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EXPOSITION AT VIENNA.
sity be incurred in selecting and sending to it a complete corps of specialists. The national government only could undertake the task; and the experiences of the past do not justify any confident expectations for the future from that quarter. Should Massachusetts or any other state conclude, therefore, on any future occasion, that results of general importance to its people could be derived from a careful study of the exhibits in a world’s fair, it must abstain from attempting too much. The public press furnishes everything of a general and superficial character that any state commissioner could procure. The art of " cramming ” is by it carried to perfection. Beyond this, however, a real want exists of exhaustive studies in special departments. These, state commissioners, if selected for that purpose, could supply better than any other agency. Take, for instance the great branch of technical and artistic education which has already been referred to. It has of late years undergone a surprising development in Europe, the results of which supplies its most interesting and instructive feature to the recent Exposition. It is now exciting the greatest interest among all thoughtful men in America, and promises infinite results in our immediate future. The Massachusetts commission mio;ht well have been organized with a single view to dealing thoroughly with this department. Had it been so organized, the end in view would have been strictly proportioned to the means at command. To me, personally, from an early period after my arrival at Vienna, it has been a cause of deep regret that this view of the subject was not earlier taken. The experience came, however, too late, and it only remains to see that it is not again repeated.
Meanwhile the American Centennial must now be prepared for. It is greatly to be regretted that those who are to represent the Commonwealth there should not also have represented it, as was the original design, at Vienna; the experience would have been invaluable. Meanwhile, if the results of the Vienna commission can be made to contribute to the successful participation of the State in the Centennial, the expense incurred in sending it out will prove a most fortunate outlay. This desired result can be secured in a very simple way. A timely organization must be effected. The work of