Letter from John C. Freeman to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Ambassadors--Selection and appointment, Austria, Cancans, Diplomatic and consular service, American, Faro, France, Germany, Germany--Munich, Great Britain, Hurst, Carlton Bailey, 1867-1943, Hurst, Harriette Strobridge, 1867-1956, Italy, Italy--Florence, McKinley, William, 1843-1901, Mexico, Quay, Jerome A. (Jerome Anderson), 1838-1910, Scandals--Political aspects, Scandinavia, Storer, B. (Bellamy), 1847-1922, Switzerland
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Professor John C. Freeman writes President Roosevelt regarding former Ambassador Bellamy Storer’s recent defense of the dismissal of Consul Carlton Bailey Hurst. Freeman shares a number of stories about what he has seen and heard—particularly in terms of nefarious behavior—among five U.S. diplomats in Europe. The letter largely focuses on the behavior of Hurst, who was appointed by McKinley as Consul General at Vienna in 1897 and later removed from office. Freeman notes that Hurst and his wife attended one particularly outrageous drunken party during their tenure in Vienna that ended with a “certain” attendee dancing the Can-Can while kicking out the room’s lightbulbs. Freeman closes by saying that he believes “all five bad consuls are now out of the service,” and again notes his extreme distaste for Hurst.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-12-14
Creator(s)
Freeman, John C. (John Charles), 1842-1911
Recipient
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
3
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from John C. Freeman to Theodore Roosevelt. [December 14, 1906]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o54900. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Freeman, John C. (John Charles), 1842-1911. Letter from John C. Freeman to Theodore Roosevelt. [14 Dec. 1906]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o54900.
APA:
Freeman, John C. (John Charles), 1842-1911., [1906, December 14]. Letter from John C. Freeman to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o54900.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.