No. 890.
Mr. Bayard to Mr. Roosevelt.

No. 24.]

Sir: I inclose herewith for your information a copy of a dispatch from our consul at Amsterdam, relative to the decree of the Netherlands Government prohibiting the importation of hogs and hog products into that country. A set of the Congressional documents relating to the subject is also transmitted to you, separately, by to-day’s mail.

After making yourself familiar with the subject, you are instructed to confer with the minister for foreign affairs with a view to securing for American exporters of live hogs and hog products at least equal facilities with those of any other country for evidencing entirely healthy [Page 1331] origin and character of such exports when destined to the Netherlands for consumption or transit.

You will particularly endeavor to obtain for transmission to this Department, in duplicate, copies of the rules which.are to be framed under the royal decree in question.

I am, etc.,

T. F. Bayard.
[Inclosure in No. 24.]

Mr. Eckstein to Mr. Rives.

No. 709.]

Sir: I have the honor herewith to report to yon that by a royal resolution, dated the 14th ultimo, the import and transit from foreign countries (buitenlands) into and through the Netherlands of hogs, of fresh and salted pork (varkensvleesch), and of unmelted fat, hoofs, manure, and other offal of hogs is prohibited.

This “resolution” also provides that “when special reasons make it necessary to deviate from this prohibition, the minister of the interior, co-operating with the minister of finance, can allow such deviation under such regulations as shall be a safeguard against the bringing in of contagious diseases to which hogs are subject.”

This “resolution” was issued on the 20th ultimo and went into effect five days thereafter.

Whether any, or any serious, inconvenience or injury is likely to result from this interdiction to American exporters of any hog-products to this country it would be rather premature for me to say.

The regulations or conditions under which the articles in question will hereafter be allowed to be imported or in transit have, as yet, not been made public.

From what I have been able to learn on this point so far they will provide the necessity to produce certain written proof which satisfactorily shows that the articles about to be imported or intended for transit come from a place or neighborhood which is not infested with any contagious disease to which hogs are liable.

I might further add that I have reasons to be inclined to the belief that the authorities charged with the execution of the “royal decree” will be induced and disposed to make such regulations in pursuance thereof as may be complied with without causing the trade any very great hindrance; and that American exporters to this country of any of the articles under consideration need not for the present, at least, apprehend that their interests will suffer very much in consequence of the action of this Government as herein reported. Any further particulars relating to the matter Which may come to my notice will be promptly brought to your knowledge.

I am, etc.,

D. Eckstein.