Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-08
Entered at tho Newport 1i.ws, va,
Poatoffice as sscond-olass mutter.
TUESDAY. OCTOBER $. 1907.
Mr.. MARTINS ELECTION AS pI.
RECTOR GENERAL.


siastic over tho election of Mr.. Alvah
H. Martin MS director general OF tho
jamestown Exposition. II does trust
and sincerely hope that tho "storm
of disapprovar referred to In dispatch.
es published yesterday In papers all
over the country, will s,lbsde ut once,
and that those who arc inclined TO
criticiso the directors for their action
will kcop silent during the next eight
weeks, at least.
Aftcr November 49, tho Exposition
! gates will DO closed, and nll parties
concerned can storm just as much as
they choose.
1t Ia hardly necessary to call at.
tentlon again to tho fact that Virgin
las great fair, which. exports say, ranks
With any of the international cxposi.
lions held In the past. has mover been
given n fair deal From its very be.
ginlns the exposition suffered from
every Imaginable unfavornble: circum.
stance, Fate aud Mr. Cannon seemed
to work hand In hand until the latter
hnd done his worst; then msmnnngc-
mont and caustlcs unreasonable
critics took Uncle Joe's place. For
two months the Exposition has been
complete and worthy of consider, alton
ut tho hands of tho world, but new
difficulties are ovor bobbing up. md
It has seemed impossible to recover
from the effects of bad start
When MIR. James NJ Barr was made
director general. ray of hope entered
the hearts of the people of this sec.
ton. and for n time 1t was believed
that success was at hand. The belief
was poorly founded. however, for Mr.
Bars brief stay ana the ugly noise
abroad made by his stepping down
and out, did more than enough harm
to counterbalance any good that tne
director general might have accom-
plished. Then came the urging Of Mr..
Barr to reconsider his resignation, and
during this period the Exposition re-
ceivcd still more undesirable adver-
Using. The social war" became
popular theme for the photographers
and rhymstcrs of papers all over tho
country.
AS Mr.. Barr positively refused to
reconsider his resignation, and insisted
that he be relieved of his duties ut
once, there was only one thing for
for the directors TO do. even IL the
treasury department did desire that
tho resignation DO not accepted. II
Mr.. Barr would not serve, 1t became
absolutely necessary for the directors
to elect somebody to rclieve him.
Mr.. Alvah II. Martin was chosen
for the place, and then came the
''storm of disapproval.~ 1t is not the
purpose of The Daily Press to dis
cuss the merits or dement's of the new
director general at this time. The end
of the Exposition is drawing near; In
just eight short weeks the gates OF
the Ter-centennial will close forever.
Anyone who has the slightest interest
in the Exposition or Virginia should
co'opcrate IN iiahipb thc ciosihS u"ys
OF the fair as successful rs possible;
and everyone must recognize the fact
that it would be suicidal to start a
row at this time over the election OF
Mr. Martin.
Whatever objection may be raised
against Mr.. Martin, he is now director
general of the Exposition and it Is
hardly likely that another change vii
be made during the short time tina