Mr. Gresham to Mr. Runyon.
Washington, February 1, 1894.
Sir: I inclose for your information a copy of a letter dated the 27th ultimo, from the Secretary of Agriculture, calling attention to the excessive burdens imposed upon the exportation of American meats to Germany and France by the microscopical inspection required by the governments of those countries and to the fact that, so far as his Department has been able to learn, there has been no case of trichinosis during the last three years among the more than sixty-five millions of people inhabiting this country.
As the archives of your embassy will show, conclusive proofs of the healthfulness of American meats have been repeatedly submitted to the German Government without any satisfactory results. The Department hopes that the present may be found to be a more propitious time for recalling the subject to the attention of the Government of Germany with a view to having the burdensome restrictions upon the trade in American meats removed.
Under the circumstances, you will exercise your own judgment as to the best time and manner of presenting this matter to the minister of foreign affairs, making such reference to the legislation now pending [Page 227] in Congress as may seem judicious, with a view to inducing the Government of Germany to adopt a more liberal and enlightened policy with regard to the important branch of our commerce which now suffers from the restrictions in question.
I am, sir, etc.,