52 



The National Geographic Magazine 



just been lield at Paris, at which many 

 Americans made exhibits, some parts of 

 which would be suited to a floating ex- 

 position such as has been suggested. A 

 great exposition, especially intended to 

 apply to the people of Central and South 

 America, is to be held at Buffalo this 

 year, and its exhibits would in many 

 cases prove a basis for an undertaking 

 of this kind, while another exposition, 

 especially relating to the West Indian 

 trade, is to be held at Charleston. Thus, 

 in the disposition to extend our com- 

 merce, in a prosperity which warrants 

 new business ventures, and even in 

 the partial preparation of exhibits, the 

 circumstances appear to be especially 

 favorable. 



But there is still another condition 

 which seems even more opportune and 

 advaiitageous. The Government is the 

 possessor of a considerable number of 

 safe and seaworthy merchant vessels 

 purchased as transports during the war 

 with Spain, for many of which it will 

 not have active use after the close of 

 hostilities in the Philippines. If some 

 of these vessels could be utilized for this 

 work the problem, as to cost, would be 

 greatly simplified. 



Congress has always dealt liberally 

 with expositions intended to improve 

 our commerce, either at home or abroad, 

 and it seems not unreasonable to suppose 

 that if applied to by a proper business 

 organization it might loan the necessary 

 vessels for an enterprrse of this kind. 

 The appropriations of money made by 

 Congress in behalf of expositions at 

 home and abroad in the past 25 years 

 amount to over f 10,000,000, and in view 

 of this it would appear probable that an 

 appeal from a properly organized associa- 

 tion of business men might meet with 

 favorable consideration. 



If there could be added to this fleet of 

 five or six merchant vessels a naval ves- 

 sel or two to convoy the fleet around the 

 world and add to its attractiveness and 

 dignity, the success of the enterprise, in- 



telligenth^ managed, should be assured. 

 The chief expense which the ordinary 

 exposition must undergo is the erection 

 of buildings. The construction account 

 of the Woild's Fair in 1893 was 70 per 

 cent of the entire cost. With this ex- 

 pense obviated by the loan of vessels, if 

 the}' could be so obtained, the cost of 

 the undertaking would lie chiefly in the 

 coal consumed in passing from port to 

 port, and in the force of men necessary' 

 for the management of the vessels, and 

 this might also be small in case Con- 

 gress should accompany the loan of the 

 vessels with a suitable detail from the 

 military or naval force for their manage- 

 ment. 



Whether the expense should be borne 

 solely by those participating in the ex- 

 hibition in proportion to the space they 

 might occupy, or be met in part by a 

 small charge for admission could be de- 

 termined by tho.se guaranteeing the ex- 

 pense of the enterprise. In the ordinary 

 exposition the chief receipts are from 

 admissions, and these are drawn en- 

 tirely from the population of the city 

 where the exposition occurs and from 

 those visiting that city for that purpose, 

 while in the case of a floating exposition 

 visiting great cities in various parts of 

 the world the local population which 

 could be appealed to would aggregate 

 many millions. 



THE ROUTE FOR A FLOATING 

 EXPOSITION. 



The route which a floating exposition 

 might determine for itself would be 

 bounded only by the limits of the great 

 seas upon which it would float. Start- 

 ing from the eastern coast of the United 

 States, it would perhaps make its first 

 stop at our new possession, Porto Rico, 

 thence to Cuba and other of the West 

 Indies, thence to the principal cities on 

 the eastern coast of Central and South 

 America, thence along the westerii coast 

 of America, then to the Hawaiian Islands, 



