Mr. White to Mr. Day.
Berlin, May 9, 1898.
Sir: Referring to previous correspondence, and in particular to my dispatches Nos. 377 and 384, of the 8th and 14th ultimo, respectively, I have the honor to inform you that I have received a note from the German foreign office, in which it is stated that upon the inspection of a certain shipment of American fruit waste, imported at Kaldenkirchen [Page 334] about the beginning of last month, it has been found by the Imperial health office, that although no San Jose scale was found, other “scale” were present, of which one insect and one egg were alive, and that this proves that the treatment to which American dried fruit waste is subjected in the process of its preparation is not of a character which would certainly destroy the San Jose scale if present, and consequently there is reason for the examination which has been ordered. I have immediately replied to this note by asking for a statement as to the exact specific determination of the living insect and egg which were found, as from such a statement our experts might be able to show that the insect in question obtained access to the shipment through accident—from the wooden barrel or some such source.
While at the same time inclosing three copies of a wall chart (one copy of which was sent to the embassy on Saturday last by the foreign office) in regard to the San Jose scale,
I am, etc.,