Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-06
POSTAGE STAMPS
IN PEACE PLANS
Seven Items in President Wilson's
Program Involve the Issue OF
New Mail Labels

Dl,ESIDENT WILSON'S address To- Con
L grcss on January $, setting forth the
terms upon which Germany may obtain
peace, IS being discussed by philatelistS III
terms of postage stamps. OF the fourteen
aims which the President set forth as Amer
teas in this war seven, when ultimately nc
complished, may be expected TO afford changes
OF interest to the collectors.
The first Of these. Number g. involving i'm
partial readjustment OF colonial claims based
upon the sef-determination OF the inhabi-
tants Of those colonies, foreshadows innu'
merable new issues to replace provisional
ones which the Entente forces have put forth,
particularly in the Pacific and Africa. In the
Camcroons, German East Africa, the Mar
shall Islands, including Nauru; German New
Guinea, now known as New Britain; German
Samoa, Togo and Mafa, n former German
island off Zanzibar, British, French, Belgian.
Australian, Portuguese or Indian invaders
have issued occupation stamps. ovcrprinting
either their own or native franking labels
with surcharges signifyinS this occupation,
"rhe interests of the population concerned,
President Wilson said. must have equal
weight with equitable claims of the govern
ment whose title is to be determined In
many Of these former German possessions.
particularly in the Pacific, the Teutonc pop
ulations have been virtually eradicated, eX-
cept for portions which have been interned,
since August, 1914, so that If self-determina.
ton regulates the future control of these
colonies IL IL apparent that the former Ger
man stamps, the plates for which are in Ber.
lin. will never again be put into use. The
present prOv,s. nj issues would be retired
and for each colony n new permanent set
would appear, as It is generally the custom
OF Great Britain, France and other European
nations to permit their colonies to possess
distinctive stamps, The Importance to philatc-
lists Of all these changes after peace comes
may be Judged from the fact that OF the ap-
rnNiI toll 1000 al no which In
world war has to date been responsible nearly
500, or more than One-siXth. have been put
forward by military and naval forces which
have seized former German colonies.
Effect in Russia
The second Of President Wilson's aims to
affect future philately Is Number 6, provid.
ing for the evacuation of all Russian terri
tory. This means that the occupation stamps,
about ten In number which Germany has
issued for Lithuania and Courland by sur
charging the familiar German "woman in
armor" labels with "Postgebeit OBJ. Est" will
| be retired from circulation. And inasmuch
| ms Russia the President is determined shall
| work out "her own political development and
national policy" this assures the appearance
Of distinctive Russian stamps to supersede
| the present numerous PROFESSIONALS arising out
| OF the revolution and subsequent events And
| if Russia. In working out this DEVELOPMENT
| decides to grant Lithuania, Courland the
1
| or partial independence the number of new
| issues can be only conjectured today. Al.
| ready the PROFESSIONALS issued in Russia dur.
| ing the last year amount to more than 100
| varieties, not including those which the Boil.
| sheviki may have put forth
| Number 7 OF the Presidents aims provides
| for the evacuation OF Belgium. This mean.
| the retirement of thirty-fve varieties which
| Germany has imposed upon the occupied part
| of Belgium, again using the woman In
| armor' stamps for surcharging purposes
| And the Belgian Government. upon recover
| ing it's lost terrain, is certain TO put forth q
| definite series concentrating this, and Il
| would not be surprising il the portrait Of
| president Wilson appeared on one Of thes,
| labels, a living American thus being honoret
| for the first time in this manner. The Bel
| gian stamps In use before the war were sub
| seauently demonetized and replaced by a pic
| toral set showing some OF the famous Bel
| gian buildings destroyed during the Germa,
| Invasion; after the war these stamps ar,
| certain to give way to others.
President Wilson's statement regarding IN,
| righting OF the wrong done to France in tn
matter of Alsace-Lorraine Is of particula
| interest to collectors. II is not to be expected
| that restoration OF this territory to Franc,
| could pass without Alsace-Lorraine obtain
ing philatelic entity, for It has been the Gus
tom Of European nations TO honor event
momentous IN their history Nth the issuinI