The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-22
Prospective Visitors ADVISED To
Wait Awhile.
The Whole Thing Is Dis
appointing.
An Effort Made To Keep the
Situation From Public.
Basic, Switzerland, May 4th.


II there are those who are fastening
their plans for an early visit to the Paris
Exposition, they can save themselves
much annoyance and trouble by waiting
until much later date; for at present 1t
looks as II the whole system would not
be completed much before the time ar
rives to pack things away and remove the
temporary buildings.
No doubt that brotherly feeling towards
all the nations, which President Loubet
referred to in an interview with one of
the leading New York reporters, exists.
But the sentiment which Loubet ex-
presses as citizen and not as the presi
dent of the Republic is not likely to be
fully realized. He refers to the old joke
that good Americans when they die go to
Paris, and invites all to come and get
foretaste of their future state The ex-
perience of few hours in the Exposition
about the LIST of May, however, would
hardly give rise to an exemplary life for
the sake of experiencing such happiness
through I'LL eternity.
In fact, the opening of the Exposition
April 18th was for the most part a farce.
At that time all was temporarily patched
up and covered with extemporized drap-
cries, and for the. moment everything UNI
seemly was hidden from the public view.
This gave the impression, which deceived
even President Loubet, that things were
in an uncommon state of readiness. But
like the condition of the hackslider, the
last state was worse than the first. We
fully sympathized with the English lady
we heard saying to her husband, Let S
go home and tell everybody not to come,
for there is nothing to see.
When work fairly began again about a
week after the opening the scene inside
the grounds was beyond description. 1t
was almost impossible to get round
among the rubbish and dirt with which
the streets were filed. As for the build
ings, they became receptacles for the
masons to mix their mortar, and the
painters to lodge their pals These We're
all barricaded with the sign outside the
doors "Intertllte au public" and even
the outside of many of the handsome
buildings is not yet finished. Great effort
has been made 10 keep the situation from
the public, but at length the leading
journals took it up and criticized the
severely for deceiving the
people since many from afar had found
this more convenient time 10 visit Paris
and We're much ahgered at their disap-
pointment
We had intended to make the Beaux
Arts building our centre, but we found it
still filled with debris of every sort, al
though we were only allowed to approach
near enough to see that the walls We're
and the whole in n condition
which could not apparently be completed
and arranged inside Of two months. This
is the case with nine out of ten Of the
and rs for exhibits they are
still either packed away in the hold of
ships or hid under rubbish.
On the LIST of May only three compart-
ments were really in order, the Munich
Bier Halle, the Moving Sidewalk and
the Swiss Village. The latter is now
getting the benefit of most of the patron
age Here there are neat little chalets,
A tiny church and goats roaming over
miniature Alpine mountains while verit-
able Swiss maidens tend the restaurants
and deliver letters to their compatriots.
The Mammoth Entrance on the Place
lie la Concorde has. been greatly criticized,
much was expected from its
reputed elegance by the French. In fact,
it surpasses all that has been written
its ugliness. The majestic
statue of Paris" surrounding it, though
she is said to be clothed in cloak of err