Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-02-24
World Powers May Unite
Against Poachers.
Crops and Health Of Human
Race at Stake.
America to Urge Bird Conservation
At International Conference.

New 1u:k, Itb. ITO urge The
%. ID powers TO unite in checking the
mnercial hatchery that is known TO
e rapidly exterIninating the rlost val
able tlrd species from the face OF the
lobe, conservation movement of in
.ernatiuna,l scope was organized III this
itv toGa.' II tie tlGth uuin00ennial
convention of the International Ornith-
,lcgical Congress. which will be lelt
N Berlin on May 30th, an American re-
>resentltiye from the National .AssO-
.iaticn Of Audubon Societies has bcc0
instructed to present for the considera-
ion OF the nations a plan for Uniform
protection against the army of poacil
RS that scour the earth to supply its
,reat millinery markets with the plunl-
lge Of billions Of TIE birds. on whose
natural activities the human race must
'eptnd for agricultural prosperity and
sanitary safety. To enlist Mexico in
| trinartite agreement with the CNitCl
states md Canada IN the interest OF
he migratory birds of the North Amer
can continent, representative from
his country is also preparing to APP
ear before the Mexican Congress.
Headed by the National Association
/ Fish and Game Commissioners, the
North American Fish and Game Pro-
tective Association anl the Amari-
,an Ornitholigists' Union, as Well AS
he National Association of Audubon
Societies. this campaign of protoa.
against the rapid destruction of the
Gathered resources of every land will
De carried from this country to all civ
'oremost agricultural and hygenic sci
,ntists showing the great part played
~ the insect eaters in checking crop
pests and by the sea birds in averting
yestilence, is now being prepared as
,roof of the immediate need of their
International protection. Until the tu-
horities of every nation join to check
he illegal raids of the scouts for the
millinery markets. who are securing
he ends of the earth more widely each
5ear, the ornithologists declare, no hope
an pc held out against quick and final
XtinctiOn of the most useful bird Spe-
les that inhabit every land:
Details of the recent raid of Japanese
)oachers upon the bird reserves of the
Inited States about Hawaii have just
,een received here and will be laid be-
fore the coming international confer
snce with the growing demand for re-
ciprocal bird protection among the ma
tions. Ten tons of the feathers of val
liable Pacific American species with
the skins and wings of over 259,000
birds have been found to be some of
The booty that the revenue cutter The
is brought back with twenty-five sub
ects of Japan who mad been landed
m American soil to rut in a year at
killing and mutilating the tame flocks
on these remote islands. While the
value Of some of these bloody trophies
o the wholesale millinery market is
,stimated at some 100000 the bird life
that the Japanese destroyed in taking
them is calculated to be worth to the
Jeople of this country at least a mil.
ion dollars.
"As long as billions of the most econ
omically valuable birds of the earth
nay be DESTROYED in some countries
md shipped to the millinery centers in
,thers, it will be impossible to prevent
their intimate extinction" said Will
lam Ducher, president of the National
of Audubon Societies at it's
headquarters, 141 Broadway, today.
For instantce, the Bird of Paradise
one of the most striking and beautiful
If Natures creation-is now on the
verge of extinction. The sale of its
olumage can not be checked until the
nations cooperate to this end. This
:rade in feathers is the chief cause Of
he worlds alarming loss of it's bird
resources which are essential to the
health and prosperity of the human
race everywhere. Migratory birds
know no geographical lines and we do
not believe their existence should be
menaced any longer by the lack of the
uniform protective laws we propose to
advocate to the world powers"