Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-23
SAN DIEGO PLANS
FEATURE EXHIBITS
Irrigation and Reclamation of
Arid Lands Will Be
Demonstrated
THE HISTORY TO BE SHOWN
improvements of Harbor to Make
Clear That Money Has Not
Been Wasted
THE HISTORY TO BE SHOWN

Under the agreement entered INTO
between representatives of San Diego
and those of San Francisco certain
salient features have been arranged
for exploitation by the Panama-Cali-
fornia exposition as being peculiarly
adaptable to the purposes of the San
Diego enterprise. Within the scope
of these unique features will be the
presentation of the history OF the
countries tributary to the exposition
and objective exhibits of the modern
scientific processes Of reclamation, ir-
rigatlon and colonization.
Under the head of history will come
the collecting of exhibits. of all the
native tribes of the far west, Mexico,
Central and South America; the re-
production of their architecture and
mode of living, together with their
arts and industries in such a manner
as to preserve the story of races fast
passing away.
The government has spent and is
spending vast sums of money in re-
claiming arid America. Practically all
of this wealth is being spent in the
southwest, where territory as large
as the state of New York, hitherto
supposed to be absolutely worthless,
is being turned into a veritable gar
den. Few persons outside of the dis
tricts Immediately affected by these
projects know anything of the work
going on. There is every reason to
believe that when these facts are
made known and the manner IN Whlch
this reclamation is being accomplished
is demonstrated it will create world
wide interest in the development of
this section of the country.
IRRIGATION EXHIBIT
In the matter of irrigation it is pro-
posed to demonstrate the manner of
storing, carrying and applying water
for the purposes of cultivation from
the rude bitches and adobe reservoirs
of the aborigines to the immense ma
sonry dams and aqueducts OF the
present day, which are among the
most remarkable engineering feats of
the age. Few persons realize the
change that can be accomplished with
water in our so-called deserts, or the
possibility of conserving this water in
these arid districts, but what has been
done in isolated cases can be done
today with millions of acres of sup
posedly worthless land.
Having a vast undeveloped and
of water and capable of producing
every known fruit and grain it re-
mains to people that territory. Ac-
complish this and two markets are
created-for the tiller of the soil who
produces, the manufacturer who util-
ICES and the capitalist who develops
all these buy and sell. San Diego is
the gateway to the southwest. A DEM
onstration of these facts will bring the
people and the capital.
PREPARE FOR IMMIGRANTS
After the completion of the Panama
canal a large part of the stream of
European immigration now pouring
into the ports of the Atlantic states
can easily be diverted to the Pacific
coast and San Diego, because of geo.
graphical position, will be the diStrib-
uting point for these colonies of home
seekers. The fact that we have moth
ing on this coast to offer the immi-
grant except the potential possibilities
of an undeveloped country requiring
energy and ambition will exclude the
undesirable element, for we only have
to cite history as an example of the
sturdy stock the conquering Of nature
requires.
San Diego is looking forward to the
Improvement of it's harbor. Plans are
being drawn and work of construction
will be under way by 1912. One of the
prime objects of the Panama Califor-
mia exposition is that the money to be
expended upon docks, sea walls and
the dredging of the bay shall not be
wasted. Docks and warehouses with
out commerce and freight are worth
less and the port that cannot supply
cargoes has no attraction for the ship
owner With a rapidly growing terri
tory to draw from, rich in every min
eral and extremely fruitful, San Diego
can hope, by the time her docks and
sea wall are completed, to be in a
position to demand recognition from
the commerce of the world.