Mr. Runyon to Mr. Gresham .

No. 174.]

Sir: Referring to my dispatch, No. 146, of October 29 last, I have the honor to inclose herewith a copy of a note, F. O. No. 171, to-day addressed by me to the foreign office regarding the existing prohibition of the importation into Germany of American cattle and fresh beef. In this connection I deem it proper to inform you that on the 23d ultimo I received from the foreign office a memorandum, dated November 7 last, on the subject of “Texas fever among American cattle imported into Germany at Hamburg,” of which I did not send a copy to the Department, as I was informed that one had already been sent through the German embassy at Washington.

I have, etc.,

Theodore Runyon
.
[Inclosure in No. 174.]

Mr. Runyon to Baron Marschall .

F. O. No. 171.]

The undersigned, ambassador, etc., of the United States of America, referring to his note of October 28 last, F. O. No. 153, and to his conversations with His Excellency Baron Marschall von Bieberstein, Imperial [Page 498] secretary of state for foreign affairs, on the subject to which that note relates—the prohibition of the importation into Germany of American cattle and American fresh beef—has the honor very respectfully to solicit the attention of his excellency to the fact that experts in the cattle disease known as “Texas fever,” however they may differ in theory in reference to it, all agree that it is not contagious in northern climates between the 1st of December and the 1st of May, and some of them hold that it is not contagious in such climates between the 1st of November and the 1st of May; and they all agree that frost puts an end to all chance of contagion from it. The undersigned begs to be permitted to add that this complete concurrence of the views of the experts on the subject would seem to remove all ground whatever for apprehension as to the disease during the winter and the greater part of the spring.

The undersigned begs to solicit his excellency’s attention to the fact above stated, with a view to the removal of the existing prohibitions.

The undersigned also begs to say that up to this time he has not been favored with a reply to his request for the removal of the interdict in regard to American fresh beef.

The undersigned avails himself, etc.,

Theodore Runyon
.