Department of State,
Washington, June 15,
1899.
No. 58.]
Copy of your dispatch has been forwarded to the Secretary of
Agriculture.
I inclose for your information copy of a letter from that officer
relative to the exportation of horse meat from the United States.
I am, etc.
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Wilson to
Mr. Hay.
Department of Agriculture,
Washington, June 7,
1899.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge, with
thanks, receipt of your letter of the 2d instant inclosing a copy of
a dispatch from the consul at Christiania, Norway, transmitting a
translation of a newspaper article in regard to the alleged
exportation of horse meat to Norway. The consul deplores the present
state of affairs and deems it his duty to keep the Department
posted, so that the evil can be remedied in some way if it possibly
can be done.
In reference to this it may be said that there is a legitimate demand
for horse flesh in certain European countries, and that such meat
from healthy horses is just as wholesome an article of food as the
meat from any other animals. Congress has recognized this fact and
has granted to establishments slaughtering horses the same privilege
of inspection which is given for other kinds of meat. It should be
clearly stated, however, that all such meat inspected by this
Department is plainly marked to show that it is horse flesh, and
that in case it is exported it must be shipped with marks which
clearly show its origin and character.
This Department would make no objection to regulations on the part of
Norway requiring that all horse flesh imported into that country
should be inspected and bear the official inspection marks; but it
does object, and with reason, to discriminations against this
product from America when similar goods are imported from other
parts of the world which have been neither inspected nor marked to
identify the packages as containing horse flesh.
In this connection I may state my opinion that there has not been a
very large quantity of horse meat exported from this country. The
single establishment at which inspection has been instituted made, I
believe, but one shipment to Europe—certainly not more than two—and
the business has been suspended. I doubt if [Page 728] the small establishments about Jersey City,
which are referred to in the article inclosed by Mr. Bordewich,
export much of their product. The indications are that it is sold
locally to the purchasers of inferior meats in the large cities of
this country.
However, Norway or any other country can protect itself against
unwholesome meat by requiring, first, that all horse flesh shall be
marked to show what it is, and secondly, that it shall have been
officially inspected at the time of slaughter.
Very respectfully,
