Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-02-26
FRENCH CHANGERS.
Force Our Sister Republic to
Embargo Our Beef
WITH THE USUAL POLITE FICTION

Tut Forward as the Cause Of the Embargo,
PDeumonia->uccessfal Fight Made in
the Hou.c Against the Payment Of S4:5.-
600 to sealers-Senate Agrees to Buy the
Blaise Property.
WASHINGTON. Feb aj-Eustis, our am
BASS ID II to France, will be instructed to
snter a rrompe and vigorous protest
ay1irs5 the French dccrccs just made ex-
:!uiing American cattle from France.
A. the deere is ostcnsibly based on
The existence Of pleuro pneumonia and
Texas fever in cattle coming from the
United States the ambassador will call for
proof of the fact. That will mean long
and tedious expert examinations by vet
,rin1rians, and much CORES pondence,
which is not expected to be Of any more
avail than that which Runyon, our am
oassa6or to Germany, was plunged into
y the issue of a similar decree by the
German government; for it is fully real.
.zed here that the allegati IN that Ameri-
,an cattle are unhealthy is the mercst pre-
;ense in both cases and that the real rea-
son Is fear Of American competition.
Farmers Want some Prot &c. son.
In the case of France the press cable
dispatches have shown that the ministry
has been urged to the issue of the decree
by delegation after delegation represent
ing the numerous and well organized
agricultural societies of the republic, sole
ly for their protection against the Ame-i-
can cattle grower. In order to grant the
demand and yet at the same time to avoid
the charge that France was violating the
most favored nation clause in its treaty
with the United States-which would
properly lie il the latter were signaled out
f. ON other nations foz an attack of this
kinti-it was necessary that recourse
should b, had to the device which has
awaited Germany so well, of charging I'M
healthfulness upon American cattle. This
charge is always hard to rcbut, owing to
the ease with which expert testimony
may be had on either side of the case.
Morton Depends ON q Cabinet Change.
The American trade in cattle with
France had grown to considerable proper
lions. the shipments during six months
ended Dec. 81 last being IL, AL head, and
ducing the month of January last, sol
head. Secretary Morton was careful
about expressing his opinion touching the
French decree but it could be seen that
hc regarded it as n mere political mani
festarion and felt that it would not be
continued in force for any considerable
length of time and that the next change
in the French cabinet would probably be
( allowed b. the revocation of the decree.
Notwithstanding this, the belief is grow
ing AID deepening here that these DEGREES
are but forerunners of other and more
severe restrictions upon American trade,
the next blow perhaps being likely to fall
upon wheat.
Not n Measure Of Retaliation.
1t is understood that these are not
adopted as retaliatory measures, but are
manifestations of the growth Of the pro.
tective sentiment in continental Europe,
and grow out of the necessity the govern.
ments are under of conccding something
to the great agricultural classes. Touch
ing the allegation of the existence Of dis.
ease among American cattle Secretary
Morton says that there has not been one
case Of p!euro-pncumonia in the United
States during the rast three years, and
that if even there had been cattle suffer
ing from Texas fever among the careful
~ Inspected herds shipped to Europe the
disease being non-contagious could not
do harm there.