The times., 1899-12-06

mission to study the commercial and in
dustrial conditions in the Chinese Empire
and report as to the opportunities for, and
obstacles to, the enlargement of markets
IN China for the raw products and manu-
features Of the United States should re-
ceive at your hands the consideration
which its Importance and timeliness mer-
tied, but the Congress failed to take ac-
tion.
now renew this recommendation. as the
importance of the subject has steadily
grown since II was first submitted to you.
and no time should be lost in studying for
ourselves the resources of this great field
for American trade and enterprise.
The death Of President Faure in Febru-
ary last called forth these sincere express
sions Of sympathy which beft the rela-
tions Of two Republics as closely allied
by unbroken historic ties as are the United
States and France.
The Paris Exposition.
Preparations for the representation Of
the industries, arts, and products Of the
United States at the Worlds Exposition
TO be held in Paris next year continue on
/ an elaborate and comprehensive scale
thanks to the generous appropriation pro-
vided by Congress and to the friendly in
terest the French Government has shown
in furthering a typical exhibit of American
progress.
There has been allotted to the United
States a considerable addition of space,
which. while placing our country in the
first rank among exhibitors, does not suf-
fee to meet the increasingly urgent de-
mands of our manufacturers. The efforts
OF the Commissioner General are ably di-
rected toward strictly representative dis
play of all that most enthusiastically
marks American achievement in the inven-
! tive arts, and most adequately shows the
! excellence Of our natural productions
In this age Of keen rivalry among nations
/ for mastery in commerce, the doctrine of
! evolution and the rule of the survival
of the fittest must be as inexorabIe in their
operation as they are positive in the results
/ they bring about. The place won in the
struggle by an industrial people can only
( be held by unrelaxed endeavor and con
I staut advance in achievement The pres
/ ent extraordinary impetus in every line
of American expectation and the astound-
/ ing increase in the volume and value Of our
share in the worlds markets may not be
/ attributed to accidental conditions.
| The reasons are not far to seek. They
! lie deep in our national character and
| find expression year by year in every
/ branch of handcTaft, In every new device
/ whereby the materials we so abundantly
produce are subdued to the artisans will
and made to yield the largest, most prac-
! tical, and most beneficial return. The
! American exhibit at Paris should. and |
am confident will be an open volume,
/ whose lessons of skillfulIy directed en-
/ deaVOr, unfaltering energy, and COnsum-
mate performance may be read by all on
! every page, thus spreading abroad a clearer
/ knowledge of the worth of our productions
and the justice of our claim to an impor-
/ tant place in the marts of the world. To
accomplish this by judicial selection, by
| recognition of paramount merit in what
| ever walk of trade or manufacture 1t may
| appear, and by orderly classification and
attractive installation Is the task of our
| Commission.
| The United States Government build
| ing is approaching completion, and no ef-
| fort will be spared to make it worthy, in
| beauty of architectural plan and in COM
! pleteness of display, to represent our ma
| tiOn. It has been suggested that a per-
manent building of similar or appropriate
| design be erected on a convenient site.
! already given by the municipality, near
| the Exposition grounds, to serve in com
country in this great enterprise, as an
| American National Institute, for our
! cOuntrymen resOTting to Paris for study.
| am informed by our Commissioner Cen
| eral that we shall have in the American
| section at Paris over 1000 exhibitors, from
every State in our country, number ten
/ times as great as those which were rep
| resented at Vienna in 1873, six times as
many as those in Paris in 1878, and four
/ times as many as those exhibited In Paris
! in 1889. This statement does not include
/ the exhibits from either Cuba, Porto Rico,
or Hawaii, for which arrangements have
! been made.
A number of important international
/ congresses on special topics affecting pub
! lie interests are proposed TO be held in
! Paris next summer in connection with the
Exposition Effort will be made to have
the several technical branches of our Ad-
ministraton efficiently represented at
those confereces, each in its special line,
| and TO procure the largest possible con-
course of State representatives. particu-
larly at the Congresses of Public Charity
and of Medicine.