The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-12
AN INSULT TO FRANCE
To Withdraw Now Would Be
Grave Movement.
IDEA HAS MANY FRIENDS
A Strong Effort Being Made to Have tho
United States Refuse to Participate
in the Paris Exposition-There
Are Two Ways.

Washington, Sept. lit is believed
will be considerable agitation of a
proposition for this government to
abandon it's participation in the Paris
exposition. 1t is known the express
sions hostile to the exposition quoted
from Senator Stewart are very widely
sympathized in and it is thought that
If the conviction of Dreyfus is per-
mitted to stand there will be very
little friendly feeling for France among
members of either the house of senate.
Such a move. however, would be a
grave one. Ii is pointed out that TO
withdraw from participating in the eX-
position would be regarded as an Off
eial insult to France.
No further legislation on the part OF
congress is needed to carry out the
plans of this country for the EXPOSE
ton. About 81 100000 has been APP
propriated for the expenses of the
commission and the government eX-
alibit. The commission has been APP
pointed and the space desired for ex-
hibit has been secured.
There are only two ways in which
congress could interfere. One would
be to revoke such part of the appro-
priation as has not been already eX-
pended in the expenses of the commits
sion and the other would be to pass a
resolution declaring that on account of
the unsettled conditions, the valuable
government exhibits should not be sent
TO Paris.
To do either of these things would
be sufficient, it is believed to break all
friendly relations between the two
countries. Congress and the state de-
partment may look al the matter from
different points of view. The president
and the state department, having re-
sponsibility for maintaining our relaT
tions with foreign governments, cannot
be expected to find in this affair rea
son for involving the country in an
international complication, and it is
likely that the executive branch of the
government will use what influence il
can to prevent hasty action.
Unless congress expressly forbids it,
this government will proceed with the
preparations for the exhibition and will
send to Paris such government exhib-
its as are decided upon, but this will
be done with realization of the prob
ability that much of the space secured
with such difficulty for private Ameri-
can exhibits will be left vacant Lit
tie doubt is felt that the latitude al
lowed the private citizen will be quite
from participation in the exposition.
Another difficulty in the way of an
effort to prevent participation in the
exposition however, will be found in
the fact that before congress has been
assembled much of the government eX-
hibit probably will be packed and on
its way to Paris, if not actually there.
The exposition opens in April and the
work of transporting and preparing the
exhibits will have to begin some
months before that time. Up TO this
time it is said the preparation of the
government exhibit has not begun. but
the work will proceed as soon as the
government officials are ready.
Representative Hepburn of Iowa said
to-day that he had ceased to marvel
at the methods of French army JUS
tice after observing how the trial of
Dreyfus was conducted. No such
trial or verdict was possible in the
United States. He did not think it
would in any way affect diplomatic
relations between this country and
France. nor did he think it would in
terfere with United States exhibitors
at the coming exposition.