products on hand; the transportation of meat in interstate and foreign commerce, and the interstate and foreign transportation of meats and meat-food products prepared with preservatives prior to October 1, 1906, and amending regulation No. 45 governing the transportation to a foreign country of meats and meat-food products, etc. In view of the changed conditions of inspection, transportation, etc., I renew the request I respectfully and earnestly made, that through your excellency's kind mediation the decree of July 5, 1906, be so modified by the Austrian Government as to admit within its borders meats which have been inspected and passed by government officials of the United States, when, in every case, accompanied by a certificate of such government inspection. I trust your excellency will be able at an early date to assure me that such action has been taken by the Austrian Government. SIR: Referring to my No. 175 of February 16, 1907, I beg to report that up to date I have been unable to receive any reply from the Austrian Government through the common minister of foreign affairs to inquiries made by me November 6, 1906, and February 16, 1907, whether the decree of July 5, 1906, would be so modified as to admit into Austria meats and meat products that have been inspected and passed by government officials of the United States, in each case to be accompanied by a certificate of such government inspection. I had previously submitted copies of various government publications containing the regulations governing such inspection. To-day I addressed Baron Aehrenthal again on the subject, copy of note inclosed. The Austrians are distinctively meat eaters, and their country furnishes the almost exclusive market for Hungarian pork and beef. Awaiting specific instructions as to my future action in this matter. I have, etc., CHARLES S. FRANCIS. [Inclosure.] Ambassador Francis to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. AMERICAN EMBASSY, YOUR EXCELLENCY: I beg to respectfully call your excellency's attention to my note addressed to you, dated February 16, 1907 (F. O. No. 62), which remains unanswered. In such communication and in a previous note (dated November 6, 1906) I earnestly requested, through your excellency's kind mediation, that, in view of changed conditions of inspection, transportation, etc., the decree of July 5, 1906, be so modified by the Austrian Government as to admit within its territory American meats which have been inspected and passed by government officials of the United States-in each case accompanied by a certificate of such government inspection. It is believed that all previous objections to entry raised by the Austrian Government have been met and effectively overcome by the new law, which became operative October 1, 1906, prohibiting the exportation of any meats to Europe which have not been duly inspected by government officials of the United States, and which are unaccompanied by a certificate of inspection. I again respectfully and earnestly request at an early date information as to the position the Imperial Government of Austria assumes in the recognition of such inspection of meats by American government officials, and whether, by modification of the decree of July 5, 1906, such meats and meat products will be admitted within the borders of Austria when accompanied by the aforesaid guaranties of their purity. I avail, etc., File No. 821/24. No. 157.] CHARLES S. FRANCIS. The Secretary of State to Ambassador Francis. Washington, October 25, 1907. SIR: The department incloses herewith copy of letter from Messrs. Armour & Co., of Chicago, dated the 19th instant, complaining of the refusal of the Austrian Government to accept shipments of American pork meats unless accompanied by a United States certificate of microscopic inspection. You are instructed to take this matter up at once with the Austrian Government, and to urge acceptance of importations of American salted meats upon production of the official certificate of inspection contemplated by the United States meat-inspection law of June 30, 1906. You may assure the Austrian authorities that the new system of official inspection of meats intended for export in this country is thorough, scientific, and stringent, and the certificate of inspection issued by the Department of Agriculture should be accepted by Austria-Hungary as a guaranty of the purity and wholesomeness of the products covered by it. The microscopic inspection of salted pork for export to determine the presence or absence of trichina has been discontinued by the Department of Agriculture. It has been quite clearly shown that the usual methods of curing salted pork are sufficient to destroy any trichina which might be present. Under such conditions any trichinæ, if present, may be considered innocuous and the meat wholesome. The universal custom in the United States of cooking meat before eating, during which process trichinæ are easily destroyed, is another reason for the abandonment of microscopic inspection of pork. I am, etc., ELIHU ROOT. [Inclosure.] Armour & Co. to the Secretary of State. CHICAGO, October 19, 1907. DEAR SIR: The Austrian Government declines to accept shipments of Americon pork meats without the microscopic inspection certificate. As you are aware, microscopic inspection was discontinued by the Department of Agriculture when the meat-inspection law of June 30, 1906, was enacted. We could do a good business at the present time with Austria if our interstate certificates were accepted. The French Government has agreed to honor them, and we can see no good reason why the Austrian Government should not do likewise. 85111-FR 1907- -5 Perhaps this matter has been brought to your attention and steps taken by our ambassador at Vienna to persuade the Austrian officials to accept our certificates. If so, we should be grateful if you would advise us what position the negotiations are now in; if not, we should be grateful if you would kindly send such instructions to our ambassador at Vienna as will put him in a position to put the matter fully before the Austro-Hungarian Government. Any assistance that we can render the ambassador through out agents is entirely at his and your service. Thanking you in anticipation, we are, dear sir, ARMOUR & COMPANY. File No. 821/26-30. No. 373.] Ambassador Francis to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN EMBASSY, Vienna, November 14, 1907. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 157, dated October 25, 1907, inclosing the letter from Messrs. Armour & Co., Chicago, dated October 19, complaining of the refusal of the Austrian Government to accept shipments of American pork meats unless accompanied by a United States certificate of microscopic inspection. Your instructions to take this matter up at once with the Austrian Government, and to urge acceptance of importation of American salted meats, accompanied by official certificates of inspection, have been carefully noted and obeyed. I inclose copy of a note upon the subject addressed by me to-day to Baron von Aehrenthal, imperial and royal minister of foreign affairs; and, in this connection, I beg also to inclose copies of three previous notes addressed by me to him, which were supplemented, I might add, by several personal visits by me to the foreign office. Up to the present time no response has been received from the imperial government. I am, etc., CHARLES S. FRANCIS. [Inclosure.] Ambassador Francis to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. F. O. No. 129.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Vienna, November 14, 1907. YOUR EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to call your attention to notes No. 31, of November 6, 1906; No. 62, of February 16, 1907; and No. 76, of April 10, 1907, addressed by me to your excellency, relative to the importation into Austria of American meats duly inspected, before exportation, by government officials of the United States, and accompanied in each instance by certificates of inspection issued by the Department of Agriculture. In order to show that all previous objections to entry raised by the Austrian Government have been met and effectively overcome by the American law (which became operative October 1, 1906) prohibiting the exportation of any meats to Europe which have not been duly inspected by officials of the United States Government, I inclosed in one of my notes for your excellency's perusal copies of various official publications containing the regulations governing such meat inspection, the examination and relabeling of meats and meat-food products on hand, and the transportation of meats in interstate and foreign commerce. In view of the changed conditions of inspection, transportation, etc., I strenuously renew the request contained in my note to your excellency of April 10, 1907, which I had before respectfully and earnestly made, that, through your excellency's kind mediation, the Austrian Government should promptly admit within its borders American meats accompanied by government official certificates of their purity. The condition at present required by the Austrian Government that all shipments of American pork meats are denied entry unless accompanied by a United States certificate of microscopic inspection, is equivalent to prohibition of entry. The Department of Agriculture, deeming them unnecessary, has discontinued the issuance of such certificates of microscopic inspection. It has been clearly shown that the usual methods of curing salted pork are sufficient to destroy any trichinæ, and I am authorized to assure the Austrian Government, through your excellency, that the present system of official inspection of meats in the United States intended for export is thorough, scientific, and stringent, and the certificate of such inspection issued by the Department of Agriculture should be accepted by Austria as a guaranty of the purity and wholesomeness of the products covered by it. In expressing the hope that your excellency will be able at an early date to assure me that such guaranty issued by American government officials in the form of certificates of inspection, accompanying each shipment of pork meats, will be recognized by the Austrian Government. I embrace, etc., CHARLES S. FRANCIS. BELGIUM. BRUSSELS SUGAR CONVENTION OF MARCH, 1902. File No. 7167. No. 183.] Minister Wilson to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, SIR: I have the honor to advise the department that I have just been informed through unofficial but reliable channels that Great Britain has given notice to the Belgian Government, through its plenipotentiary here, of the conditional withdrawal of its adherence to the Brussels sugar convention signed at Brussels March 5, 1902. At the present time I am unable to secure any additional facts relative to the withdrawal. It is possible that the attitude of Great Britain will lead to a movement for a modification of some of the articles of the convention. Her action is supposed to be inspired by the demands of the new liberal government for a volteface on the policy pursued by Chamberlain on the sugar question. Undoubtedly a new conference will result from the action of Great Britain. SIR: Referring to my No. 183, of June 4, I have now the honor to transmit, for the information of the department, a copy-in the French text of the July number of La Sucrerie Belge," which contains a discussion of the denunciation by the British Government of the Brussels sugar convention and of the causes which have led thereto. In connection with the discussion an outline of the existing conditions of the sugar industry over the world, and especially in Belgium, is made. It should be noted that the denunciation of Great Britain will not go into practical effect until September, 1908. I have, etc., HENRY LANE WILSON. • Not printed. |