Message to the Senate Returning Without Approval S. 793, an Act Authorizing the Issuance of Patent to the Milk River Valley Gun Club

The White House, February 3, 1921.

To the Senate:

I return herewith without my approval S. 793, an Act authorizing the issuance of patent to the Milk River Valley Gun Club, which proposes to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue patent to the Milk River Valley Gun Club for 76.69 acres of land in Montana for a game preserve.

In my opinion the legislation proposed is not in the public interest and is objectionable, because it would, by a special Act of Congress, pass title to a tract of public land to a private interest for a private purpose. Moreover, I am informed that the lands in question are used by ducks and other game birds as a resting place and breeding ground, and the turning over of the land to a private gun club would be likely to destroy its use for this purpose and seriously affect the birds and waterfowl, which existing laws seek to protect.

I think, therefore, that the bill should not become law and that the tract should be made a Federal bird reservation for the protection of the birds which now frequent the lands.

WOODROW WILSON.