The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-04-26
THE WINES.
M. Hanotaux Answers an American
Consul's Statements.
FRENCH w1NBNoT ADULTERATED


Mr.. Chancellor, Our Consul at Havre,
Made Charges which Has Aroused
French Omcials and Calls Forth "A
Statement From NJ. M.'Hanotaux.
Washington, April 26.-The promised
statement from the department. OF
state touching the report on the French
wine trade By United States Consul
Chancellor, at Havre, has been COM
pleted 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, 1895, alleged that much Of
! the French wine was not the product
of the vineyard, and that $4,000 casks
/ Of so-called wine had been destroyed
by the Paris municipal laboratory
having not a drop of grape juice In II
all. lie also alleged that the deficit In
the wine crop caused by the phylloxera
had been made up from fluid made
of raisins, currants, lees and such ma
terials.
IT Is stated that M. Hanotaux last
December NhlIE0 Alt hAtNAANANh "a WI
ambassador to Paris to the fact that
Bordeaux chamber Of commerce had
protested against the statements Of
the consul and that the official inves-
tigation had called forth denial from
the municipal laboratory that II had
destroyed any such quantity Of wine
The statements were referred back to
Mr. Chancellor, who replied that he
had obtained his information as to the
destruction OF the 1900 casks of wine
from reliable English journal hut tn,
name of the journal he was unable 20
recall While in Paris in 1887, under
commission 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
preparation of wines from lees Mr..
Chancellor referred to debates in the
chambers, in the course of which M.
Viljean had protested against the pro-
hibition of the manufacture 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 case, and
Mr.. Chancellor's defense of his state
ments. the state department prints the
following statement made by the
French embassy here under date OF
March last:
"The attention of the French wine
merchants has been called to a report
entitled. wine Making In France
published in the consular reports by
c, w. Chancellor United States consul
at HaVre, France, and containing some
incorrect statements, which might
cause prejudice to French commerce
and which 1t seems desirable to rectify
"Mr Chancellor having probably In
mind the decrease of wine production
= from which France suffered during q
\ long period after the appearance OF
phylloxera, says that large quantities
, of wine fabricated in France contain
{ no grape juice. Statistical information
shows that over 100000 acres Of vine
yards were partially infected by the
z plague during the last 20 years, 1000,
600 of which were already replanted VI
, 70 1895. On the other hand, the pro
( duetion of wine has been in the las
two years exO cptionaliy abundant, the
2 production being 71SOOO,OOO gallons il
(. 1895 and 1 1,1S3, $50 900 in 1896. 1t Is hardly
! credible that when such enormous
! quantities OF natural wines are pro
Z duced French merchants would resor
: to the fabrication Of artificial wines
J containing no grape juice. Such fabri
( cation could be profitable only In coun
\ tries producing no wine, or but little.
! "Mr, Chancellor, referring to infor'
( nation published in an English journa
\ and reproduced afterwards in Ameri
: can papers, added that the French
( government recently destroyed 1900
4 casks of adulterated wine. There Il
= no record at the municipal Laboratory
, Of Paris Of such destruction. The oc
casional seizure and destruction o
- small quantities Of adulterated wines
are III her to the honor Of the Frencl
1 governmcnt which thus protects tn
i health e its citizens
Z According TO medical inquiries mad
y by highly competent authority a mod
: era.te consumption OF French wine Il
4 beneficial to public health The ofiicia
4 statistics show that drunkenness Il
4 less frequent in Wine consuming re
a gions."