Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-19
HTS AMERICAN MEAT
Decree Issued by the German
Emperor Severe Blow TO
American Trade.
National Provisioner. Trade Pa.
per Of the Packers. Tells
OF Order.
Strict Enforcement Would Prac
tically Prohibit Export OF
Meat to Germany.

New York, March 19.-That the hand
held out by the German empire looks
very much like clenched fist is the
belief of the National Provisioner, a pa
| per which presents the views of the
meat packing trade In its issue of
March l this publication points out
that on Feb. Is, almost coincident with
the sailing of Prince Henry for Ameri-
ca, the kaiser promulgated decree for
! a strict enforcement of the inspection
| of meat and cattle which was passed
nearly two years ago.
| According to the Provisioner the en-
| forcement of this act is a deadly blow
at American meats. meaning their abb
solute exclusion from Germany, and the
provision interests are urged to go to
Washington at once and call upon the
government to fight at the inception OF
the game"
1t is pointed out that the packers of
/ the United States are vitality interested
in doing all they can to ward off the
threatened move which, it is declared,
is really worse than tariff act and
less embarrassing to the imperial gov
eminent. The decree, which is aimed
at American meats, reads as follows:
an the preparation of meat in the
ordinary way of trade no substances or
processes must be used which are capa-
Bile of imparting to the goods properties
injurious to health. 1t is prohibited to
import meat so treated from abroad, to
cffer the same for sale. to sell or other
wise to trade therein"
BoraX and boric acid are the sub
stances aimed at by the German decree.
and the Provisioner states that their
barmlessness has been proved by the
governments own commission as well
as by the great specialists. Hence 1T is
charged that the prohibition is insin-
cere and simply an indirect method of
prohibiting the expectation of Ameri-
can meats to Germany.
1t is almost equivalent, states the pa
per- to saying that no fresh meat
shipped to German ports shall be stored
il refrigerators or other Enclosure, but
that it shall be shipped only when I'M
covered. AS a matter of fact it is de-
clared to be impossible to ship fresh
meats to Germany without the use of
the prohibited agent, and. according to
the Provisioner, no one knows this bet
ter than the agrarians, whose motto is
declared to be: Eliminate American
meat exports to Germany"
Private advices from reliable
source to the Provisioner say that III
Void taS or
preserving purposes Germany has
taken a stand which makes it appear
questionable whether the importation
OF meat and meat goods will in the fu-
ture be possible at all. That there is a
strong party feeling in Germany over
the matter is said to be true, but thu
agrarians are charged with being bent
on the exclusion Of American meat and
with devising the decree, in order to
avoid the odium of putting still heav-
Ter duty on the product of the United
States.
Another fact held to be significant is
pointed out. The German Imperial
hoard of health recently conducted
series of Investigations as to boraS and
the other articles prohibited in meat.
but all the inquiries and experiments
were made in secret. No conclusion
has ever been made public, and nothing
has ever been printed as to the results.
1t is pointed out that If the expert
ments had developed anything against
the acids the investigators would not
have hesitated to announce their find
ings.
In this connection it is interesting to
rote that committee of investigation
along the same lines, appointed by the
British parliament. expressed itself on
this matter as follows:
After very carefully considering the
evidence we have to the conclusion that
as regards the trade in fresh and cured
meat, fish, butter and margarine and
ether food substances in the consump-
ton of which but small quantities of
antiseptic are taken into the system,
there exists no special reasons for in
terfering to prevent the use of boron
personalities"
In concluding its article the Provis-
ioner expresses the belief that Ameri-
can meat industries will lose no time In
asking Washington to get into commu-
nication with Germany at once, looking
to repeal of the damaging decree.
Whether the fact of the exclusion OF
American meats is accomplished by
direct prohibitive tax on the products,
unfriendly customs regulations or the
imperial decree against the use of q
harmless preventative the paper de-
clares does not matter. 1t is to the
actual result of the exclusion that at
tention is called and the packers and
the government are urged not to delay
in presenting an emphatic protest at
once against Germany's ominous move.
MISS sMYTHE RETURNS.