Evening star., 1935-12-01
BY JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.

N.uu.-p--..-.-..---.-...u.-----a..
BY JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.
Alvin w. Hall, director of the Bu-
Yeau Of Engraving and Printing, will
discuss Printing and Engraving
Processes" at the First American
Philatelic Congress, to be held at
the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Philadelphia,
Friday and Saturday, December 81
and 2S.
His acceptance of an invitation to
prepare a paper was announced yes
terday by Eugene Klein, president OF
the American Philatelic Society and
chairman OF the congress.
Others who will participate include r.
A. Barry, stamp editor, New York Her
aid Tribune; Mrs. Catherine l. Man
ming, philatelic curator, Smithsonian
Institution; DR.. Ellis Haworth, presi-
dent, Washington Philatelic Society;
DELI Norona, postal history expert;
Max G. Johl, co-author of the King
Johl chronicles of United States postal
issues; James Starr, authority on the
stamps Of China: Charles J. Phillips,
former philatelic adviser to King
George "; Clarence w. Brazer, Jere
Hess Barr, Gerard Ten Eyck Beck
man and Alfred B. Levy.
The congress program is as follows:
Friday, December 27-2:3o pm, read
ing Of invited papers on philatelic
themes; 7 pm, informal dinner.
Saturday, December 2S-10 am, dis
cussion of papers submitted and award
of honors. A bourse for the sale and
exchange of stamps will be open
throughout both days.
Admission to all sessions, except the
dinner, will be free to the public. A
special invitation has been issued to
schools and colleges.
First-day sales figures for the Is
cent trans-Pacific airmail stamp
reached total of $50, ,432. There were
approximately 10000 covers on board
the China Clipper.
1t was announced last evening that
the second trans-Pacific airmail will
leave San Francisco December 6. The
return flight from Manila Is scheduled
for December Is.
There are strong indications that
stamps in tribute to Frederick Douglass,
Negro publicist and orator. and Susan
3. Anthony, woman suffrage advo-
cate, soon will be issued. Appeals for
these are said to have been made to
Postmaster General Farley, and he is
reported to look with favor upon both
petitions.
Other stamps forecast for 1886 are
commemorative for Texas, already
promised, and for Rhode Island and
Arkansas; airmailS for trans-Paciflc
and Atlantic use, and, perhaps,
some high-value additions to the cur
rent series Of regular postage issues.
Carl B. Rudow, writing to the De-
troit News from Lansing, gives collec-
tors glimpse behind the scenes" of
the Michigan commemorative. Eagle
eyed persons" he says, may have
found that the great seal of Michigan
Is not quite like the State seal of
Michigan, as reproduced on the Mich
igan centenary stamps, but State off,
cials are not worried.
There may be technical differences
between the great seal and the state
SEAL" but they are nothing more than
technical differences, explained Henry
A. Perry, program director for the
Michigan centennial celebration. The
big idea is that Michigan has from the
Federal Government stamp to COM
memorate its centenary Those stamps
are going all over the country, adver-
tising Michigan and its tourist traffic.
They may mean millions OF dollars to
our tourist trade, which the tTo-year
celebration seeks to increase
Perry pointed out that the differ
ences between the great seal and its
counterpart on 65,000,000 centenary
stamps are not noticeable to anybody
but a careful observer with quite a
background of State history.
1.-The design of the great seal has
changed through the years and many
variants exist he said. When we
finally won the Post Office Depart
ment's approval of Michigan CEN
tenary stamp, postal officials asked
us for suggestions.
"'We sent them a copy of the State
coat of arms, the design within the
circle Of the seal itself, and suggested
a stamp showing indications of Mich
igan's growth from primitive days to
modern industry and commerce. I
suppose the artist went to the Library
OF Congress for copy of the official
seal itself and came across one Of
the variant designs.
"'There is nothing strange in that,
for variant designs are in use even in
some State departments without the
knowledge of departmental heads. The
fact remains that the stamp as printed
Is our Michigan centenary stamp. We
got everything we wanted. The stamp
Is beautiful one and we are highly
satisfied"
Total editions Of the 1880 Zeppelin
stamps were announced as: 65-cent, |,
$4,000; $l.30, 1,005,000; and $3.50,
100000. For distribution through
the universal Postal Union, the Post
Office Department had ATT complete
sets, included in the figures given
above.
OF the 5o-cent Zeppelin stamps of
1888 only $4,000 copies were sold.
Algeria is to have a new set Of
scenic stamps.
The retirement of President Masaryk
Of Czechoslovakia probably will result
in the issuance of stamps bearing the
portrait Of his successor, DR.. Benes.
France has a handsome portrait
commemorative-75 cents, red orange
for the tercentenary of the death of