Petition: The Panama-Pacific Exposition

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Petition: The Panama-Pacific Exposition is a letter written by Arthur Conan Doyle first published in The Spectator No. 4469 on 21 february 1914.


Petition: The Panama-Pacific Exposition

The Spectator No. 4469 (p. 301)

[To The Editor of the "Spectator."]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle yesterday (Thursday) forwarded to the Prime Minister a petition signed by many well-known authors urging the Government to reconsider their decision as regards the participation of this country in the Panama-Pacific Exposition to be held in San Francisco in 1915. The text of the petition and the signatories are as follows:—

"We, the undersigned men and women of letters of various shades of political conviction, are united in our opinion that His Majesty's Government would be well advised to reconsider their decision as regards the participation of Great Britain in the San Francisco Exhibition of 1915. The petitioners would lay stress upon the fact that the sum involved would appear to be a moderate one as compared to the very great harm which might come from any deterioration of those better relations which have been built up during a number of years between ourselves and the United States of America. — (Signed)

  • William Archer
  • Arthur C. Benson
  • Robt. H. Benson (Mgr.)
  • Lucy Clifford
  • Arthur Conan Doyle
  • Stephen Gwynn
  • Charles Garvice
  • Silas K. Hocking
  • Henry Arthur Jones
  • Sidney Lee
  • John Masefield
  • Frankfort Moore
  • A. E. W. Mason
  • W. B. Maxwell
  • Mart E. Maxwell (Miss Braddon)
  • E. W. Hornung
  • Coulson Kernahan
  • Max Pemberton
  • Fred. Pollock
  • Gilbert Parker
  • Arthur Pinero
  • Hesketh Prichard
  • Owen Seaman
  • Douglas Sladen
  • Humphrey Ward
  • Mary A. Ward
  • Fred. M. White
  • Horace Anneslet Vachele
  • H. De Vere Stacpoole

A Memorial to the same effect has already been signed by nearly three hundred members of the House of Commons, and will shortly be presented to Mr. Asquith. Sir Edward Poynter, President of the Royal Academy, and a Committee of famous artiste; the British Science Guild, representing prominent scientists; the British American Peace Centenary Committee; the International Arbitration League, and many influential commercial bodies have already urged the Government to reconsider their decision not to participate in the Exposition.

The official opening of the Exposition occurs on February 20th, 1915, one year from to-day.