EXHIBITION OPENED

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20735, 20 February 1939, Page 7

EXHIBITION OPENED

GOLDEN GATE EXPOSITION WILD WEST FESTIVAL (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 18 The Golden Gate International Exposition, on its 400-acre site on 1 reasure Island, broke into a blaze of glory to-night, when a ray from the noon sun over Bombay set off a radio signal and turned on' the 1,500,000doliar lighting system. This was the climax to a week’s Wild West festival, in which citizens wore Spanish or pioneer costumes, and hundreds of men grew beards to lend realism to the scene.

The Governor of California, Mr Culbert L. Olsen, using a 35,000-dollar jewelled key, will open the gates tomorrow. President Roosevelt will speak over the radio from a battleship off the. coast of Florida, This 50,000,000-dollar rival to the New York World’s Fair will run until December 2, and it is expected that 22,000,000 people will attend.

President Roosevelt’s Good Wishes

One hundred thousand people witnessed the ceremony of the opening of the Golden Gate Exposition. President Roosevelt, in wishing the exposition every success by radio, commented: “It is an instrument of international goodwill as well as an expression of the material and cultural progress of our West and our Pacific Ocean neighbours.” Forty thousand people to-day visited the Australian pavilion, one of the few national exhibits completed in time for the opening ceremony. A successful feature was a huge map of the Pacific showing the lines of communication with Australia, actioned by flashing lights which synchronised with a recorded talk and a series of national colour photographs which changed every 10 seconds. Australian movies also drew crowds. The director of the pavilion, Mr Arthur O’Connor, has four Australian assistants.

The Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island, San Francisco Bay, is being held to commemorate the building of San Francisco’s two great harbour bridges, one, the longest in the world, and the other the world’s largest single-span structure. The amazing island has been reclaimed from the bed of the Bay. It is the largest man-made island.