Mr. Thomas to Mr.
Hay.
Legation of the United States,
Stockholm, April 30,
1900.
No. 145.]Sir: Referring to your instruction No. 69 of
November 23, in regard to the inspection of American horse meat imported
into Sweden, and transmitting copy of a dispatch from our consul at
Gothenburg, stating that the customs officials at Gothenburg will not
accept the United States veterinarian’s name stamped on the Agricultural
Department’s certificate and stamp, but insist that the name of the
inspecting veterinarian shall be handwritten; referring also to my
dispatch No. 130 of December 30 last, transmitting copy of my note, same
date, to the minister for foreign affairs, requesting that the stamps of
the official United
[Page 739]
States
inspecting veterinarian may hereafter be deemed sufficient by the
customs officials of Sweden, I have now the honor to inform you that I
have just received a note, dated the 27th instant, from the minister for
foreign affairs, on the subject, a copy of which, accompanied by a
translation, is inclosed herewith, together with a copy of a letter from
the minister of the interior to the minister for foreign affairs, and a
printed copy of the royal ordinance of February 4, 1898, both of which I
inclose.
From the note of the minister for foreign affairs it is gratifying to
learn that through his good offices the Government of the King has
prescribed that so far as concerns the importation of horse meat of the
United States of America the provisions of article 2 of the royal
ordinance of February 4, 1898, regulating the importation of horse meat
in general, will not prevent the Swedish customs officials from
recognizing as authentic signature the stamped signature of the official
veterinarian inspector of the United States upon the marks mentioned in
article 2, above cited.
I have the honor to be, etc.,
[Inclosure—Translation.]
Mr. Lagerheim
to Mr. Thomas.
Foreign Office,
Stockholm, April 27,
1899.
Mr. Minister: By a letter dated December 30
last you have been pleased to transmit to me a copy of a letter
addressed by the consul of the United States at Gothenburg to the
Department of State at Washington on the subject of the importation
into Sweden of horse meat coming from the United States.
In his letter the consul reports that the customs officials at
Gothenburg, in refusing to recognize the official American
veterinarian’s signature stamped upon the marks and certificates of
the Department of Agriculture at Washington, require that the
signature of the veterinarian should be handwritten, and that the
barrels containing the imported meat should be sealed at both ends
in a certain manner indicated by them.
In referring to the report of the consul and in pointing out the
thorough and conscientious character of the inspection service of
the United States, you have been pleased to request my intervention
to the end that the stamps, seals, and certificates of the official
United States veterinarian inspector, as well as the manner of
making and affixing the same, may hereafter be deemed sufficient by
the customs officials of Sweden.
This matter having been submitted to the examination of the competent
authorities, the minister of the interior has just addressed me a
letter, a copy of which is inclosed herewith, from which you will be
pleased to see that the authorities consulted are of the opinion
that every package of horse meat imported into Sweden must be sealed
and marked in such a way that it is not possible to be opened or the
inspected meat exchanged for other meat without breaking the seals.
Under these circumstances the Government of the King is limited to
prescribing that so far as concerns the importation of horse meat of
the United States of America, the provisions of article 2 of the
royal ordinance of February 4, 1898 (a copy of which is herewith
inclosed), regulating the importation of horse meat in general, will
not prevent the customs officials from recognizing as authentic the
stamped signature of the official veterinarian inspector of the
United States upon the marks mentioned in article 2, above
cited.
Please accept, etc.,
