Arizona republican., 1904-05-20
The Chief Figure at St.
 Louis Fair Yesterday
HIS NOTABLE ADDRESS
Delivered as President Roosevelts Representative to Members of the
 Worlds Press Parliament - Bril-
 liant illumination of Festival Hall

St. Louis, May 19.-Amid gorgeous surroundings, with cascades pouring i their torrents down the waterways into the lagoon and thousands of electric bulbs Illuminating the scene and sil- houetting the ivory white buildings of the exposition against the dark of night, the worlds press parliament convened tonight in festival hall Thousands of visitors thronged the terraces, steps and esplanade at the foot of the festival hall and a steady stream pressed towards the entrance of the great white doomed building but q majority were doomed to disap- pointment for the seating capacity of festival hall is 2,6OO and only the ac- credited delegates to the press parlia- nent were admitted through the double line of Jefferson guards at the entrance.
 The convention was called to order by Captain Henry King, editor of the | St. Louis Globe-Democrat, and chair man of the executive committee of the parliament.
 1 David R. Francis, president of the fair, welcomed the delegates to the ex- position.
 The principal speaker of the evening was next introduced, John Hay, secre i tary of state, who came as the official representative of President Roosevelt, ! to attend the congress. Secretary Hay was greeted with a saliva of ap- plause. He spoke as follows:
 T thank you, MT. Chairman; I thank you gentlemen-all of you-for your too generous and amiable wei come. I esteem it a great privilege to meet so many representatives of an estate which, more than any other, at this hour controls the world. It is my daily duty at Washington to confer with the able and distinguished repre- sentatives of civilized sovereigns and states. But we aps all aware that the days of personal government are gone forever; that behind us, and behind the rulers we represent, there stands the vast irresistible power of public opinion, which in the last resort must decide all questions we discuss, and whose judgment is final IIs.your-pe--- ! sons I greet the organs and opponents of that tremendous power with all the l respect which is due to you and your constituency deeply sensible of the honor which has been done me in mak- ing me the mouthpiece of the senti- ment of appreciation and regard with which the nation welcomes you to this great festival of peace and progress. ! Tt is possible-if you will pardon a i personal word from me-that the cir cumstances of my life may have com mended me to the notice of President l Francis, and may have led him to in- l vite me here tonight to take part in this occasion in the dual capacity of host and guest. My years of newspaper work might entitle me to a modest place in your, membership, while the valley of the mighty river which rolls by the wharves of St. Louis can never be considered otherwise than as my l home. The years of my boyhood were passed on the banks of the Mississippi. | and the great river was the scene Of lmy early dreams. The boys of my day led an amphibious life in and near the 1 waters in the summer time, and in the winter it's dazzling ice bridge, of in- | comparable beauty and purity, was our favorite playground; while our imag- nations were busy with the glamour and charm of the distant cities of the south, with their alluring French names land their legend of stirring adventure and pictures of perpetual summer"
 Then followed a pleasing reference to the historical incidents of the Lou | isiana purchase and the development of | the territory, the lessons drawn from the history, political and otherwise. lThe speech was a delightful one. and every word thrilled the hearts of MT. Hays auditors. He closed with the fol- lowing language:
 "In the name of the president-writ- err soldier and statesman, eminent in all three professions and in all equally an advocate of justice, peace and good will bid you a cordial welcome, with
 the prayer that this meeting of the representatives of the worlds intelli- gence may be fruitful in advantage to the press of all nations and may bring us somewhat nearer to the dawn of the
 day of peace on earth and good will
 among men. Let us remember that we are met to celebrate the transfer of a vast empire from one nation to anoth-
 CT without the firing of a shot with
 cut the shedding of one drop of blood
 If the press of the world would adopt
 and persist in the high resolve that war should be no more the clangor of
 arms would cease from the rising of
 the sun to it's going down, and we
 could fancy that at last our ears, no longer stunned by the din of armies,
 might hear the morning stars singing
 together and all the sons of God shout
 ing for joy"
 The final speech was made by A
 Monprofit, correspondent of Le Figaro,
 Paris.
 THE WEATHER,