Correspondence, 1962

January 22, 1962

Mrs. Joyce Lambert [circled] 52 Killdeer Crescent Toronto 17, Ontario Canada

Dear Joyce,

Thanks for your letter. I can set your mind at rest at once about the Arusha Conference. This was planned ahead for two or three years by the Fauna Preservation Society and others and was written about voluminously in advance by conservation groups in England, the United States, and probably elsewhere. What is more, Dr. Robert Hatt, the Director of the Cranbrook Institute of Science wrote me to praise our awarding the Schweitzer Medal as we did, pointing out that the Chief Fundikira was the strongest African voice for the protection of the wildlife. Therefore, all of this is a great recommendation of Mrs. Slater's efforts. As noted in the article, which I am returning to you, the troubles are rife in Kenya, but great progress is being made in Tanganyika--where Mrs. Slater has been working and where she brought about such a huge African membership in the SPCA. As you know, there are over 40,000 members, most of them African. I do not think it would be possible to work with a more effective individual in Africa n than Mrs. Slater. I just wish we had as many members in the Animal Welfare Institute.

Thanks for sending the article about the Kindness Club. May I keep this for a little while? I am just writing an article about humane education for Childhood [underlined] Education [underlined], and this will come in handy as material about the educational work in Canada. I'll return it early in February.

Best wishes,

Love,

Encl l [crossed out]

"Man is a savage. He has always carried on his activities on the assumption that there was nobody else in the world to be considered, Live and let live. Do more, live and HELP LIVE. Do to beings below you as you would be done to by beings above you.

.....J. Howard Moore

January 20, 1962

To the Editor THE OREGONIAN Portland, Oregon

Dear Sir:

I have before me a copy of your November 20, 1961 issue of the Oregonian. There is an article entitled, "Survival Group Tests Strange Fare' and a photograph of a man named Odd Bjerke giving demonstrations in 'survival' to students at Forest Pa;rk. This article was written by Richard Field, Staff Writer, and states (with illustrations of two students (Bill Pratt and Carolyn S. Hess) eating porcupine and cat meat.

The article reads, "Hungry? Who not try something new, like roasted cat or dog. Or even procupine, posswn, and squirrel. Fifty students of a practical "Survial Weekend" session sampled them Sunday, and gave this verdick: "Very tasty." The cook-out in Forest Park was part of a weekend survival program on survival, sponsored by the Masamas. Practical instruction was given by a survival expert, war-time commando Odd Bjerke. "Sure people are a bit squeamish when you first tall them they ate going to eat cat and dog." he agreed. "But, after all, that's all they may be able to get is an emergency."

"You've got to prepare people mentally, and build up their ego. The biggest problem is getting them to try ot a first time.

PETS COOKED IN ROCK-OVEN

The survival students - many of them women- looked on while the small animals were cut up, wrapped in tinfoil and put inside a rock oven. Later they looked a bit uncertain when handed the wrapped chunks of meat. The contents were not immediately identified. But all ate their portions.

Dr. Ted Lathrop got a porcupine liver. "It's one of the best livers I have ever tasted, he said afterwards. Bob Pierce chewed a cat leg and said, "It's not at all bad." Edith Day got cat meat too. "It tastes all right to me. It's a bit like rabbit," she said. Norwegian-born Bjerke was pleased with the reaction to the fare.

Editor, THE OREGONIAN Page Two January 20, 1962

HUNGER FUNNY THING

"I've had them all. I know they're good. I get [mad?] when people say they'd rather die than eat cat or dog. Hunger is a funny thing - people change their mind after a week or two of going without food."

Bjerke says there are many unfair prejudices against certain meats.

Possum is a treat, he claims. And cat - thousands were eaten in Europe during the war - is not at all bad, he says.

Porcupine livers are a great delicacy, and are actually superior to deer livers, he believes.

At his home in Spokane, Washington, Bjerke often has whalemeat and rattlesnake' steaks in his ice box.

The Portland student survival menu also included edible plants, which they gathered from the nearby woods. These included dandelions and plantain (for salads), mushrooms, thistles (like celery), fir needles to make tea), fir bark (for carbohydrates), snowberries and elderberries.

Bjerke earlier gave practical demonstrations of building emergency shelters making fishing nets and building and baiting animal traps.

All the survival students survived."

#x #

When a friend sent me this article, I had to look again. I STILL can't believe it! Can this possibly be true -- or is it some kind of a terrible joke?

I will not take up precious time now describing the virtues of a vegetarian diet, however, even if I DID eat meat, I am sure I would never eat cats and/or dogs, no matter how hungry I became -- and who said there was a shortage of salad materials or grains or any other food, besides meat!!!! Who dreamed up this fantastic 'survial idea anyway? This man (appropriately named), Oddk Bjerke (yes, quite appropriately), must be mentally unbalanced -- or, as the moderns say - sick, SICK, S I C K!!!!!

As long as there are morons and fiends like this one - let loose upon the innocent public, we can count on having crime, juvenile delinquency, [wars?] ...............

This man -- and anyone like him -- should be locked up -- and [fash?]!!!!

Humanely yours,

THE FLORIDA LEAGUE FOR HUMANE PROGRESS, INC.

Dade [cut-off] Country [Cut-off] Branch [cut-off] Virginia [cut-off] Gillas [cut-off] Secretary [cut-off]

File Sports[crossed out] [Cruelty?] Complaints ([wherever?] [illegible] is)

ach'd

January 19, 1963

3626 N.E. 63rd Ave. Portland 13, Oregon

Mrs. Christine Stevens Society for Animal Protective Legistlation 745 Fifth Ave. New York 22, N.Y.

Dear Mrs. Stevens:

Virgina Eddy and I have received so much conflicting information regrarding the rabbit hunt scheduled for last December 15th by the Harmony (North Carolina) Post of the American Legion that I have decided to look to you for clarification of this matter.

Mrs. Eddy and I both sent telegrams to the National Commander of the The American Legion imploring him to cancel the hunt. Then we received notice from The National Catholic Society for Animal Welfare which stated although the Legion was swamped with letters and telegrams and the Commander had ordered the Harmony Post not to use clubs and stones in killing the rabbits, the Harmony Post did carry out on Dec. 15 th its announced plan to beat the animals to death. The National Catholic Society suggested that letters be sent the national commander again protesting this hunt, also letters to the Governor of North Carolina; accordingly Mrs. Eddy and I wrote letters. Now she has recieved word from the AHA stating that press reports first said the hunt was not [underlined] held. If it wasn't held, Mrs. Eddy and I feel rather foolish about writing such indigant forceful letters to the Governor. When you have time, would you be so good as to drop me a line and let me know the truth of the matter? We'd certainly appreciate it. It's most confusing and irritating to have two conflicitng reports from two organiztions. Thanks so much.

Sincerely, June Foye

cruelty on [plants?]

Virginia Gillas

Phone UNion 5-8764 [illegible] Indian Creek Drive MIAMI BEACH [41?], FLORIDA

January 19, 1962

V. Woodall Animal Protective League, Inc. P. O. Box 2284 Sandusky, Ohio

Dear Friends:

I won't take up your good time to ask you WHY you sent the article in the Oragonian (November 20, 1961), but my curiosity has the best of me on one particular question, and that is ----

Why did you wait until January 19th to send me an item such as this which appeared in the November 20, 1961 issue of this newspaper?

I am enclosing a copy of my letter to the editor of the newspaper for your approval. In the future, please won't you send the clippings while the news is 'fresh?'

Thanking you, I remain

Humanely yours,

THE FLORIDA LEAGUE FOR HUMANE PROGRESS, INC.

Virginia Gillas, Secretary Dade Country Branch

[illegible]

cc Mrs. Pearl Cooper Champan, Pres. FLA, LEAGUE FOR HUMANE PROGRESS, INC. St. Petem Fla.