I was very pleased to discover that they are hosting two exhibitions of great American architects, Frank Gehry and Tom Maine, this fall in that beautiful building there. Rotterdam was wise enough to know that reconstruction involved more than just building buildings. The gateway to the world in terms of population, as well as trade, Rotterdam has experienced a higher volume of immigration than any other Dutch city. Today, more than half of the children born in Rotterdam are not of traditional Dutch descent. Your city has approached the challenge of immigration with the same spirit as we have in America.
Diverse parts make a greater whole.
Your dedicated former mayor Bram Peper deserves special praise for his leadership in knitting together the cultural fabric of this city. In Rotterdam, as in America, diversity is a source of strength. Creativity and innovation and the thousands of Dutch men and women who emigrated to the U.S. after the war on the Holland America Line, and whose last view of Holland was the Hotel New York, have contributed to our economy and society. Rotterdam has successfully used its diverse population as a springboard to establish itself as a world class cultural center. I am proud of the contribution, through the Marshall Plan, America has made to the rebuilding of Rotterdam.