Philippe Berthelot was an important French diplomat, son of Marcellin Berthelot

Marcellin Berthelot

Marcelin Pierre Eugène Berthelot was a French chemist and politician noted for the Thomsen-Berthelot principle of thermochemistry. He synthesized many organic compounds from inorganic substances and disproved the theory of vitalism. He is considered as one of the greatest chemists of all time.He...

. He was a republican (as opposed to monarchists at that time).

He entered the French diplomatic service in 1889 and joined the foreign office in 1904. In 1920, he became secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the rank of ambassador. He was forced to step aside from 1922-1925 because of his involvement in the scandal of the Banque Industrielle de Chine

Banque Industrielle de Chine

The Banque Industrielle de Chine or Industrial Bank of China was chartered in 1913 and went bankrupt in 1922. Its Chinese office was in Shanghai and its European office in Paris. Its Chief Director was A.J...

, controlled by his brother.

He was friends with, and important in the diplomatic careers of, Paul Claudel

Paul Claudel

Paul Claudel was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. He was most famous for his verse dramas, which often convey his devout Catholicism.-Life:...

 and Saint-John Perse

Saint-John Perse

Saint-John Perse was a French poet, awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1960 "for the soaring flight and evocative imagery of his poetry." He was also a major French diplomat from 1914 to 1940, after which he lived primarily in the USA until 1967.-Biography:Alexis Leger was...

.