The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-08
SWEEPING IN ITS EFFECT
GERMANS DECREE AGAINST
AMERICAN FRUIT

1t Includes Frufts, Dried and Fresh, from
AL .sAmerica' No Saving Clause for
Fruit Known tn BE- Pure-The Manner OF
Issuing the Decree Unprecedented and.an
Act "f Great Di.courtesy to the Ambass.-
dor of the Uni,sd States
Washington, February 3.-Adyices were
received mis- afternoon from Ambassador
White relative TO the decree Of exclu-
sion of American fruit from Prussia 1t
would seem that the fun details OF the
decree are not yet o~btainable in Berlin.
but it is expected that the ambassador
VIII cable the entire decree as soon as
he can obtain possession of it. The i'm
portant facts that were established by
the adviceS We're:
~EiTst-That the decree of exclusion
uses the word American as descriptive
Of the place OF origin Of the fruit, which
would seem to include Canadian fruit,
without question; second, that the de-
cree, instead OF applying only to fresh
fruft, as was at first supposed, includes
in the prohibition all dried fruits from
America
State department officials have not yet
recovered from rnelr surprise at the
method adopted by the German govern
merit OF accomplishing its object in this
matter and, undoubtedly, THE correspond
erIce to follow viii set this out very
CLEARLY. This objection to the course pur-
sued is three fold. In the first place, it
is said to be entirely without precedent
and dfscourteCus toward the American
ambassador at Berlin to make the de-
cree and put it into effect without the
slightest warming to him. In the second
place, by making the decree take effect
ait orJce and stopping all fruit in transit,
a, great lnillSfipQ is done to ShlDDprS who
thus, without warming, are made ITO lose
heavily on their capital invested in the
fruit. Third, the decree is condemned in
that it makes no provision for the admiS-
sion of fruit of absolute purity; permits
no demonstration of origin or healthful
condition and, in fact, condemns al fruit,
good and bad, alike. These considera-
tons are to be strongly urged upon the
German government as reasons why it
should either revoke or modify the de-
cree ON the lines indicated, before any
more radical action is taken.
MODIFIED DEGREES.
Berlin, February Sit is announced
that the bundesrath federal council) in
paenary sitting today approved its COM
mittee'S proposa THAT a decree should be
issued prohibiting the Importation from
America of live plants and Shrubs and
packages containing tine same.
The decree Will also in a certain meas
ure affect American fruits. These are to
be examined by experts ON their arrival
III dtI lIidui pOllS, dlbu pdNhdSSo "
be infected with the fruit louise will be
excluded. Instructions to this effect will
be issued to the customs authorities.
This announcement, which is made by
an official agency, appears to indicate
a measure distinct from the decree issued
ON Tuesday by DR.. MIGUEL, the Prussian
minister of finance, prohibiting the inn
portanion of every kind of American
the exact details. The bundesrath's
measure, it is pointed out, is far less
stringent than similar measures at pres
emit enforced in individual states of the
American uTfon.'
The Associated Press learns that the
Hamburg authorities today permitted the
unloading of apples from the United
States, owing to Instructions received
from Berlin as the result of the protests
of United States Ambassador White
against DR.. Miquel's decree.
London February 3.-T1he Berlin CORE
spondent of The Times says: Custom
officials at Emmerich, Rhenish Prussia,
received Geographic Instructions m jan
uary Both from DR.. MIGUEL, the Prussian
taItion of fresh fruit from America. The
Hamburg senate Issued a similar order
on the following day. Protests against
THE latter Ia secured from the Ham
burg senate permission; first, for fur
tther export of consignments to England,
and second, for -consignments of Ameri-
cam apples that have . already reached
Germany to be delivered to those to
whom they are addressed. The subject
occupied the attention of the bundesrath
today (T'hursday), when it was decided
that importation of fresh fruit is only
forbidden when the same is discovered
to contain a plant bug. The prohibition
does not extend to dried fruits; but the
Importation Of ~windfalls, packing mate
rial and plants is altogether forbidden.
Berlin, February 3.-The Associated
Press ascertains that the bundesrath su-
persedes with its authority, DR.. MiQuel'S
decree, which seems i'll advised in its
rigor and suddenness, and which natur-
ally provisional. was Occasioned by the
recently reported results of experiments
by DR.. Friedrich Won Kueger, of the ag-
r~icuNtural hfgh school.
The bundesrath's action is due, the AS
Sociated Press is informed, ito a series of
vigorous protests from the shippers af-
fected, and especially those of Hamburg,
ON the lower Rhine and at Emmerech
and stiff more to the protests of Ambas-
sador White. Its decision forbids the i'm
portation only where the fruit is affected
by the Sam Jose plant bug, which is
said to have done enormous damage in
the United States.