The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-08
SEEKING CLOSER
TRADE RELATIONS
Germans Who Value Our
Commerce.
MEAT INSPECTION MEASURES
NOT so HARSH AS TO INJURE
AMERICAN PRODUCTS.
Sentiment in the Fatherland Appears
to Be Changing in Favor
of the United
States.
MEAT INSPECTION MEASURES
NOT so HARSH AS TO INJURE
AMERICAN PRODUCTS.
Copyrighted by the Associated Press.

Copyrighted by the Associated Press.
BERLIN, Jan. The imperial meat
inspection bill is again one of the fore
most subjects discussed by the German
newspapers. This measure, early in
the week, was finally passed by the
Prussian Cabinet and has gone to the
Bundesrath, which, it is understood,
Will make short work of it, as each of
the federal governments has already
considered it,. and the present shape Of
the bill is virtually the result OF mutual
concessions made by the several gov
ernments.
From an authoritative source it IS
learned that the task OF agreeing to its
final form proved very difficult 10 the
South German governments, and es-
peCially Wurtemburg and Bavaria,
which originally opposed any such leg
islation, since they, thus far, have not
been saddled with trichinOsis inspec-
non, and saw no reason why the WhoIe
empire should be saddled with an eN-
pensiVe meat inspection merely because
Prussia wished il. 1t was in Difference
TO these South German votes that the
Prussian Cabinet gradually cut down
the demands, and a number OF the
Agrarian features of the original draIt
OF the bill were eliminated. Two I'M
pOrtant notifications are the dropping
of the clause providing for state Ie-
enumeration for all cattle and meat de-
cIared unfit for sale and the inserting
of a clause enforcing the inspection Of
all cattle and swine slaughtered Tor
private consumption.
The correspondent here for the ASSO-
ciaJed Press interviewed high Prus-
sian official concerning the measure,
who said. For America the most vital
and interesting features are that II
sfmplifies and unifles the method OF in
6pection and that there will only be
one inspection There will be no pro-
hibitiOn against any class Of American
meat, though very strong pressure was
brought To- bear on the Government to
exclude certain kinds, and especially
sausage, canned meats and lard The
Bundesrath, however, is given full
powers under the bill to make, in case
OF necessity. a decree declaring against
any and all kinds Of foreign meat. But
such action Will not be taken unless
there is the strongest reason for 1t.
a difficult problem is the treatment of
American sausage, which is left to the
Bundesrath and Reichstag. Nothing
in the whole bill is devised with the
view of the impeding or preventing
American imports The whole bill is
fair and its methods cannot be i'm
pugned even in America"
The foregoing statements were sub
stantiaIly corroborated by an American
expert in Berlin TO whom they were
communicated. He said: The tenor
OF the bill shows that the Imperial Gov
eminent means TO treat American
meats fairly and on their merits. The
option was given to the Bundesrath to
treat American meats with greater Sc
verify and corresponds with similar
power resting in the Secretary of Agri-
culture on our side regarding certain
German imports. But the enforcement
of the option will require specific proof
that American meats are injurious, and
that is out of the question. The bill
viii not be an unmitigated evil for
American interests. Hitherto in Ger
many there has been no confidence in
our meat inspection; but there is al
most sacred confidence in German i'm
perial inspection. Henceforth any
American meats exposed for sale will
be known to have been officially ap-
proved, and the result Will be a cor
responding increase in business, proba-
bly, doubling our sales. The only para
graph in the bill which is capa bic of
mischief, if unfairly applied. is the one
which sets forth that all imported
meats must come in certain cuts and
parts. We cut our meat differently
from the Germans, so mischief may
lurk in that paragraph. However, 1
feel confident that the German Gov
eminent will not apply the bill IN
fairly, as it fully realizes that there
would be no wisdom in such course,
seeing that we hold trump cards in re-
taliation."
Another fact is that the Prussian
veterinary experts to whom all samples
of American meats, sausages, etc, sus-
pected Of being affected with trichinosis
or other disease, have thus far been
unable in any cases to confirm the sus-
picions. The Government announces
that several loads of American fruits
inspected for the San Jose scale were
recently seized at Hamburg and at
Stettin. In each case, however, the
scales were dead.
The German Chambers of Commerce
and industrial associations in their an
nual reports this week have referred
more or less freely TO Germany's trade
with the United States. A majority of
them express the hope that commercial
relations will become closer and more
friendly. The Liepsic Chamber OF Com
merce, one Of the most important in
Germany, deplores the present uncer-
talnty OF the commercial relations with
both the United States and Great Brit
ain and says ii trusts the Government
viii strive 10 the utmost to re-establish
permanently the best relations with
both countries The Bunder der Indus
triellen, the Rhenish Manufacturing
Association, however, urges the Gov
eminent to adopt prompt and ener-
getic retaliatory measures against the
United States in view of the palpable
violations Of the treaty"
The Bundesrath is now discussing a
Government bill, the so-caled LEX
Heinz, framed TO suppress certain feat
ures Of public and private immortality.
u also affects literature and art. This
Dill IS weakened copy of a measure
repeatedly introduced in the Reichstag
by Centrists and defeated The Center,
which is the dominant faction of the
Relchstag, publishes through it's main
organ, the Cologne Volks Zeitune. its
intention of fighting the two leading
Government measures, the anti-strfke
and military bills. At the same time II
. condemns the constant increase in Iese
majestic trials and impugns the motives
underlying most of these cases. avine
IT deplores the growing espionage which
is bred thereby.
: The expulsion Of the Danes from
Northern Schleswig continues undated
and an overwhelming majority of the
papers continue to complain of the
policy and deny its political wisdom,