The Detroit times., 1914-11-18
STARTS PLAN TO
BOOST STATE AT
PANAMA SHOW
X. H. Weber Heads Movement
To Have Michigan Properly
Represented
$4,000 REQUIRED FOR
y. PRELIMINARY EXPENSE
Detroit Merchant Prince Gives
$1,O00-Aid To Be Asked
From Legislature

A movement to secure adequate rep
resentation for Michigan at the Pan
anna exhibition IL San Francisco wal
set on foot here. Tuesday. By Pres
ident R. H Weber and e. H. Leonard
OF the J. L. Hudson company. II ID
proposed to raise $4,000. among mer
chants and manufacturers OF the state
to cover the initial cost of proper
Industrial exhibit, and to create q
statewide sentiment In favor Of the
plan among representative citizens IN
order that the next legislature may
be induced to appropriate q suficieni
sum for the application OF the ex
hibit and its maintenance during the
exposition.
r. H. weber has started the FUND
with a subscription Of $1,000 and Os
car Weber. vice-president Of the
Hudson company. conferred during
the day with Secretary Gitchell and
other officers Of the Board Of Com
merce In an effort TO devise a suitable
plan for interesting the other mer
chants and manufacturers of Detroit
and Michigan.
The imperative need for such &C
ton was FIRST brought to r. H. Web
ber's attention through Q letter writ
ten by George II. Perry, an ofiicial oil
the exposition, to Mr.. Leonard, In
which Mr.. Perry stated that out OF
the entire union but two states, one
OF which IL Michigan. have not made
provision for exhibits at the great
Panama fair. The letter, which was
written by Mr.. Perry in acknowledg
Iment of a letter introducing Miss
Catherine Dillon, of Detroit, recently
appointed supervisor Of q portion ,oi
the art exhibits to be shown at the
exposition, Ii In part as follows:
May ask you a. q personal IA
vor to smash, crush, abolish and
wholly annihilate any man or
woman whom you hear saying
that the exposition IL TO be post
poned because of the European
war or Is to be hurt by that war?
These rumors are rife In many
states, and cannot seem to kill
them and make them stay dead.
There Is no foundation for them.
Postponement has never been
thought Of, and as q matter OF
fact about the only thing that
the European war will cost us
Is the loss Of some ships from
our proposed naval pageant and
the loss of the entries OF some
European champions In our ath-
lettc events. 1t II very doubt
full II we shall lose any European
exhibits. There II no chance
whatever that we shall lose them
all. Whatever loss we may suf-
fer will be 30 small as to be un-
important. Even supposing
France, Russia, Belgium. Austria
and Great Britain do not send
man or bale Of goods here land
with the exception of Austria we
know they are going to send
something. II not everything they
originally intended), there would
still remain Spain, Portugal, Nor.
way, Sweden, Denmark. Switzer-
land, Holland, Italy and Turkey,
whose buildings are already al
most finished and whose exhibits
are mostly on the grounds. There
will also be FL other foreign ma
tons here, including the largest
exhibits that Japan, China and
the South American nations have
ever made.
We shall also have the partici-
patton of at least ~ Of the 48
states In the union--possibly 46.
As securing the participation Of
these states and nations was part
of my job, I feel very keenly about
the matter.
All the railroad men assure me
that the attendance II likely to
be increased by the war rather
than hurt by It. This exposition
is the biggest thing ever. It goes
as far ahead of Chicago and st.
Louis AZ those expositions were
ahead Of Philadelphia, In 1875.
Just tell all this TO any "croaker'
whom you hear saying that the
war Ii going to hurt us.
The exposition IL 90 per cent
completed now, and our exhibit
space IL about i've times over
applied for. Nothing can hurt us
now except an earthquake or
fire, and we are safeguarded
against both.
incidentally, Michigan seems
likely to be one Of the two states
that will not be represented here,
unless she wakes up. This was
the thing that got Miss Dillon 30
excited. She said for the first
time In her life she was almost
ashamed OF being q Michigander
when she saw the beautiful build
ings Of practically all the states
except Michigan already COM
pletsd or approaching completion
on our grounds.
Although the movement to secure
originated in Detroit,
II IL by no means the intention of its
advocates to connne their activities
to this city.
We propose to interest the busi-
ness men and manufacturers Of all
cities In the state, and to create q
sentiment among the entire people
which will demand that Michigan
take its place among the other states
Of the union" said Mr.. Leonard. IL
would be indeed disgraceful IL this
great state, with its wonderful indus
trial development should be one Of
two out of the entire union which will
not profit by the chance TO exhibit
it's products to the world In San Fran.
cisco In 1915.
"The only reason for the existence
Of such a state Of affairs n found n
the fact that most OF our represents
tive business men and manufacturer
do not realize that no provision has
been made for the display Of our
products"