No. 97.
Mr. Hitt to
Mr. Evarts.
Paris, April 24, 1877. (Received May 10.)
Sir: Yesterday, in an interview with Senator Krantz, the general commissioner of the Paris Universal Exposition of 1878, he informed me that scores of persons and a still greater number of letters come to him on behalf of American exhibitors inquiring for the regulations established and the facilities that will be offered to our countrymen desiring to take part in the exhibition. This legation is also in daily receipt of applications for information on this subject, to which the uniform reply is given, that the French administration not admitting or dealing with individuals except through the authorized representation of their nationalities, and no commission having been appointed by our government, nothing can be done except to wait for further action at Washington.
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Mr. Krantz assured me that the rumors which seem to be started periodically, as to a postponement or abandonment of the exhibition in consequence of the impending war in the East, or other causes, were wholly groundless, and that it was a fact as positive as could be established for an event in the future, that the exhibition would open on the 1st of May, 1878; that the applications of exhibitors from France and England alone already numbered over 60,000, and the display by those two countries would be sufficient for an exhibition that would be worthy to rank as a world’s fair; that Austria, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Norway and Sweden, South America, and the extreme Orient give evidence that they will not only occupy all the space allotted them, but will want more.
From various sources I hear of extraordinary and costly preparations by French manufacturers to exhibit in their full strength. The enormous constructions for the exhibition, covering eighty acres in the Champ de Mars and thirty on the heights of Trocadro, are going forward rapidly by the aid of an army of workmen, horses, railways, cars, and all the machinery of excavation and erection.
Mr. Krantz informs me that the French general commission has reserved in its entirety, and will continue to reserve as long as it can be done without compromising the general interests of the exhibition, the space originally set apart for the United States.
Precaution has been taken to so arrange the galleries in the buildings intended for the special exhibition of the fine arts that it is believed that ample and satisfactory room will be given to our countrymen as soon as our government will make known its wants.
The construction is proposed of an annex, for exhibitors from the United States, in the open grounds reserved along avenue Suffren, bordering the Champ de Mars, as it is expected that our citizens, like those of other countries, will need further space for bulky articles and cumbrous products, such as agricultural machines, the materials of railways, specimens pertaining to metallurgy and mines, &c, which would take up too much room in the main building.
The French general commission has from the first refused to believe that the United States would not accept the invitation of France to take part in the great international solemnity which is preparing for the; y ear 1878, and understands well that circumstances which are exceptional [Page 148] have thus far prevented our government from responding. It has therefore regarded with constant and earnest consideration the desire every day manifested by our artisans and artists to enter the field where the progressive forces of the whole world are invited for trial.
In consequence of the position occupied by Mr. Krantz, and the enlightened zeal with which he discussed this subject, I send you the substance of his observations.
Should you deem it advisable to cause publicity to be given to the fact that the French general commission does not entertain individual applications of any kind from foreigners except through the national commissions, it might save our people a large amount of useless letter-writing.
I have, &c.,