Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-08
POSTMASTER GETS
AIR MAIL BLAME
No Violation of Law Charged
Against Levine for Carrying
Letters to Berlin.

The post Office was investigating to-
day the cancellation of stamps by
Postmaster Fred Sealy of Hampstead
Long Island. on letters carried to Ger
many by Charles A. Levine in the
Bellanca plane. but it seemed to be
generally admitted that if any action
is taken by the department it will be
against Mr.. Sealy, and not against Mr..
Levine. The incident was regarded as
doubly interesting, however, because
of the differences which previously
have arisen between the Post Office
Department and Mr.. Levine over air
mail contracts. The post office has re.
fused bids of several companies in
which Mr. Levine was interested. to
carry air mail.
According to spokesman at the Post
Office Department, Mr.. Levine carried
to Germany number Of letters adj
dressed to himself, the stamps upon
which were cancelled by Mr.. Sealy,
who wanted to be accommodating"
According to the attitude at the post
office, the carrying of this mail is re-
garded as irregular in that there is no
existing air mail route between the
United States and Germany.
Mr.. Levine carried the letters evil
IDENTIFY as souvenirs of his flight.
which he either would present to
friends or keep himself. The further
possibility that the letters and can
celed stamps might be sold. their
value arising from the fact that they
constitute the first mail transmitted
across the Atlantic between America
and Germany, was also discussed at
the Post Office.
Procedure Is Explained.
Sergt. Frank NJ. O'Connor at
Mitchell Field explained last night, ac-
cortling to the New York Times, his
part in the stamping of the letters.
"A month ago there was a discussion
of the possibilities of presenting to
members of the Brooklyn Chamber
of Commerce souvenir Cancelled air
mail letters he said 1T was sug-
gested at the time that this apparently
would be the only recognition these
members would receive for the purse
they then offered for a flight to Paris
by the Bellanca plane.
"As it was known that I had large
acquaintance in the neighborhood, it
was suggested that / see some of ihe
postmasters in the vicinity of the fly
ing fields and ascertain the feasibility
of sending the letters on the plane.
About a week after this. when Post
master Sealy of Hampstead was at
Roosevelt Field. I asked him about ii.
He said he saw no objection TO the
cancellation of stamps on such letters
and, on the contrary, said that he
thought it would be a good thing for
the air mail service The postmaster
asked to be notified when the Bellanca
was ready to take off. He appeared
anxious to perform the service asked
about"
r. p. Lewis. we'll known stamp col
Iector of New York, said last night
that the stamps on the letters would
bring closer to $50 apiece than to the
81, 900 estimated by postal authorities
here.
Might Bring $500.
collectors are interested not so
much in novelties of this kind, but in
general rarities of issue and. as a con-
sequence these novelties do not COM
mand very high prices" he said.
There are $50 of these stamps, I'M
derstand, and this. too, would bring
down the price they would bring. The
price might go as high as 800. but
the average, l should say, would be
about $50"
While carrying such mail by Mr..
Levine undoubtedly is regarded
as irregular, in that it is asserted that
no one but sworn employe can carry
the mails, it is not regarded as likely
that any legal action could be taken
against Mr. Levine, as no violation OF
law is charged.
There have been series OF clashes
between Postmaster General New
and Mr.. Levine. The first one fol-
lowed the opening of bids on January
Is for carrying the air mail from
New York to Chicago. There were
three bidders. One was a bid by the
Columbia Co., with which Mr.. Levine
was connected, and which proved TO
be low. There were two others. All
were finally thrown out and new bids
called for. Meanwhile Postmaster
General New had been apprised of
actions against Levine growing out of
his salvaging transactions with the
War Department.
Investigating Contracts.
Bids were opened again on March
"a and one of the bidders was the
American Anyways, Inc, of Cleveland,
which was also low It's bid was
thrown out after Mr.. Levine was
found to be the holder of so per cent
of the stock, and after it was found
that some mail pilots had stock in the
concern.
Previously the Postmaster General
had Cancelled the contract of the Kaess
Aircraft Engineering Corporation of
Long Island for carrying mail between
Louisville. KY, and Cleveland, after
it was discovered that Mr.. Levine was
connected with that company.
Attorney General Sargent said yes
terday that the Department Of Justice
had been investigating contracts for
the salvage of war materials which
Levine had with the War Department
with a view to possible civil~action in
connection with their execution. and
that this was one of the considerations
which led Postmaster General New to
reject the bid of the air company in
which Levine was interested, and also
influenced Controller General McCarl
in his ruling approving the Postmaster
Generals action.