The Levant Fair opened here today in the presence of twenty-four delegations representing foreign governments and thousands of guests and tourists attracted from all parts of the world to the annual Near East Exposition. Sir Arthur Grenfall Wauchope, High Commissioner of Palestine and patron of the exposition, presided at the formal opening ceremonies this afternoon.
The Fair, which will continue until May 26, is one of the most important trade expositions in the East. It is aimed not only to attract trade to Palestine but also to draw the attention of the world to the increasing importance of the Near Eastern markets in the world trade.
The exposition grounds this year occupy more than 120,000 square yards of ground and the Fair is expected to attract over a half million people.
The first formal event of the Fair was a luncheon in honor of Sir Arthur, the heads of government departments and the foreign government representatives, in the restaurant in the Fair pavilion.
MARCH IN PROCESSION
A huge siren, brought from Sweden, announced the opening of the affair. Thousands, including hundreds of notables, marched in the procession from the city hall of this all-Jewish city to the Fair grounds bearing the flag of the municipality which will fly over the Levant Fair.
The coincidence of the Fair with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of Tel Aviv has flooded this city with thousands of guests beyond its capacity to shelter. The Fair is generally expected to be the most successful in the history of the Near East.
The Palestine press, almost generally, made the opening of the Fair an occasion for issuing special supplements and editions descriptive of the Exposition and stressing Palestine trade possibilities.
Arabs were called upon to boycott the Fair in a special proclamation by the Arab Executive.
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