Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-03
FLOATING EXPOSITION WILL
BE SENT TO THE ORIENT
Princes
Know That the "a
to

4 big ocean steamship will sail from
Seattle, Wash, Nov. Is, carrying a di-
minutive eXposintiOn which the mer-
chants and merchant princes of the
Orient are to be urged to visit while
it fingers at their doors.
The ship will carry no passengers
but exhibitors and no cargo but ex-
hibits 1t will anchor only at ports of
commercial Importance, and from a.
m TO ] p. m. of every day that it is
so anchored it will be given over en-
tirely to visitors. No admission will
be charged, but on the contrary every
effort will be made to get as many as
possible to come aboard. with prefer
ence, of course, for those who have
business interests.
History appears to record no prec-
edent for such an undertaking. Mari
time commerce is older than
Damascus. and the Orientals
have been trading with for
eign peoples for centuries and cen
turtles. But the Occident has been
sighted. Uncle Sam has been a buy
er since his first birthday, but a sell
or only during the last decade. Sew
enty-five years ago the Nat Primes and
the Stephen Whitneys were buying
more abroad than any abroad were
buying here. Recently European cOun-
tries and Russia, to some extent, have
embraced the opportunities held out
to them by the Yankees, but the ORR
ent has held aloof 1t has seemed, al
eTnt
of our Uncle Sans ability to produce
and sell, as well as collect and buy.
Under such circumstances it has be-
come apparent that something must be
done. And something is to be done.
The products of the United States are
to be placed so directly in line with
the Orientals' range of vision that the
Orientals simply COnnOt help seeing
them The old world having declined
to come and find out what the new
world has to offer, the new world has
packed huge sample case and will go
over to show the old world, right at
the old worlds front door.
The exposition ship will visit Yollo-
hama. Kobe. Nagasaki, Port Arthur
and Vladivortock. war conditions per
-
Mia. Singapore. Colombo, Mauritius
Delagoa Bay Johannesburg and Pre-
toria,) Cape Town, Adelaide, Mel
bourne Sidney. Honolulu. and, on the
return, Santiago, Valparaiso and Callao.
South America.
At each of these ports it will remain
from two days to ten days, total of
about six months having been assigned
for the voyage. American consuls in
all of the cities will be informed in
advance of the arrival of the floating
exhibition. announcements will be
made tin the newspapers of the portsj
of the names of the firms represented
on board the vessel. their lines of
business, and the cOnsuis will be re-
quested TO see that importing and ex-
porting merchants in the interior and
adjacent cities are fully advised. In
short. every possible effort will be
made to create a keen and general
interest.
All exhibits will be arranged on
board the vessel before sailing from
Seattle and will remain in position
throughout the voyage. Obviating the
necessity of packing and unpacking.
Passage for the entire voyage. in
Guiding meals. berth and from 100 to
500 cubic feet of space for exhibition
purposes. as we'll as space for five tons
of cargo to each exhibitor, will be from
$1,000 to $4,000. according to state
room selected and space required for
exhibits. The ship's9 crew will help
install and arrange exhibits without
cost and there will be no charge for
light or power.
Back of this novel enterprise are
American business men with that
combination. experience plus wealth,
| which usually augers successful re-
suit. Most of them are north Pacific
coast exporters and with them are
allied James J. Hill, president of the
Great Northern railway and his aux
= Hilary concern. the Northwestern Com
mercial company.
This latter company is now expend-
! ing 100000 in refitting one of the
largest steamships of the Pacific ocean.
the Victoria. for exhibition purposes.
| The lower decks of the vessel. ordin-
arily used for second and third class
| passengers. are TO be arranged in a
convenient manner for the exhibits
! The decks. which are very roomy, will
he extensively decorated and brilliant
| ~ lighted with electricity.
While the Hill interests will attempt
10 cover the cost of the long voyage,
there will be no effort on the part Of
the company to make money, the idea
being to stimulate the trade of this
country with the Orient and South
America. knowing that the result will
mean more business for trans-continen-
tai roads and Pacific ocean steamships
and the producing sections they serve.
Mr.. Hills agents are now sending
letters descriptive of the unique float
ing industrial exhibition TO manufac-
turers and export merchants through
out the United States. soliciting their
opinions of the plan
4 circular sent out announcing the