Department of State,
Washington, October 1,
1897.
No. 39.]
[Inclosure in No. 39.]
Mr. Wilson to
Mr. Sherman.
U.
S. Department of Agriculture,
Office of the
Secretary,
Washington, D.
C, September 28,
1897.
Sir: I am in receipt of a letter of the
10th instant from Hon. Bellamy Storer, United States minister at
Brussels, giving the present status of the regulations in Belgium
concerning the importation of American animals and meats. I have
thought best to reply to this letter at some length; but as this
negotiation is an important one, I send my letter inclosed herewith
for your information, and that you may forward it with such
instructions from your Department as you may consider advisable.
Thanking you for the instructions which you have issued in this
matter, I am,
Very respectfully,
[Subinclosure in No.
39.]
Mr. Wilson to
Mr. Storer.
U.
S. Department of Agriculture,
Office of the
Secretary,
Washington, D.
C., September 28,
1897.
Sir: I am in receipt of your letter of the
10th instant in regard to the status of affairs in Belgium relative
to the trade in American agricultural products, and particularly to
animals and meats. It affords me pleasure to learn that you have
given the matter so much attention, and fully informed yourself as
to the present status of affairs. There is no doubt but that, so far
as the exportation of live animals to Belgium is concerned, the
trade should be satisfied with an extension of the time animals may
be held before slaughter. The present limit of three days is too
short a time and does not give an opportunity for the animals to
recover from the effects of the voyage, nor does it allow time to
find purchasers and dispose of the animals to advantage. The limit
should be two weeks instead of three days; or if two weeks can not
be obtained, then certainly ten days should be granted.
The Belgian Government should also be willing to admit American fresh
meats which have been inspected by this Department, and which bear
the inspection marks and are accompanied by certificates of
inspection. This inspection is made by our Government, and the
certificate is a Government certificate. The refusal to accept this
certificate and admit such inspected meats is an official
announcement that the Belgian Government is suspicious of this
inspection and of the guarantee
[Page 37]
which our Government gives with, the meat. This
Government can hardly permit without emphatic protest such
questioning of its official work and such implied doubts as to its
good faith. I hope you will urge this matter upon the Belgian
Government, and endeavor to secure the concessions in regard to live
animals and fresh meats which are mentioned above.
There is every reason to desire friendly relations with the Belgian
Government, and that the arbitrary interference with trade which has
been begun by that Government may be stopped before it is necessary
to adopt retaliatory measures bearing upon Belgian exports to the
United States. It appears from our statistics that we receive over
$200,000 of meat products from Belgium annually, and nearly $200,000
worth of wines. If we continue to receive these products from the
Belgian farms without other restrictions than the regular tariffs
imposed by law, it will be expected by our people that the Belgian
Government should receive the products of our farms in the same
friendly manner. I hope you may be able to convince the Belgian
Government that an exchange of products upon this liberal basis is
only giving fair and just consideration to the international
traffic, and that arbitrary prohibitions under the form of sanitary
regulations which go beyond the steps necessary to guard against
disease are undesirable.
I note your statement that the Department of State has already
instructed you to give this matter early attention, and I hope that
you will present it as early and as vigorously as is possible.
Very respectfully,
