The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-15
A Socialists View of the Duties of
Mankind I'm Forwarding the
Work of "Solidarity."
PRESIDENT L0UBET'S SPEECH
FRANCE ANXIOUS TO CONTRIBUTE To
THE HARMONY OF NATIONS,
And Hopes Many People Will View
the Fruits of Peace and Progress
to He Seen mt the Exposition.

PARIS April 14-The exposition of 1900
is opened, but it will be at least a month
| before anything but buildings is to be seen.
The days ceremonies were a peculiar mix
ture of sumptuous splendor in the Sale
des Fetes and Widespread confusion else
where.
Nothing could have exceeded the pic
turesque stage setting in the beautiful
building in which the inaugural ceremonies
were held, the gorgeous uniforms of the
diplomats and soldiers, the splendid orches
| ira and chorus, and the magnificent effect
produced by the grand staircase, up which
President Loubet proceeded to view the ex-
position, lined with some two hundred
picked men of the Republican guards, with
jack boots, white breeches. cleaning cui-
| rasses and horse-hair plumes streaming
| from shining helmets.
| At the top of this stairway was a room,
| the interior of which could be seen from
the Sales des Fetes, and this was hung
with priceless gobelns from the Louvre.
Into this splendid apartment President Lou
bet entered. and from there walked down
| the avenue to his boat. This part of the
| days arrangements was perfect, but the
| rest was chaos.
The weather to-day was, luckily, all that
| could be desired. Fourteen thousand guests
| had been invited to the function, and they
| had, because of the fine weather. only the
| dust to endure. Had the day been wet
| the unrolled paths of the exposition grounds
would have been turned into a mass of
mud. The afternoon was holiday in Paris
| by general consent, and a host of country
people crowded into the city to swell the
multitudes who from an early hour trudged
| in the direction of the exposition and took
| up positions along the route of the pres
| idential procession and at the approaches
| to the grounds. The immense number Of
guests practically swept the central streets
clean of cabs, of which an unbroken
stream, several deep, drifted slowly toward
| the gates between noon and 2:3O p. m.
STRANDED EN- ROUTE.
Drifted is the correct expression, for the
rate of progress, because the traffic ar
rangements were so inadequate that hun
dreds of vehicles did not reach the exposi-
| ton 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
| Diplomatic corps, and two gorgeously at
| tired officials of the Chinese embassy. after
| hastily walking several blocks, arrived in
| the Sale des Fetes just in time to hear
| the cheering at the conclusion of the cere-
mony.
The feature of the days 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 vistas from the
| Palace de Trocodero down the Champs de
Mars to the Chateau d'Eau along the
| esplanade of the Hotel Des Invalides, from
| Napoleon's tomb to the Champs Elysees,
| while the view from the Seine along the
| embankment, on which stands an irregular
line of multi-colored pavilions presenting
every form of architecture might have
| been a scene from the arabian Nights"
| The ladies of the Presidents party
| reached the Sale des Fetes in advance of
| the others and took seats in the special gal
lery Nine. Loubet, richly gowned, sat in
| front, surrounded by the wives of the min
| listers.
The spectacle that met President Lou
| bets eye when, amid the resounding
| strains of the "Marseillaise'' by the band
| at the front of the presidential parade was
probably never seen before within the walls
| of any building. The vast building was
| filed with a sea of human beings who
| overflowed the balconies jutting out from
| the sides. The decoration of the interior
was certainly triumph of artistic skill,
| with a handsome stained glass dome
| through which the rays of sunlight filtered
| down upon the concourse below, and
| color scheme in Mural painting with the
strikingly executed frescoes of appropriate
allegories in brilliant relief. The galleries
and balconies were draped with red plush
and the hall was profusely adorned with
| flags opening fan-like from shields bearing
| the letters ''R F.
OUTLANDISH FIGURES.
The group among the great assembly
| which was the most attractive was the
body of foreign representatives in pic
| turesque attire. Since Victoria's jubilee or
| the Cars coronation, no such congress of
strange or gorgeous national costumes has
been seen. In mass together were tur-
baned chiefs. Arab sheiks In flowing white
| robes and with faces muffied in linen
cloths Hungarian magnates in magnificent
| velvet, trimmed with valu,.b BILE furs, with
| green breeches and top boots and wearing
fur toques surmounted by waving al
grettes; Chinese and other Oriental embassy
| officials in characteristic silk garments,
| with bandoliers slung across their chests.
| from which emerged the polished brass
| cartridge cases and trailing heavy sabres.
| All OF these outlandish figures rubbed
| shoulders with the wearer OF the not less
| splendid but better known European uni
| forms.
| At the conclusion OF President Loubets