Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-05
GERMANY MAY ESTABLISH QUARAN-
TINE AGAINST AMERICA.
FEAR OF INFLUENZA ALLEGED.
WASHINGTON OFFICIALS CLAIM THE
FEAR Is GROUNDLESs.
Proposed Move Regarded ns Another
Measure of Retaliation Against
the Dinglcy BIll-Ambnssn-
dor White Enters En-
phatic Protest.

JoStan the minister of agriculture, at to-
days session of the Prussian diet. declared
that American horses developed influenza
after importation. He added: IF the impor-
tations increase, we shall certainly be
forced to adopt a suitable quarantine IN
order to protect ourselves.
Washington, Feb. 4.-When the cable as
to the prospective quarantine of American
horses was shown to Chairman Hit, of the
house foreign affairs committee, he said
this move was clearly part of the general
movement toward exclusion shown by the
recent action against American fruit. His
colleague on the foreign affairs commit
tee Mr. Adams. of Pennsylvania. said the
dispatch suggested that it was time to dis
cover a bacillus in German wines. and it
would be desirable also TO determine as to
the sanitary character of the process OF
making German sugar sent to the United
States.
Mr.. Cousins, of Iowa, another member
of the foreign affairs committee. said: Our
state department should give distinct notice
that if there is any desire to stop trade
with us this should be done in a straight
forward way and not by indirectly attack
ing our products on sanitary grounds"
Chairman Dingley. of the ways and
means committee. said this was In line with
the German action American fruit
Quarantine was not an absolute prohibi-
ton, however, and it remained to be seen
whether a quarantine SO vigorous as to be
a prohibition would be put in force.
The officials of the agricultural depart
ment emphatically discredited the prob
ability of American horses carrying the in
fiuenza into Germany, and say that if they
do develop it after importation 1t is con-
tracted from animals in that country. The
statements of the German minister OF ag-
riculture Secretary Wilson says, are ur~
warranted.
Dr. Salmon, chief of the bureau Of animal
industry, said:
so far as the department of agriculture
is aware, there is no influenza prevailing
in this country. 1t is a disease common 10
horses, and possibly may be. present in
places of which We have no Information,
but this is improbable because news of that
TII The hopses Which are exported
are not inspected. but If an animal mas
the disease 1t will recover or die before the
TRANSATLANTIC journey Is made. so Inc ,i per pet
two weeks"
The growth in the shipment of American
horses to Europe In the past, four years
has been enormous. These shipments in
1897 aggregated in value s4.765 .265. as against
Sis. j07 in 1893. The value OF those sent to
Germany in lSs, was sS22, 2oo. as compared
with s79.950 in 1898.
The state department has been notified
by Ambassador White, at Berlin, OF the
modification of the original decree issued
by the Prussian minister of iinance, Dr.:
Miguel, prohibiting the Importation of
American fruit. According to the ambas- 6.
sadorS cable to-day, the decree does not.
as he advised Yesterday. apply to dried
fruits. while fresh fruit will be admitted to
entry If an examination shows Its CONDITION
to be satisfactory. If this modification has
been made, in the decree. it would appear
that the prompt representations made by
the United States have received an equally
,,-ii StS,N N,o t1an nj
1t IS certain that If the decree as orig
irally promulgated had been applied o
shipments of fruit in transit as Its terms
indicated. the shippers would have had a
right to claim indemnity from the
Prussian government for the damages sus,
tained by them. and it would be regarded
by the United States government as mat
ter of duty to sustain this demand Tor IN
demnity.
The State department is now obliged to
await the receipt of full advices of the
exact nature of the modified decree and
watch its workings.
Mr.. White last evening lodged another
formal protest with Baron Won Buelow, as,
in spite of the bundesraths resolution.
American fresh fruit is everywhere eXclud-
The United States consul at Duesseldorf
telegraphed to-day that only dried fruits
had been released and that there We're
about LOCO barrels of apples in the bonded
TIL United States, embassy during, the
week has been flooded with appeals from
fruit merchants, dealers ana Shippers VINO
have been injured by the decree. and all of
them have thanked Mr.. White for the Wig
orons measures he has adopted.
1t appears that DR.. MIGUEL and Baron
Won Hammerstein-Loxten issued the de-
cree without the authority of the Prussian
cabinet or of the bundesrath.
Under the heading "Order-Counter Or
der-Disorder." the TaGeblatt to-day de-
sctbed the bungling of Prussia with
American fruits and asks. Are we really
drifting into a fierce tariff war with the
United States because we have petted the
agrarian desre?"
The Vorwaerts publishes an article head
ed. "Agrarian Attack on America detail
ing the stupidity which the different Teve-
nue. stations display in interpreting the pro-
hibitory decree. Other liberal newspapers
make similar comments.