Program from the Cuban Pavilion

The Cuban Pavilion is dedicated at the Court of Peace at the 1939 World's Fair in New York City on the 37th Anniversary of its independence. Ambassador Pedro Martinez Fraga, United States Commissioner General Edward Flynn, World's Fair President Grover Whalen, and Cuban Secretary of Agriculture Jose Garcia Montes speak.

Luis Pasada (?) begins the dedication of the Cuban Pavilion by praising the United States and the World's Fair. It is a paean to human progress, to which the Cuban Pavilion is a modest but earnest part. The occasion is opportunity to encourage and foster goodwill and peace throughout the world.

Pedro Martinez Fraga, Ambassador of Cuba to the America speaks in praise of the egalitarian efforts of the fair and the United States. He talks about the changes that Cuba has undergone it is 37 years - its rise in population, its improvement in education, its shift from colonial outpost to economic force.
There is a brief pause to attempt to quiet an inattentive crowd.
He continues to discuss the ties between the United States and Cuba, particularly those involving economics.

Edward Flynn, after joking about the difficulties speaking above the festival din, speaks about the links between Cuba and the United States.

Grover Whalen, president of the New York World's Fair, thanks Cuba for participating in the fair.

Finally, the secretary of agriculture for Cuba, Jose Garcia Montes, offers a speech in Spanish for the festival audience.

(The end of the program is cut off)

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection

WNYC archives id: 90692