ters closely in the departments concerned, and that foreign office asked him yesterday whether he would inform this Government officially that the certificates of French chambers of commerce are now accepted at our custom-houses on equal terms with those issued by German chambers of commerce. Asks to be cabled as soon as possible whether he may do so. Thinks it will facilitate matters,) File No. 5869/41. The Acting Secretary of State to Ambassador White. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, (Mr. Bacon states, referring to Mr. White's telegram of the 17th, that the Treasury is satisfied of governmental standing of French chambers of commerce and assures this department that it will issue instructions at once to appraising officers to accept certificates issued by the said chambers as competent evidence. Directs Mr. White to convey to the Government of France our grateful appreciation of its friendly action in ordering the admission of American salted meats without microscopic examination.) File No. 5869/66-67. No. 77.] Ambassador White to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN EMBASSY, Paris, September 10, 1907. SIR: With reference to my cablegram of July 17 last, informing you that orders had been given for the admission, provisionally, into this country of American salted meats without microscopic examination, I have the honor to inclose for your information the copy and translation of a note from the minister of foreign affairs in reply to one addressed to his excellency by Mr. Vignaud, which was rendered necessary by a complaint from one of the leading importers of salted meats to the effect that the aforesaid order of the minister of agriculture had not yet reached Marseille and other leading ports at which the microscopic examination was still exacted. You will observe from Monsieur Pichon's note that the minister of agriculture particularly requests that he be furnished with details as to the practical measures adopted in our country in order to ascertain that there is no trichinosis in the meats in question, and I shall be much obliged if you will be so good as to cause me to be furnished with any such further information that may be obtainable, the minister of agriculture himself having made the same request of me urgently when he announced his decision in the matter. You will also not fail to note the final paragraph of the inclosed note, stating that in the event of the discovery of trichinosis in any salted meats imported from the United States their further importation would be immediately prohibited. HENRY WHITE. I have, ec., [Inclosure.-Translation.] The Minister for Foreign Affairs to Chargé Vignaud. FOREIGN OFFICE, Paris, September 9, 1907. MR. CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES: By a letter of date August 12 last you solicited the intervention of my department with the minister of agriculture in view to obtain the sending out of instructions to the French customs authorities prescribing them to admit salted meats of American origin without exacting the production of a microscopic certificate. Mr. Ruau, to whom I made known your request, informed me of the decision taken by his administration to temporarily authorize the importation into France of salted pork meats of United States origin, on the production of a certificate delivered by the inspector of the federal department of agriculture placed over the superintendence of the establishment where the animals had been slaughtered and where their meats had been prepared, establishing that the said meats derived from animals in perfect condition of health and are sound for food. The cases containing these meats should bear the stamp of the official inspector who has attended to their sanitary examination. In notifying me of this decision of his administration, the minister of agriculture requests me to insist upon your embassy, in view of obtaining the statement of practical methods employed in the United States, to ascertain that pork meats are not trichinized. I shall be obliged to you if you will send me the documents requested by Mr. Ruau. My colleague adds that it is well understood that if the examination of the imported meats be permitted, it being shown upon their entry into France that they are infected with trichinæ, their importation would be immediately prohibited. Accept, etc.. (Signed) S. PICHON. File No. 5869/72. No. 102.] The Acting Secretary of State to Ambassador White. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 17, 1907. SIR: Referring to your dispatch No. 77, of the 10th ultimo, relative to the inquiry of the French Government with reference to official inspection of salted pork in this country, the department incloses herewith copy of letter from the Secretary of Agriculture, dated the 10th instant. You are instructed to communicate the information contained in this letter to the minister for foreign affairs. I am, etc., ALVEY A. ADEE. [Inclosure.] The Secretary of Agriculture to the Secretary of State. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Washington, October 10, 1907. SIR Referring to your letter of the 27th ultimo inclosing copy of a dispatch with inclosures from the American ambassador at Paris regarding the inquiry of the French Government with reference to the presence of trichinæ in salted pork, the inspection of salted pork for export, to determine the presence or absence of triching, has been discontinued by this department. It has been quite clearly shown that the usual methods of curing salt pork are sufficient to destroy any triching which might be present. Under such conditions any trichinæ if present may be considered innocuous and the meat wholesome. The universal custom in this country of cooking meat before eating, during which process trichinæ are easily destroyed, is another reason for not having microscopic inspection of pork. I have, etc., JAMES WILSON. EXTRADITION OF FREDERICK LODGE JACOBS, AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, TO THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC FROM FRANCE. File No. 3294/1. The Secretary of State to Ambassador McCormick. [Telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 22, 1906. Reported by American consul-general that Frederick Lodge Jacobs was arrested at Marseille, 4th instant, charged with fraudulent bankruptcy, remanded pending arrival papers from Argentina. Jacobs claims to be American citizen and demands protection and liberation. Investigate and take whatever action, if any, may properly be taken for his relief. Department uninformed of any extradition treaty between France and Argentine. Root. File No. 3294/2-3. No. 204.] Ambassador McCormick to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN EMBASSY, SIR: Referring to your cable of the 23d instant mentioning the case of Mr. Jacobs, now detained at Marseille at the request of the Argentine Republic, and instructing me to take whatever action, if any, as may be proper for his relief, I beg to say that this matter has been under consideration for the last two weeks. On or about the 10th instant Mr. Jacobs's sister and his daughter called at the embassy and stated that this gentleman had been arrested upon his landing at Marseille, apparently at the request of the Argentine Government, under the charge, as they believed, of fraudulent bankruptcy at Buenos Aires, where he, Jacobs, had been established for years. With regard to his American citizenship, they stated that he was born in South America, that his father was a native American, but that he had only visited his father's home while quite young. They asserted, however, that his intention was to return to the United States. With the view of ascertaining what Mr. Skinner thought of this, I .communicated with him and he confirmed what the ladies had said, adding that Jacobs had a passport in Spanish language issued by the American consulate at Buenos Aires on September 28, 1874. Although the right of Mr. Jacobs to claim American protection under the circumstances seemed to be questionable, I nevertheless ad dressed, on the 13th instant, to the minister of foreign affairs, the note of which copy is herewith inclosed, calling his attention to the case and asking that this American be released if cause could not be shown why he was arrested and detained. As yet no written reply was made to this communication, but I am informed by Mr. Skinner that Jacobs was taken before the procureur de la République on December 18, and that after a brief interrogatory he was remanded pending the arrival of documents said to be expected from the Argentine Republic. Our consul-general adds that gross irregularity seems to have characterized these proceedings throughout and that he will communicate with me later on on this subject. At the foreign office it is informally intimated that what is being done in this case for the Argentine Republic is what is being done for us in the case of Malavio. I have, etc., ROBERT S. MCCORMICK. [Inclosure.] Ambassador McCormick to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. AMERICAN EMBASSY, Paris, December 13, 1906. SIR: An American citizen, Mr. F. L. Jacobs, has been arrested at Marseille on the 4th of this month, upon the complaint of the Government of the Argentine Republic, which accuses him, it is said, of fraudulent bankruptcy, and which intends to ask for his extradition. Since his arrest Mr. Jacobs has not been advised what he is accused of, and to the knowledge of our consul-general at Marseille no document has been produced justifying his arrest and detention. I call your excellency's attention to the situation in which this American is placed, who has been detained for ten days in a prison destined for miscreants of a low class, amongst whom he is confounded. If the Argentine Republic has the right to exact his extradition, it should produce the papers to justify its demand. I therefore have the honor to request of your excellency that the papers on which the arrest and detention of Mr. Jacobs are based be immediately produced before the competent authorities or that the release of this American be ordered. On account of the time already elapsed, and of the circumstances that I have just recalled, I again request your excellency to kindly act with all possible urgency. I avail, etc., ROBERT S. MCCORMICK. File No. 3294/4. No. 245.] The Secretary of State to Ambassador McCormick. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 12, 1907. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 204, of the 24th ultimo, reporting your action in the case of Mr. F. L. Jacobs, detained at Marseille at the request of the Argentine Republic. The department approves your note to the French minister of foreign affairs. You will continue your efforts in behalf of Mr. Jacobs. If he is still under arrest you will ascertain by what law of France he is still deprived of his liberty. Mr. Jacobs stated in his letter that the Argentine consul at Marseille informed him that neither he nor the Argentine minister at Paris had any knowledge (presumably official) of his detention. If this be so, the department fails to understand how this case is assimilated to the Malavio case, in which latter this department has been acting in the usual official manner in accordance with the provisions of our extradition treaty with France. The department has no knowledge of any existing extradition treaty between France and the Argentine Republic. If there is one in force, it would be glad to be advised of such fact. I inclose, for your information, copy of a letter from Mr. Jacobs, written from the St. Pierre prison at Marseille. (Mr. McCormick informs Mr. Root, in re Jacobs, that he is still in prison, notwithstanding the repeated remonstrances against his long detention without showing the cause. He also states that correspondence with the foreign office shows evident intention of giving him up without even advising or consulting the embassy, as is usually done. No extradition treaty was exchanged with the Argentine Republic, but a reciprocity letter. Mr. McCormick further states that he does not venture to push the matter further without instructions as Mr. Jacobs's position is peculiar with regard to his right to claim the protection of the embassy, as shown by dispatch No. 204.) File No. 3294/7. The Acting Secretary of State to Ambassador McCormick. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 22, 1907. (Mr. Bacon informs Mr. McCormick from facts before the department at present that it appears that Mr. Jacobs is an American citizen, and as such is entitled to proper protection in the premises. Procedure in this case is contrary in several important particulars to that set forth in Minister McLane's dispatch No. 74 of January 14, 1889. Mr. Bacon also instructs Mr. McCormick, if present proceedings are based solely upon comity, to state to the minister of foreign affairs that the United States seems to have as strong a claim to consideration of the French Government in asking adequate protection for an American citizen as the Argentine Government has to obtain his surrender.) a Not printed. |