Arizona republican., 1902-05-26
TIE ATTITUDE
 0F FRANCE
Mr. Lagrave On inc St. Louis
 Exposition Outlook
France Did Not Want an Abandon ment of the Show Requirements of French Exhibitors Explained. Bad Impressions Made At the Chicago Fair.

New York, May 25.-A1ichael Lagrave, the French economist. who is here in
 the double capacity of delegate of the
 minister of commerce yesterday to the Rochambeau ceremonies and the com missioner Of France to the Louisiana Purchase exposition. was seen today ar
 the Waidorf-Astoria and had interest
 ing things to say about the participa- tion of France in the coming worlds fair.
 ''I have just received Q telegram from 1 General Francis" said Mr. Lagrave Informing me that he was sending ' d special commissioner east to see the French ambassa dor and to beg him to tender to the members of the Rocnambeau mission the invitation of the Louisiana Purchase exposition to
 visit St Louis as guests Of the exposi- tion authorities. He wishes me to use all my influence with my colleagues of the mission in order to get them to ac- ccpt. So far l have spoken only to the Ticomte de Chambrun about it, and he seems delighted with the idea. l have
 no doubt but what part. at least. of the
 mission will be able to accept As to the pCstpCnement of the fair to May l. 1894. the preteXt given for it--that the foreign exhibitors could not have been
 got ready by 1903. must be abandoned as far 2s France is concerned. Tho fact that the French exhibitors present fCc examination manufactured articles taken from their regular stock would have permitted them to be ready on
 January l. 1903, if it had been neces- sary.
 The representation of France at St.
 Louis will depend on two things-an
 impartial jury and a proper protection
 against fire. You see, q great many
 French manufacturers are still under
 the bad impression caused at Chicago
 in 1893 by the fire which destroyed
 their property and the composition or
 the various juries which were hopeless ly partisan. This last cause Of dis satisfaction was so fragrant that the
 French exhibitors rather than submit
 to the judgment of the iuries with crew from all competition. I shajl plead for the establishment of the juries upon the basis adopted at the
 Paris exposition cf 1900 and approved
 by all the foreign nations. If l gain my point the exposition authorities will not have space enough to give me
 Never perhaps in the history Of the
 two republics ha s the feeling between
 the two nations been as cordial as it is
 today. France was the first Of the
 foreign countries to accept Americas
 invitation to participate in the eXposi-
 rior. The manufacturers individually
 responded with as much alGcrity as did
 the government, and today l am ready
 to fiji all the space that the exposition
 managers can ailct ne. But, yet,
 must receive assurances that the un-
 pleasantness of the Chicago fair will
 not recur.
 The question of the national pay
 iiion of France is another subject for
 discussion. If the St. Louis peopl4
 give me the space ! want, and the loca-
 tion l feel 1 should haVe-the position
 Of honor-I intend to reproduce in St. Louis one of cur historic palaces Of the
 time Of the sale Of the Louisiana terri tory to the United States. l have not.
 yet settled it in my mind which it would be, Trianon or MalmaisOn, but either of these would be appropriate and worthy both Of France and Of the position of honor at the St. Louis eX- position. It seems to me that the fact that the exposition is to commemorate
 an act in which the chief roles were played by France and the United States i should prove an irr5futable argument in favor of the allotment to France
 of the place of honor at the fair. In erecting it's national pavilion France will not consider the question of cost. The building would be in keeping with the dignity Of the nation, and the rank il occupies in the world. Each of the rooms in this building would be fur
 nished and decorated by one of the ] I. ,.i-s !, Napoleonic relics from the various | museums. Napoleon having been the high contra cting party with the United States for the sale of Louisiana, Fred erick the Great would be quite out of i it.