Minister To Siam
In 1918, Hunt decided not to run for reelection and left office in January 1919. He soon became bored and began looking for new challenges. One such challenge was his attempt to learn how to drive an automobile. After driving into a ditch several times, he described the experience with: "One started out in the morning with exhilaration and by nightfall was towed home in shame."
By early 1920, Hunt was believed to be planning a run for Mark Smith's U.S. Senate seat. To counter this possible threat, it is rumored that Smith, with the help of Henry F. Ashurst, asked President Woodrow Wilson to appoint Hunt to a diplomatic position that would take him away from Arizona. The story continues with Wilson placing his finger on a globe and asking "Would this be far enough?" Hunt was confirmed as the U.S. Minister to Siam on May 18, 1920.
Hunt was replaced as Minister to Siam by President Warren G. Harding on October 4, 1921. While in Siam, Hunt had maintained contact with Arizona by sending postcards. The former governor also brought back a variety of souvenirs to hand out to his supporters. Upon his return, Hunt began speaking to various groups within Arizona about his experiences overseas. After a short time, the topic of these speeches changed to politics, and by mid-1922 Hunt was running for his fourth term as Governor of Arizona.
Read more about this topic: George W. P. Hunt
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