The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-09-02
JAPANESE LADS REQUEST.

& !. When corrnissioner Mcfarland had the letter, received about a week ago, and addressed to His Majesty, the Lord Mayor of Washington, trans lated he ascertained that 1t was from a Japanese schoolboy living in the town of XII, Wakyaina Profectuer, Japan, and that he desired the. president Of the board Of commissioners to sell 510 rare stamps for him. It Is for the support Of families Of Japanese killed in war that it was requested the stamps be sold.
 Mir. Marfarland cannot act officially in
 the matter, but he has written the lad
 that personally he will be glad to let it be know he has the stamps, and will re- ceive and transmit money he may re-
 ceive for them.
 So 1t is that Commissioner Macfar-
 land has taken on the role of a salefnan of stamps. It Is not for the Japanese
 cause that he will give his services, but for the interest of humanity.
 When the commissioner received the letter about d week ago, with package |of cancelled stamps, he had 1t sent to the
 Japanese legation. The translation was returned yesterday. The letter proved to be from Taiino Hisakichi, 8. school
 boy. He states that he and his schooi-
 mates are very anxious to raise money for the purpose of providing for the families of soldiers killed in the war. They find 1t a very difficult task, how ever, as they themselves have no money and most of tlleir own people are poor. Nevertheless, each one of them is striv- | ing to do what he can with his friends ! and acquaintances. The school children | in Japan are great. collectors Of post- \ age stamps, and 1t has occurred to Taji- ma and some of his schoolrndtas who are the owners of such stamps that pro- bably better price could be obtained for the stamps abroad than in Japan.
 particularly for such rare issues as that commemorative of the celebration of the anniversary of the silver wedding
 of their majesties, the emperor and em- press.
 They have a number of these stamps and Tajima has been commissioned to f forward them to the United States. He
 knows of no way of doing this, because he has no acquaintances In this colifl- try, and therefore has ventured to ad.l dress the authorities of the capital city of the United States and to ask therlltto do him the favor to dispose of the
 stamps and to remit the proceeds to him. # Tajimla evidently feels that lie is ap- pealing to friends, for he says that eve ry school-boy in Japan has the warmest affection for the people of this country,
 because they know that many of them are the loyal friendssofi Japan. On that account he feels eplboldened to make
 this appeal, and for that reason he ven-
 lures to hope thal he will not be re- garded as begsa ar, but that his re- quest will be granted. For anything
 that may be dops to that end he ex-
 presses warm appreciation. and cordial l thanks. Now that he has accepted his com mission as the representative of the Japanese school-Eoy and his compan- ions, MT. MacfarlSnd will devote some attention to the study of philately, and will lose no time an consulting a phi-
 latelist5 of reputation to ascertain the value of the stamps. As soon as he has thus prepared himself he will be ready
 to talk stamps to any who may cone.-- Washington Post 5#