The Washington herald., 1915-02-20
FLASH T0UNVEIL
Big WONDER CITY
Pressing Electric Button, VIII
son Will Open International
Exposition Today.
TOWN OF PALACES BUILT
Caifornians in Washington Will OBJ
serve Event with Many
Celebrations.
TOWN OF PALACES BUILT

standing amid group or California
native sons" President Wilson will
press an electric button placed exactly
In the center of the Capitol rotunda
today and thus send a Geographic fash
to the Golden Gate which formally will
open the Panama Pacific International
Exposition.
Besides the President. many diplo-
matists. legislators and other promi-
nent men will he guests of the Cali
fornians. By an ingenious plan. devised
by Frederic Buckley Hyde. the flash
will at the same time light up in cleo
trio flame the message The Exposition
is Now Open" in many cities through
out the country. and this message will
also go to all the territories and pos
sessions of the United States. includ-
ing Alaska. the Philippines. Porto Rico.
Hawaii. Samoa, Guam, and the Pana-
ma Canal Zone
Lane Represents President.
Interior. is in San Francisco at the
opening ceremonies touay of the per-
sonal representative of the President.
The choice of Mr.. Lane is a happy
one since he is Californian by
adoption. if not by birth. and is pop
ular on the Coast.
The Washington group of Califor-
mans have on their schedule several
celebrations in honor of the opening
of the exposition. including a big
banquet.
San Francisco. Feb. 19.-The Pam
ama-Pacific Exposition will open to-
morrow. A stately city of palaces
has been built. Forty-one foreign ma
tions and forty-three States and three
Territories of the American Union are
participating with payilions and dis
plays Sixty thousand exhibits are
nearing completion along forty-seven
miles of exhibit facades. A conces-
sion street. housing more concessions
.han those OF the Chicago Exposition
and costing nearly seven millions is
80 per cent complete. A four-mile
race course within the grounds is
ready for the worlds greatest auto
mobile event. the Vanderbilt cup race.
Monday.
This is the first exposition in. history
to open on time. and the first to be built
vithin its budget. 1t Is the first EXPOSE
ton to celebrate a great contempora-
neOus achievement-the completion of the
Panama Canal. and the first to open clear
Of debt. 1t is the first on the shores of
the Pacific Ocean-the first to be built in
color and in the calm disinterested judg-
ment of the worlds best critics-the most
beautiful in architecture, horticulture.
and natural setting.
Above Wreck Of War.
If the world were a Cyclops and had
but a single eye. the huge orb would be
focused on San Francisco tomorrow.
Above the wreck and ruins of a world 5
war, the Panama Pacific International
Exposition raises the pennons of peace.
1t Is a joyous and beautiful fulfillment
OF brave endeavor. The peoples of the
earth, from overseas and from every
village and city of America, are gather
Ing at its gates.
The opening of the exposition will he
of dignity and beauty commensurate with
the great achievement. There will be
two striking notes in this impressive
occasion.
signaling the fact that this is the COM
munistiC work of a great populace, the.
citizens of San Francisco will walk to the
grounds in a great marching multitude.
In this throng will move the real artiti
Gers of this eNpoSitiOn-the eNemplars of
the varied industrial. social. and eco
nomic forces which have been wrought
into a composite of majesty and beauty.
The public ceremonies by which the en-
position will be formally opened will be
OF impressive simplicity DenttlnS tne &C.
cassion. Right Rev Edward ]. Hannah
will read the invocation. Rabbi Martin
Meyer will read the las Psalm. Addresses
will be delivered by President Charles c.
Moore. Franklin X. Lane. Secretary OF
the Interior. representing President Will
son; Gov. Hiram w. Johnson and Mayor
James Rolph jr.. William :. Crocker.
chairman of the buildings and grounds
committee. will present to the president
a gold scroll. announcing that the eX-
position is completed. r. y. Hale. chair
man of the committee on exhibits. will
present a bound catalogue of the eX-
hibits. DR.. +. J. V. Skiff. director in
chief, will deliver an address. and the
benediction will be pronounced by Right
Rev William Ford-Nichols.
Army Is at Work.
On the exposition grounds today an
army of thousands of men toiled through
the day and night to complete the count
less details of finishing work.
The color of the exposition. one OF the
strong dominant features of the achieve
ment. suffered but little from nearly a
years exposure to the wind and rain.
The imitation travertine marble of which
it is built gives a charming effect of age
and permanence. greatly heightened by
the subdued pastel colors of the Guerin
color scheme