No. 127.
Mr. Morton
to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Legation of
the United States,
Paris, April 4, 1883.
(Received April 18.)
No. 324.]
Sir: I availed myself of an occasion during a
recent personal interview with Mr. Challemel Lacour, the new minister of
foreign affairs, to call his attention to the subject of the decree
prohibiting the importation into France of American salted meats, and
subsequently addressed a, communication to him on the subject, a copy of
which I have the honor to transmit herewith.
In relation to this subject I have had different interviews with the
representatives of the Chambers of Commerce of Paris, Marseilles, Bordeaux,
and Havre, who take a special interest in the importation of American meats,
and propose to make joint representations to the minister of commerce and to
originate a sytem of petitions among the working classes of France urging
the repeal of the decree.
This move, if properly directed, will be, it is hoped, effective. I have
been, however, so often disappointed that I will not venture to count upon
the success of the present movement, though it is well calculated to reach
the end desired. I may add that at the conference for the protection of
industrial property, which was presided over by the minister of commerce,
and attended by the director of exterior commerce, I insisted with both
these gentlemen upon the necessity of the abrogation of the decree.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure in No. 324.]
Mr. Morton to the
minister of foreign
affairs.
Legation of the United States,
Paris, March 24,
1883.
Sir: I beg leave to call the attention of your
excellency to communications which I have had the honor of addressing to
your predecessors, Mr. St. Hilaire and Mr. Gambetta, with reference to
the decree prohibiting the importation of American salted meats into
France.
[Page 265]
This decree has now been in force for more than two years, while similar
products from all other countries have, been freely admitted in
France.
An examination of the subject will, I trust, not only satisfy your
excellency, but also your honorable colleague, the minister of commerce,
that the decree was issued under a misapprehension of the facts bearing
upon the question, and that there are no valid reasons why this
exceptional measure, only applicable to the Government of the United
States, should be abrogated.
The Government of the United States yields to none in its desire to
protect the public health, and claims that the searching and careful
investigation conducted by a most competent officer detailed for the
purpose by the Department of State, clearly established the unfounded
and erroneous character of the statements regarding the alleged
unwholesome qualities of American hog products, upon which the issue of
the prohibitory decree was based. The result of the examination was
presented to Mr. St. Hilaire by my predecessor, General Noyes, on the
23d of June, 1881.
I beg leave also to refer to the report of the National Academy of
Medicine of France on the question propounded by the Government
regarding the necessity of an inspection of foreign pork, and which,
after referring to the free admission of American and German pork for
many years, without inspection, and its extended use in the
manufacturing and industrial districts of France, states that the
disease called trichinosis, with the exception of a single case, has not
been observed in any part of France.
I can but believe that your excellency’s Government will, after a
consideration of all the evidence now before it, cheerfully place the
Government of the United States upon the same footing as all other
friendly nations by the revocation of the decree.
I avail, &c.,
