SECOND BIENNIAL STATEMENT 131 



the document had been filed, when it should have been for- 

 warded to the State Department, nine months previously. 

 The delay was purely accidental, and all the while the Sec- 

 retaries of the Embassy had believed that the treaty was 

 in our State Department. 



The resurrection occurred on February 12, 1916; and 

 from that date onward not a single hour was lost. The 

 treaty went forward with railroad speed. It went to the 

 State Department, to the Department of Agriculture, back 

 to the State Department, back to Canada, back to British 

 Columbia, — carried by Dr. Hewitt himself, — and back to the 

 United States in its final form. 



On August 16, 1916, it was signed at the State Depart- 

 ment by Secretary Lansing and Ambassador Sir Cecil Ar- 

 thur Spring-Rice. On August 22, the President transmit- 

 ted it to the Senate. On the 26th it was referred to the 

 Committee on Foreign Relations. On the 28th it was re- 

 ported favorably, Senator James A. O'Gorman being made 

 its sponsor on the floor. He immediately reported it to the 

 Senate, fully resolved to secure action upon it before the 

 adjournment of the session. 



On August 29, the treaty came before the Senate in 

 Executive Session, and within less than thirty minutes it 

 was ratified, by a vote that was practically unanimous. 



The news of that remarkably speedy ratification thrilled 

 the defenders of the birds, all over the continent, and mes- 

 sages of rejoicing and congratulation flew in every direction. 

 The action of the Senate meant that at last the defenders of 

 the birds and of legitimate sport with the gun would come 

 into possession of a perfect weapon, and the birds would 

 come into their own. It meant that real federal protection 

 would begin sometime in 1917, and that the flouting of a 

 federal law would come to an end. 



It then remained for Canada to secure to the instrument 

 the signature of the King of England, and for Congress to 

 pass an enabling act, and an appropriation for its enforce- 

 ment. The treaty was quickly sent to England, and without 



