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Mr. McNARY (for Mr. JOHNSON), from the Committee on Commerce, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 355]

The Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (S. 355) providing for the participation of the United States in "A Century of Progress" (the Chicago World's Fair Centennial Celebration) to be held at Chicago, Ill., in 1933, authorizing an appropriation therefor, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon, and recommend that the bill do pass without amendment. At the second session of the Seventieth Congress, House Joint Resolution No. 365 authorized and requested the President to invite the participation of the nations of the world in the celebration referred to in this bill whenever it shall have been shown to the satisfaction of the President that a sum not less than $5,000,000 had been raised and made available to the Chicago World's Fair Centennial Celebration Corporation, organized not for profit but for the purposes of a world's fair in Chicago to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of that city. The President being satisfied that the above sum had been raised and made available extended an invitation to the nations of the world to participate in such celebration.

Public Resolution No. 92, Seventy-first Congress, second session, authorized the President to appoint for the investigation into the question of representation at and participation in the Chicago world's fair celebration one representative of each of the Departments of State, Agriculture, and Commerce to investigate and report to the President their conclusions and recommendations with reference to the suitable representation at and participation in the Chicago World's Fair Centennial Celebration on the part of the Government of the United States and its various departments and activities. The President appointed as members of said committee the Hon. W. R. Castle, Assistant Secretary of State; the Hon. W. R. Dunlap, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture; and the Hon. Clarence W. Young, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, and on the 19th of December, 1930, the President submitted to the House of Representatives a message, together with copy of the report of said committee, as follows:

House Document No. 698, Seventy-first Congress, third session

CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

MESSAGE

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TRANSMITTING

REPORT FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE QUESTION OF REPRESENTATION AT AND PARTICIPATION IN THE CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, KNOWN AS THE CENTURY OF PROGRESS EXPOSITION

DECEMBER 19, 1930.-Referred to the Committee on the Library and ordered to be printed

To the Congress of the United States:

I transmit herewith a report of the committee which I was authorized to appoint (Pub. Res. No. 92, 71st Cong., 2d sess.) for an investigation into the question of representation at and participation in the Chicago World's Fair Centennial Celebration, known as the Century of Progress Exposition, on the part of the Government of the United States and its various departments and activities.

The findings of this committee include recommendations that the Government be represented in the person of a commissioner under the direction of a commission composed of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of Commerce; that in order to effect economies the organization of this commission and the authorization and appropriation of funds be expedited; and that a certain latitude be conferred upon the commission and the commissioner in the expenditure of public funds as well as in the employment of personnel.

I commend to the favorable consideration of the Congress the inclosed report of the committee to the end that legislation may be enacted to authorize an appropriation of $1,725,000 for the expenses of representation at and partícipation in the Chicago World's Fair Centennial Celebration, known as the Century of Progress Exposition,

on the part of the Government of the United States and its various departments and activities in accordance with the recommendations of the committee. HERBERT HOOVER.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

Washington, December 19, 1930.

The PRESIDENT:

The Government of the United States has been invited by the Chicago World's Fair Centennial Celebration Corporation to participate in an international exposition to be held in Chicago, Ill., in 1933, to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of Chicago as a municipality.

In consideration of this invitation and of the action of the Seventieth Congress with respect to the issuance of invitations to foreign countries, the Seventy-first Congress approved the following:

PUBLIC RESOLUTION-NO. 92-718T CONGRESS

JOINT RESOLUTION Providing for an investigation and report, by a committee to be appointed by the President, with reference to the representation at and participation in the Chicago World's Fair Centennial Celebration, known as the Century of Progress Exposition, on the part of the Government of the United States and its various departments and activities.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and requested to appoint a committee, consisting of one representative of each of the Departments of State, Agriculture, and Commerce, who shall investigate and report to the President, for transmission by him to the Senate and the House of Representatives at the opening of the second regular session of the present Congress, in December, 1930, their conclusions and recommendations with reference to the suitable representation at and participation in the Chicago World's Fair Centennial Celebration known as the Century of Progress Exposition, at Chicago, Illinois, in the year 1933, on the part of the Government of the United States and its various departments and activities. Approved, June 20, 1930.

Following a preliminary survey of the plans and purpose of the Chicago World's Fair Centennial Celebration, your committee consulted with the executive departments and independent establishments in order to form a general opinion as to the extent and nature of the proposed governmental participation in this exposition. Due cognizance has been given likewise to the part which the Government has taken in previous international expositions held in the United States and the rôle assumed by all branches to display the functions and accomplishments of their Government to the people.

The committee then conferred with the president and officers of the exposition. It was learned that this occasion is to be used for the dramatization of the part science and man's achievement have played in the progress of industry, commerce, finance, education, sports, and the arts. While the scope of the exposition is to be worldwide, the exposition authorities indicated their intention to elaborate on agriculture and on those branches of the extracting and manufacturing industries which would engage the active interest of the people of Chicago and that surrounding country from which the greatest attendance at the exposition will be drawn.

Having concluded its investigations and studies, the committee believed that its proposals might be presented best in the annexed

draft legislation, this being substantiated by detailed recommendations, suggestions, and conclusions.

The action of the Seventy-first Congress in giving authorization for investigation and planning in advance of the development of legislation was a most constructive move, for the experience of the executive departments in the past has been that the quality and exhibit value of their presentations have suffered through lack of sufficient time to plan ahead. It is a fact that the ratio of exhibit costs have increased rapidly when the time for planning and preparation has been shortened. Now that tentative plans have been prepared for this exposition at Chicago in 1933, the Congress may add further to this constructive procedure by an early authorization for the appointment of a commission and commissioner, as well as by the prompt authorization and appropriation of funds.

COMMISSION AND COMMISSIONER

It is believed that participation by the Government would be administered most effectively by one commissioner, such commissioner to be under the direction of a commission composed of several heads of executive departments. The scope of the exposition and the wishes of the exposition authorities as regards governmental participation indicate that it would be appropriate to have this commission composed of the Secretaries, respectively, of the United States Departments of State, Agriculture, and Commerce.

BUILDINGS

Separate structures could be erected on grounds provided by the exposition corporation without rental fees, or appropriate spaces could be leased in certain of the exhibition buildings that will be constructed by the exposition for general purposes. The former is suggested as being the more advantageous. As is shown in another part of this report, the committee estimates that a creditable showing could be made in a gross floor space of about 120,000 square feet. This space could be provided either in one large building or in an arrangement of smaller buildings. There should also be provided a suitable air mail post office at the airport.

The committee recommends that the commissioner contract with the exposition corporation for the designing and erection of necessary buildings, and that he be provided with funds for this purpose at the earliest date possible in order that the construction of the building or buildings can be started at once, thus assisting in solving the problem of unemployment. In contracting with the exposition corporation the commission would exercise control over the type, general design, and finish of the buildings.

EXHIBITS

The departments, establishments, and other branches of the Government, which have indicated a desire to take part in the exposition, have submitted tentative plans for their participation. After conferences with officers of the exposition, the committee felt justified in modifying the request of some of these offices.

The exposition authorities recognized the importance of each branch of governmental activity and its relationship to the needs of the people. However, they are attempting to develop at Chicago in 1933, an exposition which will be somewhat different from anything of this nature before accomplished. At an early stage in their planning, they solicited the aid of a group of scientists and business men, who prepared for them an exhibit plan and dramatization of a Century of Progress; and the plans which were submitted are now being brought to completion in so far as is practicable. The officers of the exposition would like the governmental representation to be of such nature that the Government would display largely the part it has played and is playing in the essential progress of the agricultural, extracting, and manufacturing industries, as well as in commerce, transportation, and communications.

While it is the opinion of the committee that governmental exhibits should be separate and apart from private and other exhibits portraying developments in like fields of endeavor, the committee recognizes that the cooperation of governmental agencies will be needed to complete some of such exhibits and indorses the recommendation that provision be made for such separate cooperation and assistance upon the approval of the commission.

SPACE AND FUNDS

The committee is of the opinion that space of not less than 120,000 square feet will be necessary and that the sum of not less than $550,000 for buildings and not less than $1,175,000 for exhibits, compensation, and other expenses should be provided. These proposals are based upon a tentative distribution as follows:

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In view of the specialized nature of the work of the commissioner in connection with participation of the Government in an international exposition, the committee feels the necessity that the Congress give favorable consideration to the granting of certain latitudes to the commission and the commissioner in the execution of their respective duties, as well as to the waiving of standard governmental regulations with respect to the expenditure of funds and the employment of personnel. Likewise, it feels the need that the Congress authorize the commission to expend those funds which it deems necessary for certain entertaining. It is customary for many foreign countries to send special commissions to these expositions and, while the exposition authorities provide for their appropriate reception, the governmental commission has always certain limited obligations to fulfill,

SR-72-1-VOL 1-11

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