The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-25

Copyrighted by Associated PEest)
Berlin, April 22.-The meat inspec-
tion bill in the reichstag and the Mid
land canal bill in the diet have engross-
ed attention this week through Ger
many. The agrarians and reactiona-
ries oppose both measures, and the ulti-
mate fate Of the bills will be interpret
ed as evidence of the fighting strength
of the parties.
Regarding the meat inspection bill,
which NOR directly touches American
interests, there were many interesting
features in the reichstag debate. The
leading agrarians made a point of aim
ing their remarks and gestures at Pro-
fessor Stiles, the scientific attache of
the United States embassy, who was
present during the whole debate, but
who has now started for home, On ac-
count of family matters. Trichinosis
was hardly discussed by any Of the two
score speakers, and the charge that
American pork is frequently trichinous,
which until year ago was constantly
reiterated in the press, reichstag and
diet, was not made on the floor of the
house. This shows that the irrefutable
scientific proof to the contrary advanc-
ed by Professor Stiles has been accepted
as conclusive, by even the widest agra
rians.
1t was also notable that the debate
was practically a repetition of state
ments made at the United States army
beef investigation, with the worst evil
dence and the bitterst construction Of
all sorts of American press comments.
The reputation of leading packing
houses was torn to shreds by quotations
from American publications, which
were read in extenso, or which were
summarized by Herren Klinkowstrom,
Wangenhiem, VielhabOn, Sieg or other
agrarians. 1t may be assumed that
this will be the line of argument fol-
lowed by the opponents of the bill, for
the comment of the press this week,
when in sympathy with the agrarians,
almost entirely consists of reitera-
tion of the charge, which one paper
puts tersely, that this American meat
which Germans are expected to eat has
been found by the highest American
investigation commission unhealthy
and even deadly to Americas own
army or strong, lusty men,"
1t is out of the question that the bill
can pass in its present shape and it is
merely a question as to how much it
can be altered without becoming unac-
ceptable to the government. Its op-
ponents wish, above all, the following
changes: The abolishment of the pro-
vision making double inspection COM
pulsory, even on cattle slaughtered for
domestic use; to put foreign meat on
the same footing as domestic meat in
the matter Of inspection; to take the
execution of the provision of the bill
out of the hands of the bundesrath and
fix it bindingly in the bill, in order, as
one speaker said, to remove 1t from
the diplomatic field with foreign coun-
tries. If its opponents accomplish this,
as seems to be likely, the bill will be
unacceptable to the government, and
will undoubtedly lead to a tariff war
with the United States.
The above statements are the result
of the inquiries made on the subject
by the correspondent here of The AS
sociated Press.
An American expert, who is in the
confidence of the Washington admin
istration and who is now here, said,
bluntly "If Germany passes a law re-
quiring, in addition to the American
official certificates of the healthy condi-
tion of our export meats, which are as
reliable as the German certificates, a
double inspection after the arrival of
the meat here, that will be tantamount
to prohibition against American meat
and such action will doubtless be an
swered by retkliation on German ex-
ports to the u -ited States. Every bot
tie of German wine will be opened and
its hygienic qualities test d.
A significant point Of the speech Of
the minister of the interior, Count Po-
sadowsky-Wehner, was that the bill
was intended by the government as
''transitory measure until Germany
produces enough meat for her own
people, which, it is believed, will not
take long"
The excitement over the Samoan sit
uation has almost died out and the gen
eral expectation is that all the points
at variance will -ow be amicably and
fairly adjusted by the special commits
sion. Some of the leading papers, in
their desire for fairness, even print
communications from members of the
British mission at Samoa, controvert-
ing some of the statements of DR.. Raj
fel, the German president of the NUM-
cipal council at Apia, regarding the
relation of Tanus and Chief Justice
Chambers with the missionaries.
The correspondent here of The Asso-
sociated Press learns from the best