The Audubon Societies 
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT 
Edited by WILLIAM DUTCHER 
Address all correspondence, and send all remittances for dues and contributions to 
the National Association of Audubon Societies, 141 Broadway, New York City 
Bird Slaughter in the Pacific Islands 
In the February number of BrIrD—LoRE, 
a short announcement was made of the 
capture of Japanese poachers on the 
Hawaiian Islands Reservation. The Asso- 
ciation has just received from its resident 
representative in. Honolulu, Mr. William 
Alanson Bryan, the following detailed ac- 
count of the work of the poachers. There is 
no doubt whatever but that these poachers 
were working in the interest of the milli- 
nery trade, and the horrors of this whole- 
sale slaughter show the absolute necessity 
for an international agreement between the 
world powers to prevent work of this char- 
acter. Until such an agreement is entered 
into, such incidents as the present are 
sure to be repeated. 
It is intended that this Association shall 
have a representative at the International 
Ornithological Congress, which will com- 
mence in Berlin on May 30, when it is 
hoped that the section devoted to bird 
protection will take up this very important 
matter, and that a committee will be 
formed to present to the world powers 
the need for international bird protection, 
especially with the view of prohibiting 
the use of the plumage of all wild birds 
for millinery or other ornaments. 
The Thetis Arrives with Japanese 
Poachers* 
Twenty-three Captured at Laysan 
After completing a cruise of the out- 
lying bird islands and reefs, covering a 
period of several weeks, the United States 
revenue cutter, Thetis, under command 
of Captain W. V. E. Jacobs, arrived in 
*Reprinted from the Evening Bulletin, Feb- 
ruary 2, 1910, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii. 
the harbor this morning and anchored in 
the stream, pending a settlement of the 
matter of a disposition of her valuable 
cargo, including 259,000 bird skins and 
wings, two and a half tons of baled 
feathers, and several large cases and boxes 
of stuffed birds. 
The Thetis gathered in a party of 
twenty-three Japanese poachers at Laysan 
and Lysiansky Islands, the former scene 
of operations of ‘‘ Admiral’? Max Schlem- 
mer, the one-time King of Laysan Island. 
The Japanese took their arrest philo- 
sophically, and, when confronted with 
the Federal officers of the law, they main- 
tained a broad grin and to all intents and 
purposes enjoyed the experience. 
The captured poachers will be prose- 
cuted under provisions of the Federal 
laws against poaching, which call for a — 
maximum penalty of six months’ im- 
prisonment and the assessment of a fine 
of $500. 
That the men are the employes of a 
hui, which is believed to have a local 
connection, as well as headquarters in 
Japan, is borne out by the statements of 
several of the Japanese who have been 
brought to Honolulu. While they will not 
divulge the name or names of parties in 
the Hawaiian Islands who are alleged as 
being financially interested in the sys- 
matic bird-poaching operations upon 
the neighboring islands, they do say that 
they have been in the service of a Japan- 
ese company, with headquarters at Tokio, 
who placed them on a small schooner 
and, after an extended passage, landed a 
portion of the party at Laysan, while the 
others continued the voyage to Lysiansky. 
They declare that they were given ample 
provisions for a stay of a year or more. 
(90) 
