The Nineteenth Century , No 182, Apr 1892 [‎35v] (75/244)

560
THE NINETEENTH
April
traders. Fortunately, however, Iniman affairs are seldom governed
by principles of pure logic, and the same Congress which, passed the
McKinley Tariff Act, also provided a most admirable opportunity for
those who are injured by the tariff, at home and abroad, to demon
strate to the American people, if they can, how serious are the losses
it will inflict upon them.
For whatever reasons, then, it was determined that the display
should be international. Nothing less would serve the ambition of
its promoters, and indeed nothing less would quite have answered
their purpose. Formal invitations were consequently addressed by
the President to all the countries of the world. Kesponses at first
came in slowly. Lord Salisbury, on behalf of Great Britain, at once
promised a Royal Commission. France accepted cordially. Some
other countries undertook to co-operate, but no very definite steps
were taken anywhere to carry these resolutions into effect. Under
these circumstances, the National Commission appointed a sub-com
mission to visit Europe, and ascertain definitely the intentions of the
various Governments. These gentlemen arrived in England last
summer, and the very cordial welcome they received no doubt greatly
facilitated their work on the Continent, since the intimate relations
between England and America of necessity led the other European
nations to wait and see, before deciding on their own course, what
the action of England would be.
The ultimate result of their mission was to hasten the appoint
ment of the Royal Commission 3 in this country ; to cause the ap
pointment of commissioners in Germany and Denmark, and to obtain
promises of support from certain other countries.
The practical outcome of the commissioners' journey was to make
it certain that the exhibition would have a genuinely international
character, and this again reacted upon the feelings with which the
project was regarded in America, and lent it an added importance.
While it is the chief object of the country holding an international
exhibition to demonstrate its superiority over other countries—this
was carried out with much skill and conspicuous success in 1889 at
p ar i s —it is also necessary that, for the sake of comparison, the pro
ducts of other countries should be shown. An opportunity is thus
afforded to her trade rivals, and an opportunity which, as a rule, they
find it essential not to neglect.
It is true that for the European countries there are special diffi
culties on the present occasion. Chicago is a long way off, four
3 The Council of the Society of Arts was appointed to serve as the Koyal Com
mission, with a grant of 25,000Z. towards the expenses, it being left to the Com
mission to raise any further amount required by charges to the exhibitors. The
following grants were made on previous occasions: Paris, 1867, 126,000Z.; Vienna,
1873, 29,000Z.; Philadelphia, 1876, 40,000?.; Paris, 1878, 87,000?. For Paris, 1889, no
grant was made ; a sum of 30,0001. was raised by charges to the exhibitors.