Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-15
FRANCES GREAT
SAMPLE FAIRS
Trade Exhibitions at Lyons and
Paris Planned to Take the
Place of the Leipsic
Shows
BY HENRI BAZIN
Special Correspondent Of Evening LEDGER
IN France.

IN France.
PARIS, Feb. 20.
CINCE the determined and concerted ef-
~ fort of France and her allies to wrest
from Germany her economic superiority as
1t existed before the war is frankly an
intent TO give the Teuton formidable rival
commercially, leaf after leaf is being openly
taken from the German book
While by no means the inltlators OF the
idea Germany for many years before the
war had maintained two yearly fairs at
Leipsic each OF fifteen days duration one
occurred before Faster and the other before
the fixed feast of st, Michael on September
20. These fairs, grown to enornoys pro-
portions, were held for the purpose OF
taking orders for future delivery. Vast as
sortments of sample merchandise were at
tractively displayed, nlnety-hye per cfAt
German In origin. France and England
were In nearly every case the remaining
exhibitors Nothing was delivered, and
each article exposed remained in its place
during the full fifteen days.
War Closed the German Fairs
The Leipslc Fair. fostered by the Govern
ment and always opened with seremony by
member of the royal line, was extensively
advertised. Fifty-four thousand meters
square of space were assigned to il in
Poterstrasse and Grtmmaische Interpreters
COMMISSIONERS, statesmen and agents Wed
with each other TO extract the dollar, the
franc the shilling, the ruble or the Ira
from merchants coming from great dis
tances. An emphatic and pronounced busi-
ness success resulted, bringing annually
millions of marks TO German industrial
purses. France. in common with Europe
and America, accepted the condition as
matter of course. She exhibited and bought
and sold. The Leipsic Fairs were world
institution.
Then came the war which, In German
view. would close the fair but for the Saint
Michael era in 1914 to open before the
Easter season Of 1915 greater, grander,
more commercially powerful than ever
Obviously, that 1915 Easter opening did
not take place. Nor did 1t in 1916, nor Will
it in 1917.
But France. in her manufacturing dis
tricts in and about Lyons, inaugurated and
successfully carried 10 a most satisfying
financial and commercial end her first Inn
portant sample fair, at Lyons, held from
March 1 TO 20, 1916. 1t was directly at
tributable to the wars existence, since 1t
evolutionized out of realization Of what
Germany has accomplished at Leipsic.
The idea of the Lyons Fair, to be re-
peated in 1917-the date of opening Is
March 1S--orginated with NJ. lIdouard
1eTTlOt, Mayor OIL Sblls shllu "a lltlll''i "
the French Senate from the Department OF
the Rhone The Lyons Fair attracted
thousands OF buyers. even while the Ger
man attack upon Nerdun was at its fun
strength. It had compartments and booths
for nineteen exhibitors of French product,
and fourteen English, forty-three italian,
seventy-seven Swiss, four Canadian, two
Spanish with one each from Russia and
Holland. Millions of francs worth of mer-
,l,s 1t-. -A1A lee gffn n a
assured.
Paris to Have Fair.
Later in the same year, upon May I,
1917, Paris will have its first modern sam
pie fair. since it is fitting the capital
should aid in the work inspired by NJ.
Herriot. The Paris Far. which will be
open for fifteen days, is not by any means
the first selling g-for-future-delivery fair
ever held In the capital. Nor in any sense
should It be confounded with exhibitions
for which the most beautiful city in the
world has been famous in the past Its
aim, with the Lyons Fair, is to do its part
toward taking the place of the fair at Leip-
sic, with the difference from either Lyons
or Leipsic that it is to be purely demon-
strative of French product Only articles
or merchandise manufactured in France
90 .er colonies will be displayed.
In an interview with NJ. Roger. OF the
Paris Chamber of Commerce and president
of the committee of organization, the plans
for this Paris Fair were outlined to me-
Paris" NJ. Roger said in part, 'is the
birthplace of industrial fairs, as well as
the birthplace of exhibitions. In the year
629 the first fair on record was organized
and carried to a successful issue in pic
turesque display at st. Denis. For CEN
turtles after the capital contented itself
with exhibitions like those of 1873 and
1900, save for small sample fairs of little
importance
But in 1914 an association Of Partisan
merchants and manufacturers, existent
since 1902. sent committee to Leipsic to
study conditions with the intent of creating
in Paris yearly sample fair after the
German idea. Upon their return with a
voluminous report, plans were laid for the
first French sample fair on a large scale
to be held during the autumn Of 1914. The
outbreak Of the war prevented its realiza-
ton. But early in 1915 the project was
again taken up at the International Con-
vention of European Chambers of Commerce
in Paris. Immediate and enthusiastic sup
port was assured the idea, not only through
the expressed desires of commercial and
Industrial societies Of Paris and the De-
partment Of the Seine, but through the un-
solicited support Of the Municipal Council of
the capital and the Paris Chamber of Com
merce.
Space for $4,000 Exhibitors
"Out of this was evolved the certainty Of
the ffteen-day sample fair which will open
May /, 1917, on the Esplanade des Inva-
lides and the quays and avenues adjoining.
No more spacious and splendid area could
be found in the world for such a purpose.
city in wood and plaster will be con-
styucted, with space under cover and in
the open for $4,000 exhibitors, A difference
from the more or less confusing method
pursued in Leipsic will be the grouping of
associated industries in sequential position.
There will be a vast conference hall, where
noted economists will lecture daily upon
Industrial and commercial subjects n bureau
for the distribution Of economic information,
postoffices, rest rooms and restaurants and
guides speaking every modern language.
Tho flood of applications already re-