Preliminary Inventory of the Ellis Loring Dresel papers

Diplomatic passport (#150) issued to Ellis L. Dresel in connection with his appointment as a Special Representative of the Department of State, U.S.A., signed by Secretary of State Robert Lansing. Bears signature and photograph of bearer. Cancelled upon issuance of new passport. Dec. 21, 1915, Nov. 29, 1918,

Ticket of admission ("Perron d'honneur") issued to Ellis Loring Dresel for the meeting to sign the treaty of peace with Bulgaria, part of the proceedings of the Congrés de la Paix, Hotel de Ville de Neuilly-sur-Seine, Dresel was secretary of the U.S. delegation to the meeting. (Ticket in French) Nov. 27, 1919.

Biographical sketch of Ellis Loring Dresel, copied from Who Was Who, 1897-1916.

Special pass issued to Ellis L. Dresel by the American legation in Bern, Switzerland, asking that the bearer be allowed to move safely, with diplomatic privileges, on a mission from Bern to Vienna. The pass is and is signed by the bearer and by a (P.A. Stovall?), representing the Bern legation. It also bears the stamps of the Swiss government and of the Austro-Hungarian regime. (Pass in German) dated March 27, 1917

Temporary travel pass, good for one month (#110), issued to Ellis L. Dresel by the German government for a period in Signed, on behalf of the Chancellor, by one J.G. Dargitz and bearing, on the reverse side, a stamp of the Frankfurt police. (In German) February 1916 March of 1916.

Birthday greetings to Ellis L. Dresel's sister, Miss Louisa L. Dresel, in letter from Albrecht von Kessel, Ambassador, Diplomatic Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany. The birthday, was Miss Dresel's 90th. Enclosed with letter is picture of German President Theodore Heuss, bearing Heuss' handwritten greetings and his signature. (CORRECTION: von Kessel was Minister, acting in absence of Ambassador, Dr. Krekeler.) (In German) June 27, 1957,

Business card used by Ellis Loring Dresel while he was special representative of U.S. Department of State attached to American legation in Bern. (In French)

Seating arrangement for a luncheon apparently in Bern and involving, among others, members of the Swiss government and of the international diplomatic community. Included in those present: Mr. Ellis Loring Dresel, listed as "First Secretary, American Legation;" S.E.M. Calonder, listed as Président de la Conféderation (Suisse?); Mr. Christian L. Herter, listed as "Third Secretary to the Commission;" and M. le professeur Rappard. (In French) Oct. 3, 1918,

Four telegrams to Miss Louisa L. Dresel, all expressing condolences to her on death of her brother, Ellis L. Dresel. Sent by dated Sept. 21, 1925,

a) Joseph C. Grew-- "I appreciate your wanting me to be pallbearer and shall, of course, accept."

b) Allen Dulles-- "A loss which I feel most keenly as a friend and admirer of Ellis."

c) "Totten, Acting Chairman of American Foreign Service Association"

d) "Maltzan"-- "Deeply impressed by the death of your brother, whose name is connected forever with German-American history."

Three commissions or appointments from President Warren G. Harding, U.S.A.

a) "I have invested (Ellis Loring Dresel, American Commissioner at Berlin) with full and all manner of power and authority... to negotiate, conclude and sign a treaty with Germany to restore the friendly relations existing between the two nations prior to the outbreak of war..." Dated Aug. 1, 1921

b) Order from the White House, also authorizing the Secretary of State to affix the seal of the United States to the testament of "full power" cited immediately above. dated Aug. 1, 1921,

c) "I hereby authorize Ellis Loring Dresel... to effect... the exchange of my ratification for that of the (German) Government aforesaid, of the Treaty between the United States of America and Germany to restore the friendly relations etc."

Correspondence

a) Carbon copy of Letter to U.S. Secretary of State from American (Ambassador?) in Berlin, James W. Gerard, praising Ellis L. Dresel's service-- while on leave from his Boston law firm-- as chief of the Embassy's financial bureau from The letter asks that Dresel be paid for this service at the rate of $2,000 per year. dated Aug. 26, 1915, March 12 to Aug. 26, 1915.

b) Letter from one "McFadden" of U.S. Embassy, Paris, addressed to Dresel as representative of the War Trade Board, American legation, Bern, regarding shift of Board staff in Bern and in Paris. dated Sept. 12, 1918,

c) Letter of thanks to Dresel for service on staff of American Commission to Negotiate Peace, written from Paris headquarters of ACNP, and signed by Commissioners Robert Lansing, Henry White, Col. (F.W.?) House and Tasker (W.?) Bliss. dated Dec. 1, 1919,

d) Letter of thanks to Dresel from (_____?) Polk, Commissioner Plenipotentiary of the U.S.A. in Paris, for assistance to him while Dresel was in Paris with ACNP.

e) Letter to Dresel from Alanson B. Houghton, American Ambassador in Berlin, marked "Confidential" and Covered in the letter are, among other items dated Nov. 22, 1922.

i. Favorable response to Dresel's hint (from earlier letter to Houghton, not in file) that he might like to return to U.S. diplomatic service in Germany.

ii. Discussion of political situation in Germany as Cuno was forming his cabinet.

iii. Grim depiction of economic situation, with winter setting in. "Unless something is done to bring hope among the German people, I confess that seems to me to be the end. These people seem to me very slowly to be going mad."

iv. Mention of previous October's informal meeting in Berlin with Houghton of all U.S. ambassadors from countries near to Germany. "The situations here are so overlapping, as you know, that it helps one's point of view to get first-hand information and impartial statements from the neighboring countries." Cited as attending the meeting: "Gibson (Hugh), Grew (Joseph), Washburn, Brentano, Allen" and "Castle."

f) Dresel reply to Houghton letter cited immediately above, including, among other matters: (Dated Feb. 12, 1923)

i. Statement that his ill health probably will prevent his joining the Embassy in Berlin, though he would like to be able to do so.

ii. Dresel's impression that sentiment in eastern U.S. is strongly pro-French ("widespread idea that the German Government has not acted in good faith, which I am doing my best to combat") though "in the west (of the U.S.) the sentiment is probably different."

iii. Praise for Cuno and German President Ebert.

g) Houghton reply to Dresel's letter cited above, inviting Dresel to meet with him in Berlin on his way back from rest trip to French Riviera. States Houghton at one point: "I cannot escape the feeling that any policy basedupon a 'reasonable' settlement of reparations is to a considerable extent based upon a wrong premise. If this surmise proves to be true, we are likely to see a set of events which may properly give us a good deal of apprehension." dated March 1, 1923,

h) Letter to Dresel, c/o American Embassy, Paris, from Hugh Gibson, Minister of American Legation at Bern, Enclosed with letter is copy of telegram from Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes notifying Dresel he has been proposed as American nominee for appointment as Judge on the Mixed Court of First Instance at Alexandria, Egypt. dated June 10, 1924.

i) Letter to Dresel from Ambassador Houghton in Berlin, marked "Personal" and Letter is addressed to Dresel c/o latter's Boston law firm, Goodwin, Parker, Raymond & Comstock, 84 State Street. It says, in part: "I think you were wise in not undertaking to get back into the law again as a judge of the Mixed Claims Court at Alexandria. Your proper work is over here..." dated Aug. 19, 1924.

Reprint of Dresel's laudatory obituary article on German President Ebert, taken from Boston Transcript of Dresel himself died some six months later. March 2, 1925.

Two reports of a journey to Germany (Amer. Commission to Negotiate Peace. 1919)