The age-herald., 1898-02-04
GERNANY'S FRUIT DECREE Takes In All Fruit American
 Grown.
 EITHER DRIED OR FRESH It Is Considered Extremely Discourteous That
DRIED OR FRESH
It Is Considered Extremely Discourteous That Action Should Have Been Taken Without
 Warning American Ambassador


 Washington, Feb. 3.-Further advices were received from Ambassador White to- day as to the nature of the fruit exclusion decree. It would seem that the full de- tails are not yet obtainable in Berlin, but it is expected the ambassador will cable the entire decree as soon as he can obtain possession of 1t. The important facts that were established by the last advices were: First. That that 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 decree. instead of applying only to fresh fruit, as was at first supposed, includes in the prohibition all dried fruit from America.
 State department officials have not yet recovered from their surprise at the meth cd adopted by the German government of accomplishing it's object in this matter. and undoubtedly the correspondence to follow will set this out very clearly.
 The objection to the course pursued is be entirely without precedent, and dis
 
 sador at Berlin to make the decree and put it into effect without the slightest warning to him. In the second place, by making the decree take effect at once and stopping all fruit in transit a great in- justice is done to shippers, who thus with out warning are made to lose heavily on their capital invested in the fruit.
 Third. The decree is condemned in that it makes no provision for the admission of fruit of absolute purity; permits no demonstration of origin or healthful con- dition. and, in fact. condemns all fruit. good and bad alike These considerations are to be strongly urged upon the German
 government as reasons why it should either revoke or modify the decree on the lines indicated before any more radical action Is taken.
 Approved COmmittee's Proposal
 Berlin, Feb. 3.-Et is announced that the bundeavatih 9ederal councilr in plenary sit ting today approved its oommtttee's pro- posal that a decree should be Issued pro- hibfting the importation from America of live plants and shrubs and packages con tadning the same. The decree will also dn a oeffain measure affect American fruits. These are to be examined by experts on their arrival at German ports, and pack ages found to be infected with the fruit louse will be excluded. Instructions to this effect will be issued to the customs au- thOrities. This announcement, which is made by an official agency, appears to in dicate a measure distinct from the decree issued on Tuesday by Dr. Miquel. the Prus- sian minister of financa prohibiting the Importation of every kind of American fresh frut, but 1t is difficult to ascertain the exact details. The bmdsrath's meas ure, 1t is pointed out, Is liar less stringent than similar measures at present enforced in individual states of the American union."
 The Associated Press learns that the Hamburg authorities today permjtted the unloading of apples from the United States owing to instructions received from Berlin as the result of protests of United States Ambassador White against Dr. Mquels decree.
 The Associated Press ascertains that the bundsrath, with it's authority, Dr. Miquers decree which seems ill-advsed in it's rigor and suddenness, and which, naturally pro- visional, was occasioned by the recent re- ports of experiments by Dr. Friedrich Von Kueger, of the agricultural high school. The bundsrath's action Is due, the As- sociated Press is informed, to a series of vicious protests from the shippers affected and particularly those of Hamburg on the Rhine, and at Emmerich, and still more to the protests of Ambassador White. Its de- cision forbids the importation only where the fruit is affected by the aspidiotus per- nicious, or San Jose plant bug, which is da mn oa n "a United States The bundsraths decree ap- plies to the whole of Germany and makes l matters momentarily better. but it Is be- lieved that its future interpretation will largely correspond with pr. Miauers de- cree Parties interested here fear that the | United States will resort to reprisaIs. | Dccs Not Appiy All Fruit | London, Feb. 3-he Berlin correspondent of the Times says:
 Customs officials at Emmerich, Rhenish Prussia, received telegraphic instructions on Jan 30 from Dr. Miquel, the Prussian minister of finance, to stop the importa- ton of fresh fruit from America. The Hamburg senate issued circular order on l the following day.
 Protests against the latter have secured Protests against the latter have secured | from the Hamburg senate permission. first ly, for further export of consignments to England, and secondly, for consignmsnts of American apples that have already | reached Germany to be delivered to those 1 to whom they are addressed.
 ''The subject occupied the attention of the bundesrath today (Thursday) when it was decided that importation of fresh fruit ia only forbidden when the same is | discovered to contain plant bug. The | prohibition does not extend to dried fruits;
 but the asserting of windfalls. packing | material and plant is altogether forbidden. 1 The general indignation aroused Is due | perhaps to the commercial losses that | might ensue inasmuch as American fruits | bear relatively smaller proportion to the 1 total fruit import, than the feeling that