president, by a
letter under date of November 4, as follows:

NOVEMBER 4, 1904.

SIR: If the inclosed advertisement is published by authority of
the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, it seems to be
directly in conflict with the understanding had with the
National Commission that before awards be announced officially
they were to be submitted to the National Commission for
approval. This advertisement purports to be by authority of the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, signed by David R.
Francis, president, and F.J.V. Skiff, director of exhibits. No
final action on awards by the superior jury have been submitted
to the National Commission, but nearly all the exhibitors in the
exhibit buildings are advertising what purports to be the
official awards.

We most earnestly submit that this action on the part of the
exhibitors is in direct conflict with the law and with the
agreement had with you by the National Commission, and if it is
being done with the approval of your company, we desire again to
protest against it. We understood after our demand for
arbitration on the construction of the law as to the right of
the National Commission to approve or disapprove of awards, that
your company agreed to our contention, and that these awards
were to be submitted to us before being published. If your
understanding does not accord with ours, we again ask for
arbitration. If it does accord with ours, we insist that the
spirit of this agreement be adhered to.

Very respectfully,

JOHN M. ALLEN,
_Acting President_.

Hon. D.R. FRANCIS,
_President Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Company, Administration Building_.

The following communication was received from President Francis, in
reply to Mr. Allen's letter:

NOVEMBER 4, 1904.

DEAR SIR: I am in receipt of contents of your letter of this
date concerning the advertisement of the Brown Shoe Company of
their awards. It surprised me as much as it did you. I have
instituted inquiries, and as soon as I ascertain by whose
authority the announcement was put in the papers, I shall advise
you. Of course you know that the exposition authorities had no
knowledge of such an advertisement until it was given to the
public. These ribbons are sold by a concessionaire, who was
instructed weeks ago to sell none of them