File No. 7661/23.
Chargé Wilson to the Secretary of State.
Buenos Aires, October 16, 1907.
Sir: I have the honor to confirm my telegram of to-day’s date, as follows [supra]:
As previously reported, in accordance with instructions from the department of September 11, 1907, I requested that a new analysis of Underwood’s deviled ham should be made by the Argentine authorities in order to show the exact amount of boric acid, which substance they claimed to find in this product. A new analysis was [Page 30] made, but I was unable to obtain a copy from the department of agriculture, and was only informed that boric acid had been found to exist in the small tins of ham but not in the large ones.
As this seemed quite an unreasonable decision, I had a private analysis made by two different chemists, both of whom agreed in finding no boric acid. This result I showed to the Argentine authorities, as well as the same statement from the United States Department of Agriculture, and requested still another analysis. I have today been informed that this final analysis shows no boric acid. Doctor Suarez, the chief of the bureau of animal industry of the department of agriculture, in communicating this result to me, also informed me that orders had been given to deliver to the consignees all shipments of Underwood’s deviled ham now held at the custom-house, and that all future shipments should be admitted, subject to an occasional analysis; that is to say, that each separate case of ham will not be examined as heretofore. When an analysis is made from time to time it will be made by two separate departments, and if they disagree as to the presence of boric acid the ham will receive the benefit of the doubt and be admitted.
I hope that the question of the presence of boric acid in Underwood’s deviled ham has now been definitely settled, and that there will be no more difficulty in regard to its admittance into Argentina.
I am, etc.,