The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-11
UNCLE SAM AT PARIS.

Tho Paris Exposition opens on next
Saturday. Americans who have arrived
at the French capital are beginning to
express the fear that Uncle Sam is not
going to show off to the best advantage.
His place in the picture is somewhat OBJ
scure. It is rather difficult to find him
al all, unless one sets out with that es-
pecial purpose in view. Most Americans
will probably look the old gentleman up,
of course; but the chief purpose of the
exhibit is to make Europeans acquainted
with bin.
The United States pavilion, in the for
eign group facing the Seine, is sand
wiched in between the pavilions of Aus
tria and Turkey, both Of which are larg
buildings. Commissioner Peck on several
occasions has complained to the Presi-
dent that the Turks were hiding the Unit
cd States building behind their dome,
or minaret, or whatever it is they have
got on top of it. 1t is also said that at
even a short distance the United states
building looks more like an annex to the
Turkish pavilion than it does a separate
establishment. Our building as a matter
VI IdEli Is OillS oINtilty -llFc lNCt tail -
is NOT difficult to understand. therefore,
that the attention of the visiting Euro
pean will not be attracted by our COM
mand ng presence at Paris. Inside the
building of course, the United States
exhibits will rank with any of the fair,
and surpass the great majority of them.
The United States Commission is be-
ing rather warmly criticised for
is failure to provide a bigg
building, and one that would at
once give us prominence. Both
Italy and Spain have much larger build
ings, and the unsophisticated European
who sees the. little United States building
and compares it with the splendid edifce
of Spain, will be apt to reach the conclu-
sion that if the nation which whipped
Spain could mako no better showing at
Paris, it must have accomplished it's vic
tory by fuke. The criticisms upon the
commission are made pointed by quota
tons of figures of exp nd!tures from a
statement recently filed with the Presi-
dent by Commissioner Peck. The total OF
expenditures up to a week or two ago
was S240,00). OF this amount, however,
only S3S,674 had been put into the build
ing In other words, to quote the Pitts
burg Dispatch, for every 81 put into the
building. which is the thing whereby Eu-
ropeans will Judge us. Mr.. Peck has spent
IS for other things" Italy has a build
ing that is four times as Zig as the Amer
lean. We know that we are more than
four tines as big as Italy and immeasura-
I l, ~ bt,t mi, Of Tn,
ropeans who do not know it. Many of
them think that we have wild Indians in
our chief cities. and chase bears and
foxes in our by-streets. If our good friends
the British, know 50 little Of us as fire.
quently becomes APPARENT in their writ
ings of us it is no joke TO say that the
Continental Europeans (Spaniards except
ed know hardly anything about us at
all.
1t is interesting, by the way, to follow
the expense account submitted by Com
missioner Peck a little further. 1t appears
that the item for experts" amounted to
$72,O45 or twice the cost Of the building;
that the item for clerk hire was s3l9-9,
or almost the cost of the building; that
the travelling expenses of Mr.. Peck and
his assistants cost 1924. or nearly as
much as The building ana that the rent
Of three offices COR Mr. Peck-one in
| Paris, one in New York and one in Chi
/ cago-cost $l3 436, not to mention 5000
/ worth OF government furniture and $500
worth OF government stationery IN the
| offices And then outside Of the cost OF
cable tolls, there is an item Of $40 400 for
miscellaneous expenses" 1t really seems,
therefore. ttat with the funds available.
II the very best judgment had been used.
We Should not have Uncle Sam housed
at Paris In little building one-fourth
the size OF Italy's. which looks like an
annex TO the building Of the Turk