Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-31
ENGLAND SNUBS
PANAMA FAIR; NO
REASON IS GIVEN
Canal Toll Disputes May Have
Caused Slap at United
States.


LONDON. July 31.-Great Britain
has decided against participation in
the Panama-Pacific exposition at
San Francisco in 1915.
Notification of this determination
of the British government was con-
veyed officially to Washington early
this week, the despatch merely stat
ing that Great Britain was not in
a position to participate in the San
Francisco exposition. No reasons
were given.
Both the British foreign office and
Walter Hines Page, the United States
ambassador here. decline to discuss
the matter or to reveal the cause
of this reversal of the announcement
made some time back that Great
Britain had decioed in principle to
participate In the exposition.
Ii has been mooted for some time,
however, that the dispute in regard
to the Panama Canal tolls might
possibly lead to this result and the
present notification of non-participa-
ton is attributed to that cause
WASHINGTON, July 31.-After
exhibiting much concern over the
places which would be assigned to
prospective exhibitors by the man
agement of the Panama Pacific ex-
position, the British government final
ly has declined to participate. The
long delay in acting upon the in
vitation to participate in the fair, eX-
tended a year, has been the cause
of deep concern to the management
of the exposition, particularly as
formidable oposition had likewise de-
veloped in Germany where certain
of the great trade associations such
as those representing the steel and
iron manufactures had formally re-
quested the German government to
decline the invitation.
Tariff Obstacle Removed.
In an official way ii is said that
dissatisfaction on the part of the
great commercial nations with Ger.
tain features of the pending tariff
bill. which they felt bore hardly upon
their trade was the reason for the
attitude of covert hostility toward
the San Francisco fair. But as the
Senate finance committee has
amended the tariff bill in a manner
thought to make 1t unobjectionable
to those nations, 1t was fully ex-
pected that they would see their way
clear to accept the invitations.
Canal Tolls as the Cause.
In the case of Great Britain, how.
ever, though the original cablegram
of Ambassador Page giving notice of
the declination has now been supple
mented by a mail report dealing with
the subject more fully, it is not yet
positively known what basis of OBJ
lection now remains 1t is thought
by officials, however, that while the
reason assigned by the British gov
ernment Is a belief that there have
been too many such international ex-
positions in recent years, the under
lying objection is based upon the
view of incongruity of British par
ticipation in an event designed to
celebrate the opening of the Panama
canal while there is a dispute as to
its free use
Secretary Bryan said today he had
not abandoned hope that Great Brit
ain and also Germany would recon
slider their decisions and finally partic-
ipate in the exposition. While he
announced no plans, the secretary in
timated there would be negotiations
pressing those two nations to take
part.