Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-19
EXPOSITION IS
GIVEN DISCUSSION
-FOUR MEN EXPRESS SECTION
AL VIEWS
OAKLAND sIDETRACKED BY SAN
FRANCISCO
Business as Well as Sentiment Actu-
ates Promoters of Northern
and Southern Panama
Movements

SAN FRANCISCO, March 1S.-Ex-
pediency rather than strict justice
seems to permeate and animate the
controversy between San Francisco
and San Diego in the matter Of locat-
ing the exposition in commefnoratlon
of the completion Of the Panama canal
A eroup of business men were uie-
cussing the rival claims of san fIah-
cisco and san Diego in the court OF tne
Palace hotel. The orchestra In inc
balcony overhead was inclting peaco
and good will in the hearts ot men 10y
its excellent rendition OF Schupert ,
serenade. and the music was reinforced
nv the comfortable condition OF the
stomachs of the audience, for IL was
the luncheon hour in the big tavern.
In the congregation of which spoke
were representatives of four cues
San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oaklanu
and San Diego. They were haru- a5
headed, practical, up-to-date traInck-
ers in the marts of commerce; men
whose business it is to conserve the
main chance; experienced, alert hlgh
priests of the shrine of Mammon;
mon accustomed to respond TO every
knock at their doors by that llnpatlenI
fugitive Opportunity, whose only haho-
hold is the forelock and whose back
hair is clipped closer than the peaFu
of Shagpat after the shaving.
One of the San Diego men had just
concluded a concise, Succinct state
ment setting forth the salient Facts In
the case of his city. none of whleh
were absolutely disputed by the oth-
ers. although the San Francisco adVo-
Gates held to the sophistical contention
that while they had not explicitly an
nounced their intention of commemo-
rating the completion of the Panama
canal in their plans to celebrate the
anniversary of the discovery or the
Pacific ocean by Vasco Nunez de Bal
boa. nevertheless that was their IN
tention.
Question OF Location
"However." said one, "that is neither
hete ncr there. The real question at
issue between the two cities is whether
San Diego or San Francisco is the
better place in which 20 hold the expo
sition."
Are you speaking as a geographer
or as a San Franciscan" the san
Diegan asked. "Do you think san
Francisco is the better place because
n is more centrally located or be-
cause San Francisco has larger pres
tige than San Diego?"
"Both." responded the San Francisco
man. Turning to one of the Los An
geles men. the San Diegan asked him
what he would think of this argument
if the same question were at issue be-
tween. Los Angeles and San Francisco.
al wouldn't consider II for n mo-
ment," promptly answered the Ange-
leno. Down our way we don't admit
that San Francisco is the geographical
capital of the state, and as for what
you call prestige we claim TO possess
even more OF that intangible essence
of universal favor than San Francisco
has acquired in the sixty years of her
existence as an American common
wealth"
yet some OF your citizens are pub
1icly advocating the submission Of this
question to a conference of representa-
tives from all the commercial bodies
of the state" said the San franciscan;
'and some of them have expressed the
opinion that San Francisco is what
they call the logical place to hold the
exposition"
IT am not the keeper OF my brothers
opinion" answered the man from Los
Angeles. But, anyway, 1t isn't a
question between Los Angeles and San
Francisco. II II were I am sure that
those citizens wouldn't talk as they
do"
"Of course not" retorted the San
Franciscan: "and If San Diego should
offer to turn over her claims to the
exposition in favor of Los Angeles,
every citizen would shout his head off
'T don't deny that. either" replied
the Los Angeles man.
"Then it's a matter of exped3ency,"
remarked the San Diegan; "a mere
matter of selfish aggrandizement."
"Of course" admitted the Los An
geles man. Did you imagine that 1t
was a problem in trigonometry, or
philosophical discussion of altruistic
ethcs?"
Oakland Sidetracked
"If that Is the view you take OF IT,"
interjected an Oakland retail mer-
chant. "I have something to say. For
my part, and speaking for all the re-
tail business men of Oakland, 1 will
say that we are selfshly opposed to a
San Francisco exposition. Not only
will Oakland be sidetracked by a show
in San Francisco, as she was by the
Midwinter fair and Portola festival.
but she will lost hundreds of thousands
of dollars that will be spent by Oak
landers in San Francisco-dollars, gem
tlemen, that would otherwise be spent
in Oakland if it were not for the
temptation of the San Francisco ex-