Mr. Adee to Mr.
White.
Department of State,
Washington, October 7,
1892.
No. 910.]Sir: I inclose for your information a copy of a
letter from the Secretary of Agriculture to this Department, dated the
3d instant, relative to the unnecessary and injurious restrictions which
are still enforced upon all shipments of live cattle from the United
States to Great Britain and to Canada, notwithstanding the fact that
contagious pleuro-pneumonia has been completely eradicated from this
country.
You are instructed to bring this subject to the attention of Her
Majesty’s Government, by communicating to the foreign office the
substance of Mr. Rusk’s letter, with an expression of the earnest hope
entertained by this Government that the competent British authorities
will be able to give directions at an early day for the revocation of
the unnecessary and oppressive regulations now enforced against American
cattle imported into Great Britain and Canada.
I am, etc.,
Alvey A. Adee,
Acting Secretary.
[Inclosure to No. 910.]
Mr. Rusk to Mr.
Foster.
Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D. C., October 3, 1892.
Sir: I have the honor to request that you
will take the proper steps to bring to the attention of the
Government of Great Britain the unnecessary and injurious
restrictions which are still enforced upon all shipments of live
cattle from the United States to Great Britain and to Canada. The
regulations referred to require that all live cattle landed in Great
Britain shall be slaughtered on the docks where landed within ten
days after quitting the ships which transport them, and that all
animals of this species entering the Dominion of Canada shall be
held in a quarantine station for a period of ninety days. It is
almost unnecessary to add that such regulations prevent the shipment
of any cattle except those intended for immediate slaughter. The
trade in pure-bred animals and in those for grazing purposes is
entirely prevented, while animals for slaughter do not realize the
prices which they otherwise would. These regulations, therefore,
cause hardship and loss to our shippers and entirely prevent a trade
which would undoubtedly prove advantageous to both countries.
The regulations in question were adopted in 1879 because of the
supposed danger of the introduction of the contagious
pleuro-pneumonia from the United States. Since that time, however,
this Government has provided for the eradication of that disease and
it no longer exists in any part of the United States. A period of
more than six months has elapsed since the last affected animal was
slaughtered and every precaution has been observed during this
period to discover the disease in case of its existence. As no cases
have occurred subsequent to that time, I have officially declared
this country to be free from the contagion; and copies of this
declaration were sent you on the 24th ultimo.
It should not be forgotten that during the period these restrictions
have been enforced upon our cattle trade, Canadian cattle for sale
in this country and for export to Europe have been admitted through
United States ports without detention, and that those from Great
Britain and Ireland have been admitted after a reasonable period of
quarantine, although it is well known that pleuro-pneumonia has long
prevailed in the British Isles. It may also be said that there is no
disposition to enforce this quarantine after the disease in question
has been eradicated from Great Britain and Ireland, provided these
countries remain free from other contagious diseases dangerous to
the stock interests of this country.
I trust, therefore, that the British Government will see the
injustice and unnecessary character of the present regulations and
will be disposed to revoke them at an early day.
I have, etc.,
