New-York tribune., 1910-01-16
DANES GENEROUS
Mr.. EGAN'S PRAISE.
Refers to Cook at Dinner GiUen
IN Minister'S Honor.

The Danish-American Association gave
a dinner last night at the Cafe Martin
in honor of DIR. Maurice Francis Egan,
American Minister to Denmark. While
the Danish speakers preserved a sphinx
like silence In regard to the Cook cpl
sode. Mr.. Egan did not pass 1t over. He
said:
1 have just come from Washington,
where / met many prominent men, in
cluding President Taft. There Is only
one feeling in our country about this un-
fortunate affair, and that Is respect for
the generosity of the Danes in receiving
an American citizen who asserted that
he had done a great thing, and for their
courage in being the first to acknowledge
their mistake.
1t was natural enough in a country
where gentleness of conduct and devo-
tion to the truth go hand in hand that
the reputation of being an. American
should have seemed sufficient guar
aptee for any statement he might make.
The>American people admire above all
things generosity and courage and the
spirit of fair play, and these qualities
have been shown so emInently by the
Danes, with whom we are related by so
many ties and interests. that the bonds
of union are stronger than ever.
About a hundred prominent Danes
and their wives took part In the dinner.
They came from this CITY, Brooklyn and
New Jersey, and many OF them had met
DIR. Egan i'm Copenhagen. Toasts to
President Taft and the King Of Denmark
were drunk standing, the health of the
latter being proposed by Minister Egan.
Among those present were Mr.. and Mrs.
M. C. Madsen, Mr.. and Mrs. Carl Ma
fbio Z,
kesen. Erode C. ". Rambusch, Professor
Otto Jespersen, Mr.. and Mrs. Esk Moller.
]. Hage. Johannes Fonss, A. f. Johnson
and Axel G. Lober. Karl Mathiesen was
POSTMASTER. The first speaker was Con-
sui General J. Clan, whose toast was
''Our Guest"
We have assembled tonight not only
TO do honor to a distinguished diplomat,
who represents so worthily this great re-
public near the Danish court, not only
to meet a prominent literary man in
whose works We have found the real
spirit of poetry, but to give a cordial
and sincere welcome to one who is
good and stanch friend to all Danish
Americans" said Mr.. Clan You have
most conscientiously tried to understand
our people, and 1 am convinced that the
Danish nation has no better friend than
yourself
Dr. Egan met with a hearty reception
when he was introduced. His reference
to the Cook affair was we'll received.
He next referred to the renewed ties of
friendship that had been cemented dur
Ing the last three years between the
united States and this great little
country. Denmark The PROFESSIONAL
exchange which had brought Nicholas
Murray Butler and DIR. Dutton. of
Columbia. and President MacCracken of
the University of New York to Denmark
mad resulted in broader knowledge and
wider sympathy on the part of the
Danes for the best in the United States.
He continued
On the other hand. Dr. Jespersen. of
the University of Copenhagen, who is
occurring at Columbia, returned with in
terest the obligation which Denmark
| owed to America for the presence of
| these men beside the Oresund. Then
had come the great Fourth of July cele-
hraton at Aarhus, in which the King
] and Crown Prince had shown such en-
| thusiasm and interest. In fact. there
was a iioileHl dltST Jne CelebrdtlOn
| when the King of Denmark was credited
| with being the most popular person in
| the United States. Everywhere in Den
mark American interests, America n
progress and American good will were
| the themes of conversation.
The United States. great as It is. ma
learn many lessons from this little
country, which in less than seventy-fiv
years has brought itself from poverty
by careful cultivation of its agricultural
possibilities to condition of afT1uence.
This has been done by organiza tion
among the Danish farmers, their deter
minatlon to remain on their own soil
and their scientific methods of cultiva
ton. Agriculture in Denmark is no
longer a speculation, but "a scientific
process which must produce certain re-
suits.
Minister Egan declared he was glad 10
say that the American people, particu-
larly the agricultural classes. were he
ginning to turn to the little country for
lessons in the intensive cultivation of
the land and in reasonable co-operation
which was badly needed here.
e. V. Eskesen responded to the toa st
America and Erode c. W. Rsmbuscb
spoke on Denmark"
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