ΟΝ The Exposition as a Counter Demonstration to Europe's War. NE effect of the war in Europe is to emphasize the Pan-American character of the Exposition. This was bound to be emphasized in any event in an Exposition celebrating the construction of the Panama Canal; but the war has added to the natural tendency in that direction. It has helped to emphasize, also, the Oriental character of the fair, which, as the N. Y. Evening Post remarks, "should help us to look abroad in the directions in which our vision has been most limited." Argentina, for instance, has spent $1,700,000 on her exhibits, or four times as much as either Italy or France. China has spent twice as much. as either of those nations. Even Australia has spent nearly as much as either, and Japan has spent a great deal more. Yet the war has not caused a single nation to withdraw from participation, and the number of exhibits over 80,000- is unprecedented. So is their value, which is over $300,000,000. The whole effect of the towers, courts, and other buildings is Oriental or semi-Oriental. Writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, Ben Macomber says: "The court is an essential element of the Oriental architecture of the Mediterranean which provided the theme of the Exposition plan. There, however, it is the patio, the place of the siesta, the playground of the children. Here the courts have been made the chief architectural feature of the group. There the courts are private. Here they are merely hidden." The effect of the architecture is described by Seth Low as "beautiful beyond words," and by a writer in the N. Y. Evening World as "so impossibly beautiful that it makes you feel all choky." Even the commercial exhibits have been designed with a view to making strong appeal to Oriental and Latin-American visitors. The whole effect of the Exposition becomes thus, in a way, that of a counter demonstration against the war. This effect is not only seen but heard. The torrents of eloquence being let loose at the fair strike this same Editor of CURRENT OPINION: Life is made up of one choice after another. Sometimes we come to the forks of roads and there are no guide-posts. Then choice is likely to be chance. Just now it happens that the war in Europe makes us long for peace and causes us to wonder how we can keep it with honor. We know that day by day distance is contracting, and that, whether we will or no, we shall soon be touching elbows with every race. How these races are to affect us and what we are to mean to them becomes of great moment to us, of supreme moment to our children. Knowledge is the one precipitant of racial and national prejudice. The Panama-Pacific Exposition affords the means of knowledge of the art, science and progress of the peoples of the world. It affords an opportunity to make an honest estimate of our neighbors. In a land where the individual is in reality the arbiter of his country's destiny, he should, wherever and whenever possible, avail himself of the opportunity to enlarge his horizon. Here is his opening. Most knowledge is acquired with great labor. Here is knowledge served to the melody of vacation and in the play-grounds of the world. It is a feast for the gods. It is being served to all who have the godlike wish to know. It is sure to promote not only individual happiness, which is worth much, but universal peace, which is worth more. This exposition is the first which combines the material and the altruistic. It is a new butterfly, a new orchid, a new machine, a new style, a new product. It is well worth our seeing. THOS. R. MARSHALL. Editor of CURRENT OPINION: An American who does not attend the Exposition will have to explain why, all the rest of his life. The architecture of the buildings and courts, the scheme of colors which draws all into unity, and the general plan constitute each and all of them landmarks in the history of art. The Exposition and its features will be quoted for years to come, and the man who has not been here will have to go and sit down in a corner while the other people talk. The position of the Exposition at the Golden Gate touches the imagination of all who see it and can never be forgotten. The exhibits mark the progress of invention and art up to this precise day of the world, and to see them is an education. Most important, however, of all is it for an American citizen that he should see the western coast of his country, and particularly the California that is set here to represent it. We of the West are inclined to think that anyone who has not seen that part of our land which looks out upon the Pacific is not living up to his full occasion for rejoicing and pride that he is an American citizen. BENJ. IDE WHEELER. note, as in the speech of Japan's commissioner-general, Haruki Yamawaki. "During my student days at the university," he said. "I learned about the permanent neutrality zone. To-day, in a truer sense, there exists a neutrality zone-the best example of which is this. great international exposition. The words of my esteemed friend, Dr. Skiff, are true: 'Within the inclosure of these exposition grounds there are no foreigners.' From this ideal neutrality zone ascends the god of peace, riding on the clouds of rainbow colors, to proclaim good will to the wide, wide world. Wonderful is the spectacle as he ascends in his glory, marvelous its impression." WITH A Bird's-Eye View of the Great Exposition. ITH an Exposition that covers 625 acres equal to the combined areas of the Chicago and Buffalo expositions and including more than 80,000 exhibits, it is manifestly impossible to give an adequate description in words, even if one were to write a book on the subject. It is possible to touch only the high lights. The center and key to the entire palace group of buildings is the Court of the Universe. It is vast in extent-900 by 700 feet-and in the opinion of one writer, "suffers from its very magnificence.” Around this are grouped the Palaces of Manufacture, Varied Industries, Liberal Arts, Education, Agriculture, Food Products, Transportations, and Mines and Metallurgy. The Court of the Universe with these palaces and four additional courts forms an architectural unit. East of this group, and to be considered a part of it, is the Palace of Machinery, and west of the group, in a corresponding situation, is the Palace of the Fine Arts. The walls of the buildings in this City of Palaces are about as high as a six-story city building, but colossal domes and towers and minarets rise to heights of 160, 270 and 235 feet, and one tower, the Tower of Jewels, rises 435 feet in the air. “There is no doubt," says Hamilton Wright in the National Magazine, "that nowhere in the world at the present time is such a collection of architectural marvels to be seen as at San Francisco." But this City of Palaces. forms but one of three sections of the Exposition. The second section consists of the buildings and pavilions of 33 States and 19 foreign nations, the live-stock exhibition, the aviation field, race track and drill grounds. The third section-"the Zone"-consists of the amusement concessions. Each of these sections has architectural and historic interests of its own. The State and foreign pavilions reproduce historic structures such as the old State House at Boston, Washington's home at Mount Vernon, Independence Hall at Philadelphia, the famous temple of Kioto, the Mosque of St. Sophia's, the Forbidden City in Peking, the Castle of Kronberg at Elsinore. In the amusement Zone-which alone represents an investment of over $10,000,000—is a reproduction of the Panama Canal through which, seated in comfortable chairs on a moving platform, one is carried slowly past the great dams, locks and lakes and the Culebra Cut. Here also are an impressive reproduction of the Grand Cañon of the Colorado, another of the Yellowstone National Park, and an expurgated edition of a miner's camp of '49. In this Zone is also a lake in which one may have a ride under water in a veritable submarine. THE The World's Greatest Peace HE effect of the war is seen to some degree in the exhibits, especially in those of the fine arts. Rare collections of paintings, for instance, which otherwise would not have been moved from the galleries of Europe, have been taken to the fair to avoid the possible fate of Louvain. The artists of France, Belgium, Austria, Germany and Italy are amply represented. Those of England are not. Her government failed to pay costs even for packing the paintings of her own artists. In consequence not a single English artist is well represented. France defrayed the expenses not only of the French artists but of the Belgian as well. While even the warring peoples of Europe are thus adequately represented in the various palaces, the other nations have surpassed themselves, laying special em Editor of CURRENT OPINION : Editor of CURRENT OPINION: The Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco surpasses any exposition which has been held in either America or Europe. It was planned upon a broad scale and nothing has been left undone to make it a thoro success. It is quite probable that no other really great exposition will be seen in our day. The great palaces, devoted to the Fine Arts, Manufacturing, Transportation, Agriculture, Mining and the like; the numerous and imposing State Buildings; the_marvelous Electrical Illumination at night; the brilliant Tower of Jewels, but a few feet lower than Washington's Monument at the National Capitol; the general color scheme; the numerous and varied exhibits from every avenue of human endeavor, make the Exposition a veritable University, fascinating and vast. The trip across the country to the Pacific Coast is interesting and instructive; it will familiarize many of our countrymen with a great portion of their country which is but little known to them. San Francisco and California have done a work of national significance. Every thoughtful person who beholds it is filled with admiration for their achievement. I wish it were possible for every American, particularly young Americans, to see it. We owe it to ourselves and to hospitable San Francisco and California to see what they have so splendidly accomplished. CHARLES W. FAIRBANKS. phasis upon those products in which they excel. Hawaii, for instance, has a wonderful exhibition of vividly colored fishes, South Africa makes a striking display of diamonds and the diamond industry, Japan sets forth an unprecedented collection of Japanese works of art, China spreads herself in silks and satins and inlaid work. Press reports dwell upon "the greatest livestock show in the world's history," more than half a million dollars being set aside for prizes in this one department. The epic of the wheat is made obvious to the eye in all its details-the plowing, the sowing, the reaping, the threshing, the handling in elevators, on the railways and in the ships. Three hundred conventions and conferences, national and international in character, are to be held in San Francisco during the life of the fair, and two hundred or more contests, mostly athletic in character. The international polo meet began March 15, and $100,000 has been set aside for prizes Every good American should visit the Panama. Mesare pe for this one series of contests. In the international Exposition for many reasons. First, it is worth while scenically. In its architecture and in its setting by the Golden Gate, this is the most charming of all the many world fairs. Second, the exhibits themselves are worth crossing a continent to see. Our next neighbor, Japan, has especially outdone herself for our friendly consideration. Third, Europe is closed for repairs and will remain so for some time. She does not want us, and those of us who must visit her will be much distressed at what we see. Fourth, no one knows America who has not seen California. California is to the rest of the Union what spring is to the rest of the year. California means hope, enthusiasm, freedom, confidence. Fifth, the cure for war is the extension of patriotism. The Exposition stands for "planetary patriotism." It recognizes that commerce is based on good will, and good will is not stopped by national boundaries. Sixth, the trip overland,-with its possibilities in the Yellowstone, the Selkirks, the Sierras, the Cascades, the Colorado Cañon and the Great Divide,-is one no good American can afford to miss. Some of us have taken it more than a hundred times, finding its charms still fresh. Seventh, California is the door to incomparable Japan, to marvelous Hawaii. "The second turn to the left after leaving San Francisco" and you come to Stevenson's place at Samoa. Then there is Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and China, all likewise "Out West." And so is Alaska with its mile-wide front of the Muir Glacier, its salmon rivers and its fir-covered islands of the fjords. Eighth, there is also the Exposition at San Diego, a perfect gem in a perfect setting. To know San Diego is to know America-for everything else of our nation lies between that city and Eastport, Maine. DAVID STARR JORDAN. Eistedfodd 20,000 singers from many lands are expected to take part and $25,000 has been appropriated for prizes. A large part of the regular daily program, indeed, is devoted to music, ten or a dozen concerts going on every day. Popular Interest In the Army and Navy Exhibits. UT it is not alone in the exhibitions that the inBUT fluence of the war is to be seen. In the press narratives we note such passages as this: "Down the great central aisle of Machinery Hall, through groves of engines, boilers, turbines, tractions, wellborers and rock-crushing plants, past a tin-can factory in full blast-which had its admirers-and a great Hoe press that was turning out a colored Sunday 'supplement' at one hundred thousand to the hour, the main stream made for Uncle Sam's Army and Navy exhibit." This navy exhibit alone covers an area of nearly 50,000 square feet, displaying models of all types of warships, from dreadnoughts to submarines. The army exhibit is equally elaborate. There is a loading machine which turns out 24,000 complete cartridges in eight hours. Various shells are shown cut down the center to expose the contents and mechanism to view. In a glass tank a model vessel floats surrounded by contact mines, with long snake-like tails, corrugated iron bodies and con tact bristles. In a gigantic cyclorama a century of C Uncle Sam's warships pass, in review, from the Bon all nations and their various naval evolutions. The war Where Art and Business Go Hand in Hand. OMMENTING on the purpose of expositions in general, the Minneapolis Bellman remarks that while they are the most elaborate forms of advertizing ever devised, they are an illustration of the new spirit in advertizing, which requires the use of genuine art even in business. "For the first time in the history of the world," it observes, "people are beginning to realize that art and business are not divorced from each other. . . . The San Francisco and San Diego expositions are the most striking testimonials the world has ever seen to this new spirit in advertizing. Both of them have laid more emphasis on their beauty than on any other feature. They have said, not 'See how much space we cover,' but 'See how well we cover: it.' And they have been right in so doing. Their exhibitors, too, have sought to keep their displays in har A RADIANT VISTA-THE WATER-FRONT AGLOW UNDER THE RAYS FROM A BATTERY OF FORTY SEARCHLIGHTS mony with the general beauty of the whole." The San Diego Exposition is, of course, nothing like as large and varied as that at San Francisco, being chiefly agricultural and horticultural in character. Its beauty is generally admired, even in comparison with that of the City of Palaces, and the fact that it has been paying expenses (or a little better) from the start is commented on as remarkable in the history of expositions. That the people of California should have the courage, nine years after the disastrous earthquake and fire laid their chief city in ruins, to invest $20,000,000 of their own money in one fair and additional millions in a second "NO MORE SPECTACULAR STRUCTURE HAS EVER BEEN CREATED BY MANKIND" The Tower of Jewels, over 400 feet high, dominates the City of Palaces. It is decorated with 200,000 jewels of cut-glass, which swing in the breeze and reflect the rays of the sun in myriads of prismatic colors. At night the searchlights play upon it, white, blue, yellow, green and red, and it becomes a flaming mass of quivering colors. fair, and then, defying the difficulties created by the greatest of all wars, the closing of all stock exchanges and the disarrangement of all commerce and finance, refuse to defer the opening of either Exposition for a single day and proceed to smash all the records-this is a proceeding that makes comment futile. One can only gasp at the audacity of it all and cheer for the apparent success that seems to be coming their way. As Mr. Low says, it is easy to admire their courage now, but its display nine months ago was a remarkable exhibition. Editor of CURRENT OPINION: The Panama-Pacific International Exposition on the whole surpasses any international exposition which I have seen, and I have seen all of those held in the United States, and all but one, I think, of those held in Europe since 1867. I am speaking especially of the buildings and grounds. Despite the war in Europe, more nations are participating in this International Exposition than in any other which has been held. But when I was in California, in the middle of March, many of the exhibits from European countries were still on board the steamer "Jason" en route for San Francisco. Probably by the time this article is printed they will have arrived and will be in place. The natural setting of this Exposition, on the edge of San Francisco Bay contributes greatly to its effectiveness, and the climate, which is very friendly to the growth of trees and flowers, has contributed no little to the fortunate result. The credit, however, is due to the idealism, the splendid enterprize, the unwavering courage, and the broad intelligence of the Managers of the Exposition and of the people of California in supporting the management. The Commissioners for the Exposition have studied carefully all that earlier expositions had to teach, and they have profited both by their accomplishments and by their defects. The buildings and grounds have been developed under the best artistic and scientific talent which our country affords: The material used is an imitation travertine instead of the usual white staff. It is softer to the eye, and gives to the buildings an effect of greater permanence. Color has been used more freely than heretofore, and with great success under the guidance of one master mind. All of the great courts of the Exposition have been developed in like manner under the control of 'a single architect; so that each court strikes a different note but is yet at unity with itself. The lighting effects produced by indirect lighting have been developed to a point of splendor beyond either description or imagination. I have no hesitation in saying that at no time and in no place has it been possible to see so many types of beauty as one can see now at the PanamaPacific International Exposition on San Francisco Bay. The events through which the world is now passing make it probable that this will be the last international exposition for many years to come. I earnestly urge every American who can to visit California at this time, and to see not only the Exposition at San Francisco but also the smaller but very beautiful one at San Diego. This latter Exposition is the. Panama-California Exposition, and is intended to demonstrate the opportunities which California affords. It has been developed under the guidance of a single mind, and it is one of those beautiful things which is a joy for ever. The Pacific Slope has been in some respects so remote from the rest of the United States that comparatively few Americans have seen it. One of the most useful effects of the Panama Canal is to bring California by water within little more than two weeks of New York City. The American who has excused himself for knowing nothing of the Pacific Coast of the United States heretofore has no longer any valid excuse; and it is in fact a patriotic duty for all of us who live on the Atlantic Seaboard and in the interior of the country to demonstrate at this time our oneness with the people of California, and our pride as their fellowcitizens in their splendid achievement. Just think of what they have done! San Francisco nine years ago was in ruins. To-day it is rebuilt; and, as if this were not enough, they have brought into being at the same time this superb International Exposition at San Francisco and the beautiful little Exposition at San Diego. In the first week of last August the financial heart of the world almost ceased to beat. Those who were responsible for these two Expositions had to determine whether they would keep on despite every hazard, or whether they would postpone. With a courage which it is easy to admire after it has been justified, but which it must have been desperately hard to display at the time the decision had to be made, our brethren of California determined not to waver for a moment. This is the indomitable spirit of the Americans who live on the Pacific Coast. Is there any American anywhere in the land that will not welcome the opportunity to know better such fellow-citizens as these? California not only invites all Americans to come but it offers to them, if they will come, the opportunity to see the highest development of American Art and Science which expositions of this character are capable of expressing. SETH LOW. |