The Washington herald., 1913-04-28
where WOMAN'S
help IS NEEDED
Woman-6gure in Background Of The
Worldwide Destruction
of Birds.
By FRANCES SHAFFER.


With mingled feelings one reads of the
proposal to prohibit the importation OF
the plumage of many Of our most beau
tiful wild birds, sacrificed in the in
terests Of trade and of personal adorn-
ment.
One is glad indeed for every bit of
Federal and of international protection
extended to the feathered tribe, but one
wishes there might have been united
woman-fgure in the foreground of the
movement to save the birds from ex-
termination For the pity of ii is that
there is a mighty woman-fgure in the
background of the worldwide destruc-
ton.
Throughout all the tropical countries,
agents circulate among the natives, hir-
ing them TO snare and Kill the birds for
the sake of their skins, their plums,
their heads, or their whole exquisite
, selves. And, in the last analysis, the
slaughter is ordered for my lady's hat.
OF course, there is this much to be
said: Woman stands, more or less. at
the finished end of trade, to accept or
refuse what is offered. If it is grace
full plume from the glorious bird of
paradise and if she has neither thought
nor care for the bird and the pitiful
price IL paid-why the hat and the wom-
an are a bit more beautiful for the nod
ding feathers; and it is all a question
of what is wanted. And If a feathery
egret is temptingly displayed, and II
the story of the snowy mother-bird and
her wedding-dress never has been heard
il il is quite forgotten, or maybe ignored
then the soft bit Of plumage airily
sways on the new spring hat and the
buyer is quite pleased with herself ana
her graceful decoration.
where Trouble Rests.
And so il goes. When the woman
stands in the shop, admiring this and
rejecting that, ii verify seems that the
most beautiful things on display have
been stolen from the wild birds given
the world for the sake of their song
and their beauty, and the added sake
of their use as crop wardens for the
farmers. And when she has no bird
conscience or when it has not been
aroused-well, the trouble rests some
where between the first trader and her.
And the remedy?
OF course. arbitrary laws, laws that
are well enforced, laws that must reach
practically around the world, would save
from destruction the threatened wild
birds-they tell us there are from sixty
to a hundred beautiful species that at
present are facing the fate of extermina-
ton.
But there is a softer, a more lovely,
remedy than that-the fiat of women
themselves.
If they firmly refuse to stand for the
despoilation of bird plumage, what can
the hunters do? For II the women say
no, there can be no appeal from that.
And with societies desperately working
to spare the birds, with laws gradually
being enacted for their protection, and
with some earnest folk feeling very
deeply in the matter, il is a small enough
sacrifice for women to stop wearing the
pIunlage OF wild birds on their hats.
The plumes of the ostrich and the
feathers of domesticated fowls are still
counted legitimate adornments, and the
factories this season have fairly hummed
in the effort to evolve an amazing riot
of ribbons. And as to flowers, nature
herself is almost outdone.
Whatever the women Of other coun-
tries may do in the effort to save the
birds, are not the women of America
strong enough and helpful enough to
set aside their vanity and listen to the
call?
-. AS for me, it seems a pity for State