The record-union., 1899-09-12
A Proposition Will Be Made to Abandon
Government Participation.
1t Is All on Account Of the Feeling
Against the Decision of the
Court-MartiaI in the Case OF
Dreyfus-Two Ways in Which
Congress Could Interfere to
Withdraw From Participation
in Exposition.

WASHINGTON, Sept. IL. - It is be-
heved that when Congress assemblies
there will be considerable agitation of
a proposition for this Government to
abandon it's participation in the Paris
Exposition. 1t is known that express
slons hostile to- the exposition quoted
from Senator Stewart are very widely
sympathiZed in, and it is thought that
If the conviction of Dreyfus is permit
ted to stand there will be very little
friendly feeling for France among
members of either the House or Sen
ate.
Such a move, however, would be a
grave one. 1t is pointed out that to
withdraw from participation in the ex-
position would be regarded as an Off
cial insult to France No further legis-
lation on the part of Congress is needed
to carry out the plans of this country
for the exposition. About 81 200,000
has been appropriated for the expenses
of the commission and the government
exhibit. The commission has been ap
pointed, and the space desired for eX-
hibit from this country has been Sc
cured
There are now only two ways in
which Congress could interfere. One
would be to. revoke such part of the
appropriation as had not already been
expended in the expenses of the COM
mission, and the other would be to
pass a resolution declaring that on ac-
count 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 off all friendly rela
tions between the two countries.
Congress and the State Department
may look at the matter from different
points of view. The President and the
State Department having responsible
ity of maintaining our relations with
foreign governments, cannot be expect
ed to find in this affair a reason for in
volving the country in an international
complication, and it is likely that the
executive branch of the government
will use what influence it can to pre-
vent hasty action.
Unless Congress expressly fOrbids it,
this government will proceed with the
preparations for the exhibition, and it
will send to Paris such government ex-
hibits as are decided upon, but this
will be done with realization of the
probability that much of the space Sc
cured with such difficulty for private
American exhibits will be left vacant.
Little doubt is felt that the latitude
allowed the private citizen will be quite
extensively availed of to withdraw
from participation in the exposition.
Another difficulty in the way of an
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
it's way to Paris, if not actually there.
The exposition opens in April, and the
work of transporting and preparing
the exhibit will have to begin some
months before that time. Up to this
time, it is said, the preparation Of the
government exhibit has not been be-
gun, but the work will proceed as soon
as the government officials are ready
Representative Hepburn of Iowa said
that he had ceased to marvel at the
methods of French army justice, 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 af-
feet diplomatic relations between this
country and France, nor did he think
it would interfere with the United
States exhibitors at the coming expo
sition.