THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY 
 
OFFICE OF EDITOR                                                        
  MONTANA STATE COLLEGE 
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT                                          
  301 LEWIS HALL 
                                                                        
  BOZEMAN. MONT. 
                                                November 7, 1946 
 
 
 
 
       Dr.F.N. Hamerstrom 
       Edwin S. George Reserve 
       Pinckney, Michigan 
 
       Dear "Hammy"H: 
 
                 I appreciate very much being allowed to read over your criticism

       of Ducks Unlimited. I had considered a possible use of it as a book
review 
       but in checking back I find that Leopold reviewed this book in the
July issue 
       of the Journal of Wildlife Management. 
 
                 I submitted this manuscript by airmail to a member of the
Editorial 
       Board for his opinion and,in part,he replied as follows: 
 
                 "At the New York Wildlife Conference, last winter,
Al Day, 
            Director of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, tore into Ducks

            Unlimited, including Farrington's book. His remarks and Hochbaum'
s 
            remarks, plus the Ducks Unlimited rebuttal, defense, etc., will

            appear in the Transactions of that conference, and should be
sent 
            out soon. Hence there is no need to repeat the correct appraisal

            as furnished by Mr. Day. I don't disagree with 'Hammy's' article,

            but I think that we as a scientific group shouldn't attack any

            other group in this manner. I sincerely believe that it is not

            one of our purposes to either defend or attack any government

            agency, private agency, or any other's propoganda, plans, purposes,

            results, or failures. Farrington's book is clearly, purposely,

            admittedly, a propoganda, selling promotion book.   The right
body 
            attacked it, namely, the Fish and Wildlife Service through its

            Director. So far as I am concerned, I feel certain Al Day was
right. 
            . . . I know it doesn't worry Ducks Unlimited - they are professional

            promoters and accustomed to attacks. I advise against printing

            Hamerstrom's article in any form in the Journal of Wildlife 
            Management." 
 
                 It would appear to me that Leopold's review and Day's open
criticism 
       have pretty well established the view of the profession relative to
Ducks 
       Unlimited, and actually I believe that the Journal of Wildlife Management
would 
       have nothing to gain by publishing it, and at present it does not
seem to me 
       that it would be desirable for the Journal to publish a direct attack
on any 
       specific organization. We are, then, faced with this anomalous situation.

       Almost everyone seems to agree with the substance of your article
but not 
       sufficiently to desire to publish it. I am returning the manuscript
to you 
       and thank you again for letting me see it. 
 
                                          Very ýulours 
 
 
                                          Harlow 3. Mills, Editor 
                                          Journal of Wildlife Management