Imperial Valley press., 1912-06-26
GREAT EXPOSITION IS IN
COURSE OF PREPARATION

San Diego is working wonders, and
in no way more than in preparation
for the great exposition that is to cele-
hrate the opening of the Panama canal
The plans and purposes of this con
vention have been set forth officially
as follows:
The world will rejoice with the
United States upon the completion oi
that stupendous task, the Panama
lnter-Oceanic canal. A project that
has excited the imagination of the
great men of the world ror 400 years
has at last come. to that point where
the president of the United States has
announced that in less than two years
if will be an accomplished fact
II is with a thrill of eXultation thai
the average American citizen realizes
that bv the men of his nation, with
the means at their command, through
their genius for organization and their
never-tiring energy, the gigantic en-
ginccring problems of the work have
been accomplished with comparative
ease. and that the day approaches
when the United States will give her
self over to the celebration of an event
that will go down in history as a
world-event: turning point and "A
guide for future generations.
The modern idea of exploitation is
the exposition, so that it was natural
that the thinkers and business men oil
San Diego should have been the first
and foremost to resolve TO hold an eX
position to exploit the benefits coming
to San Diego from the opening of the
Panama canal.
The first port in the United States
on the Pacific coast north of the canal
She has one Of the three improved har
| bors on the west coast of North
America available to the vessels ot
| the world that will use the canal. She
| is therefore peculiarly fitted to act a:
! 4 hostess when the United States call:
upon the world to come and view hel
! work and the nations to avail them
selves of the benefit of that work.
| The countries to be represented a
the Panama-California exposition
which is to be open the entire yea
1915, beginning on January /, the da,
the canal is to be officially declare,
open. are those most directly affecte,
by the opening OF the canal. the Latin
American republics Of South and Gen
tral America. Mexico and the south
western states of the United States.
territory so vast and so rich in his
Tory and in commerce that none in tn
world compares with it in size nor il
rotentiality.
San Diego assumed big task whe
She decided to celebrate with an el
position, but she rose to the task jus
a. she has risen to every task PR
5ented by her needs; her growing i'm
portance and her ambitions. Sh
would on this occasion welcome tn
hosts of the world to her doors An
what has she done to prepare for he
guests?
Starting in 1909 with a determin;
ton to hold an exposition, she raise
: in six months one million dollars wit
. which to prepare for it, and anothe
million dollars with which to arrane
her house for her guests. She ha
since raised another million wit
+ which to prepare docks for her guess
lc land in her harbor and she h5
, spent in the last two years two M
( lions cleaning house, building stree
/ and otherwise furnishing and refu
: nishing. She will spend more millio1
/, before she throws open her doors ia
# uary l, 1915, and she intends to S
= kave garnished her board and pr