GOBINEAU JOSEPH ARTHUR DE: (1816-1882) French aristocrat, Novelist and Diplomat, best known for helping to legitimise racism and for developing the theory of the Aryan master race. Gobineau authored An Essay on the Inequality of the Human Races. Modern racial antisemitism goes back to Gobineau. A good A.L.S., `C.te de Gobineau´, four pages, 8vo, Athenes, 9<sup>th</sup> January 1865,  to a friend, in French. Gobineau was appointed French Minister to Greece from 1864. Gobineau states in part `Monsieur Plon, printer of His Majesty, has expressed to me his wish to obtain for his son Eugene Plon, the Cross of the Saviour, and explained to me that you are involved in this affair..´, further referring to his demarches, mentionning a few aristocrats names, other personalities who did obtain the cross, and saying `Confident because of the compliments I forwarded to him on behalf of Drouyn de Lhuys, the King has charged me to recall the Minister that Mr…. Mr. le Baron de Gulden and M. Funch, vessel Lieutenant, none of them received the Legion d´Honneur cross at Paris… we didn´t have anything to give to M. de Spormeck who expected the Grand Cordon. We will not give any award then. But the King would really like, now that M. de Spormeck matter is sorted, that we grant his aide-de-camp the Knight´s Cross. He also mentioned that Major of Artillery Metanas, and his aide-de-camp, who was very close to Prince Murat during his stay at Athenes, and that the Prince himself suggested and promised the cross, but he has not received it. Thirs request straigth from His Majesty. I have therefore written to the Minister on behalf of the King…The Minister has probably forgotten. I have written a second time, and got no answer again…´ Gobineau requests his correspondent´s help to forward the message to the Minister, and cconcluded `Until I get those three crosses, the King, very susceptible, will refuse all the other ones.´. VG