1964-65 New York World's Fair Groundbreaking and Dedication Booklets

HE PAVILIO

DENM

I*

SEPTEMBER" 3 0,

Flag Raising Ceremony at the New Yor

4-1965

Excerpts from transcription of remarks made by
officials of Denmark and the Fair at flag raising
ceremonies for the Pavilion of Denmark at the
New York World's Fair, September 30, 1963.

AMBASSADOR RICHARD C. PATTERSON, JR.
[Chief of Protocol] : Your Excellencies, ladies and gentle-
men. On the site of today's ceremony a pavilion will arise
which will represent a country that is small in actual size
but large in the respect and admiration it enjoys in the
eyes of the world. The history of Denmark in war and
in peace is a history of a gallant and industrious people,
whose contributions to western civilization cannot be
measured.

1 should like to introduce to you a distinguished Dane
who has served in his country's foreign service for forty
years and whose duties have taken him to nearly every part
of the world. He is former Danish Ambassador to Peru
and now the distinguished and very popular Consul Gen-
eral of New York City, His Excellency Viggo Jensen.

I am privileged to present to you our first speaker, the
former Governor of New York State. The Honorable
Charles Poletti.

GOVERNOR CHARLES POLETTI [Vice President,
International Affairs and Exhibits] : Thank you. Ambas-

sador Patterson, Your Excellency, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, distinguished and charming wives, other distin-
guished officials of Denmark and friends. I'm very happy
to be here at this dedication. We are delighted that Den-
mark is going to be here with the family of nations that
is participating, and we are pleased that Denmark is
going to hold such an important and significant corner.
Denmark's site is right near the main entrance where
60-65% of the people will come in by subway and Long
Island Railroad, including those on their way to the Uni-
sphere.® Thus it will be difficult for anyone coming to
this New York World's Fair not to stop and see the
Pavilion of Denmark.

The Pavilion of Denmark has been made possible in
large measure because of the devoted and energetic per-
sistence of a few people. The first person I would like to
mention, Erik Stockmann, deserves much of the credit for
our having a Danish Pavilion. We are very proud to
recognize his contribution. We hope we shall have many
occasions to make him feel that we of the New York
World's Fair Corporation are exceedingly grateful to him
for what he has done to achieve a Pavilion of Denmark.

I would like also to make special mention of Kai Johan-
sen. We have seen him on our trips to Denmark and we
always found in Johansen a warmhearted, cordial, under-
standing, sympathetic fellow.

The third person I would like to mention is a member
of our own staff. In spirit he is very much a Dane, and
I can't think of any human being who labored more

(G) 1963 New York World's Fair 1964-1965 Corporation

energetically and more steadfastly in order to persuade
the powers that be to have a pavilion representing the
people of Denmark. I am happy to pay special tribute to
him today — our associate Douglas Beaton.

We think that your pavilion is going to be very sig-
nificant. You have so much to show, particularly in your
great fields of crafts. Your pavilion will afford the oppor-
tunity of seeing your fine work in silver and stainless steel,
your furniture, your china, and all your other excellent
products. I'm delighted that you are going to have an at-
traction that will evoke the fondest recollection of all of
us — one of the most delightful and charming spots any-
where in the world — your Tivoli Gardens. We are happy

The Pavilion of Denmark,
designed by the well-known
Danish architect, Erik
Moeller, is sponsored by
private industry and
commerce with the Danish

Agricultural Marketing Board as the major

sponsor.

:,

-

-e£5*S &r*

that, as a result of the special interest and contribution
made by the Mayor of the City of Copenhagen, we are
going to have a little bit of Tivoli.

Besides all your fine products, we are pleased to have
you because your country means a lot to the people of
the United States. We know your people as an industrious,
intelligent, charming and wholesome people. But above-
all, we Americans think of the people of Denmark as
friends — ardent, loyal, steadfast friends, friends of the
people of the United States, and, I may add, friends of
liberty and freedom and justice throughout the world.

It is in that sense that we are proud to be here today
at this dedication ceremony for the pavilion representing
the people of Denmark. Thank you very much.

AMBASSADOR PATTERSON: Thank you, Gover-
nor- Poletti. Introducing the next speaker is never easy
for me. He has accomplished so much for our city, for
our state, for our country and in many countries abroad
in so many ways. I shall merely tell you that he is the
dedicated, dynamic president of the New York World's
Fair, The Honorable Robert Moses.

MR. ROBERT MOSES: Ambassador Patterson, and
representatives of Denmark and friends. I can only echo
what Governor Poletti has said. We wanted Denmark
here for many reasons. Some of them, perhaps, frankly
and unashamedly sentimental. It is a great country with
a great reputation in the last war, and we wouldn't be
without a Danish Pavilion. What Charlie said about
Tivoli is wholly true. We tried again and again to figure

out some way of getting a permanent replica of Tivoli
here. Well, that takes a lot of doing.

I guess most of you know a little bit about the back-
ground of Flushing Meadow. It was a typical Long Island
meadow with tortuous streams running through it, and
I had the somewhat dubious honor of having to build a
parkway through it. In the center was an enormous ash
dump. It was quite a job to figure out what to do, and
then miraculously along came the first world's fair. It
enabled us to acquire all the land, to level the ash dump,
and to drag these lakes that you see here on the south, to
get ready for the first world's fair.

When the first world's fair ended, there wasn't enough
money left to finish the park. We did what we could, and
then another miracle occurred — there was a second world's
fair.

One of the things that we expect to do here is to finish
the park. When all of the pavilions have gone, we are
going to save the landscaping. Most of the utilities under-
ground are permanent, and when it is all over, this will
be the finest park in New York City. It is going to take
a good deal of very prudent and careful management. In
that process, we are interested not only in having a great
many foreign states and domestic states, amusements and
American industries; we are anxious to have really fine
exhibits, and we don't care whether they are very large or
very small. Most of us feel that it isn't the size of the
exhibit that counts.

But what we would miss most of all, and have missed

Mr. Erik Stockmann, President of
the Danish Agricultural Marketing
Board, presenting a memento from
Denmark to Governor Charles
Poletti, as Mr. Moses looks on.

Participating in the Danish Flag Raising

Ceremony are: Robert Moses, Fair

president, Governor Charles Poletti, Mrs.

Per Haekkerup, His Excellency Per

Haekkerup, Minister for Foreign Affairs

of Denmark, and Mr. Erik Stockmann,

President of the Danish Agricultural Marketing Board.

in a few cases, are the countries that have been in existence
a long time, those that have been, in a true sense, democra-
cies before ours was thought of, those which have a civili-
zation, history, and culture which we can't as yet pretend
to have in this country. Denmark is certainly one of them.
I join Governor Poletti in congratulating you for coming
and promise that we shall give you every possible help
in getting your exhibit under way. Thank you.

AMBASSADOR PATTERSON: The motivating force
behind Danish participation in the Fair was the Danish
Agricultural Marketing Board of which our next speaker
is managing director. It was through his initiative and
dedication that Danish industry and commerce were
brought into this project. I am highly honored to present
to you the chairman of the Danish Fair Committee, Mr.
Erik Stockmann.

MR. ERIK STOCKMANN [Chairman of the Danish
Committee for Fair Participation] : Thank you. President
Moses, Governor Poletti, Foreign Minister Haekkerup,
distinguished guests. It is an honor and a privilege, as
president of the Committee for Danish Participation at
this flag raising day, to greet you and speak our gratitude
for the courtesy and cooperation shown us by the New
York World's Fair. There is more in these words than
convention, for we in Denmark are mindful that we came
into the picture in the eleventh hour, or, I should perhaps
add, five minutes after twelve, since the final confirmation
of our desire to participate was not reached until July
fourth, significantly on that very date which we also

observe and celebrate in Denmark.

To make up for the delay, we have put forth every
resource of imagination and work to speed the plans. For
this we arc thankful to all good forces on both sides of
the Atlantic. I should like here to express our special
thanks to our architect, Mr. Erik Moeller. Without his
inspiration and artistic skill we should not have been able
to reach so early this day's ceremony when the Danish
flag will rise over what is to be the Danish Pavilion.

We are happy also that we can here renew the tradition
of Denmark's participation in the New York World's Fair
of 1939-1940 here at Flushing Meadow Park. It is our
hope and faith that the Danish exhibition, which will rise
from this ground, will embody the best we can show the
United States, here under the Danish flag, of Danish
enterprise, work, culture, and service within agriculture,
industry, craftsmanship and commerce, and will promote
further the happy relationships, not only of trade, but of
the friendship between our two countries, the United
States and Denmark, the American and the Danish people.
Thank you.

AMBASSADOR PATTERSON: Thank you very
much. Ladies and gentlemen, our next guest is a former
journalist who for many years has been a distinguished
member of Denmark's Parliament. Today, as his country's
spokesman in NATO, in the UN, in the OECD, and in
the negotiations between EFTA and the Common Market,
he is recognized as one of Europe's best known and highly
respected diplomats and statesmen. Therefore, I have the

high honor to present the Foreign Minister of Denmark.
His Excellency Per Haekkerup.

HIS EXCELLENCY PER HAEKKERUP [Foreign
Minister of Denmark]: President Moses, Governor Po-
letti, ladies and gentlemen. It is indeed a great honor
and a great pleasure to be here today. It has already been
said, but I should like to repeat, that there has been for
many years a fine and close relationship between the
United States of America and Denmark. We in Denmark
want this fine cooperation to be continued — on the po-
litical side, on the economic side, in the cultural sphere —
wherever we have the possibility.

It was only a few years ago that the Danish King and
the Danish Queen went to the United States and saw a part
of your wonderful country. It was a part of what I think
we called the Danish year in the United States. We tried
then to present to you what we have achieved in Denmark,
what we could offer you in an exchange of commodities
as well as ideas. We have always underlined the great
importance, from our point of view, of the good relations
we have with the United States. We are the more happy
that private circles in Denmark, that private forces, and
that private initiative in agriculture, in industry, in handi-
crafts, in. trade are now taking the initiative and making
it possible for Denmark to take part in this very great
World's Fair in New York.

I know that much energy has been expended on both
sides of the Atlantic. We are looking forward to the
experiences we shall have here ; we are looking forward to

the exchanges which we shall obtain through the Danish
Pavilion and the contacts which we hope will be promoted
through this initiative. I am in complete agreement with
Mr. Stockmann when he said that what we wish is not
only to have good economic relations between the United
States and Denmark, but we believe sincerely that, if we
have good trade relations and if we have good human
relations between our peoples, we thereby contribute to
establishing and guaranteeing the peace and the welfare
of mankind all over the world.

I see this World's Fair as one contribution to that end,
and you have the wholehearted support and cooperation
of the Danish people in the great task you are now — in
205 days — going to establish here. I feel convinced,
when I look at this place, that with the energy and the
efficiency of the management of this World's Fair and
with the energy and efficiency of the men and women be-
hind this work, when I come back here in 205 days, I shall
see a wonderful World's Fair here, and I am sure that I
shall see a nice little Danish Pavilion, very well situated.

They will see some of the Danish handicrafts; they
will see some of the Danish skills. I hope they will drink
some Danish beer and will eat some good Danish food.
I am sure that they will be heartily welcome and that we
can get good results in this spirit of understanding that
this is just one more contribution to the intimate human
cooperation between people throughout the whole world.
I also wish to congratulate those who have taken the
initiative for the Danish participation at this occasion.

PAVILION OF DENMARK

ERIK STOCKMANN, Chairman, Danish Committee for New York World's Fair U.S. Committee for Danish Participation in the New York World's Fair 1964-1965:

1964-1965 Participation IB PEDERSEN BERNT I. CHRISTENSEN

JUST LUNNING, Chairman, U.S. Committee for Danish Participation in the GUSTAV WEDELL ERIK JENSEN

New York World's Fair 1964-1965. ERIK MOELLER, Architect

WERNER JENSEN AND KORST, Engineers
SESSINGHAUS AND OSTERGAARD, INC., Contractors

HE PAVILION OF DENMARK

will occupy

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^>$A a 21,481 sq. ft. site

in the
International

NEW YORK
WORLD'S FAIR
1964-1965
CORPORATION

Flushing, N. Y. 11380
Tel. 212-WF 4-1964

ROBERT MOSES, President

THOMAS J. DEEGAN, JR., Chairman of the Executive Committee

WILLIAM E. POTTER, Executive Vice President

CHARLES POLETTI, Vice President, International Affairs and Exhibits

STUART CONSTABLE, Vice President, Operations

WILLIAM BERNS, Vice President, Communications and Public Relations

ERWIN WITT, Comptroller

MARTIN STONE, Director of Industrial Section

GUY F. TOZZOLI, (Port of New York Authority) Transportation Section

ERNESTINE R. HAIG, Secretory of the Corporation and Assistant to the President

WILLIAM WHIPPLE, JR., Chief Engineer