Animals: Big Bad Bear

Like many another child, Peggy Ann Hoover, the President’s granddaughter, has been frightened by big bad bear stories.* White House attendants, to keep her out of mischief, told her that a fierce black one lived in the basement of the Executive Offices. Peggy Ann became curious about bears, so, fortnight ago. President Hoover took her and her small brother Herbert III (“Peter”‘) to see some live ones at Washington’s zoo. Most persons read the resultant news stories with pleasant amusement. But in Chairman John M. Holzworth of the National Committee on Protectionand Preservation of Wild Life they provoked nothing but indignation. Last week President Hoover received a telegram from him: “Following the publication of … the big bear story. . . telegrams and telephone calls have come to our offices from nature lovers protesting against an attitude toward wild life which leads to destruction rather than protection and preservation of our fast disappearing North American big bears . . . harmless unless attacked. … It is highly important that public opinion be not misled regarding their true nature. Any statement that can be made to correct the impression . . . that bears are dangerous will be appreciated.” Snapped Bear Lover Holzworth: “There’s no such thing as a bad bear.”

*Not afraid of bears is Tycoon Joseph Leiter of Chicago who owns a black one, Pansy, now vacationing with him in New Orleans.