The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-01-03
EXCLUSION OF CATTLE
Why Germany Shut Out Our
Live and Dressed Beef.
REPORT TO SECRETARY MORTON

REPORT TO SECRETARY MORTON
Authorities Say There Can No Longer be
Amy Doubt that the Disease Was Texas
Fever - Denmark's Action Looked
Upon as u Self-Interest Move.
WASHINGTON, December 27.-An agent
OF the Department of Agriculture, now
In Germany, has been looking into the
reasons for the German movement
against American live cattle and dressed
beef, and has made the following pre-
liminary report to the department., ad-
ditional time being required to prepare
a complete report:
6 l hasten to forward this information
in advance of the report, as it may not
only be of interest, but of immediate
value to the department. The general
opinion among the importers of Ameri-
the German authorities will never recede
from the position they have taken unless
they could be induced to revoke the pro-
hibition order on condition that German
veterinarians be employed to inspect the
live cattle and dressed beef before load
ing for transportation to Germany. This
must also have been the opinion of the
directors of the Hamburg American
Packet Company. Directors Balm and
Wolff of this company inform me that
they have made the proposition to the
German government to employ German
veterinarians to inspect every cargo of
dressed beef or cattle in the United
States which is to be landed at German
ports. What the ultimate answer will
be remains to be seen. This company
has built four magnificent steamers for
the pun pose OF transporting live stock and
dressed beef to Germany, but these
steamers now take their freight to
Havre.
Hamburg stock yards and slaughter
house were rather reluctant at first to
call the disease discovered Texas fever;
they were unacqualnted with the symp-
toms of the general nature of the disease.
They concluded that the sixteen head
infected had been watered from tank
probably in a filthy condition and full of
bacteria, which would be responsible for
the Shiny condition in which the lntes-
tines were found. An analysis of the
water, however, proved this theory to be
incorrect; therefore the veterinarians
were almost at loss to know what the
disease was or what could have caused
the sickness. The matter was reported
to the Imperial Sanitary Department at
Berlin, and they demanded an inspection
of the intestines, lungs, liver and heart
of one of the diseased animals. Three
weeks after it was declared by the I'M
perial Sanitary Department that the
disease was Texas fever, and prohibit
ton order was issued.
"The veterinarians at Hamburg now
affirm that, according to the diagnosis
made at the time of the killing of the
diseased animals, it corresponded exactly
with the description given by American
authorities, and, therefore, there can no
longer remain any doubt but that the
disease in reality was Texas fever. The
chief veterinarian, Vollers of Hamburg,
and the director of the Ham burg slaugh-
ter-house, Mr.. Brisen, have gone to Eng
land to give this matter special atten-
ton and to learn what precaution the
English authorities take against the
spreading of the disease when they dis
cover cases of Texas fever. Chief Vet
erian Volers has also written PAM
phlet giving the complete details of the
matter. a copy of which will be for
warded to the department as soon as the
pamphlet is printed.
denmark following Germany's lead
in prohibiting the importation of Ameri-
can live cattle and dressed beef is looked
upon here as move dictated by self-in-
terest. The larger per cent of the cattle
killed at Hamburg are from Denmark,
because all the cattle arriving from Dem
mark must be slaughtered, as they can
not be transported to the interior OF
Germany alive. Denmark is evidently
hopeful that by excluding American cat
tie che NAV receive permission from the
German authorities to transport their
live stock to the interior of Germany.
One of the directors of the Hamburg
American Packet Company informs me
that Rotterdam has a,so prohibited the
landing of American live cattle at that
port. Hamburg dealers in cattle and
commission merchants in general are
now making efforts to obtain permission
to import live cattle from Canada, there
being no Texas fever in the Northern
States. They would load them at Hall
fax, but they doubt very much if further
permission will be granted. The Anne l..
can live cattle sold at Hamburg were OF
first-class quality, and gave excellent
satisfaction, with the exception of the
thirty-two bulls, sixteen which had to
be killed and condemned, thereby Great
ing all this commercial disturbance. The
other animals were principally short
horns and far superior to any Europe. n
beef cattle killed at Hamburg.
eff the expectation OF live cattle Is
again allowed, special care should be
taken to export the best quality only to
Germany. The dressed beef was also
first quality in every respect, but unfor-
tunately the cooling machinery did not
work satisfactorily, and the appearance
of the meat was somewhat against it.
DIR. Salmon, chief of the bureau of ami
NAL industry, states that none of the in
formation so far obtainable would indi-
cate that these animals were suffering
from Texas fever"