The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-26
WAR OF WORDS OVER WINES.
THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR TAKES
ISSUE WITH A CONSUL.


The Report Made From Hnvre by Mr..
Chancellor Declared Erroneous in
Several Rcspects-His Rport That
$4,000 Casks of Wines Were De-
strOSeh at the Municipal LabOrn-
tory at Paris Dcnied-The Consul
supports His Allegation of Extern
sive Use of Sugar at Leeds.
Washington, April 25.-The promised
statement from the state department
touching on the French wine trade by
United States Consul Chancellor at Havre
has been completed, and will appear In
the May number of the United States
consular reports The department briefly
recalls the fact that Mr.. Chancellor in
his report of July "A, 1885, alleged thar
much of the French wine was not the
product of the vineyard, and that 1900
casks of so-called wine had been destroy
ed by the Paris municipal laboratory, hav-
ing no grape juice in it all. He also al
legged that the great deficit in the wine
caused by the phyloraxa had been made
up from a fluid made of raisins, currants
and such materials. 1t is stated that NJ.
Hanotaux last December called the at
tention of the United States ambassador
to Paris to the fact that the Bordeaux
Chamber of Commerce had protested
against the statements of the consul and
that the official investigation had called
forth denial from the municipal lahora-
tory that ii has destroyed any such guam
tity of wine. The statements were re-
ferred back to Mr.. Chancellor who re-
piled that he had obtained his information
as to the destruction of the 1900 casks OF
wine from a reliable English journal, but
the name of the journal he was unable TO
recall. While in Paris in 1887, under COM
mission from the governor of Maryland,
he had investigated the wine sheds and
was there told that a large number of
casks would be destroyed and that this
action was not unusual.
In support of a statement that large
quantities of sugar were used in the prep
aration OF wines from Leeds Mr.. Chancellor
referred to debates in the chambers, in
the course of which NJ. Viljean had pro-
tested against the prohibition of the manu-
facture of this kind of wine on the ground
that it caused the consumption of no less
than 100000 tons of sugar yearly.
Having thus laid down the cause and
Mr.. ChanceIlor's defense in his statements.
the state department prints the following
statement by the French ambassador here
under date of March Sth LAST
1.-THE attention of the French wine mer-
chants has been called to a report entitled
Wine Making in France published in
the consular reports No. Is, September,
1895. by c. w. Chancellor United States
consul at Havre, France, and containing
some incorrect statements, which might
cause prejudice to French commerce and
which it semes desirable to rectify.
Statistical informations shows that
over 100000 acres. of vineyards were
partially afflicted by the plague during the
last twenty years, 100000 of which were
already replanted up to 1895. On the other
hand, the production has been in the last
two years exceptionally abundant, as will
be seen from the following official state
meut:
Vineyard Total Average
Area in Production, Total per
Year. Acres Gallons. Value. Gallon.
1895 .,..4l53.OO0 T3,300OOO $162 10000 O.22
1896 ... 80. 1,1S3, $4,000 26S,S3O. 900 O.19
1T is hardly credible that when such
enormous quantities of natural wines are
produced French merchants would resort
to the fabrication of artificial wines con-
tanning no grape juice; such fabricauons
could be profitable only I'm countries pro-
ducing no wine or but little.
Second, Mr.. Chancellor, referring to in
formation published in an English jour
nal and reproduced afterward In Ameri-
can papers, added that the French gov
eminent recently destroyed 1900 casks OF
adulterated wines. From an official In
quiry it appears that there is no record
at the municipal laboratory Of Paris of
such destruction. The occasional seizure
and destruction of small quantities Of
adulterated wines are rather to the honor
of the French government, which thus
protects the health of its citizens. Meas
ures for the purpose of prohibiting over
alcoholization of wines and the addition
thereto of water or of any element what
ever of adulteration.
ct may be added that according 10
medical inquiries made by highly compe-
tent authority a moderate consumption
of French wines is beneficial to public
health. The official statistics in this re-
gard are worthy OF attention. They snow
that drunkenness is less frequent in wine
consuming regions"