The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-17
By ROGER JOHNSON


 San Francisco, Feb. i7--(UP)-- San Francisco's Golden Gate In- i. ternatlonal Exposition will bc cpen- cd to the world tomorrow.
 Two years to build, representing an investment of S5O,O00,000, em- hodying the cultural refinements and industrial progress of the en- tire Pacific area, the exposition is on Treasure Island, man made 4O0- acre miracle dredged from the bot- \ tom of San Francisco bay.
 The island, e veritable pageant of the Pacific, is anchored on the shoals of Yerba Buena Island, in the lee of the San Francisco Oak land bridge, one of the worlds greatest engineering structures. and within easy view of Golden Gate bridge, one of the worlds most , spectacular spans.
 Foreign Villages Transplanted
 Within golden Mayan walls that rise from the islands shore are , great exhibit palaces, strange for eign villages--transplanted from the far countries of the Pacific's rim. The island hes broad avenues and sculptured, lowered courts filled with more than 4,000 trees, 10000 shrubs and 100000 blooming plants.
 Beauty spots include the Avenue Of the Sevsn Seas, the Court Of the Hemispheres, the Street of the World, the Lake of All Nations, and the Port of the Trade Winds the latter being the home terminal |. of Pan American Airways' giant transpaciflc clipper planes.
 Eleven western states and S5 foreign countries are participating in the fair-built in the form of Q } wnlled city, with Q new Pacific" type of architecture that blends old Mayan, Incan, Malayan and Cam bodian forms. Buildings are finish , cd with iridescent stucco that re- fleets sunlight or fioodlights with daszling effect. Skilled landscaping has turned the sandy island Into luxuriant semi-tropical garden.
 Tower of Sun 400 Feet High
 Dominating the entire magic city is the Tower of the Sun in the central Court of Honor. The tower } is 400 feet high, crowned by a gleaming golden Phoenix, symbolic of San Francisco's rise from the ruin of the 1906 earthquake and , fire. The tower Is brilliantly illu- minated at night. It mounts c me- lodic carillon of 44 giant, bells whose notes can be heard for miles out over the bay.
 From the Tower of the Sun ra- diate the main axes of the exposi- tion-the Court of the Seven Seas and the Court of Pacifica toward } the north: the Courts of Flowers and of Reflections eastward; and the Court of the Moon and En- chanted Gardens toward the south. Tho courts are framed by massive exhibit halls ornamented with im- pressive murals.
 Participants in the fair include British Columbia, Guatemala, Nic- aragua, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecua- dor, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, El Salvador, Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia, Hawaii, tho Netherlands East Indies, Bali, Dutch Borneo, Sumatra. Java, Celebes, Timor and Netherlands New duipea, China, Japan, French Indo-C China, New Zealand, Austra- lia, Johore, France. Czecho-slova- kia, Holland, Norway, Denmark and Italy.
 German Exhibit Cancelled Germany began an exhibit but cancelled 1t last November when relations with Washington became strained over the Nagis' treatment , of Jews. The German embassy at Washington expl ined officially that the Reich could not take part because 1t had agreed with other countries ct 6 Paris conference not to participate in such events "un- less they were approved by an in. ternational committee"
 Many participating nations erected their own buildings of na- tive architecture. Tn size the gov- ernmental exhibit buildings range from tho seven-acre U. s. Federal Building to the tiny ski lodge Of Norway and the Johore "Dewan," or council house. Some of the na- tions stress cultural wealth; others emphasize tourisIn, industry or agriculture but each faithfully presents it's own native character ities.
 The fair, subtitled by officials "Ihe Pageant of the Pacific" will continue 2e8 days, until Dec. 2. Purpose of the exposition is three- fold:
 rirst-To celebrate completion Of tEe San Francisco Oakland bay bridge and the Golden Gate bridge.
 eecond-To commemorate inau- guration to transpaciAc air service by the clipper planes.
 Third-To depict the progress and industries of the nations Dor. dering the Pacific Ocean. Island to Endure
 The fair originally sprang from q lecai movement to obtain for the city large airport close to the center of the metropolitan area of San Francisco and Oakland. To provide an airport and to have site for the fair, the 400-acre island was scooped upon Yerba Buena shoals. The Job was com. pleted with tho help of army engi- nsers, WpA labor and c grant of ee.2b0O00 from the Federal goy- eFnmept. The island will serve as San TFancisco's fairground through io3o and as it's airport thereafter