The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-20
EFFECTS OF ENGLISH ABSENCE
FROM THE PARIS FAIR


j. S. Forbes informed the sharehold-
ers of the Chatham and Dover COM
pany yesterday that whereas in 1899
the year of the last Paris exhibition
the Chatham and Southern companies
derived about ESQ, 900 from receipts over
and above the normal, this year their
continental traffic has in the first half
year shown a decline of something like
5000. If this represents the expert
ence of other railway companies, as we
believe 1t does, it is a fact which In
terests a much wider public than the
shareholders of the companies concern
ed. For it means that the English pub
lie are not going to the Paris exhabi-
ton, to which in ordinary years they
would have f1ocked in thousands and
hundreds of thousands. Paris itself Will
answer for the fact. The hotelkeepers
lament that the English are absent, and
that their places are filled with less
paying guests. The German language
is heard everywhere and English, as
spoken In America. The mother-tongue
as spoken in England, seldom and at
log itervals. Among the palaces of the
nations the English house holds a fore
most place, 1t is a gem, most beauti-
fully and tastefully contrived, of which
any Englishman may be proud. But
the English exhibits in the various sec
| tons are as nothing to those Of other
nations, and particularly those of Ger
many. England officially is charmingly
represented, England Individually and
privately is nowhere.
| The reasons are many and some Of
them not agreeable Something may be
put down to the fact that the travelling
! Englishman Is inclined in this year of
war to stay at home He Is cutting off
/ his luxuries under pressure of falling
| dividends and in anticipation of the
taxgatherer. He has suffered bereave-
ments or Is still suffering from ankle
ties. Again, the picture of the exhibit
tion a presented to him In the opening
days was not altogether alluring.
| We had hoped that the exhibition by
drawing Erglishmen to France and
giving Frenchmen the opportunity of
making them welcome would have help
ed to create a better feeling. The fear
is rather than the stunning of the ex-
hibition will have the contrary effect.
Paris is Undoubtedly suffering from it.
The absence of many thousands of the
most probable and best paying visitors
is only too likely to disturb calculations
and cut off the margin or profit. Serve
them right" will no doubt be the COM
ment of some Englishmen. Yet If a
punishment for commercial and bust
ness-like Englishmen to inf1ict Not to
see a unique and beautiful show is a
loss of pleasure, but not to exhibit, and
not to see the amazing exhibits from all
branches of industry which are gather
ed together in Paris at this moment Is
loss of business and education. One
| walk round the machinery section
would tell an English engineer where
he is falling behind and why he is fall
ing behind better than all the books.
pamphlets, and articles that have been
written on the subject In the absence
of England, the exhibition has become
triumph for Germany. German ma
machinery and German manufacturers
as seen in Paris are already proclaimed
as a revelation to the business world,
and for this, we may be quite sure, the
English engineer and the English man
ufacturer will pay heavily. Another
fact, too, should not be missed by those
who watch the signs of the times. Since
1870 there has been no such intercourse
between French and Germans as in
Paris this year. The German swarms
in Paris, are made welcome and enjoy
it thoroughly. That, we may be sure,
is going to have its effect on politics.
Can we be equally sure that England
will not pay a rather heavy price for
her absence both in business and poll
tics ?-WeStIninSter Gazette