The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-11
SWAGGER FOREIGN AUTO SHOW
IMPORTERS SALON OPENS WITH
A SOCIAL RECEPTION.
OflcIals OF Several Nations Assist at
the Function and Fashionable Guests
Attend-Magnincent Decorations and
Splendid Motor Cars-Spe echmaking.

Officials OF Several Nations Assist at
the Function and Fashionable Guests
Attendant nficent Decorations and
7 Splendid Motor Cars-Spe echmaking
Everything New York ever has seen in
the way of an industrial exhibition was
entirely collapsed in point of richness and
general magnlfcence when the first I'm
porters' Automobile Salon was formally
opened in Herald Square Hall, at Broadway
and T'hirty-fourth street, last night
It~Tas not an opening to the public, but a
private view, with admission by card only.
and with all the qualities Of social recep-
tion.
The guests present, their costumes and
the setting for them formed by the deoora-
lions of the hall all harmonized with the
scheme OF a social function and not with
that OF vulgar Industrial show. Even
the inanimates.the automobiles themselves.
new, highly vanished as to woodwork and
brilliantly polished as to brass and nickel
work, did not sound a note of discord.
They we're silent, odorless and shining, like
jewels In an ornate casing. The whole
was, in fact more like what jewelry eK-
hibition might be than a motor'car show.
The guests began to get there 30 early
and in such numbers that by $50 O'Clock,
the time appointed for the opening, the
great hall, which has actually more square
feet of space than there are on the main
floor Of Madison Square Garden, was
crowded. The guests entered at a passage
way beside which stood thatch rooted
booth suggesting a keepers lodge The
place was only semi-lighted by few arc
lamps about the sides, and the machines
and decorations could hardly be discerned
N the Rloaming.
Interest centred about a platform at
one end OF square enclosure which was
port ioned or by portieres OF smilax that
hung in ropes entwned about incandescent
lights enclosed alternately in green and
white globes. On this platform the speakers
Of the evening special guests and patrons
sat until the time for action. Then Carleton
X. Mabley, president of the Importers
Automobile Salon. began an address. the
guests standing sohdy grouped in he dusky
aisles and listening intently.
Mr.. Mabley introduced Winthrop +.
Scnrritt. late president OF the Automobile
cub Of America formally TO open the salon,
and Mr. SCarritt did 80 after few words
by pressing an electric button, which caused
three score arc lamps and more than
10000 incandescen' bulbc 10 burst into
brilliant light
Then followed an assortment Of speakers
lNAN gave Il lIblltI AllAtI ldAlbNdl AWhIh
10 this affair OF the importers. There
were The Belgian Minister. the Secretary
Of the German Embassy. the military
attache Of he Italian Embassy and the
Counsellor of the French Embassy, and
thew all delivered brief handmade speeches,
but the show was not internationally opened
until Assistant Secretary Armstrong of
the United States Treasury Department.
which collects the revenue from the i'm
ported automobiles had added few eR-
America itself makes pretty good auto
mobiles.
Mr. Mabley. in his speech, recited how
only a little more than three years ago, at
the first automobile show in New York the
five foreign cars present were looked at
incredulously by persons who thought
there never could be any Use for such cum
hersoule monsters Of 10 and ~ horse
power. He sketched briefly how the Ameri-
can maker since that time has improved