for the present, but in speaking of general exhibits one cannot
avoid a slight reference to that feature which is so prominent in the
United States section.

Where there is so much that is beautiful and admirably arranged it seems
ungenerous to cite failures, but the pavilion in the eastern corner of the
Palais and the Salle de l'Ecole Militaire connecting it with the pavilion
of the Netherlands colonies are very disappointing. The French exhibit of
sheet-metal work in the eastern corner is quite remarkable, but its merit
in an industrial point of view scarcely authorizes the prominence that is
given to it in one of the four grand positions for display which the
building affords. Even the Galeries d'Iena and de l'Ecole Militaire across
the ends of the building, although their ceilings are high and gorgeous
with color, and their sides one mass of windows in blue and white panes,
do not afford such striking positions as the four corner pavilions. One
expected, very naturally, that so admirable a position would be made the
most of by a people of fine artistic sense; and this has been done in two
of the other similar situations by the Netherlands colonies' trophy and
the Canadian pagoda. The Charlemagne statue, which occupies the fourth
pavilion, has so much sheet-metal work around it that it is not worthy to
be classed with these. In the sheet-metal pavilion we see admirable
exploitation of sheet brass, copper and iron in the shape of
telescope-tubes, worms for stills, bodies and coils for boilers,
vacuum-pans, wort-refrigerators and various bent and contorted forms which
evince the excellence of the material and of the methods. This is hardly
enough, however, to justify the occupation of the position of vantage, and
the trumpery collection of ropes, lines, nets, rods and hooks which is
intended for a fishing exhibit only emphasizes the decision, acquiesced in
by the public, which pays it no attention.

The same is true--in not quite so great a degree, however--of the Galerie
de l'Ecole Militaire, which is principally devoted to, and very
inefficiently occupied by, a number of stands at which cheap jewelry,
meerschaum pipes, glass-blown ships, ivory boxes and paper-knives,
artificial flowers and stamped cards are made and sold as souvenirs of the
Exposition. In addition to these, and several grades better, are a couple
of Lahore shawlmakers, dusky Asiatics, engaged with native loom and needle
in making the shawls for whic