There were on the exposition grounds State buildings constructed by 44 States. These buildings were designed as clubhouses for the citizens of the various States and were provided with rest rooms, social halls, and other rooms to contribute to the comfort of and promote sociability among the people of the various States visiting the exposition. At the beginning of the exposition it seemed one of the duties of the board of lady managers would be to provide a hall for the meeting of women visiting the exposition and also a rest room, but this want was provided for by each individual State.
MARY PHELPS MONTGOMERY, Chairman.
Mrs. MARCUS DALY.
ANNA L. DAWES.
M.K. DE YOUNG.
Mrs. EDWARD L. BUCHWALTER.
Mrs. RICHARD W. KNOTT.
Mrs. JOHN M. HOLCOMBE.
Miss Anna M. Dawes, chairman of the committee on foreign relations, read the first report of that committee at the meeting of the board held in the Administration Building on March 2, 1904. The final report of that committee is as follows:
The committee on foreign affairs was appointed by Mrs. James L.
Blair, the first president of the board, during the meeting at
the time of the formal opening of the exposition on May 2, 1903.
This committee consisted of Mrs. Daniel Manning, chairman; Miss
Dawes, Mrs. Knott, Miss Gould, Mrs. Holcombe, Mrs. Montgomery,
Mrs. Moores, and Mrs. von Mayhoff.
On December 17, 1903, Mrs. Manning having been elected president of the board after the resignation of Mrs. Blair, Miss Dawes became chairman of the committee, and has so continued.
In pursuance of a policy inaugurated by Mrs. Manning, it was determined to send a circular to the women of the different countries of Europe, calling their attention to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, inviting their cooperation and presence, and offering to do what we could toward that end. At the request of the present chairman, Mrs. Manning conferred with the officers of the exposition as to what had already been done, and with the State Department in Washington as to what could be done, and prepared the circular appended, the State Department sending it out to its officials in the following countries:
Berne, Switzerland; Bucharest, Roumania; Belgrade, Servia;
Brussels, Belgium; Constantinople, Turkey; Copenhagen, Denmark;
Athens, Greece; Berlin, Germany; Habana, Cuba; Lisbon, Portugal;
Rome, Italy; Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; Stockholm, Sweden;
St. Petersburg, Russia; Sofia, Bulgaria; Vienna, Austria;
London, England; The Hague, Netherlands; Egypt; Mexico; China;
Japan; Dominion of Canada.
The cordial cooperation of the Government, through the State Department, was a source of great satisfaction to the committee, giving, as it did, not only currency to the circular, but putting the weight and dignity of the Government behind our action. For this, and for the extremely valuable circular so finely adapted to the need, and so eloquently setting forth the objects of the exposition and the aims and desires of this board, we are, as in so many other things, indebted to the experience and ability of Mrs. Manning.
His Excellency the MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ——.
EXCELLENCY: By an act of Congress of the United States, the board of lady managers of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition is directed to join with the other constituted authorities in commemorating the great event in the history of the United States when, a century ago, there was added to its territory a new field which to-day is the home of many people, and where earnest and sincere women, as well as men, are laboriously working out the problem of the progress of humanity and the advancement of the race.