No. 198.
Mr. Sargent to Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Berlin, May 5, 1883. (Received May 21.)
Sir: I have the honor to report that in obedience to your telegraphic instruction to execute the instruction 99, I had an interview on yesterday with Count Hatzfeldt, it being the first opportunity therefor, and read the same to him, stating that I was happy to present the views of my Government upon the note which I had heretofore addressed to him asking a suspension of the prohibitory ordinance until an examination in the soundness of American pork could be made by a commission of German experts, and, at his request, I left him a copy of your said No. 99.
Count Hatzfeldt replied that he was glad to have a formal communication from the State Department showing that the note had exceeded [Page 382] the views of the American Government in some particulars, viz, its discussion of the internal affairs of the German Government, and the menace that the American Government might resort to retaliatory measures, although he had already been informed of that fact from Washington. He also said he would lay the matter before the chancellor, who would no doubt be much pleased, and all the more as the relations between the two Governments had always been so satisfactory.
Considering my duty expressly limited by your instruction, I refrained from discussion, and did not say what seemed to me true, and on again reading my note still seems to me to be so—that I have not discussed in it the internal affairs of the German Empire except so far as its acts directly affected America, and that your No. 99 then presented contained no correction on my views in that regard.
* * * * * * *
I have, &c.,