in 1932, posted to the consulates at Chang Haï, San Francisco, the legation in Cuba, Glasgow … continues
65 figures hard to readstruck struck outadded written in above” jug ditto, and what it repeatsword reading not certain