Mr. Hay to Mr.
Townsend.
Department of State,
Washington, November 29,
1899.
No. 27.]
Sir: Referring to previous correspondence
concerning the American cattle trade in Belgium, and with reference
particularly to your dispatch No. 26 of the 26th ultimo, reporting that
the Belgian Government is of the opinion that it will be impossible to
alter the existing cattle regulations for the present, and that,
furthermore, these regulations apply indiscriminately to all live stock
imported into Belgium from countries beyond the sea, I have to inclose
for your information copy of a letter from the Secretary of Agriculture,
in which he states that while he is not in a position to state
positively that your report is incorrect, he was informed by the
president of the Anglo-American Chamber of Commerce at Antwerp, who is
also director of the firm of Thomas Ronaldson & Co., Limited, that a
regulation has been made allowing Canadian cattle to be imported into
Belgium without restrictions.
You will observe that the Secretary of Agriculture requests that you be
asked to make inquiries as to whether this concession has been made to
Canadian cattle, and to renew your protest against the enforcement of
the regulation requiring American cattle to be slaughtered within three
days, and against the requirement that they be taken to the abattoir in
carts or wagons and not allowed to be driven.
In your treatment of the subject you will be guided by the views
expressed by the Secretary of Agriculture in his communication of the
18th instant.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Wilson to
Mr. Hay.
Department of Agriculture,
Washington, November 18,
1899.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge with
thanks the receipt of your letter of the 15th instant, inclosing for
my information copy of a dispatch from the United States minister at
Brussels, No. 26, October 26, 1899, in regard to the present status
of regulations covering the importation of American cattle into
Belgium. I note the statement in Mr. Townsend’s dispatch that the
Belgian Government is of the opinion that it will be impossible for
the existing regulations to be changed for the present, and that the
assertion was made that the regulations apply indiscriminately to
all live stock imported into Belgium from countries beyond the sea.
While I am not in a position to state positively that this is
incorrect, I was informed by the president of the Anglo-American
Chamber of Commerce of Antwerp, who is also director of the firm of
Thomas Ronaldson & Co., Limited, that a regulation has been made
allowing Canadian cattle to be imported into Belgium without
restrictions. I would request, therefore, that Mr. Townsend be asked
to make inquiries as to whether this concession has been made to
Canadian cattle, and to renew his protest against the enforcement of
the regulation requiring American cattle to be slaughtered within
three days, and to the other requirement that they be taken to the
abattoir
[Page 99]
in carts or wagons
and not allowed to be driven. These two regulations are as
prohibitive as the previous order, and consequently Belgium has made
no real concession since American cattle were refused admission to
that country.
I have, etc.,
