Barrett, John. Diplomat. Born in Grafton, VT, November 28, 1866. Graduate of Dartmouth College, 1889. Taught Hopkins Academy, Oakland, CA. Assistant editor statistician, San Francisco; on editorial staff of newspapers in San Francisco, Tacoma, Seattle; associate editor "Telegram," Portland, OR, 1891-94. American minister to Siam, 1894-98, settling by arbitration claims involving $3,000,000 and securing first exact interpretation foreign extra-territorial jurisdiction Asiatic countries. Undertook special diplomatic and commercial investigations in Japan, Siam, Korea, Siberia, and India. War correspondent in Philippines 1898-99. Elected honorary member American Asiatic Association for services in development of American commercial and political interests in Asia. American plenipotentiary to International Conference American Republics, Mexico, 1901-02. Commissioner-general of foreign affairs of St. Louis Exposition, 1902-03. Offered post as American minister to Japan by President Roosevelt but declined, December 10, 1903. American minister to Argentina, 1903-04; American minister to Panama, 1904-05; American minister to Colombia, 1905-06; director-general Pan-American Union, 1906-1920. Contributor of articles for magazines and reviews on Asiatic and Latin American subjects. Author: "Admiral George Dewey," and several books on foreign affairs.

---