The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-18
FRENCHMEN FEEL HURT
BECAUSE AMERICAN CONsULS EN-
POSED THEIR TRICKS OF TRADE.
Wines and Brandfes AduIteratcd Into
Deadly Drinks, Yet France
Wants a Retraction.

WASHINGTON. April 1.-THE remark
ably frank statement of the French premier,
NJ Hanotaux, to the position of the
French government towards the pending
tariff bill, which was made the subject of a
special cable dispatch yesterday, has at
tracted great attention in official circles
here. Particular interest has been excited
by the criticisms on the American consular
officers in France, and investigation makes
it appear that the subject recently has been
discussed at length by the diplomatic repre-
sentatives of the two countries and that our
government. finally conceding the correct
ness of the French assumption that our
consuls had exceeded their instructions in
criticising the French wines. has decided to
print in the same publication which con-
tanned the consular reports a statement in
vindication of the wines. The complaint is
no new one so far as the French govern
ment is concerned. For the past twenty
years our consuls In France in their reports
to the State Department have had much to
say as to the extent of the adulteration of
French wines and brandies. Consul Clifford,
at La Rochelle, reported that not one-half
Of the brandies shipped TO the United States
were above suspicion, and he further stated
that the brandy was about as deadly as alb
sinthe and was working great harm to the
French workmen. The only genuine brandy
shipped the United States, he said, was
drawn from the accumulated stock of form
er years, for there was no pure brandy be-
ing manufactured. Analysis, he said, was
of in detecting the presence OF
adulterants in this brandy, and in his opin-
ion it should all be excluded from the United
States which was then importing millions
Of dollars worth of it every year.
United States Consul Roosevelt, at Bor-
deux raised a sensation next, when, in
1882 he declared in his report that more
than one-half of the brandy exported from
that port was adulterated. He said that
the discovery of one noxious element in the
brandies of France was as good ground
for the exclusion of all of it from the
United States for the exclusion of Amer
lean pork from France. Not long after
that the consul was shot in the head by a
stray bullet, which he persisted in regard
ing as an evidence of the hostility excited
by the free criticisms he had indulged in.
Consul Knowles, ait Bordeux in 1889 and
1880. reported that large quantities of dried
grapes and old lees were used there in MAX
ing alleged wines. The latest publication,
however which has brought down the
wrath of the French government on our
consuls came from United States Consul
Chancellor at Havre, and was printed in
the United States consular reports as of
date July "A last. This was a general re-
port on Wine Making in France" and in
it's course Mr.. Chancellor made some strong
statements. though none as pronounced as
tnose made by the consus above named.
Among other things, he said: The grape
is not necessarily an element in the produc-
ton of wine. We commonly describe wine
as the fermented juice OF the grape, yet it
is not always so, for much of the so-called
wine is perfectly innocent OF any acquain-
tance With the product OF the vineyard
Pafs Whose e funetion Il is to Setec3 sdGi
terations of food and drinks, caused Is 600
casks of so-called wine to be seized
could not detect in the whole lot a Single
drop of grape juice, but what il did detect
was water alcohol sulphate Of gypsum
coloring. 1t is a significant fact that when
ever the vintage Is poor 1t has been found
that immense quantities of sugar, amount
ing in France in 1871 10 upward OF 36 600
tons have been used for mixing with the
wine. while the deficit in the production Of
good by the making OF many millions of
gallons of wine tso called from raisins
currants and the lees OF the wine press"
statements of the consul was that he WAS
not supported by the official figures, but
had accepted mere hearsay statements and
the gossip OF newspapers and ex parte re-
ports as the basis for his statements. which
were ca,oulatSd aleu- ted greatly greatly , to harm 4 the repu-
not only in the United States, but in every
country in the world. The State Depart
ment made a careful inquiry into the mat
ter, and without going behind the regula-
tions IL had established was obliged TO con-
fess judgment. for its standing instructions
TO its consular officers are 10 avoid accent
ing as the basis for official reports anything
less than official statements. else explana-
tory notes should be attached. The matter
is now. however. as before stated already
adjusted, and with the publication of the
explanatory statement in the next number
Of the United States consular reports the
incident will end.