The San Francisco call., 1909-06-02
WARSHIPS .
TO PORTOLA ffTE
Secretary of State Complies
With Request of City Through
Commissioner Moore
Especial Dispatch 10 The Cali


WASHINGTON. June 1.-secretary
Knox of the state department has sent
cordial letter to the ambassadors
and ministers of countries whose pos
sessions border upon the Pacific. call
ing attention to the Portola festival
at San Francisco next October and i'm
viting them to participate by sending
one or more war vessels.
The invitation is extended also to
Italy, because of the large Italian pop
ulation in California and the sympathy
existing between the two countries be-
cause of the earthquakes at San Fran
cisco and Messina.
Spain receives an invitation because
of it's connection with the early history
of California. The other nations in
vited to send warships to San Fran
cisco are Great Britain. Germany. Rus
sia. France, Japan. China. the Meth
erlahds, Mexico. Central America and
the countries on the west coast of
South America
The state departments letter is sent
in response to a request by Special
Commissioner Charles c. Moore of San
Francisco, who addressed the follow
ing letter to Secretary Knox May 20.
Il have the honor to state that. the
Portola festival in San Francisco from
the 18th to the Esd of October. inclu-
sive; will rise to the dignity OF. an inn
porta;nt historical event. and as such
would seem to merit national reeeg-
milton. The state of California. through
it's governor; the city of San Francisco,
through its. mayor. and the people gem
orally are pledged to the festival. and
find in its significance a special cause
for rejoicing.
The festival is dual in its purpose
1t will celebrate the one hundred and
fortieth anniversary of the discovery
of San Francisco bay by Gaspar de
Portola, and also mark a new and
proud era in the history of the city.
Three years. ago San Francisco suf-
fered double disaster that staggered
the world and seemed to spell oblivion.
Today the restored city, busy. blooming
and debonair. smiles an Invitation to
her fete. While romantic interest at
taches to the achievement of Portola.
and the incident lends itself to pic
turesque pageants and California rev
els. the great, dominating inspiration
Is the swift and splendid rehabilitation
of city that was PROSTATE, a recov-
cry that becomes the eighth wonder of
the world, lesson in courage and faith
that has no parallel in its class and
the glory of which belongs to the
entire nation.
I'm the circumstances. the city of
San Francisco feels it has a right to
ask government assistance in increas-
ing the importance OF the occasion.
That the new and beautiful city may
be seen and studied and enjoyed by
people from afar and that the story Of
renewal may be spread to all coun-
tries the department OF state is asked
to inform the diplomatic representa-
tives of those nations whose posses
sions border the Pacific that San Fran
cisco invites those nations to send to
the port to participate in the festival
and add TO it's eelat one or more naval
vessels flying the flags of their re-
spective-countries.
Assistant Secretary Phillips of the
state department is in charge of this
correspondence, and as soon as replies
are received from the foreign. repre-
sentatives the Portola festival COM
uittee Will be notihed-