{"value"=>"<p>The bulk of these records consist of correspondence between Cole and foreign exhibitors, brokerage agents, customs administrators, shipping clerks and government officials addressing issues related to the clarification of rules and regulations, the preparation of documents, missing permits, and the bonding and liquidation of goods. Also addressed are legislative matters including duty-free shipment of articles for display or use at the Fair; the exemption of foreign wines and spirits from Federal Alcohol Administration Act provisions; and a special Act of Congress whereby foreign governments assumed liability for customs duties and charges, thereby relieving the Fair Corporation of this costly burden. Customs files yield information on the coordination of activities between the Fair staff and American Express personnel, and evidence the complications associated with the exportation of goods during the war under the Neutrality Act. The Customs Log records the countries and goods associated with each shipment, from the first entry in May 1938 (surveyors' tools from Belgium) to the last in October 1940 (silk wall hangings from Japan). Correspondence between the Fair and the Department of Agriculture concerns the securing of special permits and bonds through the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine to cover the importation of rare plants and trees. Additional correspondence on plant quarantine addresses shipments of tulip bulbs from the Netherlands. Finally, an article by Cole, \"Abroad at Home,\" which appeared in American Import and Export Bulletin, offers a lively account of customs clearance operations at the Fair.</p>"}