Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-01
Sarcastic Description Of the Palais
DIES Congress.
AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
United States Exhibit Most Intel
Iigent Of Any.
SCIENTIFIC STATI TICS
Copyright. 1900 by V. Gribayedof.)

Written for The Evening Star.
PARIS, August q, 1900
Near the Pont de rAma and on the OPP
pOsite side of the Seine from the represent
tative buildings of the nations stands a
large whitewashed, severe and almost sol
emn-looking edifice which attracted my at
tentiOn at the moment l was settling an ex-
Orbitant account for midday breakfast at
the restaurant La Feria.' The sepulchra
structure, l was informed, was the 'Palais
des Congress l inquired what was Pal
ais des Congress. The obsequious waiter
shrugged his shoulders and said that is a
palace where they have congresses.
l rose and made my way to the opposite
bank of the Seine. The approach to the
Palais des Congress along the Seine is
through the frivolous and reputedly gay
Rue de Paris, a kind of Midway Plaisance,
which forms the fritters and the dessert to
the solid dish of the palais.
For that is the way of worlds fairs.
Educational Institution of Exposition
The Palais des Congress is ostensibly an
educational institution, and that may have
accounted for its deserted and forlorn at
pearance when / first Struck it. l en-
tered The whitewashed and untrodden CEN
trail staircase and wandered through spa
ciouS and unfrequentgt galleries. hung with
countless maps, charts and graphic repre-
carnations II which seal economists de-
light. but II was long before | discovered
even a guardian from whom TO seek infor-
NATION. The guardian was asleep. and pos
sibly he res nted my puking him gently
with stick - recall nm TO The stern real
tiles Of the Palace of Congresses for he
grumpily told NE he did not know the Cb-
ject of this institution, nor could he give
me a hl-conducteur 10 help me 10 lrrive a
an Intelligent appreciation for the work
done or the things TO be studied in the
building.
There are brochures AID programs he
said. YEARLY And handing re a pie of
them, selected at hazard. he added: There
are so many that you Will never find out
what they are all about" In which he
spoke truly.
spacious, white and deserted staircase
led me 10 room above. 1t looked like one
immense school room. and the walls Were
covered with such bewildering array of
charts, graphics and diagrams that my
head ached al the thoughts of the study
involved N understanding them.
Truly, as Carlyle said, political economy
Is the gloomy science.
The attendants in this spacious gallery
were even more ignorant and less polite
than those below. They seemed to be espe-
cially chary of giving information While
locking round the place l observed the ex-
president of the republic. NJ. CaSimir-Per-
Ter. in conversation with another distin-
guished gentleman, evidently distinguished
for he wore red button in his buttonhole
For that Is the fashion Of the high man
darins in France.
/ discovered later that NJ Casi,nir- Perer
was there on account OF having to preside
over the congress of public charity and
private beneyGlence."
BY diut of diiiSent inquiry | discovered.
too, that this upper part of the building
was devoted to the SeanCeS of congresses,
and that from these congresses the outside
publ" We're excluded. That perhaps ac-
counted for the guarded reticence of the
attendants. They seemed to feel proud be-
| belonged iprip
y Japane sstvant was deeply engrossed
III studying the titles of various pamphlets
and books lying On shelf-'The Social
Problem. The Condition Of the Working
Poor" etc. He had a gray beard and
speCtacles anC that peculiar look which
comes on men who have read Ruskin. En-
cOuragcd. therefore, | entered into CONVEX
satiOn- He told me that | had come at