Mr. Thomas to Mr.
Hay.
Legation of the United States,
Stockholm, August 28,
1899.
No. 100.]Sir: Referring to instructions of the
Department, No. 53 of May 5, No. 54 of May 18, No. 55 of June 5, No. 56
of June 7, and No. 58 of June 15, and to my dispatches, No. 83 of May
15, No. 85 of May 30, No. 88 of June 20, and No. 91 of June 27; also to
my notes to the foreign office of April 12 and May 3 last, copies of
which are herewith inclosed, all relative to the new Norwegian rules
affecting meat exports from the United States, I have the honor now to
forward you a copy of a note from the minister for foreign affairs, of
August 12, accompanied by a translation thereof; also copy of a letter
from the minister of justice and the police of Norway of August 8, with
translation, and copy of notice of the board of health of the city of
Christiania, dated April 21 last, with translation.
From the six latter inclosures it will be seen that the board of health
of Christiania, before making final decision on the question of
accepting the certificates and meat-inspection stamps of the Government
of the United States without the authentication by a Swedish-Norwegian
consul at the port of shipment, desires to know if all the inspectors of
the Department of Agriculture are veterinary surgeons; and if this is
the case, the board wishes to receive from the Department of
Agriculture, through our consul at Christiania, a list “à tenir à jour”
of the inspectors in question, accompanied by a facsimile of their
signatures.
Furthermore, at the request of the minister of justice and the police of
Norway, Count Douglas, desires to be informed by me if all said
inspectors are veterinary surgeons, and if such be the case, whether the
Department of Agriculture will be disposed to furnish such a list of
them as is above requested.
Asking that the information requested by Count Douglas be furnished
me,
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Mr. Thomas to
Count Douglas.
Legation of the United States,
Stockholm, April 12, 1899.
Sir: In compliance with instructions from
the Secretary of State, I have the honor to inclose copy of a letter
from the Secretary of Agriculture, stating that he
[Page 731]
has been advised that either the
Norwegian health department or that of Christiania would execute a
much more rigid control of imported beef, pork, sausage, etc., than
heretofore, and would require all certificates of inspection signed
by United States Government inspectors to be identified and
certified by the Norwegian consul.
I am also instructed to inquire whether the regulation referred to is
one of the Norwegian Government or of the local municipality of
Christiania, and further to express the hope that the official
certificates of the United States Government inspectors may be
accepted without question, as indicated by the Secretary of
Agriculture in his letter herewith inclosed.
I beg, etc.,
[Inclosure 2.]
Mr. Thomas to
Count Douglas.
Legation of the United States,
Stockholm, May
30, 1899.
Sir: Referring to my note of April 12 last,
I have the honor to call your excellency’s attention to the new
rules of the board of health of Christiania, promulgated February 1
last, affecting meat exports from the United States.
I am informed that under these rules the president of the board of
health, Mr. G. E. Bentzen, takes the ground that the inspection
certificates of the United States Government should be authenticated
by a Swedish-Norwegian consul at the port of shipment.
In compliance with instruction from the Secretary of State, I have
the honor to request that the certificates and meat-inspection
stamps of the Government of the United States may be accepted
without the required authentication by a Swedish Norwegian
consul.
The Government of the United States does not understand the necessity
for the consular authentication, nor perceive what additional
security is given to the consumer thereby. It, of course, does not
claim that the inspected meat will keep indefinitely; the inspection
simply determines that the animals are healthy at the time of
slaughter.
I beg, etc.,
[Inclosure 3.]
Count Douglas
to Mr. Thomas.
[Translation.]
Foreign Office,
Stockholm, August 12,
1899.
Mr. Minister: By two letters, dated April
12 and May 30 last, you were pleased to address yourself to the
intermediacy of this office in order that the certificates and
stamps of the Government of the United States for the inspection of
meat may be accepted by the sanitary authorities of Christiania
without authentication by a consular officer of the United
Kingdoms.
The minister of justice and of the police of the said city, to whom
this matter has been referred, has just addressed me the letter,
with inclosure, herewith inclosed in copy, by which you will be
pleased to see that the health commission of Christiania, before
taking a final decision with regard to the authentication, desires
to know if all the inspectors named by the Department of Agriculture
at Washington are veterinary surgeons. In this case the commission
desires to obtain from the Department of Agriculture, through the
United States consul at Christiania, a list “à tenir à jour” of the
said inspectors, accompanied, if possible, by a facsimile of their
signatures.
At the request of the minister of justice and of the police. I
therefore request you to be pleased to inform me if all the
inspectors in the United States are veterinary surgeons, and in that
case if the Department of Agriculture would be disposed to furnish
the said list.
Be pleased to accept, etc.,
[Page 732]
[Subinclosure
1.—Translation.]
From the Department of Justice and Police of the
Royal Norwegian Government.
On April 21 and June 1 your excellency sent copies of representations
of the previous 12th of April and 30th of May, respectively, from
the American minister at Stockholm, wherein it is requested,
inconsequence of a regulation made by the health commission of
Christiania concerning the control of imported meat, which requires
that, if possible, the certificates of the inspectors named by the
American Department of Agriculture be authenticated by a Norwegian
consul, that the said regulations be so changed that these
certificates be accepted without authentication.
In consequence thereof the Department, after having obtained the
decision of the health commission of Christiania, has the honor to
communicate the following:
The said regulation of the health commission is made by strength of
an appendix, approved by royal resolution, to the health rules of
Christiania, and concerns all meat products of a certain kind
imported into the city from other cities (in this country or from
other countries), as will be further seen in the inclosed copy of
the regulation in force. For such food as is mentioned in the
regulation the certificate of a veterinary surgeon named by public
authority is, as a rule, required to show that the said food is
prepared in such a manner and of such material that it is not
injurious to health, and this certificate should, besides, if the
food is imported from a foreign country, be accompanied by an
authentication of the police authority of the place of export, or of
a Norwegian consul if one is stationed at said place, to the effect
that the inspector is a public veterinary surgeon.
Before the health commission gives a final decision, taking
consideration of the remarks from the American minister, it
considers it necessary to obtain more information as to whether all
the inspectors named by the American Department of Agriculture are
veterinary surgeons. If such is the case, the health commission
wishes to obtain from the Department of Agriculture, through the
American consul at Christiania, a list constantly kept “à jour” of
the said inspectors, and also, if possible, facsimile of their
signatures.
Referring to what is here set forth, the department begs, before
anything else is decided, to request your excellency to seek to
obtain from the American authorities the information as to whether
all the inspectors in question are veterinary surgeons, and in such
case to obtain a list of the same inspectors, which list the health
commission wishes to possess.
Christiania, August 8, 1899.
- Einar Löchen.
- Georg Johannesen.
His Excellency the Minister for Foreign
Affairs.
[Subinclosnre
2.—Translation.)
Report from the health commission.
With regard to the rules approved in Christiania for health, the
health commission has decided:
For every consignment, imported from without the city, of
manufactured food which consists of meat in small particles, pork,
blood, or intestines of domestic animals, there must be obtained, as
a rule by means of the attest of a veterinary surgeon named by
public authority, sufficient proof for the health commission that
the food is prepared in such a manner and of such material that it
is not injurious for health.
If the food is imported from foreign countries the veterinary
surgeon’s attest must be accompanied by an authentication by the
police of the place of export or by a Norwegian consul, if there is
one at the place.
The regulation of the health commission concerns—
All meat of domestic animals and pork, when it is either salted,
smoked, cooked, or prepared in any other manner, when it is carved
or cut in pieces smaller than one-fourth of the animal’s size;
tongues, intestines, and other entrails in sausage form, or similar
food prepared from meat, pork, blood, or intestines, with the
exception, however, of pork in the form of hams, bacon, or sides
when these are salted, smoked, and also corned beef or other food
hermetically packed in tin packing, when the packing for the same is
furnished with the registered certificate of the inspector of export
of the United States of America, or his secretary in the
[Page 733]
United States Department
of Agriculture, or with the attest of others whom the health
commission may especially approve.
Health commission of
Christiania, April 21,
1899.
- G. E. Bentzen.
- Hj. Berner.
Correctly copied witnesses.
G. E.
Bentzen.
