Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York., February 9, 1883

Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York.

Memorial in regard to the prohibition of the importation of American bacon and hams into Germany.

To the President of the United States:

The Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York respectfully asks leave to represent that the imperial Government of Germany has openly declared its intention to prohibit the importation of American bacon and hams into their country, on the ground of the alleged unwholesomeness of these products, and that such prohibition threatens to destroy a valuable and growing branch of commerce between our country and Germany.

Your memorialists are aware that the honorable the Secretary of State has already directed the attention of the United States minister at Berlin to the subject. In view of its grave importance, and of the fact that the German Government has only recently made a public statement of its intention and of the reasons that have prompted it, your memorialists nevertheless deem themselves justified in adding their testimony to the information already in possession of the Government, and in directing its attention to those points which, in the present position of the matter, appear to be of the greatest importance.

The German Government bases its intention on two facts which it claims to be established, namely, first, on the occurrence of the parasite trichinœ spiralis in the American hog products to a greater degree than it is found in the German hog; and, secondly, on the widespread prevalence in our hog-producing districts of the disease known as hog-cholera.

Your memorialists are convinced not only that both these charges are exaggerated, but also that the conclusions drawn from them by the German Government are not justified and can form no reasonable ground for the contemplated prohibition.

• Trichina.—The German Government claims to have established the occurrence of this dangerous parasite in about 4 per cent. of the American bacon and hams imported into Germany, which is stated to be the result of accurate investigations prosecuted during a series of years. No similar official tests having ever been made on this side, your memorialists are unable to disprove or to confirm the alleged fact, and any contradiction from our side, therefore, is not likely to be accepted. But there is one fact which, if properly urged, should convince the German Government of the injustice of basing a decree of prohibition on the alleged occurrence of trichina in American bacon and hams, which is this: That these products of our country are prepared for market in a manner which renders their consumption in the raw state all but impossible. This alone accounts for the rare occurrence among American consumers of the disease known as trichinosis, and for the fact that according to the German Government’s own statement not more than two or three cases have, within the past ten years, occurred in Germany, where the disease could be ascribed to the consumption of American pork, while all widespread and dangerous cases of trichinosis in Germany have been traced to the consumption of the raw meat of freshly killed domestic hogs. These facts, instead of justifying the threatened prohibition, rather go to establish a great advantage, in a sanitary point of view, of the use of the American product over that of the domestic meat.
• Hog-cholera.—The existence of hog-cholera, also, is not denied, though the prevalence of the disease can be proved to have greatly diminished, since the bulk of our hogs is no longer raised mainly in connection with our distilleries, but on our Western farms, where they are fed on Indian corn. In urging this charge, the Government appears to have placed more faith in exaggerated newspaper reports than in the results of the official investigation instituted by our Government, which were embodied in the report made to the State Department by Mr. Scanlan, chief of the Bureau of Statistics, dated April 26, 1881, which report has been before them. Here again, however, the German Government has drawn conclusions from the facts alleged, which are not justified even by these facts, since they have been unable to point out the occurrence of any American meat which might have been called diseased from that cause, much less any injury that might thereby have been inflicted on the health of the consumers.

In view of the fact that the thorough and systematic exclusion of diseased hogs from our packing establishments can easily be proved to any fair-minded man that will take the trouble of examining into the process connected with the preparation of these products for market, your memorialists respectfully suggest that the German Government should be invited to examine into this matter by a commission of experts sent to this country, before final decision is taken on the proposed measure.

And your memorialists will ever pray, &.c.,