If this amendment, which is now pending, should be ratified by three-fourths of the States, following the precedent set in the case of the last three amendments, the Secretary of State will issue his proclamation of the ratification. If three-fourths of the States should not ratify it, it will simply fail, and no formal notification of its failure will be made. It remains to notice as interesting among the less important occasional duties of the Department, its relation towards those universal or international exhibitions of the arts, sciences, and products of the earth which are held from time to time in this country or abroad. The degree of control exercised by the federal government over those held in this country has varied with each exhibition and has never been complete. Foreign nations are invited to participate by the Department of State, through its diplomatic and consular representatives or through foreign diplomatic representatives in the United States, the invitations being authorized by law or sent in pursuance of the general duty of the Department to foster laudable American enterprises; but the Department is not responsible for the conduct. of a fair and does not prescribe regulations to govern it. The first of the expositions held in this country was that of 1853 at New York, under the auspices of a local board of directors and without any financial or other connection with the general government beyond a general patronage; but the next was the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 for which a plan was adopted which has since maintained in a general way in other important American international fairs. It was provided in the first section of the Act of March 3, 1871,21 that the exhibition should be held " under the auspices of the government of the United States," and a commission was provided for, consisting of a commissioner and an alternate from each of the States, appointed by the President upon the nomination of the several Governors of the States. The Secretary of State informed the Governors of the provisions of the Act, received the nominations, and the commissions signed by the President were countersigned by him and recorded in his Department. He invited the participation 21a 16 Stat. 470. of foreign governments in a circular note to each foreign minister in Washington: Sir, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, July 5, 1873. I have the honor to inclose, for the information of the Government of a copy of the President's Proclamation, announcing the time and place of holding an International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, proposed to be held in the year eighteen hundred and seventy-six. The Exhibition is designed to commemorate the Declaration of Independence of the United States, on the one hundredth anniversary of that interesting and historic national event, and at the same time to present a fitting opportunity for such display of the results of Art and Industry of all nations as will serve to illustrate the great advances attained, and the successes achieved, in the interest of Progress and Civilization during the century which will have then closed. In the law providing for the holding of the Exhibition, Congress directed that copies of the Proclamation of the President, setting forth the time of its opening and the place at which it was to be held, together with such regulations as might be adopted by the Commissioners of the Exhibition should be communicated to the Diplomatic Representatives of all nations. Copies of those regulations are herewith transmitted. The President indulges the hope that the Government of will be pleased to notice the subject and may deem it proper to bring the Exhibition and its objects to the attention of the people of that country, and thus encourage their co-operation in the proposed celebration. And he further hopes that the opportunity afforded by the Exhibition of the interchange of national sentiment and friendly intercourse. between the people of both nations may result in new and still greater advantages to Science and Industry, and at the same time serve to strengthen the bonds of peace and friendship which already happily subsist between the Government and people of and those of the United States. I have the honor, &c Secretary of State.22 Having invited the participation of foreigners, most of the correspondence relative to exhibiting was carried on directly between exhibitors and the Fair officials; and such complaints as were made by foreign exhibitors to their diplomatic representatives and sent to the Secretary of State were referred by him for report to the Fair 22 World's Fairs from London, 1851, to Chicago, 1893, (Norton) 41. officials; but the final reports of the Fair were made to the Secretary of State who sent them to Congress. The Foreign World's Fair held at Boston in 1883 was entirely in private hands, but the government by Act of June 28, 1882,23 allowed the foreign exhibits to be admitted free of duty, a course which it has pursued towards all important fairs in this country. The Secretary of State brought the exhibition to the attention of foreign countries in the manner indicated by the following letter: Gen. C. B. Norton, Secretary Foreign Exhibition, Sir: [June, 1882.] The members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation have visited me asking the countenance of the government in furtherance of the proposed Exhibition of Foreign Manufacturing, Artistic and Industrial Productions, which it is proposed to hold in Boston during September, October and November of the present year. This project had already been brought to the attention of this government, and will be supported by it so far as may comport with the fact that it is local rather than a national enterprise. To this end, I have instructed the Diplomatic representatives of the United States abroad to bring the subject suitably to the notice of foreign governments, and I have also prepared a circular of instructions to our consuls directing them to give publicity to the circulars issued by your association, and to furnish intending exhibitors with all needful information. It gives me pleasure to acquaint you with this action, and to request that you send me, with as little delay as possible, 5000 copies of your descriptive circular, for distribution through the ministers and consuls. Your obedient servant, FREDERICK T. FRELINGHUYSEN, The Act of April 25, 1890,25 created the World's Columbian Commission for the World's Fair at Chicago under conditions similar to those imposed in the case of the Centennial Exposition. The Secretary of State called the commission together June 27, 1890, and thereafter acted with reference to the Fair as he had done in the case of the Centennial Exposition. The same course has been pursued towards other fairs. 23 22 Stat.. 116. 24 World's Fairs, (Norton) 52. 25 26 Stat., 62. In the participation of the United States in foreign international exhibitions the Department is naturally the official medium, but the practice of extending congressional recognition on these occasions has varied widely. There was no national representation of the United States at the Crystal Palace Exhibition held in London in 1851, which was the first of the great World's Fairs. Several of the States appointed commissioners and the exhibits were under State supervision, 26 but the fair had no official federal recognition. For the next fair held at London, that of 1862, a joint resolution of July 27, 1861,27 authorized the President to take such measures as should seem to him best to facilitate a proper representation of the industrial interests. of the United States, $200,000 being appropriated for the purpose. When the Government of France invited the United States to participate in a universal exposition to be held in 1867, Congress authorized and requested the Secretary of State by joint resolution of January 16, 1866,28 to prescribe general regulations concerning the participation of the United States. It was provided that there should be a principal agent of the exposition in New York and professional and scientific commissioners, appointed by the President. The Department issued these appointments, and conducted official correspondence with the French government; but the American agent and commissioners were expected to act directly with exhibitors, and this course has been pursued with reference to subsequent foreign fairs. The Paris Universal Exposition of 1878 furnishes an example of the course usually followed. The joint resolution of December 15, 1877,29 provided for a Commissioner-General "to represent the United States in the proposed Exposition," who was to make all regulations for exhibitors under the direction of the Secretary of State, and on March 12, 1878, Secretary William M. Evarts issued official instructions approving the rules which the Commissioner had prepared, laying down the limitations of expenditures and requiring 26 See Report of Benj. P. Johnson, Agent of the State of New York, appointed to attend the Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations in London, 1851. 27 12 Stat., 328. 28 14 Stat. 347., 29 20 Stat., 245. that reports on the exhibition be made to the Secretary of State in a form fitted to transmit to Congress for publication.30 For the Paris Exhibition of 1889 Secretary T. F. Bayard, in his letter of instructions to the Commissioner-General, General William B. Franklin, July 6, 1888, indicated the full extent of the Department's participation in the affairs of the exhibition. "The Department," he said, "will address to the Governor of each State and Territory an official notification in the language of the resolution of Congress; and the heads of the several Departments will be consulted as to the possibility of official cooperation. All replies to these communications will be transmitted to you." He was required to make monthly reports of expenses to the Department.31 The Department's circular letter to the Governors was as follows: DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Sir, WASHINGTON, July 3, 1888. By a joint resolution of Congress, approved May 10, 1888, the Government of the United States accepted the invitation of the Republic of France to take part in an exposition of works of art and the products of manufactures and agriculture of all nations, to be held in Paris, commencing the 5th day of May and closing the 31st day of October, 1889. I have the honor to inclose herewith copies of the joint resolution referred to, and in accordance with its terms I would request you, by such methods as you may deem most suitable, to notify the people of your State to assist in the proper representation of the productions of our industry and of the national resources of our country. I would also suggest that you take such further measures as may be necessary in order to secure to your State the advantages to be derived from this beneficent undertaking. The President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, has appointed General William B. Franklin as Commissioner-General to the Paris Exposition, and the office of the commission is now established at No. 35 Wall Street, New York City. I have the honor to be, Sir, 30 Reports of Commissioners to the Paris Universal Exposition of 1878, Vol. I, introduction. 31 Reports of the United States Commissioners to the Universal Exposition of 1889. I. 32 Report of Paris Com'r, i, xvii. |