The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-13
American Exhibit at Paris
Turned Over to Authorities.
GREAT CROWD PRESENT
SPEECHES BY Mr.. PECK AND
III. ALFRED PICARD.
Ceremonies OF Transfer Quite Simple
-Sousa's Band on Hand and
Played American and French Airs
Considerable Confusion Result
ing From misunderstanding.

Paris, May 12.-The American pavil-
ion at the exposition was formally
turned over to the Authorities and pub
lie this afternoon. The inauguration
took place in the presence Of embassy
and consular officials, a number OF
high French functionaries, foreign OPP
lomats and commissioners and such
conCOurse of American citizens thai
many who were provided with tickets
were unable TO gain admittance to the
building. French municipal guards and
policemen formed q Gordon around the
building, keeping the space in front of
the main entrance on the embanknent
of the Seine free for the passage of the
/ official party.
The crowd assembled mainly on the
/ terrace around the building facing the
river, on which a special platform had
/ been erected for SOusa's band. Before
! the hour set for the ceremony the
crowd became so dense that orders
were given TO the police TO keep the
! people at q respectful distance from
| the doors. The French officers adhered
| SO strictly to the letter of their instruc-
! tons that even persons holding invi-
/ tations were not allowed to pass.
! Considerable confusion resulted from
/ this cause, and the United States am
/ bassador General Horace Porter, with
| his party, found their passage barred
until an official, perceiving him from
/ the building FASTENED to meet him, and
4 the ambassadors party scrambled
/ through.
Many Kept Out.
/ The arrangements for handling the
| crowd were very unsatisfactory, and
many gave up the effort to enter. The
! interior of the pavilion was brightly
/ decorated with American flags and tri-
/ color bunting, while from the summit
/ of the dome around the golden eagle
! flew the stars and stripes and the
! French flag. The balconies were occu1
! pied exclusively by invited guests,
while on the floor of the building
double line Of American guards with
| white summer helmets formed an aisle
/ through which the official party passed
/ from the main entrance to the spot
/ where the presentation took place. Be-
/ hind these guards Americans :yho
/ gained admission stood and witnessed
! the proceedings
/ The ceremony of transferring the pa
Vilion was quite simple, consisting Of
an address by Ferdinand w. Peck,
! commissioner of the United States,
/ handing over the pavilion to NJ. Alfred
/ Picard as the commissioner general of
! the exposition and the latter's response
/ In accepting the transfer. Sousa's band
provided music and the selections
! played were composed solely Of Ameri-
can airs. except for the 'Marseillaise."
Ceremonies of Transfer
Mr.. Peck had arrived at the pavilion
about 2 o'clock to await the arrival Of
! NJ Picard, who. escorted by B. D.
/ Woodward assistant United States
commissioner, entered the exposition
! gate at the Invalides bridge at 2:S0
! O'Clock and proceeded Immediately
| along the QGai d'Orsay to the entrance
I Of the American building which faced
| the Seine. After brief glance at the
equestrian statue of Washington which
/ guards the portals of the American na4
| tional pavilion, NJ. Picard assembled the
steps leading to the door. Here Mr..
Peck stood surrounded by the MEM
! bers of the United States commission,
and as he welcomed the French CONF
missioner general Sousa's band struck
up the "Marseillaise."
All the spectators at once uncovered,
and amid the strains of the French
/ hymn NJ. Picard was conducted by Mr..
Peck to the center of the rotunda. The
audience greeted the conclusion of the
air with cheers, which NJ. Picard &C
knowledged. No time was lost in pro-
! ceeding with the ceremony, Mr.. Peck
delivering his address and M. Picard
replying in a brief, but eloquent,
speech, with evoked enthusiastic hur5
rahs from the audience.
Presented With Gold Key.
Mr.. Peck presented NJ. Picard with a
gold key and pendant, representing the
pavilion, as a souvenir, and concluded
with the words:
Il know my countrymen will join me
in the sentiment 'Vive lie Commissaire
! Generate Picard, 'Vive lie exposition
universelle de 1900,' 'Vive Ia France. "a
In expressing his thanks for Mr..
/ Pecks souvenir Of the occasion, NJ.
Picard said: TT constitutes a new
pledge of the prestige Of your excellent
intercourse, and particularly the indis-
soluble bond connecting the United
States and France. Gentlemen, I ask
you to salute the starry banner, the
folds of which are so closely blended
with those of the tri-celor. Long live
the United States of America. Long
live their iIlustrious president, McKin-
ley. Long live their commission and
it's head, Mr.. Peck"
At the conclusion of NJ. PiCard's re-
marks a general reception was held.
Sousa's band gave a concert during the