The National tribune., 1908-03-04
THE NEXT WORLDS FAIR.
Alaska =Yukon.Paciii Exposition at See
attic, in 1869, Now Claims Attention
Management Surprises Country by Not
Asking for Government Aid-Its Prog
ress Up TO Date.
BY FRANK L. MERRICk.

Now that the jamestown Ter-Centen-
nial Exposition has closed all eyes are
turned toward the next great World
Fair, the Alaska Yukon Pacific EXPOSE
ton, which will be held at Seattle,
Wash, opening June 1 and closing Oct.
Is, 1909.
This Exposition will be held in a
section of the country where Worlds s
Fairs are new, and for that and many
other reasons it is expected to be :uc-
cess, beneficially, educationally, artisti-
cally and financially. The Alaska
Yukon-Pacific Exposition will be the
second Worlds Fair ever held west of
the Rocky Mountains, the Lewis and
Clark Exposition at Portland, Ore, be-
Ing the first.
Work on the grounds and buildings
of the Exposition is well under way, and
the management is determined to have
everything in readiness by opening day.
This has been written about all EXPOSE
tions in late years, but the promise has
never been completely fulfilled. The
officials of the Alaska Y ukon-Pacif
Exposition, however, have started out
with a completed-on-openin day idea
above everything else, and if they do
not carry out their plan it will not be
because Western energy has not been
expended in the task.
Gift or Loan Not Wanted.
The Alaska Yukon-Pacific EXPOSE
tion promises to be different from for
mer Worlds Fairs in many ways, but
one policy stands out so far above any
of the rest that the entire press of the
country is commenting favorably about
1t. No money will be asked from Uncle
Sam to carry on the work. That policy
must be conceded as original with the
Alaska a-Yukon-Pacific Exposition.
. h. u cfrnc &c, fay~f t,1.
United States Government to participate
in the same manner as foreign coun-
tries and the different States, by erect
ing buildings and installing therein ex-
hibits. Former EXpoSitions have been
aided by the Government in many diff
ferent ways. Outright gifts of large
sums of money have been made by
Congress to some Worlds Fairs, while
others have negotiated loans from I'm
Gle Sam, some of which were paid back
and some of which were not. Some
Expositions have received both dona-
tions and loans. AS stated before, the
Alaska -Yukon-Pacific Exposition will
ask for neither. A clause piedging this
policy has been inserted in the Con-
gressional bill making provision for
participation only by Uncle Sam.
Since the United States Government
began TO patronize Expositions down to
the jamestown Fair, Congress has ap-
propriated a total of S2S,752,251 for
Worlds Fairs. Only s4S5,000 of this
money has been spent west of the
Rocky Mountains, the Lewis and Clark
Exposition, one of the most successful
ever held, receiving the benefit of that
amount.
The bill that is now before Congress.
having passed the Senate, provides an
appropriation of 500, 900 10 enable I'm
Gle Sam to advantage of the OPP
portunity for effective advertising. It
is planned to spend 100000 for build
ings and 100000 for the collection and
installation of exhibits. A main Gov
ernment building will be eli scted, and
grouped around 1t viii stand the Alaska,
Hawaii, Philippine and Fisheries build
ings.
Work Progressing.
On June / last, before a crowd of
$1,000 persons, ground breaking cere-
monies were held, with many promi-
nent men making addresses, among
whom was Hon. John Barrett, Director
of the International Bureau of Ameri-
can Republics, representing President
Roosevelt. From that date to the pres
ent time work has been going on rapidly
11non the EypOSitjon GroundS Most of