Referring to the letter of the honorable the Secretary of Agriculture,
inclosed with your instruction, it would seem that the Secretary regards the
Belgian regulation requiring dressed beef carcasses to be accompanied by the
lungs of the animals respectively as applied solely to these products coming
from the United States, and as thus plainly discriminating against our
interests. The law, however, is a general one, applicable to the dressed
beef imported from Germany, Holland, and other countries, as well as from
the United States.
It is claimed by the Belgian Government that the law under which the
regulation is made, and a copy of which accompanied my dispatch No. 225, was
passed solely as a sanitary measure.
It is for the reason that the law is general in its application and
applicable to the dressed-beef products of all foreign countries that I have
suggested that it be so amended as to permit of its being dispensed with in
favor of the products of any country whose sanitary inspection laws are
found to be satisfactory by the Belgian minister of agriculture.
[Inclosure in No. 231.]
Mr. Terrell to the
Prince de Chimay.
Legation of the United States,
Brussels, October 29,
1891.
Prince: I have the honor to inform your
excellency that some six weeks ago I duly forwarded to my Government
copies of the correspondence exchanged between the Belgian Government
and this legation on the subject of the regulations enforced in [Page 39] Belgium as to dressed beef
imported from the United States, requiring that such beef carcasses
should be accompanied by the lungs of the animals attached thereto,
respectively.
The United States Government has thoroughly considered the entire subject
in the light of the replies of your excellency to my communications, and
I am now in receipt of further instructions directly relating to this
matter.
My Government regards these regulations of Belgium as entirely
prohibitive of all importations of dressed beef carcasses into Belgium
from the United States, and as in their effect essentially
discriminating against one of the most important products of our
country.
Your excellency has been pleased to inform me heretofore that these
regulations are enforced under a law which it is not possible for the
Government of the King to change. From the language of the law it is to
be presumed that the law in question was enacted with a view to
establishing certain sanitary measures as to beef products imported into
the country. Since the passage of that law the United States has put
into force the most thorough and searching inspection regulations as to
its beef and pork products designed for exportation to foreign countries
ever instituted, I venture to say, by any government on earth. Since
these regulations were first established additional and even more
stringent requirements have been imposed by the Department of
Agriculture, so that to-day they constitute a most efficient and
entirely satisfactory body of sanitary measures, absolutely assuring
beyond question the quality of the products thus intended for
exportation. These inspection laws provide for an ante-mortem and
post-mortem examination of all animals killed for exportation, and for
official certification by Government officers as to the healthfulness of
the animal at time of slaughter, all of which is evidenced by marks
attached to the carcasses. The shipments of these beef products are made
in quarters, the lungs being removed at the time of slaughter, and it is
therefore not practicable nor possible to ship them adherent to the
carcasses.
It seems to my Government that the continuance by Belgium of its strange
requirement is not only a discrimination against an important product of
our country, but a serious reflection upon the character of our
inspection laws.
The Governments of Germany, Denmark, and Italy, after prohibiting
absolutely for some years—on what has turned out to be groundless
objections—the importation of beef and pork products from the United
States, have, through thorough examination made by special expert
commissions respectively, become entirely satisfied with the efficient
sanitary inspection laws and regulations now so rigidly enforced in the
United States, and have promptly and in the most liberal spirit
rescinded their restrictive measures and opened their ports to the
admission of these articles of commerce.
France, through her Chamber of Deputies, has already taken the same
action, which will undoubtedly be ratified by her Senate.
Thus from now on shipments of American cattle, beef and pork carcasses,
and meat products can be made to any country in Europe, without
discriminating or prohibitive measures being applied to them, except in
Belgium.
Surely the friendly spirit which has always been shown to the Government
of Belgium by the United States would seem to suggest a prompt removal
of the restrictive regulations under discussion.
Your excellency has observed that the regulation can not be modified
because it is enforced under a law, but surely a law can be amended. As
I had the honor to suggest in a former communication to your excellency,
the law could be amended so as to provide that the requirement that the
carcasses imported should have the lungs of the animals adherent could
be dispensed with by the minister of agriculture as to the products of
any country whose sanitary inspection laws should be deemed satisfactory
by him.
My Government trusts that on a careful reconsideration of this matter the
Belgian Government may see that it is decidedly to the interest of its
people and of its commerce, and at the same time fair to a friendly
government, to bring about the removal of this regulation.
Stringent measures of this character, producing in effect unjust
discriminations against the products of another country and practically
prohibiting their importation frequently lead to retaliatory measures,
which are always deeply to be regretted.
I profit, etc.,
