Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-31
AMERICAN EXHIBITION,
To BE HELD In LONDON IN
THE SUMMER OF 1887.
An Address by the Board of Di
recfion to the People OF the
United States.

! The following address has been received
by the REcoRD-UNIoN from the Board of
Direction Of the American Exhibition, to
be held next year in London, and fur
nishes the purposes and plans of the en-
terpriSe:
HEAD OFFICES IN THE UNITED STATES, /
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, July %, 1886. !
An exhibition of the arts, inventions,
manufactures, products, and resources of
the United States of America will be
opened at 3 P. NJ, on Monday, May 2,
1887, at Earl's Court, Kensington, London,
England, by the President of the United
States, from the White House, Washing
/ ton.
Most European nations are at present
making great efforts to secure new markets
, Germany has adopted the novel expedi-
ent Of sending a floating exhibition from
port to port, with the object of extending
! her commerce.
Doubtless the most effectual means
which can be adopted of illustrating to
the people of Europe, and to those buyers
for the Colonies who reside permanently
in London, the excellence and variety OF
American industrial, mineral and agri-
cultural products, is to hold an exclusively
| American exhibition in the heart of that
city, the worlds commerce and financial
metropolis.
! 1t is of course obvious that an exhibition
exclusively devoted to the arts, inventions,
manufactures, products and resources of one
country and held in the metropolis of an
other could not be initiated by the Govern
ment of the former.
! If such an exhibition be considered one
of great value to American industries and
American commerce, it must therefore be
organized by private initiative, or not at
all.
Rather more than two years ago the
| opinion of number Of representative cit
liens was taken as to the prospective value
of such an exhibition. The unanimous
reply from artists, inventors, manufac-
turers and producers was to the effect that
such an exhibition would be most valu-
able and beneficial The opinion was con-
firmed by one hundred Of the principal
United States Consuls in Europe in very
emphatic terms, and General Council
of five hundred representative Americans
was constituted to give individual and col
lective assistance and support to the ineep-
ton Of the undertaking.
The fact Of the exhibition being con-
fined to exhibits from the United States
constituted a new departure, however, in
the history of exhibitions, and it was con-
sequently deemed advisable, before pro-
ceeding farther with the undertaking, to
elicit an expression of opinion from repre-
sentative men in Great Britain, and even
from those OF other European countries,
as to whether such new departure"
would meet with opposition, indifference
or approval on the other side of the At
lantic. The result Of this inquiry, which
was made in a most thorough manner,
covering period of four or five months,
was SO favorable that not only did the
| idea meet everywhere with approval, but
one thousand of the most influential men
in Great Britain Representing art, science,
| industry, commerce, manufactures, finance,
literature, law, politics, the army and the
navy enrolled themselves as council to
welcome intending exhibitors and visitors
| from the United States.
So cordial were the offers of assistance
that several English railroad companies
offered the loan, at a merely nominal
rental, for the purposes of the exhibition,
of an admirably situated tract of land,
covering about twenty-three acres, in the
heart of London, at Kensington, midway
between Hyde Park and the Thames, and
in the center of one of the best residential
portions Of the city. 1t was explained
that ten millions Of people reside within
one hours railway journey from the site,
and more than half that number within
thirty minutes railway journey.
Since then hundreds of letters have been
received from every class of men in Great
Britain offering Individual expressions of
friendly feeling aud hospitality, and de-
monstrating an evidently deep and sim
cere interest In the undertaking.
There appeared, therefore, no reason
| why vigorous measures should not be taken
to commence the necessary organization of
the enterprise, and on the LIST of January,
| 1885, an association, consisting of several
representative men, was duly constituted
under (for obvious reasons of convenience
the British Limited Liability Acts, and an
adequate amount of capital was duly sub
scribed.
In order that the exhibition should be
truly representative of American life, it
was determined that considerable num-
Der of exhibitors should be allowed to not
only manufacture their specialties in the
exhibition, but to sell them, as the most
effective means of extending their foreign
business relations.
| The buildings (which are to be erected
this year. will be similar in character to
those of the four exhibitions so successfully
| held under the Presidency of the Prince of
! Wales and the able direction of Sir Philip
| Cunliffe-Owen, at South Kensington, which
are known as the Fisheries Exhibition of
1888, the Health Exhibition of 1884 the
| Inventions Exhibition of 1885 and the
| Colonial and Indian Exhibition, which is
now being visited by large numbers.
1t is not the building which is the point
of interest to thefeeming millions of Eu-
rope, but the contents. 1t will be remem-
bered that of the visitors to the Centennial
Exhibition of 1876 probably not more than
per cent. were foreigners, and yet how
incidentally widespread and beneficial
was that great gathering to the future de-
velopment of our country's resources.
What may not, therefore, be expected from
| an exclusively American exhibition where
| the percentage of foreign visitors may al
ready be estimated at 80 per cent, and
where space will only be allotted to the
very best quality of exhibits, so that Eu-
ropeans and Colonial representatives and
visitors may be able to form some trust
worthy idea of the vast progress made by
this country during the past hundred
years?
No better period could have been selected
for the holding of such an exhibition of the
best manufactures and products of the
United States than next year, for next
summer Great Britain and her colonies
will celebrate, in London, the jubilee year.
or fiftieth anniversary of Queen Victoria's
reign, by succession of fetes and unique
examples of modern pageantry, which will
attract large numbers of visitors from all
parts of Europe and the Colonies
Our immense areas of public lands are
fast diminishing, and the ever-increasing
population of our cities must henceforth
seek industrial employment, which means
that we must now extend our foreign ex-
port trade.
One of the first practical results of the