Evening star., 1936-11-22
BY JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.

In the history of National Stamp week
was the announcement of the Gov
ernment's intention to liberalize the
Illustrations law.
Alvin w. Hall, director OF the Bu-
reau of Engraving and Printing, made
the first disclosure Of the change OF
policy in a speech at the Enoch Pratt
Library in Baltimore on Monday eve
ming. His statement, as reported in
The Star the following day, foreshsd-
owed a release to much the same
effect from the Post Office Depart
ment Publicity Bureau on Thursday.
President Roosevelt, Secretary Of
the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, jr.,
and Postmaster General James A.
Farley, Hr Hall told his audience.
had agreed to approve the inclusion
of illustrations in the 1887 edition Of
"a Description of United States Post
age Stamps" issued by the Post Office
Department, printed at the Govern
ment Printing Office and sold by the
superintendent of documents. THE
Government" he said, will bring out
at the first of the year a new edition
of its official list of stamps issued
since 1847, and the pamphlet will be
Illustrated with pictures of every va
riety ever printed. We are now at
work on the plates"
The news, naturally enough, was
received by the Baltimore collectors
with jubilant enthusiasm. Eugene
Klein. president of the American
Philatelic Society, seated on the plat
form while Mr.. Hall spoke. gave 1t
as his opinion that the concession
represents an unprecedented victory
for the philatelic public, long opposed
to the existing prohibition This
means" he declared, that soon we
shall be able freely to import the
great classics of philatelic literature
from abroad, hitherto barred because
OF the illustrations law. 1t also sig
nifies a vast expansion Of philatelic
writing in the United States"
A similar sentiment was expressed
by Philip Simms Warren, treasurer
OF the Washington Philatelic Society,
who asserted: I'VE owe this in large
part to the labors of Mayo Dudley
one of our members who died last year
For more than decade he CAM
paigned for repeal and now we can
thank him for the final triumph of
our cause Mr.. Dudley'S colleagues
on the American Philatelic Society
Illustrations Committee were: Carter
Glass, jr., son of Senator Carter Glass
Of Virginia, who recently conferred
with President Roosevelt concerning
the liberalization of the law, and Col.
Spencer Crosby, former District COM
missioner, who also has continued in
active opposition to the statute.
But Mr.. Hall, interviewed in WASH
tngton on Wednesday, indicated that
the struggle could not be considered
completely won THE Government"
he explained, has not opened the
doors to everybody. 1t has retained
control Of the situation. Just as 1t
does not allow private individuals to
print stamps. it will not permit private
individuals to print reproductions of
stamps" To the objection that in
democracy the Government cannot
set up double standard. violating or
nullifying the law itself while for
bidding its citizens to be guided by its
example, he said: In this instance,
the Government is not breaking any
statute. Only Congress can effect re-
peal. The Government merely is do
ing what it is permitted and author
tied to do by existing legisla ton"
like position was assumed by the
Post Office Department in its release
for Friday publication: "A booklet
containing photographs and descrip-
'tions OF all United States postage
stamps issued since 1847 through De-
cember 81, 1896, will be made avail
able by the Government shortly after
the first of the year. This stamp
booklet will also contain a complete
list of plate numbers for all COM
memorative postage stamps that have
been issued by the Post Office Depart
ment.
COPIES of the new stamp booklet
will not be available for free distri-
button. but they may be obtained from
the Superintendent of Documents,
Government Printing Office, Washing
ton, D. C. The price per copy will be
determined and announced at a later
date.
THE postage stamp illustrations
embodied in the new booklet will be
in black and white, it having been
determined that the Federal Govern
ment has the authority to reproduce
in this form copies of it's own postage
stamps. In this connection. the Post
Once Department also announced
that efforts are being made by the
Department to have the present law
changed SO that newspapers, maga-
Zines and philatelic publications may
also be permitted to illustrate United
States postage stamps"
Albert F. Kunze, leader OF the
Washington Stamp Club of the Air,
commenting on Mr.. Halls announce
ment and the Post Once Depart
ment's release yesterday, said: "It is
important for collectors to under
stand that more than one law
Is involved in the illustrations
problem. More especially, it is an
Interpretation of those laws which is
at issue. I believe that philatelic
writers and publishers actually have
much more freedom under existing
legislation than they realize. But it
seems necessary for us to establish
our rights, perhaps through q series
OF cases to be decided by the courts.
The first step is to clarity the current
situation, and the Government has
moved in that direction by its change
Of policy regarding the illustration of
Its oficial list of stamps"
Cooperation between the Treas
ury, the Post Office Department and
the collecting public, Mr.. Kunze sug-
eested, should be feasible toward the
end that both the Governments and
legitimate philatelic interests are pro-
tected.
Meanwhile, formal petition for q