Arizona state miner., 1926-09-04
H Z n 7


It is time to call halt on some Of the reckless
chatter about the governor and make a few dis
tinctions between what may and what may not be
said The truth is best in the light of history
Hunts name is the only name in Arizona Of this
generation that will get into history at all.
That's fact.
The people of this state will be proud Of him.
We are losing sight Of two things George w. ?.
Hunt is fine and he is trong. "Fine" is exactly the
word. It is not matter Of manners but of man
ner He has distinction He is the real aristocrat.
Courage, no one denies him, but he has cour-
tesy too that is the finer because it is OF the heart
and not merely of the elbow and the backbone. In
fact the two words courage and courtesy
come from the same root meaning "heart," and
the qualities that have always marked George w.
P. Hunt are heart qualities.
He represented this country in Siam few
years ago. The history of that period of his career
is chapter that rebounds to his honor as an Incl
dent of the early days of his stay in Siam will Illus
trate:
It happened that at the time of the governors
appointment, a missionary from Arizona, employed
in one of the provinces of Siam, was visiting
friends in the English embassy, the wife OF the
English ambassador. It was critical time IN the
affairs of nations in that part of the world Persia
having only accepted the overtures of Shuster the
American to put her treasury in order, and wave
of unrest being perceptible Indian and into
Siam and especially into French 1ndo-C China
conference was to be held in Bangkok short
lv after Governor Hunts arrival, and representa-
tives were expected from Tavoy and Cambodia as
well as from Korat and Yuthia in Siam. The Eng
lish ambassador, man of wide experience in dip
lomatc affairs and great stlcker for all the outer
FORMS whether in diplomacy or in dress, was a.
man of some force Of character, young and am
bilious man, and on whom had been focused
strong light in the crisis of affairs in that part
of the world. He looked on as the leader among
the foreign embassies, and was accepted as such.
The American missionary had silly fear In
the back Of her mind because, as she afterwards
confessed, knowing what penchant her friends
husband had for all the conventions, she had some
slight misgivings that her cOuntryman, ambassador
to SIAM native of her own Arizona, might not
perhaps would not-be right up to the minute
among the foreign diplomats and the native Off
GERS and governors, and petty princes.
What if he should appear without a dress suit
It was sweltering night The conference was
sitting about the table garbed in the stiff and
starched conventionaltes Of European dress or the
laced and gilded and tUrbanned insuffeTlbltles OF
the Orient. An oppressive air Of overWraught dig
nitv held the assemblage when into the room was
us6ered George w. P. Dressed in sensible white
linen suit with an air Of plain business, he walked
to the place reserved for him out Of compliment at
the head of the table. And there he sat, not only
through that dinner and conference, but through
all that followed it, for the place that given him
out Of compliment as a newcomer was recognized
as his by natural right of his fitness ever after
ward and the Engshman was always generous III
his praise of the man who supplanted him as the
head Of the foreign encourage
And after that, they al wore white suits on
foYuca oCcasions.
Hunts term in Siam is a term Of honor. There
is not one of his detractors, from Heard to Eln-
wood who would not give a right tye for such
public honor; and there is not one OF them who could
serve with such distinction.
The voters of Arizona are too close to Cover
nor Hunt to realizez how big man he is. Look over
the state history of any state Of the union and
wherever you find man who has occupied the
governors chair for as much as three terms you
viii find personality who has stamped itself in
the very life of the state George w. P. Hunt has
been five times governor OF Arizona, and ne has
Served the state well.
When anv man has been made ambassador to
foreign land that man has receced honor at
the hands of the national government; when any