Germany was not to be completely over-shadowed by France notwithstanding
previous indifference on the part of the government. German
manufacturers wished to be represented, and they actually received
governmental encouragement. Austrians, not to be outdone by Italy,
unofficially came in. In fact, despite the war, every country had
some representation, England and Scandinavia and Switzerland included,
even if they did not have official authority.
There are those who maintain that, in spite of criticism, the Fine Arts
Department is now making a better showing than it could have made if
there had been no war. American collectors, with rare canvases, were
persuaded to help in the meeting of the emergency by lending work that,
otherwise, they would have kept at home. It was thought that many of the
Europeans would be glad to send their collections to this country for
safe keeping during war time. But such proved not to be the case. A good
deal of concern was felt about sending the treasures on so long a
journey, subject to the hazards of attack by sea. Furthermore, from the
European point of view, San Francisco seemed far away.