Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1900

Mr. White to Mr. Hay

Embassy of the United States,
Berlin, March 10, 1900.

No. 1206.]

Sir: Referring to previous correspondence, I have the honor to report that paragraphs 1, 2, and 14 a-d of the committee’s recommendation passed its second reading last evening in the Reichstag: paragraph 1, referring to inspection before and after slaughtering, unanimously; paragraph 2, referring to freedom from inspection of animals slaughtered for houseeold consumption of the owner, by 209 votes to 75, and paragraph 14a, prohibiting imports of meats after December 31, 1903, with conditional arrangements for imports until that date, and also paragraphs 14a-d, by a vote of 168 to 99, two members not voting.

It thus appears that the majority for the measure presented by the committee is, in the main body of the Parliament, decisive—indeed, overwhelming. If passed by the Parliament on the third reading, as it unquestionably will be, it must go to the Bundesrath.

As you are aware, the proposal made by the Government was comparatively moderate; this reported by the committee and passed by so overwhelming a vote is exceedingly drastic—so much so that the Government has caused it to be understood all along that it would be impossible to accept the recommendations of the Reichstag’s committee, even if they should be passed by the Reichstag.

But there appears lately to have been some lukewarmness in Government opposition to the measure as reported and passed. During the debate which has been going on for three days and which has now been ended as above, the representatives of the Government, Count Posadowsky and the Imperial chancellor, Prince Hohenlohe, expressed themselves against the measure; but the former did so in such a way that about half the time he secured the applause of the supporters of the measure, and the other half the applause of its opponents. He simply took the ground that the original proposal of the Government for a fair inspection was better, and that the development of the cattle-raising interest should be provided for by legislation distinctly directed to that purpose; but he appealed to the majorty for delay in vain. Prince Hohenlohe simply expressed an objection to the bill without going into any earnest line of argument or indicating what the course of the Government was likely to be.

During the debate the representatives of the land-owning interest gave various indications that they will support the navy bill and the other measures of the Government only on condition that the committee’s report on meat inspection be adopted.

Earnestly as the minister, Count Posadowsky, deprecated any view of the whole matter save from the sanitary standpoint, it constantly came out in the debates that protection to the agricultural interest is the first object of the majority.

It has been generally understood here for some time past that the measure in the form in which it is now passed will not be accepted by the Bundesrath. Private indications which I have myself gathered have been in that direction. I still think the chances are in favor of the Bundesrath rejecting the measure as voted, and going back to the Government proposals for meat inspection; but I am not so confident of this as I was some days ago. It seems clear that to have any working majority at all, the Government must yield to this overwhelming majority against them on this question. The heart of the Emperor is set on passing the navy bill, and without the support of the main body of those demanding this meat inspection bill as now passed by the Parliament, the navy bill can not be made a law. Under these circumstances, while it is possible that the Government may insist on going back to its original proposal, it seems to me not unlikely that some compromise not quite so drastic as the law now voted may be agreed upon.

Last night, after the debate was closed, I met a very important member of the Government who is inclined to moderate measures, and he insisted that the bill as it has passed the Reichstag must be modified—that it can not become a law; but I can not say that I regard his utterance as conclusive. I shall watch the proceedings carefully, and keep you advised as to the progress of events. As to interference here, I have thought it best to abstain carefully from any appearance of trying to influence legislation. Of course, what has been recently stated in the newspapers, namely, that I had uttered threats of retaliation here against the Government in case the law be passed, is without foundation. I have simply, when in conversation with trustworthy men of influence, stated what I conceived to be the facts of the situation, allowing them to draw their own inferences, and unless I receive instructions from the Department to the contrary, it seems to me best to continue this course. My hope is in the sober second thought, when the opposition from the manufacturing and shipping interests, the artisan class, and the mass of the people at large who are not directly interested in agricultural industry, shall be brought to bear upon the Bundesrath. Bremen and Hamburg have already spoken strongly on the subject, both in the Reichstag and through the press; other utterances are coming in, so that we may hope on the whole that the Bundesrath will either stop the measure, or essentially modify it.

I inclose three copies of the “Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung,” containing proceedings of the Reichstag above referred to, with partial translations.

I am, etc.,

And. D. White.

[Inclosure.—Translation.]

The second reading of the bill for the examination of cattle and meat.

The commission has framed sections 1, 2, and 14 as follows:

Section 1. Cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, horses, and dogs, the meat of which is to be used for human consumption, are to be officially examined before and after slaughtering. By a resolution of the Bundesrath the obligation of an examination may be extended to other animals.

Where immediate slaughtering (Nothschlachtung) becomes necessary the examination before slaughtering may be dispensed with.

Immediate slaughtering becomes necessary whenever it is to be feared that the animal might die before the arrival of the appropriate inspector, or whenever the meat might greatly lose in value on account of a development of the diseased condition of the animal, or whenever the animal must be slaughtered at once on account of accident.

Section 2. The meat of animals which is to be exclusively used in the household of the owner, and in which no symptoms of a disease are found which would make it unfit for consumption, does not need to be examined before slaughtering, and whenever there are no such symptoms after killing there is no necessity of examining the same after slaughtering.

The selling of meat which, according to paragraph 1, is not examined is prohibited.

Barracks, hospitals, schools, restaurants, prisons, poorhouses, and similar institutions, as well as the household of butchers, dealers in meat, saloon keepers, and of restaurants, are not to be regarded as private households in the sense of paragraph 1.

Section 14 reads according to the Government bill:

Meat which is brought into the customs domain is to be officially examined, with the assistance of the customs authorities, at the place of importation. Only such meat is excepted herefrom which can be shown to have been duly examined in this country, or which is intended to be carried in bond directly through the country. The importation of meat can only take place at certain specified custom-houses. The Bundesrath designates these offices, as well as those customs and duty (Steuer) offices where the examination of the meat may take place, and, furthermore, decrees to what extent the meat is still to be connected with the carcass, what parts of the animal or sizes of pieces are permitted to be imported, and what inner organs must still be attached to such meat.

Game and fowl, as well as meat used by a person on a journey, or meat sent through the mail, are only subject to examination in so far as the Bundesrath directs. For meat used by individuals at the boundary, as well as on markets (Messand Marktverkehr) at the boundary, state government may permit exceptions or modifications to be made to the prescribed examination.

The commission has adopted sections 14a to 14d instead of section 14.

Section 14a. The importation into the customs domain of pickled or similarly prepared meat, with the exception of hams, bacon, and intestines, of meat in cans or similar receptacles, of sausages and other articles consisting of chopped meat, is prohibited.

Finally, the importation of meat into the customs domain is permitted until December 31, 1903, under the following conditions:

Fresh meat may only be brought into the customs domain in the whole carcass, but cattle and swine (not calves) may be imported in halves.

The pleura and peritoneum, lungs, hearts, kidneys, and, with cows, the udder must still be in their natural connection with the carcass. The Bundesrath is empowered to inplude other organs in this regulation.

Prepared meat can only be imported whenever the method of its preparation is known not to be dangerous to human health or whenever it can be positively proven on importation that the meat is not dangerous to human health.

After the expiration of the time mentioned in paragraph 2, the importation of meat, with the exception of lard, bacon, pure oleomargarine, and intestines, is prohibited.

Section 14b. The meat brought into the customs domain is, upon importation, to be officially examined with the assistance of the customs authorities. The meat already examined in this country, or which is intended to be carried in bond directly through the same, is to be excluded herefrom.

The importation of meat can only take place at certain custom-houses. The Bundesrath names these offices, as well as those customs and duty offices where the examination of the meat is to take place.

Section 14c. The regulations of sections 14a and 14b are applicable to game and fowl, as well as to meat carried by a person to be used on a journey, only in so far as the Bundesrath directs.

For meat brought into districts adjoining the boundary and used by individuals, or on markets at the boundary, exceptions to the regulations of sections 14a and 14b may be made by the federated governments.

Section 14d. The Bundesrath is empowered to direct prohibitions of importations and restrictions in addition to those laid down in sections 14a and 14b.