Office of the Historian

842.612 Peaches/5

The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Ottawa (Foster)

Washington, June 11, 1927.

Sir: There is enclosed for your information and guidance a copy of a letter, dated June 3, 1927, from the Acting Secretary of Agriculture70 relative to the embargo against the importation into the Dominion of Canada of fresh peaches and peach nursery stock from certain states of the United States. You are instructed to bring this matter immediately to the attention of the appropriate Canadian authorities with the view to securing a removal of the embargo at the earliest date possible.

In making your representations in this regard the following points should be emphasized:

1.
That the embargo, other than that section of it applicable to importations into British Columbia, appears to be no longer justifiable on the ground of protection against pests, and is consequently in violation of the “contiguous country policy”, adopted in the interests of Canada.
2.
That the pest in question, the Oriental peach moth is, according to the information available to the Department, already prevalent in Canadian peach growing areas, notably that of the Niagara Peninsula.
3.
That, whereas the Oriental peach moth is stated to have come to both the United States and Canada through the importation of flowering cherry trees from Japan, the United States has long maintained a quarantine on this pest carrier, while Canada has not.
4.
That although the Destructive Insect and Pest Act Advisory Board is said to have recommended the removal of the embargo for all the states concerned, it was lifted only for peaches from Arkansas. There appears to be no valid reason for this discrimination against the other states.
5.
That, finally, as the peach crop is already in movement and important interests in the United States are anxious for the opening to it of the Canadian market, a prompt decision is wanted.

In this last connection, you are informed that Senator Harris, of Georgia, and several representatives of the peach growers of that state, have communicated to the Department their interest. The Georgia peach crop is the most considerable of those of the states affected by the embargo, as well as one of the earliest in the market. [Page 104] Before this month has elapsed, several thousand carloads of peaches from that state will already have been routed to their destinations.

It is desired that you inform the Department at frequent intervals of the progress of your efforts to secure the removal of the embargo.

I am [etc.]

For the Secretary of State:
W. R. Castle, Jr.
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