New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-03
AMERICAN FRUIT SHUT OUT
DECREE PROHIBITING IT'S IMPORTATION
INTO PRUSSIA. a
THE ORDER BASED on SANITARY GRoUNDs-
AMBASSADOR WHITE PROMPTLY RE-
MoNsTRATEs AGAINST THIS
INr,nCAL ACTION.

lNfIlfAL ACTION.
Berlin, Feb 2-The Prussiln Minister OF
Finance. DR. MIGUEL issued decree yesterday.
which goes into effect Immediately. prohibiting
the importation Of every kind of American fresh
fruit The decree has been sent to al the Ger-
ports and frontier stations, excepting Ba'
varia saxony and Wurtemburg. The United
States Embassy was not previously warned,
and the United States Ambassador. Andrew %.
White. sent a formal letter to the Foreign Office
to-day. inquirng upon what authority this
nmcal step was taken.
The United States Consul at Hamburg. Or.
Hugh Pitcairn, teegraphs that 5000 barrels Of
American apples have been forbidden to be un-
loaded and that two trains full of American
fruit have also been forbidden 70 cross the
frontier at Emmerch. which, aside from Ham
burg, IS the principal place OF entry FOR Ameri-
can fruit.
On receipt Of this Mr. White sent a sec
ond and stronger remonstrance 70 the Foreign
Office. calling attention to the evident violation
Of the treaty.
At the Foreign Office IT was learned that tho
Prussian Government prohibits the entry OF
American fruit on sanitary pretexts claiming
that California and Other vermn threaten TO in
feet German trees and fruit.
London. Feb. 2.-The Berlin correspondents OF
the morning papers are all sceptica as TO the al
legged reason sor the exclusion of American fresh
fruit. They doubt that the is the dis
covery of bug in a box OF apples in South GER
many. The exclusion is attributed rather TO the
agrarian demand for reprsals against the Amer
lean tariff.
The decision has caused the greatest surprise
and considerable dissatisfaction for American
apples had rapidly taken the German markets
by storm, owing 10 their cheapneSs and fine
quality, and the poor consumers cannot anord
to buy equally fine French or Italian fruit
sORELY TRIED BY GERMAN TACTICS.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT AWAITS ADvIcEs FROM
AMBASSADOR WHITE WITH ANXIETY.
Washington. Feb 2-The State Department
has not yet been Informed by Ambassador White
Of the decree against the importation Of Aneri-
can fresh fruits into Germany and the official
statement Of the matter is awaited with anxiety.
as the Department desires TO know just how far
the German Government is willing 10 yield 10
the wishes Of the Agrarian party. which insists
upon the exclusion OF ali American farm prod
ucts which enter into competition with the Ger
man farmer. For two years the State Depart
ment has been engaged trying almost frutless-
ly 10 secure from the German Government The
refusal OF a decree like Tie present one but
applied to our meat production. The attitude
Of the Germans in this matter is not encourag-
decree against another America staple export
has tried the patience Of the Department sorely
and there is no telling how far We may 20 tow
ard retaliation II the conditions Justify It,
OF course. nothing will be done In the absence
Of full official nfo&mation fron Air White az
to the facts in The case. and it may DO that the
history Of the meat exclusion negotiations VIII
be repeated in that there may be a long corre-
spondence to permit the German Government TO
demonstrate, II IT can. the cat danger 10 De
looked for in American fresh fruits. But II the
facts indicate that there Is a little foundation
for this exclusive decree. was the case with
the meat products IL Is said AZ the state De-
partment that the President probably viii avail
himself Of his statutory u0wer 70 retaliate
under Section , Of the act Of August 20. 1880.
To the knowledge Of the State Department
no complaint has ever before been made against
the character Of American fresh fruits. There
was some complaint few years ago from Ham
burg and Cologne against certain Importation
OF dried fruits on the ground tl.at they con-
tained traces of zinc taken up from the trays On
which they were dried. but there has never been
an attack upon the fresh fruits. The reports
Of the United states cOnsuls show that the I'M
norts of the latter have found great favor IN
German cities and the universal testimony or
our Consuls is that our apples are so superior
I'm every respect that there is hardly market
for the German apples in their vicinity.