Regretting the inability of this Government to comply with your request,
I beg your excellency to accept, etc.,
[Inclosure in No. 61.]
Mr. Morton to
Mr. Olney.
United States Department of Agriculture,
Office of
the Secretary,
Washington, D.
C.
,
June 2,
1896
.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge
receipt of your note of the 27th ultimo, inclosing translation of a
note of the 26th ultimo from the French ambassador at this capital
in regard to the prohibition of French cattle from entry into the
United States.
The United States statutes prohibit the importation of cattle from
any foreign country, and this prohibition can only be removed upon
the [Page 137] certification to the
President by the Secretary of Agriculture that a country, or part of
a country, is free from contagious or infectious disease of domestic
animals, and that neat cattle and hides can be imported without
danger to the domestic animals of the United States.
The official reports of the French Government show that the most
dreaded contagious diseases of cattle exist in that country, and
have existed there for a long time. The report for the month of
March shows that 34 animals were slaughtered on account of being
affected with contagious pleuro-pneumonia; that 121 others were
inoculated because they had been exposed, and that the disease
existed in 13 different communes. The same report shows the
existence of foot-and-mouth disease in 24 departments and 198
communes, and that anthrax was also quite prevalent.
Under these circumstances it is impossible for me to certify to the
President that any cattle can be imported into the United States
from France without danger to the domestic animals of this country.
The impossibility of my making such a certificate should be
appreciated by the officials of the French Government, since they
have considered it necessary to close the ports of France against
the cattle of the United States on the ground of pleuro-pneumonia
and Texas fever, when it has been shown officially by this
Government that pleuro-pneumonia does not exist here and that there
is no possibility of Texas fever being carried to foreign countries
and transmitted to the cattle of those countries by our export
animals. In addition, it should be clearly stated that animals
imported for breeding purposes are far more dangerous than those
imported for slaughter. The French cattle which would come to this
country would be retained in breeding herds, they would be shipped
to all parts of the country and exhibited at the great shows, where
they would come in contact with animals from all of our States, and
if they were affected with a contagious disease the damage would be
irreparable.
In every case where contagion has been brought into the United States
from foreign countries, it has been brought with and disseminated by
valuable cattle imported for breeding purposes. On the other hand,
cattle which are imported into a country for immediate slaughter can
be readily handled at the port of debarkation and slaughtered
without coming in contact with the cattle of that country. Our
cattle, for instance, could be safely landed and slaughtered at the
French ports without the least danger to the native cattle, even if
they were affected with disease, if they were handled under proper
supervision. If, therefore, the French Government considers it
necessary to close the ports of that country against cattle from the
United States, it must be conceded that this Government has much
greater justification for prohibiting cattle from France.
I have, etc.,
J. Sterling Morton,
Secretary.
