122 WILD LIFE PROTECTION FUND 



CONCLUSIONS. 



The foregoing exhibits of support of the Chamberlain- 

 Hayden Bill speak for themselves, and tell their own story. 

 We have confined our presentation of this question to the 

 people of the national forest states, and to the eastern 

 organizations for wild life protection whose work is na- 

 tional in scope. 



This movement is being taken very seriously. Of the 

 fifteen governors closely concerned with this issue, twelve 

 are cordially supporting it, one is opposed to it (on the 

 ground that the states can make and maintain game sanc- 

 tuaries in national forests better than the nation can do), 

 and two governors are silent. The governors of the most 

 important grazing states, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, 

 and Montana, are our strongest friends. The outpouring 

 of support from Wyoming is most gratifying. 



Concerning the character and extent of western support, 

 it is needless to comment. The bare fact that thus far not 

 one opposition letter has been published in any newspaper 

 is of itself a striking testimonial of public approval. Had 

 the western stockmen found this plan not to their liking, 

 some of them would long ago have publicly registered their 

 disapproval. 



And yet, it is not to be expected that a proposal as large 

 as this can run its course and achieve success wholly with- 

 out opposition. It has been our observation that every 

 great reform movement, no matter how great the benefits 

 it is destined to confer, always arouses some opposition. 

 There are a few natures so suspicious that they accept noth- 

 ing at its face value. For example, there are men who 

 cannot conceive of such a thing as men working hard for 

 the increase of our national defenses purely through pa- 

 triotic motives, and without any selfish interests to be 

 served. No doubt a few men will now come forward who 

 will pretend to believe that this movement has been started 

 because there are "personal interests" back of it. 



But we await the rise of opposition with entire confidence 

 in the ability and the disposition of Congress to judge men 

 and motives. We do not need to remind members of Con- 

 gress that the friends of wild life always have dealt frankly 

 with the Federal government, and always have kept their 

 promises. 



The only opposition that we can imagine is that which 

 might come from over-suspicious cattle and sheep growers 



