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Show t ''?' ' '' ' ? . ' . i T S lj i moo -o O'O-oo 4&&&&04S-ovveg Commissioner Peck a Failure and the United States Exhibit Unworthy Our Great Republic Qutrivalled Even by Spain and Italy Colorado and Utah Poorly Represented Represent-ed in a Mineral Way Denver Educational Exhibit UnexcelledUtah Un-excelledUtah is Not Represented Iron and Coal Display of the Centennial State Attracts Attention-Father Attention-Father Phelan Seen and Lost in the Crowd. (i 'orrf spondence Intormountain Catholic.) Paris. June 1, 1900. Americans in Paris at the present time have but one opinion of the work undertaken by 'onnrii.ssioner Peck and that is, that his efforts have resulted in a monumental monu-mental failure. Wherever one meets Americans, the poie topic of conversation is the painful pain-ful position -which the United States occupy in the present great exhibition. Candidly speaking, it is an outrage, that a man so incompetent as Mr, x peck has proven himself to be, should have been placed at the head of an undertaking- which If properly executed, exe-cuted, would have reflected the highest credit upon the United States for years to come. As it is, the United States building is decidedly the most uninteresting uninter-esting and commonplace among those of any of the great nations. Indeed, I may say that it is excelled in interest by every building, even that of the little lit-tle principality of Monaco. Much dis-pised dis-pised Spain, too, say nothing of Italy, has an exhibition "and building, by the fide of which, Mr. Peck's accomplishment accomplish-ment appears ridiculous. Mr. Raymond Van Renselier, writing in the Paris Herald of the 29th of May, accurately voices the opinion of all Americans (I believe, without exoep-fmrO, exoep-fmrO, who have viritFd the txposition, in the following V :age which is doubtless consrva.: Why is it the United States national building lacks the dignity in its architectural archi-tectural proportions and interior decorations of other national buildings? build-ings? Is it politics as the art and individual exhibits of the United States are unquestionably fine? 'The interior suggests not a 'states' prison,' but the labored enorts or a villa ere committee to decorate for a church fair. The wealth of Indian trophies, Navajo blankets, skins and mounted game hads individual of the United States, would not only have been .artistic, but interesting. As it is il is only a pcstofp.ce. "Many other nations with less resources re-sources have male most decorative and instructive displays, also places f"r their sons and daughters td rest and read in." 1 repeat it is a great pity that such a condition should exist. Mr. McKinley, who is an excellent JU'2ge of the capability and efficiency of the public servants has certainly .h-en decieved in the case of Ferdinand W. Peck. i As I look around the United States building where I am writing this let- j fr, using my knee as table, for lack I of bi-tter convenience. I feel a deep !' ret that the late Moses P. Handy j was not spared to aid our great re- j public in giving glory to the Congress! of Nations in the closing days of the nineteenth century. j In one matter, however, Mr. Peck of Chicago is without a peer. In the s 'fction of press agents, he stands v., rivalled. American readers will re-'ai! re-'ai! that during the past two years, sarr-ely a day passed but the cables v.. re burdened with the news that Mr. j P""k had secured more space for American exhibitors and of the a c.r.d rful things he was accomplishing accomplish-ing because of his personal popularity, j ;., with the exposition authorities 1 so on ad nauseam. ! i m'.v a few weeks ago he filled the! ?.- s of the world with his complaints m i protests against the size of the j TurVir-h building which he alleged was ! strueting 'he view of the United, ;';!-'- pavilion. hi-n n looks about bore and be- h -ids in one comer, a lot of rubbish, in another an unfinished. elevator; the wr.-f-r stories elored to the public be--ausf of tbr'.- incomplete rendition; 1 b. low no.hing of interest, but a v.-t etched likeness of Mr. McKinley, or,,.- iiv.ort wishes that the Turkish p;;i!ion hi-d been builder! large 'nouqh to hide Mr. Peck's fiasco entirely en-tirely from view. The result of this state of affairs is had for the United States and will be-ciinif be-ciinif worse, ar? the exposition progresses. pro-gresses. It must be borne in mind that all the world is represented in this city at , H:c present time. All the nations, both great and small, have exerted themselves them-selves to the utmost, to advance their own welfare. In no case has a national representation been intrusted to a single inexperienced individual, but governments themselves have kept in close touch with the work here, the j result being that all nations with the j exception of the United States are in j fc-ayest holiday attire and will no doubt j reap the fruits which their efforts have merited. It fan only be offered in explanation of . the deplorable condition of the United States building that no artistic spirit seems to have animated Mr. Peck or his confreres. Rather it must be said that the spirit of commercialism guides the American authorities. If there had been at the head of the American exhibit a man with some artistic ar-tistic appreciation, the results would have been gratifying to Americans and pleasing to the foreigners visiting Paris. t American artists, had the opportunity opportu-nity been given them, would gladly , and willingly have contributed the I fruits of their labor and genius to deco-i deco-i late a building which would in truth be a credit to their native land. The real artist apprecites that it is the people peo-ple who make the country and not the country that makes the people a fact which Mr. Peck and his associates appear to have ignored. But it is too late to remedy the matter mat-ter now, and all that Americans can do is to repudiate the unfortunate position po-sition which their representatives have prepared for them in this great exposition. expo-sition. Today I visited the mining exhibit of the United States, which is under the immediate control of M. F. Ward of Denver, This gentleman, subject to his superiors, has done all that was possible pos-sible under the circumstances to produce pro-duce a creditable exhibit. The entire space given to the United States for the purpose of exhibiting precious ores is precisely thirty-six feet j square a space smaller by far than i that given to any one of a score of dry goods houses in Paris. It is really unfortunate though I suppose necessary that the rules of the exposition prevented the different states from making individual exhibits. Colorado and Utah are, of course, represented, rep-resented, but not in a manner to reflect re-flect any credit upon either state. Indeed, In-deed, North Carolina presents a collection col-lection that seems to be superior to Colorado and Utah combined. Mr. Ward was not able to tell me today the relative positions of these two great western states, but it is certainly cer-tainly an inferior one. If only the gold exhibit, which may be seen any day in the year in the Carbonate National Na-tional bank of Leadville, or those gold bricks which the First National of Denver occasionally displays on Mr. Ross-Levin's desk, were here, they would attract more attention than the whole mineral exhibit of the United States. I am quite well aware that these views will differ somewhat from those expressed by the officials in charge here, but there will be no dissent from them from the great crowd of Americans Ameri-cans present. The New York Times printed a Paris edition today and will continue to do so every day during the exposition. It is in every way a splendid paper and quite places the New York Herald in the shade. All the news of America is given in brief but satisfactory form, which is much relished by the American Ameri-can colony. The first issue has a series of signed articles by the heads of departments of the United States commission, and according to each his respective exhibit is the most complete com-plete and comprehensive that was ever displayed. The jurymen will tell a different story. I caught a glimpse today of Father Phelan of the Western Watchman, tut before I could reach him he had become lost in the crowd. He must j have made a brief sojourn in the Eter nal City, but tne reauers vl uie Watchman will doubtless be told of the many confidential interviews which its genial editor had wfch the Holy Father, with whom it is well, known Father Phelan is always in close touch. In the educational exhibit, four of the public, schools of Denver are represented, rep-resented, viz., the East Denver High School, the Ashland Corona and Manual Man-ual Training Schools. It was my pleasure pleas-ure to make, in the company of a body of competent teachers, a careful examination exam-ination of the work of these schools, in comparison with that of other educational edu-cational institutions of the country, and it was the opinion of all that the results of Denver scholastic work were" unexcelled. The same applies to the high school work of Colorado : HEV. THOMAS H. MALONB, THE BRILLIANT CATHOLIC WHITE P. Z AND ORATOR, NOW IN" EUROPE HIS WEEKLY LETTERS TO "T "THE INTERLIOTJNTAIN AND C0I0EAD0 -CATHOLIC" WILL BE J READ WITH INTEREST THROUGHOUT THE WEST. Springs, which is also here represented. I regret there is no representation o the public schools of Utah, as I am certain they would reflect credit upon the state. There is one exhibit which is particularly par-ticularly pleasing to Coloradoans and that is the splendid display made by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, This is one of the very best in the Exposition and shows the industrial possibilities of Colorado in a very striking manner. In addition to samples of all kinds of coal for which the state is famed, large maps are displayed showing the extensive areas of coal deposits, which are amazing tothose unacquainted with them. The exhibit of finished iron products is marvelous. I feel confident in saying that whatever good will come to Colorado Col-orado from this great exhibition of 1900 will be attracted there by comprehensive com-prehensive and really astonishing work of this one corporation. Once the world begins to realize what the resources re-sources of Colorado really are, then the attention of investors, large and small, will be directed thereto and the Centennial state will make such rapid strides in industrial growth and prosperity pros-perity as to astonish even those who are aware of its possibilities. THOMAS H. MALONE. |