File No. 859.155D22/11.]
The American Minister to the Secretary of State .
Copenhagen , August 8th, 1912 .
Sir: I have great pleasure in reporting the success of all the ceremonies surrounding the presentation of the deed of the Danish-American National Park, at Rebild Hills, Denmark, to His Majesty King Christian on Sunday, August 4th, at 12 o’clock. * * * We had made the trip to Aarhus on Saturday night, the King’s country house at Marselisborg being only a short distance from this city. Their Majesties, the King and Queen of Denmark, with the young Crown Prince Frederick and his brother Prince Knud received us in the drawing-room of the country house. I read the President’s letter to His Majesty, to which he replied, as follows:
It is with the greatest pleasure I have heard the words you have addressed to me in the name of the President of the United States of America, words in [Page 338] which I see a new testimony of the friendship and understanding existing between the Danish and American peoples. I beg you to bring Mr. Taft my heartfelt thanks for the interest he has taken in the realization of the plan of acquiring the tract of “Rebild Bakker” as a proof of the loyal feeling towards their old country of Danish men and women who have in your country found a new home.
In my own name and that of the Danish people, I beg you to convey on this pleasant occasion to Mr. Taft and through him to the American people, the Danish people’s and my own warmest greeting and best wishes for the future.
* * * On Monday, August 5th, the dedication ceremonies took place in Rebild Park, which consists of two hundred acres of heatherland. Much of this heatherland was reclaimed through the scientific efforts and the energy of Ernesto Dalgas, who was born in 1828 and died in 1894, and to whom a monument was erected in Aarhus. The work of reclamation is going on so rapidly that the old heatherlands are rapidly disappearing. This park is made up of rolling land, of gently ascending hills, so rare in this flat country, covered in this season of the year with the reddish purple heather.
The rain poured down all the morning, but this did not prevent the assembling of at least 6000 people. They came on thousands of bicycles, carriages, and carts of all kinds and an occasional automobile. The King arrived at two o’clock promptly. * * * He declined to dedicate the park, as he said that should be done by a clergyman; but he gave the signal for the hoisting of the two flags, the Danish and the American. At times the surrounding hills were covered with umbrellas, but interest in the proceedings was so great, the Danes showing an enthusiastic national pride in the proceedings, that nobody left the grounds, even after His Majesty departed after the first part of the program. * * * Dr. Henius said that he had been half promised while in Washington, a cable from the President, so I took the liberty of asking him to read the last paragraph in the President’s letter. This was followed by loud acclamations from all parts of the grounds and by three cheers for the President of the United States.
I have [etc.]