No. 92.
Mr. Everett to Mr. Frelinghuysen.

No. 298.]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge your instruction No. 301, of the 8th instant, received this day, inclosing a complaint of Messrs. William Archdeacon & Co., to the Department of State, that the importation of American pork had been prohibited in Germany, and that they are thus prevented from bringing into Germany 100 barrels of pigs’ tongues which they have shipped to Altona, and directing me to call the attention of the foreign office to the matter.

In reply I have the honor to state that this prohibition of the importation [Page 158] of pork is not new, but dates back to June, 1880. On the 29th June, 1880, Mr. White informed the Department by telegram, as also in dispatch No. 136, of the prohibition by imperial eecree of the 25th of June, 1880, of the admission of all kinds of pork except hams and sides of bacon, and inclosing a copy with translation of the decree. Mr. White at the same time stated that in an interview with Mr. Von Hoffman he had ascertained that the reason of the prohibition was that trichinæ could not be easily detected except in these two forms of pork.

From the special mention of hams and bacon in the decree, I have no doubt that tongues are included in the category of forbidden forms of pigs’ flesh, but I will, in accordance with your instruction, address the foreign office on the subject, and ascertain whether there is any special exemption for pigs’ tongues, and in case there is not, whether it would be possible to pass this one shipment of Messrs. Archdeacon & Co., after a rigid inspection to insure the pigs’ tongues being in a fit condition for food.

I would also state in this connection that in December, 1880, Messrs. Armor & Co., of Chicago, the largest pork packers in the world, addressed & similar complaint to this legation that they were debarred by the above-mentioned decree from exporting their canned brawn to Germany, and they claimed that this particular preparation of pork was safe from the danger of trichinæ as it had been subjected to a temperature of 250° Fahrenheit, a certificate of which could be sent with each shipment. They were advised, in reply, to lay their case before the Department of State, which would then instruct the legation to intervene in the matter if it should be thought best. I trust that I shall not be exceeding my instructions if I include Messrs. Armor & Co.’s grievances with those of Messrs. Archdeacon & Co. in my note to the foreign office.

I have, &c.,

H. SIDNEY EVERETT.