DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
DATE: May 8, 1952
SUBJECT: Foot and Mouth Disease in Canada
PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary Mr. Wrong - Canadian Ambassador Mr. Bonbright - EUR
COPIES TO: S/S BNA- Mr. Foster American Embassy, Ottawa
The Canadian Ambassador called this afternoon at his request and left me with the attached "Oral Message" containing certain suggestions of action which the Canadian Government hoped we could take to assist them in meeting serious problems raised by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Canada. Mr. Wrong stressed the importance which the Canadian Government attached to this question and stated that the specific proposal set forth in his message had been discussed and approved by the Cabinet. He stressed that the Canadians were not asking for any change in our quarantine regulations. He said further that if we had no objection the Canadian Defense Minister, Mr. Claxton, would probably be getting in touch directly with Mr. Frank Pace, Secretary of the Army.
I expressed sympathetic understanding of the problem which the outbreak of this disease has caused in Canada and assured Mr. Wrong that we would give the most careful thought to his Government's suggestions, and that we were fully disposed to do everything we could to help the Canadians in this matter.
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EUR:JCHBonbright:mt
CANADIAN EMBASSY Washington, D.C. May 8th, 1952
ORAL MESSAGE
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Canada and the consequent embargo on the export of livestock and meat from Canada to the United States are causing increasing difficulties in the disposal of Canadian meat products which are surplus to domestic requirements. In 1951 exports of livestock and meats to the United States, which has for some years been the principal foreign market, reached a value of about $130 millions: since the embargo was imposed in February of this year there has, of course, been no movement of livestock or fresh meat, and the movement of meat products in the form of canned or cured meats has been reduced to a trickle.
To avoid the consequences of disruption in the livestock industry of a most serious nature the Canadian Government has purchased very large quantities of Canadian meats in the form for the most part of beef and beef products and canned pork, and these purchases are now filling almost all the available storage space in Canada. The search for new markets abroad to replace the United States has so far been unavailing.
The Canadian Government hopes that the United States Government may find it possible to take certain steps towards relieving this situation which would be in accordance with the quarantine regulations that are now in force. The difficulties arise because of the closing of the United States market as a result of an unforeseen disaster. Would it not be consonant with the friendly relations between the two countries for the United States Government to take action which would ease in some measure the consequences of this difficult situation?
One possibility would be for the United States Army to buy substantial quantities of Canadian meat for consumption by United States forces in Korea, Germany and elsewhere. This would not breach the United States quarantine regulations, since the prohibition of imports of Canadian meat into the United States does not extend to the purchase of meats for use of United States forces serving abroad.
Even if this could not be done generally, it would be a useful measure of relief if the United States Army were to purchase meats of Canadian origin for the forces in Korea at least equal in volume to the consumption of the Canadian brigade. That brigade in Korea draws its rations from the United States Army and is, therefore, consuming a substantial quantity of meats purchased in the United States. This arrangement might possibly be extended to cover all United Nations forces in Korea, other than those of the United States, which are at present being supplied by the United States Army. Alternatively, an arrangement might be made for the Canadian Government to ship to Korea Canadian meats equal in volume to the consumption of the Canadian forces there and to reduce by an equivalent amount the per diem allowance paid by the Canadian Government for the rations supplied to the Canadian troops.