Evening star., 1901-08-10
BIG FAIR
Brings the Three Americas Closer
Together.
,OUFHBRN NElGHDORS' RESOURCES
Intelligent Discrimination of the
Attending Public.
THE ExPOSITION'S VALUE

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
BUFFALO,. August 8, 1901
1t Is always necessary to seek the spirit
of an exposition in order to appreciate IT,
Ignorance of it's aims and conception may
destroy half it's value The Buffalo people
seem to have had a fairly definite idea or
the reason for being of this exposition, on
it's artistic and spectacular as well as IFS
commercial and industrial sides. They
have managed to give 1T distinct ana
unique individuality.
The spirit of Pan-AmericanfSm Is not
rampant. If anything 1t is rather sub
dued, yet it permeates everything. AT the
hotel rather thoughtlessy 1 asked the
young woman at the news counter IL she
had guide to the worlds fair. She was
puzzled for a time, but frightened up sud-
denly and replied, "Oh, you mean the
Pan" Locally and colloquially the exposi-
ton is known as the Pan, while with
many visitors it is the show. Both
terms detract from it's dignity
fair degree of success seems to have
been achieved in bringing the hemisphere
family of America l>der one roof or un-
der one sky. There are the material ex-
hbits which may have a moral influence
and the contrasts il customs. though hard
ly in civilizations. If 1t were simply
show of the natural products or OF the
limited manufacturing Industries or the
countries to the south OF the United States,
that might pass a big American
fair. But there is. practical worth iar
beyond this. The exposition is bringing
Mexico and Central and South America
home to the people of the United States
The value of this knowledge is rot to be
measured alone by the commercial and In
dustrial advantages. There is also a rap
sncto,, a-t of
this bringing together the representatives
of the other governments on the American
continent. 1t is here that the spirit OF Pan
Americanism Is most potent.
Central and South America are yet the
unknown lands of romance. If the oppor-
tunity to explore them is not afforded mere,
al least it is possible to make a recon-
naissanee of their resources, their capabill-
ties and their tendencies. | do not know
that the effort to reproduce the effect or
Spanish renaissance architecture is as
complete the projectors or the plan
could have wished. There Is a general idea
but not a vivid picture formed on the mind
by the esplanades, courts and plazas ana
by the buildings themselves. What IS OF
Importance, aside from the artistic stand
point. is that the harmony of the plans has
not been secured at the expense OF the con-
venienee of the public.
The Color Scheme.
OF the color scheme. of which so much
has been said and written, there seems to
be negative appreciation on the part or
the people. That may be due to their lack
of receptiveness to the artistic conception
A preliminary education is necessary for
full understanding of this color scheme,
and individual impressions vary with the
knowledge or the artistic instinct or lack
of instinct of the observer. 1t hardly can
be called characteristic of Spanish-Ame
can art shown in Latin-American coun-
tries. There are hardly the blue and orange,
the saffron. the pink and the cream tints
which are chara cteriStic of Havana, Lis
bon or Rio Janeiro.
Doubtless these colors brought out with
all the effect of the tropical countries
would be too gIaring for northern eyes,
Instead of brilliant hues they would seem
gaudy and even loud. Moreover, they need
the clear atmosphere and the steel blue
skies of the tropics. which are lacking in
the regions of Lake Erie. Niagara green,
which forms the basis Of the decorative ef-
fects, is not tropical, though 1t helps to
subdue the warmer hues and render them
more pleasing to unaccustomed eyes 1t Is
only q passing thought, but II there Is dis
appointment at the failure Of the general
public which is without artistic apprecia-
ton to become enthusiastic over the color
scheme, this may be because Of the effort
to subdue the brilliancy and the striking
contrasts which are everywhere found in
TIE tropics.
south American Exhibits.
The unevenness cf the South American ex-
hibits Is apt TO impress the visitor. Sew
eral of the countries have fine buildings of
their own, while with others the exhibits
are scattered through various edifices. Po-
litical uncertainties and the slowness of
the various governments to understand the
full scope Of the exposition account for
this. There is little of the spirit of rivalry
or of competition apparent but that this
a q nf he of thn
exposition Is assured. The representatives
of those countries whose exhibits are def
cient are profrIse in their explanations and
apologies that more has not been done by
their respective governments. They prom
ise to do better heXt time, and they arc
keenly alive to their own loss when they
are brought in contrast with their more
progressive neighbOrs. Here Is hint for
st. Louis when the Louisiana purchase ex-
position is held. 20 encourage the spirit of
competition throughout Latin America
Probably the most extensive exhibits of
natural resources are To be found in the
agricultural and the forestry buildings.
That of Argentina is especially fine. 1t Is
valuable. too, because IL gives an intelli-
gible idea OF the country which Is destined
10 become the leading competitor of the
United States in variety Of natural pro-
ducts. The competition can be a friendly
one, with reciprocal advantages on both
sides.
Peru, in the face of many difficulties, has
managed to make creditabe showing
What counts is that Ii Is a showing OF
progress. In the old times about all that
was expected to come from Peru was ruins
antiquities and relics. At the worlds fair
in Chicago the chief exhibit which was
shown visitors was that of a restored
graveyard. This graveyard was in charge
OF an enthusiast who himself had dug up
the skeletons which were shown lust as
they had been found. The graveyard was
instructive to archaeologists and had a
grewsome attraction for ordinary visitors
who listened to the chapter of history
which the enthusiast unfelded, but 1t was
not OF much value in Illustrating the Peru
OF the present day, though there might
have been some informa tion obtained by
tracing back from the skulls of the Incas
their methods of colonization as practiced
when Pizarro conquered It. At the Pan
American exposition Peru has not followed
the graveyard idea. Though small its ex-
htbit of agricultural and mineral resources
Is good, and everything about it speaks of
progress.
Mexico. in the attractive little building
which its government has erected makes a
fine showing. though this building itself is
given chiefly TO the mineral resources
These are the foundation of the wealth OF
the southern republic There are other ex-
hibtts IN the various buildings, which con-
tain only suggestions of the gigantic indus
trial strides which are being made under