The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-13

ed unanimously by rlslng Fote ol the Chamber of Commerce.
 A carefully prepared statement was made before the chamber by MT. Hard ing showing the reasons which favor an undertaking of the magnitude of the international exposition. It was as fol- lows:
 Harding's Statement
 Prospectus of the Cotton States In dustrial Exposition company; author ized capital s5,OO0,000.
 "The southern states have made enormous strides in the last 25 years and particularly within the last decade. The eyes of the world are now upon this section and there Is no question th at our development in the next 10 years will be far greater than for any corresponding period in the past. De- velopment invites publicity and pub licity stimulates progress There is no doubt that some time within the next 10 years a great exposition will be held in some southern city, to which the nations of tho world will be bid den to come and view our achievements. President Mckinley in his last speech in Buffalo showed that he fully real ized the advantages accruing from large expositions and aptly said that expositions are the milestones of pro- gress.
 within the last 20 years there have been several creditable expositions held in, the south, notably that at Louis vile in 1885, at New Orleans in 1885; in Atlanta in 1895, and at Nashville in 1897, besides the great worlds fair in St. Louis in 1904, but the next exposi- tion to be held in the south will be greater than any of these An exposi- ton to be successful should be held in a progressive city, centrally located, and one which is accessible to large pop ulation. Propositions should not be held at too frequent intervals. As San Fran cisco will hold a worlds fair in 1915 to celebrate the opening of the Pan- anna canal. and as New Orleans will probably have a fair of some kind m 1913, it seems that it would be inop- perfume to attempt to hold great exposition until some time after 1915. There should be some direct motive for an exposition and it should, if possible, be commem of some historic event. Alabama was admitted as a state in the year 1879 and will cele- brate its centennial anniversary in the year 1919. As much time is neces- sary for the preparation and organiza : ton of great exposition, it would seem fitting to settle on the year 1919, as the proper date for holding a cot ton industrial exposition at some point in the state of Ala bama, letting the eX- position be commemorative of the states centennial.
 Central Location
 The state of Alabama occupies tn e central position among the cotton grow ing states It is directly ,,south of the center of population of the nation and is on an air line, north and south, from that center of population to the Panama canal. It is fitting that Bir- mingham, whose phenomenal growth has attracted the attention of the world and whose natural resources have done so much to build up the state. should be the city at which this exposition be held and eight years Is not too long time in which to prepare for 1t. We have to pre-empt the dats so as to notify any would-be rivals that we are going to hold worlds fair in9Birming ham.
 "The most notable exposition ever held in this country was the centennial expo sition in the city of Philadelphia in the year 1876, which was commemorative of the one hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Prepara- tions for this exposition were begun as early as 1867, and the exposition company incorporated in 1S70 the legislation of congress and of the legislature of Penn sylvania in aid of the exposition being secured as early as 1871 The Philadel- phia Centennial Exposition company se- cured an appropriation. of million dol lars from the legislature of Pennsylva- mia and two million dollars from the United States government, beside large amount from the city of Philadelphia.
 
 First Step Necessary
 "If the idea of Cotton States Indus trial exposition and Alabama centennial to be held In Birmingham in 1919 should meet with public approval, the first step would be to incorporate the exposition company, a large number of representa- tive citizens not only of Birmingham and Alabama, but throughout the south, be- ing made members of the board of direc- tors. The work of organization should be begun at once. We are now in an exceptionally good position to obtain rec ognition of the project by Congress ana we could undoubtedly secure a liberal government appropriation later on. Plans should be well formulated before the year 1914, so that the people of Alabama would be generally interested in the ex- position, and would elect legislature that would favor state aid to the ex- position The project is an ambitious one, but it is not beyond the ability of the people of Birmingham should they make up their minds to have worlds fair.
 "There is no city in the country that has more beautiful environs than Bir- mingham and there is mo project for the advancement of Birmingham, better cal culated to unite all classes of our cit izens, and to arouse their civic pride to a greater extent than great exposi- ton. The successful launching of com pany to hold a worlds fair would in- sure the erection of all necessary per manent and temporary Eotels. Our trans portation facilities are already unsur- passed, and the benefits from the expo sition would inure not only to Birmlng- ba m and Alabama hlif fo fha arafira