Wines and liquors in entrepôt (bonded warehouse), from January 1, 1878, to December 31, 1881, both at Bordeaux and in all France. Washington, January 17, 1883. SIR: Your No. 270 of the 15th ultimo transmits a letter addressed to you by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and your acknowledgment thereof. It is courteous and at the same time natural that the distinguished commercial body in question; which so largely controls public and legislative opinion in France on matters of trade, should be pleased to express its pleasure at any proposal on our part to reduce the rates of import duties. It would be well when a similar occasion occurs to express a hope that a reciprocal feeling might be shown in France to the few exports from this country thither as compared with the many France sends to us, and that commerce and legislation alike may unite in rebuking the blind prejudice which seeks to close a large foreign market to our most important products. FRED'K T. FRELINGHUYSEN. I am, etc., No. 24. Mr. Morton to Mr. Frelinghuysen. No. 324.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Paris, April 4, 1883. (Received April 18.) SIR: I availed myself of an occasion during a recent personal interview with Mr. Challemel Lacour, the new minister of foreign affairs, to call his attention to the subject of the decree prohibiting the importation into France of American salted meats, and subsequently addressed a communication to him on the subject, a copy of which I have the honor to transmit herewith. In relation to this subject I have had different interviews with the representatives of the Chambers of Commerce of Paris, Marseilles, Bordeaux, and Havre, who take a special interest in the importation of American meats, and propose to LEVI P. MORTON. [Inclosure in No. 324.] Mr. Morton to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I beg leave to call the attention of your excellency to communications which I have had the honor of addressing to your predecessors, Mr. St. Hilaire and Mr. Gambetta, with reference to the decree prohibiting the importation of American salted meats into France. This decree has now been in force for more than two years, while similar products from all other countries have been freely admitted in France. An examination of the subject will, I trust, not only satisfy your excellency, but also your honorable colleague, the minister of commerce, that the decree was issued under a misapprehension of the facts bearing upon the question, and that there are no valid reasons why this exceptional measure, only applicable to the Government of the United States, should be abrogated. The Government of the United States yields to none in its desire to protect the public health, and claims that the searching and careful investigation conducted by a most competent officer detailed for the purpose by the Department of State clearly established the unfounded and erroneous character of the statements regarding the alleged unwholesome qualities of American hog products, upon which the issue of the prohibitory decree was based. The result of the examination was presented to Mr. St. Hilaire by my predecessor, General Noyes, on the 23d of June, 1881. I beg leave also to refer to the report of the National Academy of Medicine of France on the question propounded by the Government regarding the necessity of an inspection of foreign pork, and which, after referring to the free admission of American and German pork for many years, without inspection, and its extended use in the manufacturing and industrial districts of France, states that the disease called trichinosis, with the exception of a single case, has not been observed in any part of France. I can but believe that your excellency's Government will, after a consideration of all the evidence now before it, cheerfully place the Government of the United States upon the same footing as all other friendly nations by the revocation of the decree. I avail, etc., SIR: I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy and translation of a petition from the dealers in American lard and pork, at Bordeaux, to the minister of commerce at Paris, France. I am, etc., GEO. W. ROOSEVELT, United States Consul. [Inclosure in No. 99.-Translation.] PETITION OF DEALERS TO THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE. BORDEAUX, April 4, 1883. SIR: We, the undersigned, dealers in American lard and pork at Bordeaux, have the honor to solicit from your kindness, Mr. Minister, the fulfillment of the promises which have been so often lavished upon us, by your claiming the recall of the decree of February 18, 1881. The solution of this question can no longer be delayed; light is made. and our ports should be open to the free importation of those meats, indispensable to the nutrition of the poorer classes, and the want of which has already caused so grievous a rise in the price of the food of workmen. The spontaneous and disinterested step which has just been taken toward you, Mr. Minister, by Messrs. the president and delegates of the Chambers of Commerce of Paris, Marseilles. Bordeaux, and Havre was to give us the hope that the just claim made in such pressing terms by the most considerable personalities of the French commerce would have immediately brought forth the mere and simple recall of the prohibitive decree, and that you would thus have put an end to a state of things so fatal to the commercial and industrial welfare of our country. But if you think of righting those just claims, we learn with surprise that you are going to study a bill which would consist in submitting the salt meats, upon their entering France, to a system of refrigeration, against the adoption of which we hasten to protest with great energy. We know that since several years a patent has been taken for the preservation of meat by freezing; that the proprietors of that patent have been in search of the means of making use of it, but without any apparent success; but now they wish to find for it a lucrative use and easy profits by having it adopted by the Govern ment. The application of that system would be disastrous and would completely impede that trade. Indeed, Mr. Minister, the excessive handling that the meat would have to go through before being submitted to the freezing, the unpacking of the cases, the hooking to the ladders for being more easily placed in the cellars, the repacking. etc., would cause such expense, such waste, and such a depreciation of the quality that it would be folly on the part of honest merchants to expose themselves to such risks. To those annoyances, more than sufficient to cause such a scheme to be rejected, we must add that it seems to us impossible that the meats submitted to the action of freezing and passing to a high temperature could be preserved, and we maintain that statement in spite of the experiment of the laboratory made on one single ham. That trade should then be exposed to so many uncertain and unknown chances that there would be no safety in practicing it. Of all the proposed means, refrigeration is the one which we repel with most energy; but if the greatest part of the others present almost as grave inconveniences, one only has given proof of what it is worth, that is free circulation, which for the last twenty years never gave rise to the least claim nor caused one single accident. The return to common right is then the solution which we claim of your justice, Mr. Minister, as a redress for the harm done by the decree of February 18, and we claim it not only in the name of our trade, but in the name of public welfare. That deplorable measure has, indeed, Mr. Minister, had for its effect to provoke in the American press violent and unjust attacks against all French products of food which France exports to the United States, which attacks, if they were perpetuated, would end in throwing discredit on those products and in driving them from that important market. Besides, the retaliation, of which the United States Government did not cease to threaten French commerce, has just received a commencement of execution, and the rise of the duties of entry which strikes our wines is such as will considerably reduce the exportation of them. Now, we who had always foreseen such consequences to the decree of February 18, and that, in spite of interested denials, we do not hesitate in asserting that refrigeration will never be considered a reparative measure, since it will have all the effects of prohibition, but rather an indirect means of perpetuating the same, and that our Government will not succeed by such a process in forcing down the barriers which the new tariff has just raised against our products. We well know the interest that you have in the national trade, and feel convinced that you will take in due consideration the observations which we have the nonor to present to you, and that you will kindly admit our request. We beg you, etc. [Signatures of fifty-five dealers in American pork and lard.] No. 333.] No. 26. Mr. Morton to Mr. Frelinghuysen. [Extract.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Paris, April 13, 1883. (Received April 25.) SIR: Acting under the strange delusion which still exists in official circles, notwithstanding the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that American pork is subject to trichinosis, the French department of commerce is contemplating the organization of a system of curative measures to guard against the supposed infection by submitting all our salted meats to a freezing process upon their entry into France. Whether this new device would or would not destroy trichinosis where it happens to exist it has dissatisfied all the French importers and dealers in American hog produce, who consider it as calculated to greatly injure the meat, and have protested in strong language against its application. You will find herewith a copy and translation of the petition they have addressed in this respect to the minister of commerce. One of the leaders in this movement informs me that all interested in this business prefer simple prohibition to the apparent facilities offered by the application of the freezing process. It is the intention of the French dealers to push this matter as strongly as possible and to bring it before a cabinet meeting. I again, a few days ago, called the attention of Mr. Challemel Lacour to this subject, and I am sorry to say that although he is personally in favor of the repeal of the decree of prohibition, and has urged it, he does not believe that his colleague will favor, at present, its abrogation. His reasons are that other countries have taken similar measures of prohibition, and the French scientists are divided upon the question of the danger which may result from the consumption of American meats. I did not conceal from Mr. Challemel Lacour the fact that the continuance of this long-standing prohibition had already created much feeling at home, and that our people could not understand why such discrimination should be made against them, when the highest French scientific authorities had emphatically declared that the measure was groundless, and my apprehension that Congress would take some retaliatory action unless the decree was abrogated. Mr. Challemel Lacour said he would again call the attention of his colleague to the matter. The truth is, that the decree was rendered under the pressure of certain French packers who are still interested in its maintenance. By a strange coincidence, these very men, who are also producers of sardines and other canned articles, have been specially favored by our new tariff. * * * I have, etc., [Inclosure in No. 333.-Translation.] LEVI P. MORTON. PETITION ADDRESSED TO THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE BY FRENCH IMPORTERS OF AMERICAN HOG PRODUCTS. To the Minister of Commerce, Paris: BORDEAUX, April 4, 1883. MONSIEUR LE MINISTRE: We, the undersigned, merchants in American salted meats and lard at Bordeaux, have the honor to solicit your favor, Monsieur le Ministre, for the fulfillment of the promises which have been so often made to us in claiming the abolition of the decree of the 18th of February, 1881. The solution of this question can be no longer delayed, light has been brought to bear on it, and our port should be opened to the free importation of these provisions, indispensable to the nourishment of the poor classes, and the absence of which has already caused an increase of price, so hard for the nourishment of workmen. The spontaneous and disinterested petition which has just been made to you, M. le Ministre, by the presidents and delegates of the Chambers of Commerce of Paris, Marseilles, Bordeaux, and Havre, lead me to hope that the just claims, made in such pressing terms by the most important personages of French trade, should have immediately brought about the withdrawal purely and simply of the prohibitive decree, and that you would have thus put an end to a state of things so fatal to the industrial and commercial interests of the country. But, if you contemplate acceding to these just demands, we learn with surprise that you are about to consider a project which will consist in submitting salted provisions on their entry into France to a system of refrigeration, against the adoption of which we protest with the utmost energy. We know that for several years past a patent has been taken out for the preservation of provisions by freezing, that the owners of this patent have been seeking means to utilize it, but apparently without success, since at present they rush to find for it a lucrative employment and easy profits in having it adopted by the Government. The application of this system would be disastrous, and would completely damage the trade; in fact, M. le Ministre, the numerous manipulations which the provisions would undergo in order to be submitted to the influence of the cold, the unpacking of the barrels, the hanging on the ladders intended to facilitate the storage, the repacking, etc., would give rise to such expenditure, such damage and depreciation of quality that it would be foolish on the part of serious business men to expose themselves to such risks. To these inconveniences, which are more than sufficient to cause the rejection of such a project, we should add that it appears to us impossible that provisions submitted to the action of the cold and to a high temperature can be preserved, and we maintain this statement notwithstanding the laboratory experiments on a single ham. This trade would then be exposed to so many risks and hazards that there would be no security to engage in it. Of all the means proposed, refrigeration is that which we most energetically reject; but if the greater part of the others present inconveniences almost as serious, one only has been put to the test, that is, the free circulation, which for twenty years has never given rise to a single complaint or caused a single accident. The return then to the common right is then the solution which we solicit from your justice, M. le Ministre, as compensation for the harm done by the decree of the 18th of February, and we claim it not only in the name of our trade but in the name of public interest. In fact, M. le Ministre, this unfortunate measure has had the effect of provoking in the American press violent and unjust attacks against alimentary produce exported by France to the United States, attacks which, if continued, would end by throwing disfavor on such produce and driving it from this vast market. Moreover, the reprisals with which the Government of the United States has not ceased to menace the French trade have received commencement of execution in the rise of the entry duties imposed on our wines, which is of a nature to considerably reduce the sale. We, then, who have always foreseen such consequences from the decree of the 18th of February, and that in spite of interested denials, do not hesitate to affirm that refrigeration can never be considered as a compensating measure (since it will have all the effects of prohibition), but rather as an indirect means calculated to perpetuate it, and that our Government can never succeed by such a proceeding in overcoming the obstacles which the new tariff has just raised against our produce. We know sufficiently well all the interest you take in the national trade to be convinced that you will take into consideration the remarks which we have the honor to place before you, and that you will favorably receive our petition. We beg you, etc., No. 27. Mr. Frelinghuysen to Mr. Martin. [Signatures.] No. 267.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: Your dispatch No. 333, of the 13th instant, inclosing a copy of a petition addressed to the minister of commerce by French importers and dealers in American pork, has been read with interest as a valuable indication of the tendency of sound opinion in France on the question. I am, etc., S. Doc. 231, pt 4-38 FRED'K T. FRELINGHUYSEN. |