New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-20
Kill the Cats
Thew Kill Birds and Cause Food
Destruction

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir. As a war measure the government Of
the United States has recently been urging
all citizens who own gardens to plant every
.vailablc inch to vegetables; also all farmers
=, increase their crop acreage to the fullest
limit possible. The food question belhg one
of the main problems OF war success OF
failure often depending upon the food supply
it is. of course, the duty of every patrioVlc
citizen to do all possible to aid his govern
rcnt in this respect.
Rirds are the greatest known help to all
forms Of agriculture During the year 1910
insect and rodent pests caused more IMAM
5000 900 900 damage to crops IN TINS country
THAT means a loss to every man, woman ana
,bild in the United States of about hfteeh
dollars year. Had we had larger pro
roruIation this loss might have been entirely
done away with. Then why have we not
more birds? There are numerous reasons
among them being too liberal and unwise
bunting laws: the foreigner with gun; ire
American small boy, armed with an air gun
or % rife; red squirrels, rats field MICE
skunks. minks, swapping turtles, foxes wea-
cole and snakes; but the worst enemy OF all
g tho domestic cat. for cats kill more BIRDS
,han all other agencies combined.
Dprino tho year 1916 it is estimated that
tboro ,yere 10000 900 birds killed by cats IN
tho United States, Can we wonder then
that insect pests inflicted S90o,0O0,oOO dam
age during the same period!
II Won want TO see more birds, Kill the cat;
r con want 10 decrease the cost of living,
kill the cat: if you want to do your snare
toward increasing the food supply for the
limited States and our Allies, Kill the cat; II
YOU desire to be good citizen and help your
government. kill the cat. Remember, now
ever. even when you Kill the cat to be gen
tlcman. for a gentleman IS just what the
word expresses gentle man, and to a gen
tie man cruelty or unnecessary pain IS utterly
abhorrent Choroform will Kill "A cat pain
lesslv. or we'll directed bullet from -
% or so rife will cause instant death.
Should you use shotgun, aim for the head
and use no shot smaller than 3.
The writer of this article has spent por-
t;on-during some years a very large portion
of the past thirty years in hunting, fishing
and the study of wild life. He has hunted IN
foreign countries and IN every section OF the
United States, and is familiar with the prop
agatiOn and conservation OF game DlluS J..
England Ireland Scotland, Holland, Sweden.
Germany and Italy And his experience has
taught him that the cat is the worst enemy
the bird has-worse than all other enemies
combined
John Burroughs. the venerable sage of
Slabsides. says: Cats probably destroy
more birds than all other animals combined.
| believe that the preservation Of birds in
wolves the non-preservation of cats"
Baron Hans Won Berlepsch, the greatest
authority on bird protection in the world,
says: I'VE may as well give up protection
Gf birds about our gardens and houses so
long as we tolerate cats outside the buildings.
Therefore against all cats the most relent-
less war of determination must be kept up"
Be a good citizen. save the birds, decrease
the cost OF living. increase the food supply,
help your country-kill the cat.
BLAZE LORlLLARD HARSELL,
Bird Protector for Bedford Audubon Society.
Bedford, n. Y, April Is, 1917.