The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-05

DIR. ALBERT WHITTIER, OF PARIS,
TALKS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS.
The Exposition Will Not Outrank the
Worlds Fair-Plans for the
Bates-GOssip.

home from st. Louis. and to see his friend
Charles G.. Fields, room clerk at the hotel,
In whose company he made the trip from
Southampton to New York last year. He
talked readily on al subjects pertaining TO
Paris and France, from the Dreyfus case
to the coming exposition. In discussing the
latter he said Americans who visited II
would be disappointed if they expected to
see anything better than the worlds fair
in Chicago, in 1893.
1.-The Paris exposition may cover more
ground" said he ''but think it would be
impossible for it to surpass it in any of its
departments. Yours was a wonderful expo
sition and was on such scale that 1T will
be many years before Europe will have
anything to excel it. Before I left Paris all
the hotels were full. They had been
gagged either by individuals or by the
various personally conducted tour COM
panies, and the prospect is that visitors
who go there, taAing chances for their en-
tertainment, will find cot beds at premi-
UNI. However, / expect Paris will be able
to care for ALL but they must not expect
either the best of service or luxurious &C
commodations. / do not believe extortion
will be practiced to any greater extent in
Paris than it was In Chicago in 1898, but
even under those circumstances it will be
advisable for visitors to take fat pocket
books with them. There is one thing your
papers ought to urge on prospective Wis
itors, and that is to take only a minimum
OF baggage-not over fifty pounds, If posi-
BILE, for they will find little opportunity to
wear their best gowns and clothes, and
they will find superhuities will be burden
to them. 1t is not so easy to transport bag
gage in France as in America, and Ameri-
cans Will ind this out to their sorrow it,
they undertake to carry heavy trunks with
them. They ought to take only what they
can carry into the most limited quarters
with them"
THE BOER FIGHT.
What do the French people think of the
fight between the English and the Boers?"
"Oh, our sympathies are pretty generally
with the Beers, but only as a matter of
principle and not strong enough to make
1t national sentiment. Our business in
terests are too closely connected with those
of England to admit Of any open express
sion of such sentiments, and this fact is
generally understood in England"
How about the Dreyfus case?"
well, to tell you the truth / believe
Paris and all France, for that matter has
forgotten all about Dreyfus For a time
the country was split in two factions over
the trouble. but If DreyIus were to walk
into Paris to-day he would create only
a passing interest. You see, Frenchmen
are not like Americans. When one or two
of your generals do something disgrace
full you say mean things about the men
who do the act and perhaps bring them
to trial, but stop there after Furnishing
them IL they are guilty. In France, how
ever, things are done differently. If gen.
eral two are found guilty of violations
npODlQ a m
and say the whole army Is corrupt and
unless something is done in time riot re-
suits. But in day or two, fguratively
speaking, things settle down and the men
forget their quarrels the day after. So to-
day you will hear men refer TO Dreyfus
in Paris ana one may say: Il think he
was guilty, while the other will say: Poor
feilow, how he must have suffered The
Dreyfus case is not an issue now"
Us 1t true that sentiment was somewhat
against this country during the war with
Spain?'
THE WAR SENTIMENT.
mo, / do not think SO. Nothing can
happen but what individuals will form
some opinion of it and nearly every
Frenchman had some opinion Of the merits
of the war. But Frenchmen are the same
as any other men, and in this day most
men are too busy with their own affairs
which 90 not concern their own country.
Americans are and always have been liked
in France because they are good business
men and spend money. few idlers or
chronic seekers after arguments in cafes
may have talked loudly how France re-
garded the war with Spain but they did
not in any way reflect the sentiments OF
the country nor of the business or gov
ernmental interests o. the country. The
agitator we Always have with us. and we
hon
the flow of American money was all one
way into France is past. American goods
now sell readily in Paris and while the
fact that our staples are such as seem to
indicate that they are more generally
bought by Americans than American goods
by Frenchmen, 1t is because they are
mostly I'm the line of silks, wines and
gloves, whereas yours are in iron, steel
and such wares The Americans stock
up with our goods while in Paris, but all
or nearly all Of this money finds its way
back to America by the purchase of Amer
lean goods by our corporations which do
not have the same opportunity to make a
display of shopping that American visitors
to the shops of Paris do. Americans and
Frenchmen will always be friends and all
talk of animosity between Frenchmen and
Americans or Frenchmen and Englishmen
is idle. The great system of industrial
economy will take care of that"