Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-24
As ONE WOMAN SEES IT
Expert Gives Views on Size and Ioea.
tlen o. eIs Fair and its
-, ~ eAset on / Park 'n
BY SARAH u. LOWRIE

HAVE just had very interesting con-
verration out here in San Francisco with
Michael Fl. de Young. publisher Of the San
francisco Chronicle and Of many other great
eaea luncheon which snS nass tSs sSi
organisaticn Of unique Importance out here
vas holding At the Palace Hotel. 1t was
their great yearly celebration. which Is
always held on st. Patrick's Day.
the PnRs sss sss %a 'eSs Ss
started him. and startled me! Because he
y such an authority on world expositions
that his advice to Philadelphia at this
nomentous time, when our exposition ideas
are still in the making, would have been
well worth the journey out here to get:
. ~ He represented America in the Paris
Exposition he was a member Of the Board
,pt Control Of the Columbian Exposition
!ne .nnovt Worlds Fair & st Chicago; s.,nss he was
tive Of the United States Government on
'that board. Congress having largely sub.
sidized the undertaking. He was president
and director general Of the Winter Expo-
sition held here in San Francisco in 1904.
was the leading spirit In the panama Expo.
sitton held In San Francisco In 1915.
= In fact, for fifty seven years he has given
his services to the administration Of the
power and money and brains which 80
together to build up the great national and
International exhibits.
7 ASKED him three questions, which he
1 answered in a Hasl, as being matters
about which there could be no doubt and
certainly no debate.
,, First question-How much ground is
necessary for a great exposition?
Second Questi0n-What kind Of a loca.
tion 10 best for great exposition?
Third question-Docs an exposition, such
as the one you had here, injurc park
irrevocably?
ITO THE first question, about the size Of
l. the ground. Mr.. de Young said very
eemadPhaticaily: eadP "iou can do It well with
much. because you can't COZ concentrate tho
crowd To spread the buildings over 1000
acres would be to court disaster
To the second question about location,
Mr. de Young gave this recipe: avail.
factors. The place should be a park to
which crowds Of persons are accustomed to
go year Ia and year out. It should be near
great railroad terminals, and 1t should be
be as near the center Of the city as possible
and not on the edge. II that can be managed:
In fact. a small park on the way to and
from business eenters will be better than a
large park, no. matter how beautiful, that
mas mas to be reached by persons who must 60
To the third question. concerning the
possible injury to the park. h. said: Part
OF the general plan should include replacing
the park in its original order. 1t is much
new park"
LIE GAVE me some very interesting de.
IL tails concerning his difference of opinion
out in Chicago with the local people, who,
at the beginning Of the work on the Worlds
Fair. wished to divide the exhibit, making
the art center on the lake front and the
machinery sne agricultural exhibits in Jack:
the United States on that committee. with
Il number Of other appointces who were very
much at one with him. he was able to
quench the idea Of u divided exhibit. lie
was "a crazy idea and would have Killed
the exhibit, for the crowds would have
neglected the material exhibits, such as agri.
culture and machinery, and gone after the
more picturesque and easily assimilated and
comprised the art and architectural exhibits"
The local committee in the end thanked
him for having vetoed their original plan.
He had a. very interesting and uphill
the Mid Winter Exposition Of the foreign
exhibits taken. from the Worlds Fair and
shown In California the following winter.
In five months time be had to construct 1O2
buildings In which to hold these exhibits;
some Of these buildings were permanent
As he expressed It. he did it on a 'shoe
string" having $500, 900 only as his initial
subscription. from all sources, as capital.
In the beginning even the Mayor was against
the project, and not one cent Of city money
was subscribed. In the end the exposition
made money and the city was delighted.
DUT perhaps the most interesting result
- to San Francisco Of all this great mans
experience in things that please and interest
the public has been the Memorial Museum,
which he himself has given to the city out
at Golden Gate Park. He has not only given
the museum, but he has stacked it with
famous and beautiful and priceless posses.
sions,
1t tepitomizes his love Of beuaty, bis knowl.
edge of beauty and his value Of beauty as n
heritage for the many rather than the few.
DR.. Prince. who, in n
A Useful Ghost manner of speaking,