22 WILD LIFE PROTECTION FUND 



opposition took its most definite form in a hastily called 

 "conference of the powers" wherein the heads of the half- 

 dozen great protective organizations centering in New York 

 met, briefly discussed the situation, and unanimously de- 

 clared war on all proposals for the killing of any wild life 

 with "the war as an excuse." 



In Washington this action met with a quick and wholly 

 sympathetic response from Mr. Frederic C. Walcott, who 

 spoke for Mr. Herbert Hoover, the National Food Adminis- 

 trator. The National Food Administration declared most 

 strongly against any relaxation of the game laws, anywhere, 

 on account of the war. After that the special game-killing 

 proposals nevermore were heard of, until the Sulzer bill ap- 

 peared from Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1918. That demand 

 promptly shared the fate of all the former ones, in complete 

 extinguishment. 



It was definitely established, as a fundamental principle, 

 that the American people never will permit the destruction 

 of their paltry remnants of wild game as war measures to 

 increase the food supply of 107,000,000 people. It was de- 

 clared that the consumption of all the wild game of the 

 United States would not make the slightest visible impres- 

 sion on the daily needs of the American people, and that the 

 possible food increase so gained would be less than one- 

 tenth of one per cent of the whole amount required to feed 

 the nation. 



With the exception of the international treaty for the pro- 

 tection of migratory birds, and a very few other measures 

 of smaller importance, the efforts of the Permanent Wild 

 Life Protection Fund were directed chiefly toward the hold- 

 ing of gains already made, and the prevention of backward 

 steps. Even the migratory bird treaty called for very little 

 effort outside of Congress. Having fully ratified the treaty, 

 it became the bounden duty of Congress and the President 

 to take all the steps that were necessary to carry its provis- 

 ions into effect! Naturally, this relieved the wild life cam- 



