The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-06-05
THE PARIS EXPOSITION.
Graphic Letter From Rev. Fathe,
M. j. Farreliy.


M. j. Farrelly
FOR FRANCE AND RUSSIA
The Alliance an Ever Present Feature
Paris the Queen of the Worlds |
Cities.
PARIS, LE2l May, 1900.
To The REVIEW:
AS the story of my travels for the
past six weeks-the story of holiday /
leisurely spent in Il pleasant continental
would be better told viva voce;
your readers will please excuse my
italian and my Greek. Just let me say
a word of France, of Paris and the ex-
position.
This country seems to be enjoying a
period of prosperity and peace. Not a
ripple of excitement to be seen in any
quarter. Are the Dreyfusards dead?
Yes, and buried, if the elections of the
ID inst and of yesterday count for any
thing. The battle was fought out on
well defined lines-the cities of the ma
ton were called upon to choose coun-
cilmen who in turn choose the mem
bers of the upper house and the result
has been an overwhelming majority in
favor of RELOCATING the affair Dreyfus
to the regions of the distant past where
it should remain for ever. France IS
exceedingly prosperous, even more
prosperous than the United States. and
the prosperity is with the common peo-
pie. This is a hard working, sober,
saving people who own their own homes
and have some money to loan to the
government of their country. The soil
is productive, the climate is mild, the
manufacture of every article known to
commerce progresses apace while every
good Frenchman loves more the longer
he lives, the incompatible beauties of
his Belle France.
Paris stands alone-easily the queen
of the worlds cities-streets broad and
clean-gutters washed with living water
perpetually running sidewalks shaded
by fragrant blossomed chestnuts, pub
lie and private buildings substantial
and artistic, fountains playing in the
sunlight of the squares. parks and gar
dens-huge Norman horses hauling
merchandise of every sort while the
handsome French coach dances all
around you. 1 will not speak of the
great church edi6ces, of Natre Daure
the Sacred Heart or st. Sulpice; I will
pass over the more than two hundred
religious communities and their holy
missions of charity. I will conclude
this paragraph with the repetition
'sParis stands alone.''
But what say of the Exposition of
1900? hardly know, have tried for
ten days to explore the halls. its pas
sages and pavillions and the more [ try
the more wonder. Larger than the
Worlds Fair at Chicago, on the whole,
it is to me less handsome. True, there
are many sights exceedingly magnifi
cent. The bridge of Alexander Ill. to
commemorate the Franco Russian AL
lance, the map of France presented by
Russia, map of precious stones stud
ded with diamonds to mark the cities,
costing four million francs, yet in
strange contrast to this exhibition of
the mutual friendship of these two
countries, not more than twenty rods
from the gilded figures of the great
bridge, and at the west end of the
Avenue of Alexandra Tresieme, stands
out to the full gaze Of every visitor, a
permanent building of grand proper
lions, with its great dome and gold
cross overlooking the political situa-
ticn-the tomb of Napoleon-the only
man who ever undertook to destroy the
Empire OF Russia. 1t is also true that
the nations of the earth are well repre-
sented, along every line and in eyery
department but no effort is anywhere
made to conceal the avowals that
France and Russia must stand or fall
together.
This Paris exposition has no Midway
Plalsance, no side shows, none of that
abominable eastern and western laxity
of morals that disgraced the Worlds
Fair. The gayety of the capital does
not disturb the sober seriousness, the
practical piety of the exposition-so to
speak, for it seems to me that here is a
grand piece OF competition along the
lines OF peaceful arts and progress.
The American exhibit is incomplete,
Iowa has modest corner in the Amer
lean building; Commissioner Peck and
Mr.. Rouilliard are working hard to get
the work done soon as possible; the
presses will be running next week and
visitors will be treated gratis to daily
paper printed in the best American
fashion. Mr.. A. d. Rouilliard is o. X.
much admired and Observation-Disclosures