Mr. Hay to Mr.
Thomas.
Department of State,
Washington, May 18,
1899.
No. 54.]
Sir: Referring to the Department’s No. 53,1 of the 5th instant, I
inclose copy of a dispatch from our consul at Christiania and of a
letter irom the Secretary of Agriculture relative to the new Norwegian
rules affecting meat exports from the United States.
You will endeavor to have the certificates and meat-inspection stamps of
this Government accepted without the required authentication by a
Swedish-Norwegian consul at the port of shipment. This Government does
not understand the necessity for the consular authentication, nor
perceive what additional security is given to the consumer thereby.
It, of course, does not claim that the inspected meat will keep
indefinitely; the inspection simply determines that the animals are
healthy at the time of slaughter.
I am, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Mr. Bordewich
to Mr. Hill.
Consulate of the United States,
Christiania, April 14, 1899.
No. 51.]
Sir: Inclosed I have the honor to transmit
a circular which of late has been issued by the Christiania board of
health and sent to all the dealers and importers of animal foods.
Translation follows the circular. I again draw your attention to
this matter for the reason that one of the importers of American
meats came to the consulate yesterday and made complaint, asking for
my intervention. It appears that the man had just received from
America a shipment of “butts” of pork, accompanied by the regular
American certificate of inspection, in conformity with the
requirements of the act of Congress approved March 3, 1891. The
goods were in perfect condition; still he had much difficulty in
getting them passed, as the authorities refused to accept the
American certificate.
I have seen the president of the board of health, Mr. G. E. Bentzen,
and he informs me that under new rules adopted the American
inspection certificates should be authenticated by Swedish-Norwegian
consul in port of shipment. Mr. Bentzen intimated, however, that
this authentication might be dispensed with if the American mode of
inspection was explained and found satisfactory.
For this reason I have already, in dispatch No. 50, requested that
two copies of the act of March 3, 1891, be sent to me, as it will
show the requirements. When received I will again see the inspection
board and come to a clear understanding, but at the same time it
might expedite matters if the Swedish-Norwegian consulgeneral at
Washington was requested to interfere.
The main reason for the trouble here at this time is, that last
winter a lot of American horse meat arrived in a very bad condition
and was condemned. It was not inspected in America, however, as near
as I can learn, and I was not notified at the time.
In my opinion, all American meats and pork for export should be
accompanied with inspection certificates, and arrangements made, as
far as possible, that these [Page 723] certificates are taken as ample proof that the respective goods
are wholesome human food.
I have, etc.,
Henry Bordewich,
United States Consul,
Christiania.
[Subinclosure.—Translation.]
From Christiania Board of Health.
Under provision of the rules for the protection of the public health,
approved by royal resolution of December 14 last year, this board
may, from March 19 last, forbid the sale of foods prepared outside
the city, in the composition of which, enters smaller pieces of
meat, pork, intestines of domestic animals, or blood, unless it is
made manifest to the board, either by certificate from Norwegian
authorities in other ports or in some other reliable manner, that
such food was prepared in such a manner and from such material that
it is not injurious to health.
We take the permission to inform the honorable firm of this rule, and
would request that with each shipment of such food from other places
to this city care is taken that the required guaranty is furnished,
as a rule, by certificate from one (by proper authority appointed)
veterinary surgeon, to the effect that the food in question is
prepared in such manner and from such material that it is not
injurious to health.
In cases where the foods are imported from abroad, the certificate of
a veterinary surgeon must be accompanied by a certificate from the
police authorities at the place of export, or by Norwegian consul,
if one is found in the place.
Christiania Board
of Health, February
1, 1899,
- G. E. Bentzen,
- Josef Jacobsen.
[Inclosure 2.]
Mr. Brigham to
Mr. Hay.
Department of Agriculture,
Office of the
Secretary,
Washington, D.
C., May 13,
1899.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge, with
thanks, receipt of your letter of the 4th instant, inclosing for my
information a copy of a dispatch from the consul at Christiania,
Norway, No. 51, April 14, 1899, with inclosure, concerning new rules
adopted there for inspection of animal food.
I would respectfully request that, if deemed advisable by your
Department, the subject-matter of these regulations be taken up,
either with the Swedish-Norwegian consul-general at Washington, as
suggested by Mr. Bordewich, or directly with the Government of those
countries, with a view of securing the acceptance of the
certificates and meat inspection stamps of this Government without
authentication by the Swedish-Norwegian consul at port of shipment.
This Department does not understand the necessity for authentication
of Government certificate. The alleged reason for the new
regulations, that a shipment of horse meat arrived in bad condition,
certainly does not warrant the proposed measure, nor would that
measure be sufficient to prevent other meats in bad condition from
arriving at such distant ports. Of course, no inspection can
guarantee that meat will not deteriorate and decompose if it is kept
under improper conditions. The inspection is to determine that the
animals are healthful at the time of slaughter—not that the meat
will keep indefinitely.
Very respectfully,
J. H. Brigham, Acting Secretary.
