Page 269 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

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CHAPTER XXVr
THE ARMY OF THE DEFENSE
It now seems that the friends of wild life who themselves are not on the firing-line should be afforded some definite information regarding the ArmyoftheDefense,anditsstrengthandweakness. Itisaninteresting subject, but the limitations of space will not permit an extended treatment.
Over the world at large, I think the active Destroyers outnumber the active Defenders of wild life at least in the ratio of 500 to 1 ; and the money available to the Destroyers is to the funds of the Defenders as 500 is to 1. The average big-game sportsman cheerfully expends from $500 to $1,000 on a hunting trip, but resents the suggestion that he should subscribefrom$50to$100forwildlifepreservation. Ifheputsdown $10,hethinkshehasdoneaBigThing. Worsethanthis,Iamforced to believe that at least 75 per cent of the big-game sportsmen of the world never have contributed one dollar in money, or one hour of effort, tothatcause. Butthereareexceptions;andIcannameatleastfifty sportsmen who have subscribed $100 each to campaign funds, and some who have given as high as $1,000.
Once I sat down beside a financially rich slaughterer of game, and asked him to subscribe a sum of real money in behalf of a very important campaign. I needed funds very much; and I explained, exhorted and besought. I pointed out his duty to give back something in return for all the game slaughter that he had enjoyed. For ten long minutes he stood fire without flinching, and without once opening his lips to speak. He made no answer no argument, no defense and finally he never gave up one cent.
Wherever the English language is spoken, from Tasmania to Scotland, and from Porto Rico to the Philippines, the spirit of wild life protection exists. Elsewhere there is much more to be said on this point. To all cosmopolitan sportsmen, the British "Blue Book" on game protection, the annual reports of the two great protective societies of London, and the annual " Progress" report of the U. S. Department of Agriculture are reassuringandcomforting. ItisgoodtoknowthatUgandamaintains a Department of Game Protection (A. L. Butler, Superintendent), that so good a man as Maj. J. Stevenson-Hamilton is in control of protection in the Transvaal, and that even the native State of Kashmir officially recognizes the need to protect the Remnant.
There are of course many parts of the world in which game laws and limits to slaughter are quite imknown : all of which is entirely wrong, and inneedofquickcorrection. Nostateornationcanbeaccountedwholly