Mr. Olney to Mr. Hengelmüller.
Washington, October 15, 1896.
Sir: Referring to your note of the 6th instant, relative to trichinae having been found in pork accompanied by an American certificate of microscopic inspection at Leplitz, Bohemia, I have the honor to inform you that the Department has received a letter, of the 9th instant, from the. Acting Secretary of Agriculture, stating that an investigation shows that the pork referred to in your note was shipped from Chicago April 3, 1896, under certificate No. 44, and was consigned to Hamburg, Germany; that the meat had received a careful and thorough microscopical inspection, and was found free from trichinae before it was packed; that there appears to be no evidence that the meat shipped from Hamburg to Bohemia under this certificate was the same meat that was shipped from Chicago to Hamburg; that there is an apparent possibility that the meat containing the trichinae did not come from the package covered by the certificate, and that there have been no direct shipments of pork from the United States to Austria-Hungary that have been certified by the American Department of Agriculture.
The American Acting Secretary of Agriculture observes that it must be apparent that this Government can only guarantee the meat which is taken from original packages; that it can not prevent substitutions in other countries, and that the microscopical inspection is conducted with great care, and every precaution is adopted to prevent any unwholesome meat from being packed in cases covered by certificates.
Accept, etc.,