Askov American., 1942-01-15
Government Issues
Danish Hopes Presented
By Hjalmar Petersen.

DolllSI AAOpCS L ICSCAltCu
Speaking at a luncheon, dinner,
and an open mass meeting in Mime
apolis, Tuesday, DR.. Henrik de Kauff-
mann, Denmark's Minister to the
United States, said that the Danes
would continue to work for re-estab-
lishment of free and independent
Denmark
The Minister explained that IL
hours after the German Minister in
Denmark had told the Danish For
eign Office there was no cause for
anxiety in Denmark and that they
could take the word of the Fuehrer
for it, Hitler's men marched into
Denmark and occupied that country
on April 9, 1910. Denmark was sud-
denly invaded without warning. DR..
de Kaufman, nevertheless, stayed
at his post in Washington, as usual,
looking after the interests of his ma
tive country and its people, and not
representing the Nazis, who occupied
Denmark.
Within a few hours after the occu-
patton of Denmark, Secretary Hull
told DR.. de Kaufman that America
would continue to recognize him as
the Minister of Denmark A year
later, to the day, on April 9, l94l,
the Greenland Defense by America
was signed in Washington, by Hull
and de Kaufman.
The Minister told of how the Ger
hn6 oir hococ 1c
in Jutland, the western portion of
Denmark, and how the Nazis helped
themselves to the larders and entered
banks in Denmark to order up loans.
The Minister explained that it is not
done like gangsters with machine
guns, but intimated that the effect
is about the same.
Dr. de Kaufman pleaded for the
re-establishment of Denmark as 2
free and independent country, and
said that smaller nations strongly
favor international cooperation, and
that country like Denmark realizes
that it has no chance of gaining any
thing from war. They don't want to
continue as slaves of a so-called
willing to give up some of their ma
tional sovereignty for world fedora
tion, but do want to retain their cul-
ture and free institutions.
With fellow citizens of the world
they are laboring and hoping for
victory of the united nations. The
Minister went on to state that we all
foc 70 IL
the Danes have not changed, and they
will retain their Danish ideals and
culture as was done for more than
SO years in Schleswig- -Holstein before
a part of that territory between Den
mark and Germany was returned to
its native land in plebiscite, fol-
lowing the World war in 1918. DR..
de Kaufman pleaded with his audi
ence, of which the greater portion was
men and women born in Denmark
or descendants of Danes, to be one
hundred per cent Americans, and in
that manner help Denmark return to
her former status.
Speaking of the democratic prin-
ciples of his native country, the
Minister brought forth an old and
good Danish saying when he said
that it is land where few have too
much and fewer too little.
Paul Steenberg, St. Paul contrac-
tor, who introduced the honored
guest at the dinner, commended the
speaker for his building of bridges
of friendship and understanding be-
tween ancient Denmark and America.
N. H. Debel, Industrial Commits
Sioner and chairman of the evening
meeting, spoke of the discussion that
had taken place all over America
with respect to our foreign policy
and what course to pursue, prior to
the declarations of war against Japan,
Germany and Italy, and said that
daily newspapers had taken lead
ing part in the discussion in Mime
sofa and the Northwest. With those
words he called upon Gideon Sey-
mour, editor-in-chief of the Mime
apolis Star Journal, who introduced
the Danish Minister.
Mr.. Seymour briefly sketched world
affairs down through history, stat
ing that in the early years it was the
imperialism of Rome that laid down
the rules for the world, later it was
Spain, and for the past three or four
centuries Britain has laid down the
rules. Mr.. Seymour stated that ap-
parently there are four choices for
the United States; namely, to abide