As chairman of the committee to report on the work of the jury, Miss Smith writes: 

    REPORT OF A COMMITTEE OF THE JURY OF GROUP 1.

The material presented for the consideration of the jury of group No. 1 (elementary education) comprised on the part of the United States the exhibit of public education as organized in 34 States and Territories, in 6 cities (presented as separate units), and in 15 foreign countries.  In number, extent, and complexity these exhibits surpassed all previous collections of the kind; the separate entries ran up into the thousands, representing for the most part such important collections as the exhibits of cities, counties, and groups of rural schools, all deserving careful attention.

The examination of this material in the brief time allowed (twenty days) was a severe task, and would have been impossible but for the circumstance that, with two exceptions, the exhibits were all placed in one building.  For the first time in the history of expositions the chief collective activity of civilized peoples was honored by an edifice planned and erected for itself alone.  This concentration of the material under the general direction of an experienced and able chief, thoroughly familiar with the arrangements and of unfailing courtesy and helpfulness, alone brought the work assigned the jury of group 1 within the bounds of possible achievement.  Their efforts were furthered also by the expert qualification of each and every member of the group by the system and perfect harmony in which they worked, and by the exceptional ability of their official staff:  Chairman, Dr. E.O.  Lyte; vice-chairman, Mr. B. Buisson, representing the French Government; secretary, Mr. Morales de Los Rios, representing the Cuban Government.

The details of the group organization are shown by the minutes of the secretary, which also present a full record of its daily action and findings.  It remains here only to speak of salient features of this particular division of the exposition, whose effects can not be indicated nor estimated by any system of awards.

The installations of the various exhibits had been carefully planned and were, as a rule, effective, and in many cases extremely beautiful.  The United States has made notable progress in this respect since the Chicago Exposition of 1893, and even since the Paris Exposition in 1900, and in the present exposition several of our States and cities offer fine models of the exhibitor’s art.  This is the case especially with Missouri and St. Louis; the latter in particular has realized the double purpose of challenging popular attention and satisfying critical taste.  The art of effective exposition, whether worked out with noble simplicity or rich decorative accessories, requires on the one hand intelligent selection and coordination of the material, and on the other skill in the treatment of space and artistic elements.