Mr. Jackson to Mr. Hay.
Berlin, July 18, 1899.
Sir: I have the honor to append hereto a copy of the text of your telegram1 received this morning of a memorandum left by me with Baron Richthofen this afternoon at the foreign office, and of the text of my telegram1 sent you after the interview.
On my informing Baron Richthofen of the object of my call, and after he had read my memorandum, he said that no new situation had been brought about, as far as we are concerned, by the decrees prohibiting the importation of fresh beef from Belgium. The Belgian Government has been informed some time ago, he said, that if the importation of American cattle to Belgium was permitted, the prohibition of the importation of fresh beef from Belgium into Germany would follow as a natural consequence, as, if the direct importation of American beef could not be permitted, its importation by way of Belgium could not either. The Belgian Government had answered that they would be compelled, in accordance with certain legal provisions, to admit American cattle, and the German prohibition had followed as a natural sequence. Baron Richthofen said that so long as the original prohibition is maintained no new cause for complaint can arise if Germany takes action to prevent the importation of American beef through other countries.
As three of the four points mentioned in your telegram, and repeated in my memorandum, apply to the general question I then requested him to consider that my representations had been made with reference to that question, although I held that as American beef and Texas fever had been especially mentioned in several of the proclamations, the American Government had a right to refer to the matter, which, although not concerning it directly, operated practically as a threat to all countries into which the importation of American cattle might be permitted.
Baron Richthofen promised to give me an answer to the general question at an early date.
I have, etc.,