The Acting Secretary of State to the Italian Chargé .

No. 390.]

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that the Secretary of Agriculture has transmitted to this department correspondence between the Italian consulate in Chicago and Messrs. Armour & Co., of that city, in regard to the inspection by examiners appointed by the Italian consulate-general in New York, at the expense of the exporters, of meat and meat products shipped in Italy.

The Secretary of Agriculture has advised me, under date of the 7th instant, that the inauguration of inspection by this Government of meat and meat products, under the law approved June 30, 1906, will probably begin in some establishments next week, and that there would appear to be no necessity for any foreign government to require an inspection of shipments bearing the certificates which will be attached to all exports of meat and meat products after the commencement of such inspection.

The ambassador at Rome has accordingly been instructed to make formal notification in the above sense, emphasizing the statement of the Secretary of Agriculture that all products which leave an establishment for interstate or foreign commerce, after the inauguration of inspection, will be so marked as to indicate that they have been inspected and passed according to the recent law.

Accept, etc.,

Robert Bacon.