File No. 763.72112/2341
The Secretary of the Treasury (McAdoo) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 13.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a letter dated the 6th instant, from Mr. Charles A. Holder, foreign trade adviser, further in regard to the inspection of tobacco intended for exportation.
It is proposed that in shipments of tobacco “an occasional bale or crate” shall be opened by the customs officers in order to make sure that no other article than tobacco is packed therein, the expense of such inspection to be borne by the shippers.
I confirm the trade adviser’s understanding that such inspection can be made under the conditions mentioned, due application to be made in writing by the shippers, and the necessary information furnished as to dates, place of shipment, etc.
In this connection I enclose herewith copies of a letter dated the 8th instant, from the collector of customs at Baltimore and a letter therewith from Ed. C. Geyer and Company,1 in which latter communication request is made that the British consul be permitted to break the seals and inspect the cases of tobacco shipped from Government-bonded manufacturing warehouses for exportation. In such cases where the goods have been manufactured in a bonded factory in charge of a Government officer and have already been officially inspected and sealed, another inspection and certificate would be merely a duplication and apparently entirely unnecessary.
As it is understood the vessel carrying this tobacco will sail very soon, your early advice in the matter is requested.
By direction of the Secretary.
Respectfully,
Assistant Secretary
- Neither printed.↩