14 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



Treaty for the Protection of Migratory Birds in the 

 United States and Canada 



A treaty for the federal protection of all the migratory birds of North 

 America, north of Mexico, has been ratified by Congress and is to be a law 

 of the land. It is believed that this is the first treaty dealing with the 

 fortunes of birds ever consummated. It was initiated over two years ago by 

 Senator George P. McLean in a Senate resolution. At that time President 

 Wilson wrote a letter to Secretary Bryan, approving the idea and re- 

 questing its advancement. Concerted action by the two governments was 

 necessary to insure the carrying out of the principle of the McLean Federal 

 Migratory Bird Law. Bird conservationists in the two countries have put 

 forth continuous efforts during these two years to secure the happy con- 

 summation. Dr. C. Gordon Hewett of the Canadian Department of Agri- 

 culture played an important part in securing the cooperation of the 

 Canadian Government. The treaty was finally sent down from Ottawa 

 early in August and on August 16 it was signed at Washington by Secretary 

 Lansing and Sir Cecil Arthur Spring-Rice, the British Ambassador. 



It was transmitted by the President to the Senate on August 22 where 

 Senator McLean had for some months been preparing the way for its 

 smooth passage. It went to the Committee on Foreign Relations and 

 "passed through" in a few hours, and Senator Jas. A. O. Gorman was 

 designated to take charge of it on the floor of the Senate. 



On August 29, it was brought before the Senate and quickly ratified 

 by a two-thirds' majority. The United States Senate had with remarkable 

 celerity added to its fine and quite unbroken record in the enactment of 

 sane and reasonable wild life protection laws. Let it be said again that 

 the ratification of this treaty is the most important and far reaching step 

 in the protection and increase of birds that has yet been taken in any 

 country. It extends the strong arm of federal protection over about 1,022- 

 species and sub-species of the most valuable and interesting birds of North 

 America. 



Official procedure requires that the treaty be sent to England for 

 ratification and its return for exchange of ratifications. This is a mere form, 

 however, and will be accomplished long before Congress convenes again 

 in December. Congress will then be asked to pass an enabling act for 

 the enforcement of its provisions and the work will be complete. 



What effect will the treaty have upon the Weeks-McLean Migratory 

 Bird Law? The report of the Interstate Sportsmens' Association in 

 Kansas City, February 2, 1914, shows that the Missouri Senators and 

 Representatives in Congress "were also asked to vote against the treaty 

 with Great Britain which if passed will make it impossible for the Courts 

 to declare the Weeks-McLean Law unconstitutional." This opinion of 

 the effect of the treaty by its opponents is shared by its friends. It is 

 pointed out that the agreements in the present treaty are practicallv iden- 

 tical with the regulations under the federal migratory bird law. The 

 treaty contains an express agreement that the two nations will enforce 

 it by necessary measures. We have in the migratory bird law, legislation 

 which will carry the treaty into effect. 



