No. 133.
Mr. Frelinghuysen to Mr. Morton.
Washington, June 22, 1883.
Sir: Your No. 324, of the 4th instant, in relation to the French prohibition of the pork products of the United States from importation into France, has been received. Your note to Mr. Challemel Lacour is approved.
When the question of prohibitory measures against imports of American pork was lately under discussion in the German Reichstag, the President extended to the German Government an invitation to send a commission of experts to the United States to investigate on the spot the operations of hog raising, slaughtering, and packing, and so satisfy itself that the conclusions reached by this Government, after a searching investigation, are sound. The German Government did not, however, find it practicable to act in season upon this suggestion.
I send you for your information a copy of the instruction sent to Mr. Sargent, conveying this invitation.* It might perhaps be embarrassing to extend a like formal invitation at this late day to the French Government, but you are at liberty to mention the circumstance to Mr. Challemel Lacour as an additional illustration of the conviction felt by this Government that the charges of unsoundness and deleteriousness brought against the pork products of the United States are without adequate foundation, and of the confidence with which we court the fullest investigation of the facts. You may say to the minister that it is probable that the President will, during the present year, designate a commission of the most eminent scientific men of this country to examine into the matter and make a searching and impartial report. If Mr. Challemel Lacour should express a desire to have a French representative appointed on such commission, or to send a French expert to act in concert therewith, you will say to him that such co-operation would be gladly welcomed.
I am, &c.,
- See Instruction No. 87, February 16, 1882, to the United States minister at Berlin↩