The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-15
PRESIDENT LOUBET is CHEERED
NO UNTOWARD INCIDENT MARS
THE INITIAL PROCEEDINGS
OF THE BIG SHOW
AMERICA IS IN THE LEAD
Exhibits Are Nearer Shape for DIS.
play Than Those of Other COun-
trIe~-TremendOus Crowds
Present.

PARIS, April 1.-THE exposition CT
1900 is open, but it will be at least a
month before anything but buildings is
to be seen. The days ceremonies were
peculiar mixture OF sumptuous splendor
In the Salles des Fetes and widespread
confusion elsewhere. Nothing could have
exceeded the picturesque stage-setting Ia
the beautiful building In which the in
Euguration ceremonies were held, the
gorgeous uniforms of the diplomats and
soldiers, the splendid orchestra and
chorus and the magic effect produced by
the grand staircase up which President
Loubet proceeded to view the exposition,
lined with some 200 picked men of the
Republican guards, with jack boots,
white breeches, cleaning cuirasses and
horse-hair plumes streaming from shining
helmets.
AT the top of the stairway was q room,
the interior of which could be seen from
the Sales des Fetes and this was hung
with priceless Gobelins from the Louvre.
Into this splendid apartment President
doubet entered, and from there walked
down the avenue to his boat. This part
of the days arrangement was perfect, but
the rest was chaos.
The weather today was luckily all that
could be desired. Fourteen thousand
guests had been invited to the function,
and they had, because of the fine wealth.
er, only the dust to endure Had the day
been wet the unrolled paths of the expo
sition grounds would have been turned
into a mass of mud.
The afternoon was a holiday in Paris
by general consent, and a host of country
people crowded into theA city to swell the
mulutudes, who; from an early hour,
trudged in the direction of the exposition
and took up positions along the route of
the presidential procession and at, the
appI caches to the grounds. The Immense
number of guests practically swept the
central streets clean of cabs, of which
an unbroken stream, several deep, drift.
ed slowly toward the gates between noon
and 2:3O p. m.
Drifted is the correct expression for
the rate of progress because the traffic
arrangements were so inadequate that
hundreds of vehicles did not reach the
exposition at all and the occupants were
either left stranded en- route or were
obliged to abandon their carriages and
proceed on foot This was the expedient
ordinarily adopted by several members of
the diplomatic corps and two gorgeously
attired officers Of the Chinese embassy.
after hastily walking several blocks, ar
rived in the Sales des Fetes just in time
to hear the cheering at the conclusion of
the ceremony.
SIMPLE CEREMONY.
The ceremonial within the Sales des
Fetes was simplicity itself. The reception
to President Loubet, at the entrance. last
ed but few seconds, and on reaching
the presidential tribune, M Millerand the
minister Of commerce, Immediately de-
livere6 his address, handing over the ex-
position to the chief of state, which ad-
dress was couched in most eloquent terms
and read IN resonant voice, heard
throughout the vast hall NJ. >MiIlerand's
peroraton was especially fine, and il
brought forth a storm Of plaudits
President Loubet then replied and the
speaking part Of the function ended.
A feature Of the proceedings was the
series of grandiose tableaux, presented
to the gaze of the president and his party
by the wonderful spectacle in the Sale
des Fetes and the imposing vista from the
Flace~ de 1racauero, from the Champs lie
Mars to the Chateau d'Eu, along the
esplanade Of the Hotel des Invalides. from
10 Napeleon's tomb to the Champs EIysees.
while the view from the Seine, alonse this
embankment on which stands an irregu-
lar line of multi-colored national pavil
ions, presenting every conceivable form
of architecture, might have been a scere
from the Arabian Nights
The ladies of the presidents party
hn6 fI1a 11o lo- IN
the others and took seats In the special
gallery. Nine. Loubet, richly gowned, sat
in front, surrounded by the wives of the
ministers.
The spectacle that met President Lou
bets eyes, when, amid the resounding
straiTs of the Marselaise, he stepped to
sEthe front of the presidential dais on his
entry into the Sale des Fetes, was prob
ably never seen before within the walls
of any building The vast circus was
filled with a sea of human beings, who
Qyertowed the balconies. The decoration
of the interior was certainly a triumph
of. artistic skill with handsome staine(!
glass dome, through which the rays of
sunlight filtered down upon the concourse
j. below: and color screen in Murat paint
Ing, With the strikingly executed fres-
Goes of appropriate allcgories in brilliant
relief. The galleries and balconies were
draped with red plush, and the hall was
prcfusely adorned with trophies of tri
color flags, opening fan-like from Shields.
bearing the letters 'R F."