“Imagine a straight line bisecting houses.” That is Rue Jules Cambon. It begins at the corner of Avenue Paul Santy near Grignard college. The street ends at Avenue Viviani.
Rue Jules Cambon is a wide straight line. It runs between individual houses of one or two stories. On the west side, you can glimpse Vuillermet stadium. On the east, there are apartment blocks.
Toward the end of Rue Jules Cambon, two small two-story buildings stand side by side on the east. Number 33 is impressive. This last house is double-sized. A large balcony sits above its staircase. A third half-timbered story gives it a chalet look.
Rue Jules Cambon was opened late in the 20th century. A 1942 map shows it bordered by gardens. Today, you will find a car garage and an electrician. In 2019, there was a daycare center at number 23.
This street is named for Jules Cambon. He was born in Paris on April 5, 1845. He died in Vevey, Switzerland on September 19, 1935. Jules Cambon is honored as a former ambassador. He served in Washington and Madrid. In 1914, he was in Berlin. Twice, in 1908 and 1911, he negotiated to avoid war. He was also governor of Algeria.
Jules Cambon was Prefect of the Rhone from 1886 to 1890. He led the construction of the current prefecture building. Jules Cambon’s brother, Victor Cambon, was born in Lyon in 1852. Victor was an engineer. He wrote several books. These include “Germany at Work” and “France at Work.” The latter had a chapter on Lyon in 1911. Victor died in Paris in 1927.
Jules Cambon began his career as a lawyer in 1866. He served in the Franco-Prussian War. He entered the civil service in 1871. He became prefect of the Nord department in 1882. In 1891, he became governor-general of Algeria.
In 1897, Jules Cambon became the French ambassador to Washington, DC. He negotiated the peace preliminaries for Spain after the war with the United States. He was the French ambassador to the United States during the War of 1898. He helped develop a strong political partnership between Spain and France.
In 1902, Jules Cambon was transferred to Spain as ambassador. In 1907, he went to Germany. He served there until World War I broke out in 1914. He then headed the political section of the French Foreign Ministry during the war.
Jules Cambon believed in the Entente Cordiale with Britain. He worked to strengthen diplomatic ties with France’s main ally. He assisted in the Triple Entente of an Arab-Zionist-Armenian alliance. His department shared intelligence with the British Foreign Office. They pursued the defeat of the Central Powers.
In 1928, Jules Cambon published “The Diplomatist.” This became a classic study of diplomacy. He wrote, “What really distinguishes the diplomatist from the common herd is his apparent indifference to emotions.”