THE FUR CRUSADE
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—This is a campaign, started by me, to try to influence public opinion against the horrors of fur-trapping and skinning certain animals alive. Furs look very nice only when worn by their original owners. I feel certain that if people only knew the real facts of how they are procured they would feel ashamed to be seen wearing them in public. There are now excelloit substitutes for trapped furs, namely, artificial ones, which are now quite beautiful and can be got from most leading drapers, such as Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, London ; and also farmed ones.
Fur farms are doing much to discourage the abomination of trapping. As their animals are humanely killed when their skins are in the very best condition these furs are often superior in quality to the best trapped wild ones. I have now asked the Silver Fox Breeders' Association of Great Britain to urge all their members to kill their beasts with a chloroform mask or in a lethal chamber ; and also to stamp all skins with the name of their farm, so as to be easily distinguishable.
Your correspondent W. R. Carruthers states in the Spectator of May 25th, " Nearly all foxes raised in captivity (in Canada) are tattoed in the ears with their registration number, and if your readers, when buying silver fox neck pieces would make a point of buying only those with some trace of this tattooing in the ears they would have the double satisfaction of knowing that the animal died in a humane manner, usually chloroform, and that they are materially hastening the abolition of the steel trap ! "
I have sent out 24,000 of my special appeal leaflets and inserted eighteen advertisements in the press. The machinery is all in readiness and I want to send out thousands more leaflets and insert regular advertisements. Couldn't some rich person come forward now and enable me to carry on this work before it is too late ?—I am, Sir, &c.,
C. VAN DER BYL (Major).
. Wappenham House, Towcester, Northants.
[As our readers know, we have on many occasions drawn Lttention in our columns to the cruelties involved in the fur trade.—En. Spectator.]
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