The Audubon Societies 



i95 



BIRD TREATIES WITH OTHER COUNTRIES 



In the last issue of Bird-Lore mention 

 was made of the effort being made to ar- 

 range for conventions between the United 

 States and the countries of Mexico and 

 Central and South America, with a view 

 of enacting treaties for the protection of 

 migratory game-birds, similar to the 

 treaty between the United States and 

 Great Britain in reference to birds passing 

 between the United States and Canada. 

 A resolution of the Senate calling for such 

 convention was passed on February 9, 1920, 

 and forwarded to the President. It received 

 his attention on March 20, 1920, as follows: 

 On that day he sent a message to the 

 Senate with which he transmitted the re- 

 port of Frank. L. Polk, Acting Secretary 

 of State, to whom he had referred the 

 resolution for consideration. Mr. Polk not 

 only gives his views on the matter, but 

 states the views of the Secretary of Agri- 

 culture to whom he turned for information. 

 It appears that nothing further will come 

 of the matter for the present. Mr. Polk's 

 report is as follows: 



"The President: — In response to a reso- 

 lution adopted by the Senate on Feb. 9, 

 1920, requesting the President 'to propose 

 conventions or treaties with the Republics 

 of Mexico and of Central and South Am- 

 erica, for the protection of birds that in the 

 course of their annual migration pass 

 through or from the United States and 

 temporarily sojourn in the countries of 

 Mexico and Central and South America,' 

 the undersigned, the Acting Secretary of 

 State, to whom the resolution was referred 

 by the President, has the honor to lay be- 

 fore the President, with a view of its trans- 

 mission to the Senate, if the President ap- 

 proves thereof, the following statement 

 in response to that resolution: 



"In view of the fact that the Secretary 

 of Agriculture is the official upon whose 

 initiative the Department of State pro- 

 ceeded in the institution of negotiations 

 with the Government of Great Britain for 

 the conclusion of the convention for the 

 protection of migratory birds between the 

 United States and Canada, proclaimed 



Dec. 8, 1916, the resolution in question was 

 referred to him for advices as to the re- 

 sponse which he considered should be made 

 thereto. 



"The Acting Secretary of State is in re- 

 ceipt of a letter from the Secretary of 

 Agriculture, dated March 8, 1920, in which 

 the following expression of opinion is given 

 as to the subject matter of the resolu- 

 tion: 



" 'In view of existing conditions, the 

 time does not seem opportune to under- 

 take the negotiation of a treaty for the pro- 

 tection of migratory birds with the repub- 

 lic of Mexico, and in the case of most of 

 the republics of Central and South Am- 

 erica such treaties are unnecessary at pres- 

 ent. In the case of Brazil and Argentina 

 such treaties may be of advantage, but 

 before conventions are made with these 

 republics the Department desires more 

 definite information than is now available 

 regarding both the birds and local condi- 

 tions. Preliminary plans have been made 

 for securing such data from Argentina and 

 elsewhere, but, obviously, some delay must 

 ensue before such information can be 

 secured. 



" Tn the meantime, it appears that the 

 matter of taking up the negotiations of 

 treaties for the protection of migratory 

 birds with any of the countries south of 

 the United States should be held in abey- 

 ance until the Department can secure the 

 necessary information to determine with 

 some degree of certainty the desirability 

 and benefits to be derived therefrom. When 

 such information is available, I shall be 

 pleased to submit a memorandum with 

 recommendations covering the subject.' " 



The latest move in the effort for bird 

 treaties with other countries is reported in 

 a letter recently received at this office from 

 E. W. Nelson, Chief of the United States 

 Biological Survey. 



Mr. Nelson says: "It will interest you 

 to know that the Secretary of Agriculture 

 this morning approved my recommenda- 

 tion to send Dr. Alexander Wetmore to 

 Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and south- 



