Mr. Anderson to Mr. Sherman.
Rome , April 5, 1897 . (Received April 19.)
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Department’s instructions, numbered 240, of March 15 last, with regard to a recent decree of the Italian ministry of agriculture, industry, and commerce [Page 362] regulating the importation into Italy of cattle, hides, skins, etc., and I beg to inform you that I at once addressed a note to the minister of foreign affairs on the subject, urging the removal of the discrimination which appears in the decree to the disadvantage of the American exporters. I took this note in person to the Marquis Visconti Venosta, and in an interview repeated the earnest hope that the Italian Government might see its way to a speedy removal of the regulation in question.
His excellency in reply stated that, while the subject was one to be dealt with by the minister of agriculture in the premises, yet he would use his offices with his colleague for such a solution as might seem proper. I shall have the honor of transmitting any further answer on the subject without delay, while pressing the matter.
I have, etc.,