Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-15
i. S. MAY EXTEND
SEVILLE EXHIBIT
Spain Asks America TO Keep
Display Until Exposition
Closes June |.
by WILLIAM RUFUS SCOTT.

ton for that purpose, either in the
present extra session or in the regular
session beginning in December
The exposition was to have closed on
December Is, but now will continue
until next June l. It was estimated that
500 600 would cover the expense to the
United States until the December clos
ing date, but the extension requested
can be granted only II Congress supple
ments the first appropriation by an
amount not yet ofhcially revealed. The
extra cost involves mainly salaries of
the american personnel for nearly six
months more after December IS. al
! though changes or improvements In the
EXHIBITS and buildings. II decided upon,
would call for further expenditures.
Approval Is Held Certain.
That the Department of State will
approve the proposal to continue Amer
lean participation at Seville is con-
Sidered certain. Withdrawal of the
United States in the middle Of the ex-
position, 1t Is reasoned, would cause
| regret, not only in Spain but possibly.
unfavorable reactions in the Central
and South American republics also par
ticlpatlng. The hero american EXpo-
sitlon. 1t will be remembered. is limited
10 spain. Portugal and the nations in
north or South America which were
colonized by the two former countries.
The United States was specially invited
because of so many contacts with
spanish explorers and Spanish civil.
cation.
Commissioner General Thomas =.
Campbell of the American exhibits at
seville made the report to President
hoover last month upon which the ex-
tension request was studied and sp-
PROVED. The exposition was opened
xr,fAf fr
pIesent. ana ne gave more time to the
American exhibits than to the exhibits
Oh any other nation represented.
1nere developed among the Amerj.
can personnel at the exposition a Al.
vision OF opinion as to the setting Of
the American exhibits. some contendjne
that the United States had been too
economical IN preparing its buildings
and in decorating them inside, The
baroness of two Of these buildings in
sloe, with their extremely simple lines
OUTSIDE, have caused many American
ViSltorS to the exposition to feel that
the united states was not adeouately
pictured in those respects at least.
Opinions Of Exhibits Differ.
AS for the exhibits themselves. opinion
also differed among both personnel and
VISITORS The highly scientific nature
De above the heads" of a majority of
the people who visited the exposition.
On these two major points, the sim
pilclty OF the setting and the nature of
the exhibits. Mr.. Campbell is presumed
10 nave commented to the President
anQ what changes may be made, II
any. remain to be disclosed.
The psychology of the American ex-
nioltS as ohicially worked out at the
time the exhibits were being prepared
In Washington must be stated before
judgment can be passed on the fore
going questions. More than two wears
ago the American commission and in
terested departmental officials agreed
that the United States was quite well
enough known, perhaps too well known.
Ior IT'S great material prosperity and
the magnitude of its Industrial and
commercial achievements. So a new
aspect OF the United States, that is,
new TO the masses of Europe and to
most of the visitors from Latin Amer
lea expected at Seville, was to be pre-
sented at the exposition. This aspect
would depict Uncle Sam as the scien-
fist. as the humanitarian. as the in
teuectual. Nothing commercial was to
be allowed in the United States pa.
vilions.
1t was decided further that only
governmental exhibits would be shown
in the three United States buildings
and that there would be no admission
charges to anything nor anything on
sale. This, it was argued, would coun-
having no other motive than tho
almighty dollar"
Economic Progress Pointed Out.
Then it was decided that the Amerl.
can EXHIBITS should be concentrates
around those problems of . social,
economic, agricultural and other nature
with which Spain, Portugal and Latin
America also were wrestling. For in
stance, Spain has a large irrigation and
reclamation problem. The American
exhibits include demonstrations OF how
the United States meets such problems.
Road.making Is q problem common to
all the nations participating at Seville,
so the United States shows its methods
in road-making. And so on through
work for children and women. educa.
ton. sanitation. aviation and many
other subjects.
The expectation was that what the
United States is doing would be helpful
lessons to the citizens of other nations.
American exposition officials believe the
original purpose and the results of the
exhibits have been indicated in Q
large degree, but the technical. charac-
fewer OF the visitors to the exposition
than expected. The King of Spain, be-
ing well informed on scientific develop.
ments. showed the keenest interest in
the American achievements, asking
questions freely and being especially
pleased when an American exhibit
showed the debt the United States owed
to Spanish culture.
Knowing the United States as the
land Of opulence, the land of the high
est-paid workmen In the world. the pro.
ducer Of the most automobiles. the in =
dustrial colossus Of history, the Euro
pean and Latin American visitors un-
doubtedly are surprised at the modest
and severely plain buildings which
while they are impressed by the type
Of exhibits themselves.
Aside from q little bunting the walls
of the main building and Of the motion
picture theater building are unadorned.
The third building, intended as a per-
manent structure to house the United
States consulate after the exposition
closes, is more attractive inside. yet this
structure suffers much in comparison
with the brick and stone structures Of
other nations. .-
Attendance Is Large.
In the long run. it is believed that
the desire Of the United States to avoid
ostentatious display of its wealth by
lavish expenditure at Seville will be I'M
derstood and applauded. The demands
the exhibits make upon intellectual
powers doubtless would repel many IN
the United States itself, so that the
Seville record is not taken as conclu-
sive. Moreover. attendance at the
American buildings, whether the eX-
iiibits go over" as successfully as IL
was hoped. has been larger than at any
other national building, aside from that
Of Spain itself.