No. 336.
Mr. Anderson to Mr. Bayard.
Copenhagen , February 3, 1888. (Received February 20.)
Sir: I have the honor to report that I learned yesterday that strong pressure is being brought to bear upon Denmark by the Governments of Germany and of Sweden and Norway to compel Denmark to close her markets against American pork and its products. You may therefore expect notice at any time of the exclusion of American pork from Sweden and Norway.
I have been positively informed that the Governments of Germany, Sweden, and Norway have threatened to refuse to admit pork from Denmark unless the latter country accedes to their demands. I will add, that those engaged in pork raising in Denmark are doing all in their power to induce the Danish Government to prohibit the importation of American pork. In this they are of course pecuniarily interested, as it will raise the price of pork. It is being urged in many quarters by those interested that the swine epidemic (which I have reported) comes from America, although no live pork has ever been brought to Denmark or to Europe so far as I know. The advocates of prohibition claim that the large wooden casks in which American hams are shipped are afterward used as pens or sties, in which pigs are fattened in Scandanavia, and that in this manner the disease is conveyed from America to the live Scandinavian hogs. This theory seems to me the height of absurdity, and yet the advocates of prohibition are using it most vigorously and seemingly with success.
I have, etc.,