The San Francisco call., 1910-12-23
DIR. Wheeler COMES
BACK CONFIDENT
University President Declares
That San Francisco Seems
Bound to Get Fair
Especial Dispatch TO The Call

BERKELEY, Dec 22.-Bringing the
message that San Francisco seemed
bound to get the fair, DIR. Benjamin Ide
Wheeler, president of the University of
California, returned tonight from
Washington, d. c., confident that the
efforts of the San Francisco delegation
would be successful He left here with
the special committee of citizens of
California several weeks ago to work
before congress in behalf of the me-
tropolis of the Pacific coast.
The head of the university declared
that, although on the arrival of the
men from the Pacific coast in the inter-
ests of San Francisco, New Orleans had
clear lead and had pledged many con-
gressmen to support that city, the work
OF the coast delegation was so quickly
effective that in the change of front
San Francisco's claims were given full
recognition.
In an interview tonight he said:
1 think San Francisco will get
the fair. The total force of the
arguments in favor of it is over
whelming as against the case of
New Orleans. I find this was the
w
gressmen even who are under some
geographical or other obligation to
vote for New Orleans express them
selves in private conversation as
surprised that New Orleans should
want the fair. 1t would not be a
success. New Orleans has not the
hotels and other means of enter
tainment necessary; the climate is
against it and will also have diff
Guilty in financing the undertaking.
But most of all weighs the argu-
ha fol 1S q Ga
Francisco the canal will be a sig
nificant part thereof. The opening
of the canal has its meaning in
terms of the double ocean.
1t is really the waterways move
ment and not the canal which
brings New Orleans now to the
men who have felt themselves un-
der obligation to vote for New Or
leans think there ought to be two
celebrations-on at New Orleans,
the other at San Francisco; one in
terms of the relation of the central
Mississippi valley to the canal, the
other in terms of the larger sig
nificance of the canal. l must say
that in private conversation l found
no one who did not think that San
Francisco ought by rights either
to have the exposition or one of
two to be held
Our delegation seemed to be very
effective. L can say this because
I myself was of little account; I
had relatively very little to do. Our
delegation seemed to contain such
a variety of talent that 1t could
touch Washington at almost every
pont. 1 am inclined to think that
New Orleans had at the beginning
the better of us; it certainly had a
larger number of votes definitely
pledged. believe, however. that
decidedly changed the atmosphere.
| regard it as very certain that
now after hearing San Francisco's
,~11 Got
the help of a federal grant there is
no prospect that congress would
consider grant to New Orleans.
without such a grant New Orleans
has scarcely contemplated the un-
dertaking.
1t was delightful to see all Cali
fornians working together for one
cause Some resident in Washing
ton and other cities of the east
were ready to help. Everybody I
saw was very much impressed with
the fact that California was in
earnest about the matter.
/ combined a number of lesser \
eTfands with my trip in the inter
est of the exposition. For instance.
/ was present at the annual meet
ing of the National Red Cross So
ciety I spoke on Thursday even
ing of last week before the asso-
citation for the judicial settlement
of international disputes, a meet
ing at which Andrew Carnegie an
nounced his gift of $1o,0oo.000 for
the peace cause ATTENDED at
Columbia university a meeting
called to welcome Professor Danell
of the University of Kiel. this
years Kaiser Wilhelm exchange
professor. / spent considerable
time in canvassing the field for an
artist to complete the decoration of
the Sather cato. Mrs. Sather de-
sires that nothing short of the
best available artistic work should
be expended on the cato. On ac-
count of the distance this is not
an easy matter to accomplish
have only the results of my in
quiries to report. as yet no decision
has heeu reached