Evening star., 1934-05-20

we're roundly abused. The Won Steu-
ben issue was attacked by some who
were anti-German, the Sullivan issue
by some who were anti-1rish. The
colors of certain denominations were
roasted regardless of design-especial-
ly unpopular were the Scent olive
green and l0-cent yellow.
THE ki-jumper in the 2-cent
Olympic Games series was all wrong
in the judgment of some who prac-
tice that sport the athlete in the
scent was rated indecent
In the Newburg stamp, April 10,
1888, comma hunters found the fla g
flying the wrong way.
Liberty in the current l5-cent
value, some have insisted, wears a
beard.
THE recent Maryland stamp has
been put on the fire by even the
man who provided the materials for
the design.
But ought not the philatelic pub
lie to make a distinction between hon.
est effort and crank notions? My
personal answer would be: Yes.
mo stamp design is absolutely per-
feet. But during the dozen years
that I served at the head of the Di-
vision of Stamps I learned that the
individuals who came to my Office to
protest against supposed faults usu-
ally had some selfish motive for their
interest The number of amateur
stamp artists is legion, and every
single one of them is convinced that
he can do oetter piece Of work than
any other person ever could do. Their
self confidence is monumental. l
wish stamp collectors might have op-
portunity to inspect the drawings and
paintings they wanted to leave with
me for reproduction at Government
expense. l could have established a
first-claSs chamber of horrors with
these fruits of unbalanced genius.
But. seriously. / wonder If the
men who wired Postmaster General
Farley. complaining against the
Mothers day stamp could have de-
signed a better composition. Isn't it
possible that they are not quite quail
fed to judge? Do they know enough
about the method and technique of
stamp manufacture? Do they realize
the limitations of the stamp engrav-
ers field?
For example. when they object
that the original painting has been
cut down and the mothers feet elm
mated, do they remember that had
the entire subject been reproduced
the countenance Of the mother would
have been lost from the picture? I
think the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing did well to preserve the
lines of that lovely countenance and
to sacrifice the unessential details of
the painting in the interest of that
purpose.
1T was President Roosevelt him
self who chose the Whistler Mother
for the stamp, and believe that he
was wisely advised in so doing. His
first aim was to honor motherhood,
his second to honor the great Ameri-
can painter-and he did both. Will
so-called professional artists delib-
erately try to spoil the harmony of
the occasion by narrow. intolerant
selfish agitation? They would be bet
ter employed if they used their tai
ents to organize a movement for the
purchase of the Whistler painting
from the French government. If
they had a spark of constructive
patriotism in their hearts, they never
would allow that mighty masterpiece
to cross the Atlantic again. The
subject is American, the genius that
created it was American-the picture
should belong to America. Let the
living artists take the lead in cam
paign to buy it. Philatelists. I am
sure, will do their part
The Los Angeles Times last Sun
day printed spirited cartoon OF
Uncle Sam saluting the Mothers day
stamp. The caption was: The Stamp
of a Nations Approval"