Mr. Wamer to Mr. Uhl.
Cologne, February 11, 1895.
Sir: Referring to my report forwarded to the Department of State under date of February 9, I have to report further that a number of the dealers here in American dried apple slices have since appealed to the mayor of Cologne to modify his warning to the public under date of the 6th instant so as not to prejudice consumers against such apple slices that are dried (evaporated) on wooden racks and contain no zinc. This has been done publicly by the mayor as follows:
My notice of the 6th instant has given rise to the misunderstanding that the eating of American evaporated apple slices is injurious to health, and those persons offering such article for sale would be punished. This is by no means the case. The notice has reference only to such American dried apple slices as have been dried on zinc netting and contain zinc, and not to those that have been dried on wooden racks and contain no zinc.
If the American firms desire to hold on to this already thriving American trade in this market, they are advised to evaporate the apples only on wooden racks, and see to it that the apples so prepared are entirely free of zinc, as the mere traces of this ingredient would cause them to be objected to by the health officials. One agent has suggested to me that it would be advisable for the American firms to furnish with [Page 311] each shipment an authenticated certificate that the apples have been analyzed by an expert chemist and are absolutely free from zinc.
I am, etc.,