The San Francisco call., 1910-11-27
Delegation Prevents Indorse-
ment of New Orleans by
Waterways Convention
Colonel Irish's EIOquence Wins
and He Invites All to the
Exposition


the location for the international expo
siton celebrating the opening of the
Panama canal Fully nine-tenths OF
the delegates 10 the convention are
from 4 section Immediately tributory
10 New orleans. and when the conVen-
ton opened the sentiment was decidedly
tn' favor of the Endorsement of the Lou
isiana CITY
The New Orleans contingent openly
b0asted that they would put il over"
san Francisco. and were inclined TO re-
F. gard the small body OF coast delegates
with pity The active work Of the Cali
fOTuia representatives however. and the
arguments presented. both regarding
san Francisoo's claim for the exposition
and the folly OF diverting the main
purpose Of the convention 10 a boost of
local pride. brought about q marked
change of sentiment
COAST SUPPORT NEEDED
The states along the Mississippi were
led TO realize that the deep waterways
project needed an the assistance pos
sihle iu. furthering ats bill before con-
Eress and that il would be little short
Cf folly to anita goniZe the Pacific coast
section for the sake Of an Endorsement
which at best was only sentimental in
effect
The delegation organized Friday with
Congressman Joseph r. Knowland as
chairman and H. a. French as score
rary. Congressman Julius Kahn was
named for the committee of resolu-
tions. together with Congressman Bart
iett Of Nevada and Douglas White Of
Los Angeles was placed on the com
uittee Of nominations
In the committee o nresolutions IL
finally was agreed that no resolutions
regarding the exposition should be pre-
seuted. This. however. did not satisfy
tho New Orleans delegates. who in
sisted that the matter should be
brought before the convention as a
body To was agreed that each city
should be given 20 minutes 70 present
ftS claim. and this was set as the time
for the discussion. In this discussion
Colonel John P. Irish, who presented
San Francisco's side, easily carried off
the honors Of debate and completely
won the convention from Delegate
Werlein OF New Orleans Werlein
opened his speech by attacking the
publicity matter sent out by the Pan
ar3s-Pa ciflc committee and pleaded
with the delegates TO support his city
as the logical point for the celebration.
PEOPLE OF WEST INTERESTED
Colonel Irish said in part:
The west coast has sent delegates
20 this waterways convention because
The people Of the west coast are inter
ested in the purpose for which this
. convention is held. tApplause.)
D. The delegates from the Pacific coast
10 not believe that this convention
should be diverted to any other pur-
ambitions have been realized, we have
waterways (and ways that are not
w+ater) Of our own that require public
attention and public help (applause).
The distinguished and pleasant
gentleman from New Orleans who has
just concluded very useful and a
very powerful address, has said that
this waterway project requires that an
exposition be held at New Orleans. But
there is something that this convention
needs more than that an exposition be
held at New Orleans It needs votes
in the congress Of the United States
AS I understand it needs TO have the
country interested in waterway trans
porta tiou standing as unit behind it
our delegates, neither as a body nor
2 individuals, have the slightest inten-
3ien Of purpose Of putting our sec
tiOnalism forward in an ambition to
ALLEVIATE a single vote in the congress
Of the United states.
SEEK No ENDORSEMENT
1T is because the delegates from the
west coast believed in the purpose Of
saving We want no Endorsement and are
seeking none. As TO our ambition TO
hold the exposition there. we are here
10 meet our friends and TO advertise
our purpose, but we are here particu-
Iarly TO address ourselves to the pur-
poses Of this waterway organization,
for that purpose and for no other. and
We are not asking their Endorsement
from you as body. nor are we incidu-
lOusly asking as much Of the delegates
as TO sign a petition to congress. or to
any other body Of the United States,
recommending that that body act ia
Vorably toward either one of these
cities or the other.
y am sorry that some things for
which ] am not responsible have ap-
peared in articles sent out from our
city which have touched the sensibili-
ties Of our friends in New Orleans
The drinking water Of New Orleans
15 years ago may not have been good,
but I can personally testify that thev
had something else to drink in New
orleans besides water when 1 was
there. Laughter.)
"Andw hen I was there the sewera ge
was bad, and New Orleans buried her
dead above ground, their cemeteries
resembling New England villages: but
that was a novelty to the stranger. and
] was a stranger ] have read articles
from the press of that city against the
public and private morality of san
Francisco. II is true that human
nature capers in San Francisco. and
am sure that she capers likewise in
New Orleans. so i say let her caper'
Cspplause)-of course, under proper re-
straint.
PROBLEM IN PACIFIC
The west coast desires to hold a
great worlds exposition to emphasize
the completion of the Panama canal be-
cause of the purpose for which the
ditch is being dug. The future prob
lem Of the worlds commerce is upon
thes Pacific ocean, and we know the
bounds of the commerce of the Atlantic
ocean. and can measure the extent OF
The commerce Of the Atlantic seaboard.
The great and serious mystery of the
future which remains to be solved by
the energy of man is the extent of the
commerce of the Pacific ocean. 1--WE on
the west coast of the continent and the
east coast Of that ocean face the east
ern coast Of Asia: we face those two
great nations. China and Japan. and we
intend to hold that exposition for the
purpose that commerce may be studied
fllaf The people may be studied and
that the west coast may be studied in
san Francisco as it can be studied no.
where else IN the world.