File No. 5869/66–67.
Ambassador White to
the Secretary of State.
American Embassy,
Paris, September 10,
1907.
No. 77.]Sir: With reference to my cablegram of July 17
last, informing you that orders had been given for the admission,
provisionally, into this country of American salted meats without
microscopic examination, I have the honor to inclose for your
information the copy and translation of a note from the minister of
foreign affairs in reply to one addressed to his excellency by Mr.
Vignaud, which was rendered necessary by a complaint from one of the
leading importers of salted meats to the effect that the aforesaid order
of the minister of agriculture had not yet reached Marseille and other
leading ports at which the microscopic examination was still
exacted.
You will observe from Monsieur Pichon’s note that the minister of
agriculture particularly requests that he be furnished with details as
to the practical measures adopted in our country in order to ascertain
that there is no trichinosis in the meats in question, and I shall be
much obliged if you will be so good as to cause me to be furnished with
any such further information that may be obtainable, the minister of
agriculture himself having made the same request of me urgently when he
announced his decision in the matter.
You will also not fail to note the final paragraph of the inclosed note,
stating that in the event of the discovery of trichinosis in any salted
meats imported from the United States their further importation would be
immediately prohibited.
I have, ec.,
[Page 410]
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to Chargé Vignaud.
Foreign Office,
Paris, September 9,
1907.
Mr. Chargé d’affaires: By a letter of date
August 12 last you solicited the intervention of my department with
the minister of agriculture in view to obtain the sending out of
instructions to the French customs authorities prescribing them to
admit salted meats of American origin without exacting the
production of a microscopic certificate.
Mr. Ruau, to whom I made known your request, informed me of the
decision taken by his administration to temporarily authorize the
importation into France of salted pork meats of United States
origin, on the production of a certificate delivered by the
inspector of the federal department of agriculture placed over the
superintendence of the establishment where the animals had been
slaughtered and where their meats had been prepared, establishing
that the said meats derived from animals in perfect condition of
health and are sound for food.
The cases containing these meats should bear the stamp of the
official inspector who has attended to their sanitary
examination.
In notifying me of this decision of his administration, the minister
of agriculture requests me to insist upon your embassy, in view of
obtaining the statement of practical methods employed in the United
States, to ascertain that pork meats are not trichinized.
I shall be obliged to you if you will send me the documents requested
by Mr. Ruau.
My colleague adds that it is well understood that if the examination
of the imported meats be permitted, it being shown upon their entry
into France that they are infected with trichinae, their importation
would be immediately prohibited.
Accept, etc.,
