File No. 2338/3–4.
Ambassador McCormick to the Acting Secretary
of State.
American Embassy,
Paris, January 2,
1907.
No. 212.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your No. 228, of December 28, 1906, transmitting copies of
the act of June 30, of
[Page 403]
forms
of certificates, and of the various regulations concerning the
inspection of our pork products. These papers were at once transmitted
to the minister of foreign affairs, with the expression of the hope that
they would be found satisfactory to the minister of agriculture and that
the temporary order for the admission of these products without the
microscopic certificate would now be made permanent.
It may be inferred, however, from the memorandum herewith inclosed, which
comes from the department of agriculture, that the French authorities
are desirous of obtaining specific information with regard to the mode
of inspection of our pork products. But the French inspectors of these
products, having added their representations to ours, it is possible
that the new certificate, the form of which has just been sent in, will
finally be found satisfactory.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
Memorandum from the French Department of
Agriculture.
The American ambassador at Paris has addressed a request, with a view
of obtaining the consent of the French Government to the suppression
of the microscopic inspection which salted pork meats, destined for
importation into France, are to be submitted by the American
Sanitary Service.
In support of this request, Mr. McCormick points out that the United
States Government has completely reorganized its sanitary inspection
service; that a recent law, that of June 30, 1906, has increased the
number of inspectors and has prescribed more rigorous and more
efficacious measures than the former ones, but no longer including
the microscopic examination, which practice has demonstrated to be
useless.
In place of the old certificate of this microscopic examination a new
one has been substituted, stating that the animals from which came
the products that this certificate applies to were free from all
disease; that the meat and meat food products made therefrom are
sound, healthful, and wholesome, and were prepared and handled
according to the new sanitary regulations prescribed by the United
States Government.
The ministry of agriculture has the honor to recall that the
admission into France of American salted pork meats was pronounced,
by the decree of December 4, 1891, only in consideration of the
measures taken by the United States Government to assure in its
territory the inspection of meats destined for export, measures
which included the microscopic examination of pork meats prescribed
by the American law of March 3, 1891.
The food and drugs act, June 30, 1906, contains no provision
concerning the measures taken in regard to salted pork meats
exported from the United States of America and destined for France.
Before modifying the French regulations concerning the admission of
these meats it is indispensable that the ministry of agriculture
should know the new measures taken in the United States, in order to
be able to examine whether they present the guarantees exacted by
the French regulations in the matter.
This department would therefore desire to be informed on this subject
in detail.
Finally, to answer the request of Mr. McCormick, the ministry of
agriculture consents, exceptionally, to receive salted pork meats
not accompanied by the certificate of microscopic examination, but
this authorization applies only to shipments actually on the
way.
