{"value"=>"<p>Dissatisfied with the lackluster participation of maritime industries in the 1939 season, the Fair Corporation appointed U.S. naval captain Laurence N. McNair advisor for 1940. McNair had to tackle industry concern over the way the escalating war in Europe and the U.S. Neutrality Acts were shrinking business and dampening interest in Fair participation. For 1940, the exhibit was moved from the distinctive Maritime building at the edge of the Transportation Zone to the more centrally-located Communications Building. The Maritran Corporation, a collective of shipping concerns that included the Port of New York Authority, financed the exhibit design, construction and operation. Participants included shipbuilders and operators, leisure travel agencies, navigation schools, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Merchant Marine. The records largely represent the period leading up to the 1940 opening, and include McNair's correspondence with industry representatives, exhibitor proposals, space allocation plans, contract drafting documents, progress reports and organizational charts.</p>"}