The Portland daily press., 1893-05-23

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Blew So Hard Yesterday That Visitors
Sought Shelter Indoors-Only Twenty
five Thousand in Attendance-The Law
Suit to Secure Sunday Opening-Edi-
tors in Convention.
WORLDS FAIR GROUNDS, CHICAGO.
May 22.-The fourth week of the Expo
sition opened auspiciously today in point
of weather and attendance The Swiss
exhibit in the Manufactures and Liberal
Art building is temporarily closed.
James Perrenoud, the Swiss commits
sioner, claims that his government has
been treated with indignity by the
United States customs officers, and has
ordered the Swiss section closed until
the minister of Switzerland at Washing
ton, who has been notified, has obtained
satisfaction. Saturday afternoon, P. B.
Memitz, agent of the Swiss exhibition,
was arrested for selling a diamond brooch
held in bond by the United States Gus
tom officers. AS soon as he was arrested,
two customs officers were put in charge
of the exhibit, which was closed by
them. Commissioner Perrenoud did not
hear of it until late Saturday night. He
at once sent despatch to the Swiss min
lister at Washington, notifying him of
the alleged indignity, and pending set
tlement the commissioner temporarily
closed the Swiss exhibit. Speaking Of
the affair this morning he said he did not
hold the United States officers in the
wrong in arresting the agent; but
claimed he, as the representative of
Switzerland, should first have been COM
municated with. "As soon as heard of
Memitz's arrest, ohe continued, II formal
ly dismissed him from the service. But
claim the Swiss exhibit is practically
Swiss soil in the United States, and the
officers have no right to trespass. With
out saying word to me, they took pos
session of the property of certain sub
jects of the government of Switzerland
and placed it in charge of United States
OticerS.''
Vice President Stevenson visited the
Worlds Fair in an informal way today.
The National Commission today unan-
imously adopted.resolutions providing
for the appointment by the President of
two members whose duty it shall be to
consult with the United States District
Attorney at Chicago and assist him in
reference to defending the suits begun
by G. w. Clingman, stockholder, to en-
join the pirectory and South Park COM
missioners from keeping the gates of the
fair closed Sundays.
The Worlds Press Congress opened at
2 p. N. in the Art Palace ON the lake
front. A public reception was held to-
day in the large hall of the palace, Pres
ldent Bonney and the officers Of the aux
iliary, the president of the womens
branch and the committee on arrange
ments acting as hosts. Among the par
Elephants were Colonel Mcclure of Phila-
delphia, Governor Peck of Wisconsin,
A. Z. Pire, president of the Canadian
Press Association; Walter Williams,
president of the National Editorial Asso-
citation; Frederick VilIiers of
London, the noted war correspondent;
Theodore Stanton Of Paris, Joe Howard
and Murat Halsted OF New York, the
P. de Gloukhovsky and Professor Dim
sha of Russia, DR.. Adolfo Ernest of
Venezuela, DIR. Carlos r. Gallardo of the
the Argentine Republic, Captain A. P.
Penham of Brazil, Friederich Landy
Helm and DIR. Emil Blum of Vienna,
Philip Berger of Hamburg, Fred Dern-
berg and DR.. Keisler of Berlin, and Pas
cal David of Cologne.
Not more than $4,000 people saw the
today. The earlier hours
gave promise of a serene summer day,
but in a short time the Windy City be-
came windier than usual, and in spite of
score of watering carts covering the
roadways with spray, the dust filed the
air and drove the visitors to the interior
OF the buildings.
Among the notable visitors to the ex-
position today were Governor Cleaves of
Maine and his staff. The dedication of
the Maine building will take place May
24th. Hon. Hall G. Burleigh, president
of the Maine Board OF Worlds Fair man
ayers, will deliver the building to Cover
nor Cleaves, and. representing the State
of Maine, Governor Cleaves will tender
the building to the public. A response
will be made in behalf of the Maine
born citizens and the public by Hon.
John N. Jewett of Chicago. This will
be followed by recitation by Georgia
Cayvan. and music on the harp by Miss
Shaw of Boston.