The Scramble Starts

Ever since 500 B.C., when Persia's King Ahasuerus put "the riches of his glorious kingdom" on display for six months, monarchs by the hundred and merchants by the million have been convinced that nothing stimulates trade like a fair. This idea was vigorously rampant in A.D. 1946.

Export-eager Great Britain was out first with plans for another World's Fair. In London last week, the British Government announced that "no money or effort" would be spared to guarantee that it "will surpass any previous international event of the same character." Probable date: 1951, centenary of London's great exhibition for which Prince Albert had the famed Crystal Palace built in Hyde Park.

Holland led off the revival in Europe by actually opening a national fair at Utrecht last week under the auspices of Queen Wilhelmina. Although more stalls were provided for exhibitors than ever before at Utrecht, there were not enough.

In the U.S., Chamber of Commerce live-wires of nearly every major city were crackling with fair plans. But U.S. businessmen were becoming wary of backing one-shot, big-splurge World's Fairs; with the notable exception of Chicago's 1933-34 Century of Progress, which finished its second year in the black, they have all lost money for their bondholders. Chief interest now is in permanent or annual fairs which would pay strict attention to business--no Midways, no fan dancers, no Trylons and Perispheres.

New Orleans businessmen, with eyes cocked toward Latin America, have already plunked down $200,000 to buy two adjoining buildings in the business district, pledged themselves to plunk down $750,000 more to remodel them into a slick, air-conditioned home for a new International Trade Mart. Object: a year-round display of Mississippi Valley products.

Chicagoans were cooking up a "Greater Chicago Fall Festival" as an annual October event "to present the true Chicago to the outside world."

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