The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-04-06
FRANCIS QUICK TRIP.
Meteoric Journey ofthe Worlds
Fair President Abroad.
EFFORTS CROWNED WITH SUCCESS.
tie Shook Hands " Ith Three Monarchs
and a President-Caused Increased
Interest In the Exposition Pro-
ject-President Francis u
Former kentuckian.

European nations have frequently
been amazed at the manner in which
,sorth Americans do things. Their
latest cause for wonderment is the
rrsssor'c trip of David r. Francis,
president Of the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition company, a former Ken
tuckian, who recently visited five capt.
tails in the old world. A cabled invi.
tation asked President Francis to be
present at a banquet to be given by
Americans in London on Washing
tons birthday. The governors asso-
ciates on the Worlds fair management
urged him to attend and make a tour
Of Europe in the interest OF the fair.
The return voyage was made in even
better time than the outward journey,
the German steamship reaching New
York March II. Many entertainments
had been planned for President Fran
els in the metropolis, the most preten-
tious of which was a banquet rendered
by the Missouri society at the Wal
dorf-Astoria on the evening of March
10th.
On Monday, February 3, Governor
Francis decided to make the trip. The
next day he left st. Louis for New
York. where he arrived the following
evening at O'Clock. Early on tho
day following. which was February II.
he took passage on the La Bretagne, of
the French line, and arrived in Havre
eight days later. the transatlantic
journey being made in excellent time,
considering the heavy seas into which
the boat continually pounded. The
governor left Havre Immediately for
London. going by way OF southamp-
ton, and reached the British capital
on the morning of February 21. He
had barely time to make a change of
raiment when he was hurried to a
luncheon given by Joseph H. Choate,
United States ambassador, and other
prominent men. The next day was
Sunday. Monday morning, February
20, he was presented to King Edward,
who invited him to a private confer
ence on the day following, and in the
evening he attended the banquet at
Hotel Cecil, which had been the ini-
tial cause Of his making the journey
abroad. February "a he met King
Edward in private and conversed with
him for half an hour, securing a prom
Use that his majesty would send to the
! St. Louis Worlds Fair the Jubilee
presents of his late mother, Queen
Victoria. On February 26 Mr.. Francis
met a number of Englishmen promi-
nent in commercial life, and on the
following day he attended a dinner
given by Lord Lansdowne.
On March l the start was made for
Paris. which was reached the next
morning, and before the sun had time
to set Governor Francis had been re-
ceived by President Loubet and had
held several conferences with other
prominent Frenchmen. Retiring late
he arose early March and took a
train to Madrid. which was reached
on March 4, and after a conference
with the prime minister Of Spain and
the ministers of state and agriculture,
the exposition company's president
started back to the French capital,
reaching there the evening Of March G.
The next day he met other Parisians
who were interested in the coming
great exposition. left there in the even
ing and arrived at Berlin March in
time for dinner with Ambassador
Charlemagne Tower. The day follow
ing. MVsAA he was granted private
intervie~W7th Emperor William, who
conversed long and earnestly concern
ing the Worlds Fair and promised to
do all in his power that Germany
might be well represented at st. Louis
In 1904.
That very night he departed for Bel
GUM, and was received by King Leo
pold at the palace at Brussels. From
this monarch he secured a promise Of
a personal visit to st. Louis next year.
This audience at an end he left imme-
diately for Cherbourg. France. and
sailed from that port the following
day, March IL, on the Kron Prinz Will
helm.