The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-02
THE PEOPLES FORUM
CRITICISES NEW
STAMP PORTRAITS
Latin-Spanish History in Effort to
Displace Anglo-Saxon q
History.
IAN Open letter.
The Honorable Postmaster General,

The Honorable Postmaster General.
Washington:
/ have read in the newspapers to-day,
August %, 1872. that the "panama-Pacihc
Exposition postage" was approved Ivy
Postmaster General Hitchcock yester-
day; that ''the i-cent stamp will bear
portrait Of Balboa, discoverer OF the
Pacific Ocean: the scent stamp will
carry a picture OF the Golden Gate, and
the Decent stamp will bear a picture Of
the discovery OF San Francisco Bay"
And, reading. thought: Supreme ig-
norance is at the bottom of those
stamps portraying Spanish history as
United States history. or else the senti-
ment behind their design and use Is
Latin-Spanish; the force. Latin-Spanish,
| Incompatible with United States history
and institutions and against national
patriotism; the whole thing un-Ameri-
can, born of foreign sentiment of ul-
| terror motive OF foreign forces for for
eign purposes. And l asked: Who de-
signed them. and why? Who approved
them, and why? Who, indeed. so want
ing in sense of propriety of the apt and
fitting of United States history, or 50
| wanting in National pride and patriot
ism of country?
The Panama Canal, its building. its
protection, are national-wholly and alb
soiutely United States enterprise. IN
men, material, money. in everything.
Likewise, the Panama Canal Exposition
is national, and wholly and absolutely
United States enterprise.
The Panama Canal Exposition postage
should therefore be nationsl-whoily and
. t.gN1 Ia
national history only. But IL pictures
foreign history: Latin-Spanish We see
Balboa as discovering the Pacific. II is
rot United States history. Why not pic
ture Admiral Drake-the first English
man to penetrate the Isthmus of Pan
anna. and, from the top OF a tree, which
Re climbed. to obtain the first view of
the Pacific; whereupon, he resolved Ito
sail an English ship on these seas" and,
in doing II. was the first Englishman to
sail the western coast OF the New World.
and first Of all Europeans TO sight our
own part OF the Pacific Coast; where
upon he landed, named the country New
Albion, and took. possession in the name
Cf Queen Elizabeth
Accordingly. l ask again: Why not
Portray Admiral Drake-the first Eng
lishman 10 penetrate the Isthmus of
Panama and see the Pacific, and the first
European to discover and TO land on
orr Pacific Coast name 1t New Albion,
and take possession in the name of
Queen Elizabeth; in the name of Eng
land: Authorization whom We have
our being. our lane uage. our free in
situations, our civilization?
Why memorabilia Latin-Spanish his
tory in representing the discovery of
San Francisco Bay when We could aptly
memorabilia United States history in the
first United States settlement, and first
permanent settlement of our Pacific
COast-Astoria?
why any Latin-Spanish memorial in
stead OF American in our national expo
sition? II may be that the designers
of that proclaim postage saw too much
superiority of Anglo-SaXon civilization
in restraining hand over the Latin-Span-
ish semibarberous civilization as a me-
moral Of our enterprise ana greatness;
ana, In jealousy would stcaItnIly STAB
nationalism, in perverslon OF United
States history, with false history for
foreign purposes. We are lu.OOO.cUp peo-
pie. We are blind, indeed. and foolish
10 let a half a dozen steaIthily besmear
our fair escutcheon and birthright with
foul prints OF perpetual faIsehood.
The Panama Canal was built by the
United States Tor world commerce. Its
memorial postage should be OF world de-
sign crowned with tinted States MS
tory.
why not a stamp showing the Atlantic
and the Pacific. linked by the Panama
Canal. with commerce laden ships OF all
nations. arriving and deparung-the
Stars and Stripes waving them bon voy-
age?
Why not a stamp showing a map OF
the world. vessels traYersISs the seas
from all shores-from the North and the
South, from the East and the West
ali turned toward the great canal where
the stars and Stripes are peckoning
them?
Why portray Balboa? He did not dis.
cover the Pacific except to Europe at
that time more ignorant of geography
than the United States public school
children under ten years of age are to-
day. The Pacific was the playground of
the greater part of the world-Asia, for
centuries, before II was known to the
lesser-Europe. To represent Balboa as
discovering the Pacific is to misrepre-
sent world history and TO eXalt Latin
Spanish history. To represent Balboa's
achievements as United States history is
false and misleading-a species of Latin
graft for Latin profit. Therefore, Mr..
Postmaster General. why not eliminate
Latin-Spanish Balboa from the United
States memorial postage of the United
States Canal Zone and substitute
Anglo-SaXon Admiral Sir Francis Drake
as discovering, naming, and taking pos
session of our Pacific Coast, and, II an
other Is necessary, why not picture the
first American settlement. as well as the
first permanent white settlement on our
Pacific Coast-Astoria.
1t is also set forth in the press that
mo color has been selected for the
stamps What color could there be but