The Washington herald., 1909-08-22

San Antonio. Tex. Aug. PA worlds
fair at San Antonio 70 celebrate the
opening Of the Isthmian Canal has be-
come the ail-absorbing subject In these
parts, and for that matter. all over Texas
The San Antonio Chamber OF Commerce
will take the initial steps in the course
Of the next few weeks. and in the mean
time a plan OF campaign viii be mapped
out While the date OF the opening OF
! the fair is still far distant. It IS realized
here that little time Is TO be lost II II is
to be held
Owing 10 the climate OF these parts
many are IN favor OF the event being
scheduled for the winter season. The
weather here Is Ideal from the first OF
October 10 the first Of May. and even
June. and for this reason a worlds fair
held in the winter time seems a novelty
that could be judiciously undertaken.
Would Have Support.
A worlds fair in San Antonio would
meet with the heartiest support in Mexico
and every other Latin-American country.
Southwest Texas for several centuries
typically Spanish. has still much that ties
Il to Latin America, and for this reason
a fair here would meet general favor
with the Latins
Germany would give It a liberal sup
port, and so. no doubt. would Great
Britain. The former country is tied to
Texas by some OF her best blood and
extensive commercial relations, and the
latter is practically in the same position
Another reason for their participation
would be that being the two largest mer-
chant marine powers they would ind
special cause why they should support
an exposition that will mark the opening
Of the Panama Canal and the develop
rnent of the Texas ports
That a worlds fair should mark the
opening Of the worlds greatest engineer
ing feat seems eminently proper. and that
the State OF Texas should be It's scene
~ fitting for more reasons than one. That
State would develop a maritime impor-
lance second TO no other State in the
Union as soon as the Isthmian Canal is
thrown open. This for the reason that
most OF the exports originating I'm the
Middle West. the Southwest. and TO some
extent in the far West will then be
shipped from Texas ports. This. Incl !
dentally. has been recognized by the
United States government with rare fore /
sight, because to II alone are due the
improvements now being made along the /
Texas shore Of the Gulf OF Mexico. The /
millions spent at Arkansas Pass and other /
Texas points in harbor improvements are 4
to meet this condition.
San Antonio the Place.
San Antonio is the largest Texas city
eligible TO be the scene Of the exposition.
Even at present It has the best hotel ac-
OF any city IN the South
west, and the constantly growing tour
traffic will tend to increase this. More
over. IT is the only Texas city having his
torical interest to the visitor. a circl,n,
stance which IN the case OF a worlds
fair would not be small consideration.
The Alamo. the Texas cradle Of indepen-
dence, and the noble ruins Of the Missions
could not fail TO prove an attraction IN
the worlds fair visitor from every part
Of the globe.
Ideal sites for the fair abound IN the
closest vicinity Of San Antonio. Parklike
slopes on the banks Of the San Antonio
River extending for miles, and IN which
the Missions are located, would form as
line an exposition ground as was ever
procurable.
Interest in the proposed undertaking is
red hot here among all classes. and there
s little doubt that the worlds fair cele-
orating the opening OF the Isthmiau
canal, the greatest engineering enterprisa
u the age, will be held in San Antonio