The Press. FRIDAY. NOVEMBER. 21. 1913. OUR AMERICAN VISITORS.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14829, 21 November 1913, Page 8

The Press. FRIDAY. NOVEMBER. 21. 1913. OUR AMERICAN VISITORS.

It is very much to be regretted that owing to ihe shortness of notire, and the fact that tlio industrial crisis is absorbing co much public attention just now, the audience assembled to listen to the Commissioners of the Panama Exposition last night was not nearly co large as to be commensurate with the importance of the occasion, and. wo may add, the excellence of the speeches. The Chief Commissioner, Governor Adams, has played an important part in the politics of the United States, and those who had the pleasure of listening to him last night recognised in the Chief Commissioner an orator accustomed to moving large assemblages of people. Major Cloman, speaking with less,of the art of rhetoric and with more directness, as befits a military man, rnado an exceedingly interesting speech in which he dwelt chiefly on the great naval and military display which it is intended to hold, and some of the most striking particulars in which the Exposition will differ from previous t enterprises of the- same kind. The other members of theparty, Mr Stall-Smith and Mr Serier, quickly ingratiated themselves with the audience very largely owing to the humour of their remarks. The audience, who comprised some of the leading professional and business men of Christchurch, must have been convinced when they finished, not only that the enterprise which is .to celebrate the completion of tho greatest engineering work which tho world has ever seen, will be worthy of the occasion, but that it is one at which New Zeatand ought to bo represented on a fitting scale.

The Government, we believe, hae already determined that Now Zealand shall bo officially represented at this unique gathering of tho nations. The point we would wish to impress, both upon them and on tho great producing interests of tho Dominion, is that if tho thing is to be done at all it must bo done well. The mistake we have made on somo previous occasions of the kind is that we have been too cheeseparing, and too littlo attention has been given to thinking out details. The result has been a bad advertisement for tho Dominion, which has been infinitely worse than if we had done nothing at--ill. In an immense undertaking of this kind—the grounds will cover upwards of a square mile, and tho exhibits will be shown in about a dozen huge "Palaces"—it is clear that if Xew Zealand is to attract any notice a good deal of artistic taste and ingenuity must be given to render hor show as striking and effectivo as possible. Fortunately there is already a desire oh the part of our American cousins to know more of this country, largely on account of our legislative experiments. Tho magnificence and unique character of much of our scenery, and the richness and quality of our natural resources, give us admirable material on which to work, and what is really required is a fairly liberal expenditure oT money and, above all, skill and ability to make uso of that material to the best advantage.

That judicious expenditure. of tho kind to which we have referred will be repaid to tho country, twenty-fold in the future there is not the slightest doubt. It only requires an improved steamship service—which is rapidly coming—and a better knowledge in America .of our scenic attractions, to make this country the playground of wealthy Americans anxious to break now ground and to escape the rigours of their winter. The possibilities of the Pacific Coast as a market for our products are only just beginning to dawn on the minds of New Zealand producers and merchants, but already the trade has outstripped the shipping accommodation provided. With the opening of the Panama Canal the Eastern Coast of the great American Continent will bo opened up- to our wool, our dairy produce, our fruit and other staplo commodities which for excellence of quality cannot be surpassed. We have no hesitation in saying that in ten years' time the export of apples and other fruit alone to America in the off-season of the latter country will have attained dimensions of which many of our readers at the present time have not the faintest conception. The Exposition will afford an uuexampled opportunity of show'ng what we can do in these directions, and we do not hesitate to say it would bo an act of almost criminal folly not to ,take advantage of it.

Meanwhile, on behalf of the people of Canterbury, we extend a hearty welcome to our visitors, and hope not only thai their mission will bo successful, but that their brief sojourn among us may bo an enjoyable experience which they will look back upon with pleasure in after life. That their visit will do good, a~irt from the immediate object they have in view, we have not the slightest doubt. They will help us better to understand the great nation to which they belong, its aims and aspirations. We believe, moreover, that as shrewd and capable observers they will take back with them a clear and accurate impression of New Zealand, and so help to remove any misapprehensions in their own country 4 and make more widely known such advan-

tages as -thoy find it to possess. Their fellow countryman. Mr Paul Goodinß, whose admirable work on New Zealand we reviewed last Saturday, was particularly struck durinp his stay in tho Dominion with the friendly feeling ho found existing towards the States. It k> perfectly true that t-hiU frie.'dlr foe!in<j; -loes prevail, ami w»* believe that the visit of Governor Adams and his colleagues will <\& nnieh to cement the bonds.