Delcasse, Theophile. Born in Pamiers, March 1, 1852. Educated in Paris, and began his career as a journalist. He was elected to the chamber in 1889, for Foix. In 1893, became under-secretary for the colonies under MM. Ribot and Dupuy, and colonial minister in the Dupuy cabinet of May, 1894. He was always a very consistent advocate of colonial expansion. When M. Brisson formed his ministry in 1898, he entrusted foreign affairs to M. Delcasse, and it fell to his lot to deal with the difficult position at Fashoda. He retained his portfolio in M. Dupuy's ministry, after the defeat of the Brisson administration. In 1899, he negotiated the agreement with Great Britain as to the Nile Valley and Central Africa, and still remained foreign minister when M. Waldeck-Rousseau succeeded M. Dupuy, and when M. Combes, in 1902, succeeded M. Waldeck-Rousseau. He brought about the rapprochement with Italy, visited England with the president in 1903, and with Lord Lansdowne prepared the Anglo-French Agreement, signed April 8, 1904. The difficulty with Germany over Morocco caused his retirement in 1905. Died 1923.

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