Evening star., 1936-12-27
Stamp Series for
War Heroes
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

AAoeoiy uaS JUST Deen written with the
issuance by the Post Office Department
OF the Army and Navy heroes stamp
series. For years philatelists have been
importuning the Post Onice to issue
such series but, for various official rea.
sons. the event was postponed. Now it
mas been started and it is to be expected
that an unbroken series will appear.
Presidents Of the United States have
been principal subjects for American
postage stamps. but there have been
many variations. There have been re-
productions Of famous paintings. such
as the Landing of the Pilgrims" and
the Landing of Christopher Columbus"
out the Army and Navy heroes have been
neglected. There has existed a certain
purely American prejudice against the
glorifcation Of individuals through
postage stamp portraiture This appears
now to have been broken down.
There have been many stamps in the
commemorative series. Great occasions
are celebrated by the issuance of specially
designed stamps in the same manner
that such occasions have been celebrated
oy the issuance Of special coins. The
usual rule has been to make them some
what impersonal in design, tending more
to the general and allegorical.
IN this policy the United States has
olnered markedly from most other
countries. In Great Britain, for example.
no sooner does a new monarch mount
tne throne than stamps are issued bear
ing his likeness. Even though Edward
VIII reigned less than a wear, stamns
with his likeness have been current. The
TACT that he had not yet been officially
crowned and anointed made M dif-
terence. The Edward stamps appesred
BY the same token, it will be but a brief
time before stamps bearing the likeness
OF George vi, the new King, will be in
circulation.
In south American countries the like
hesses OF various presidents appear, as
wen as portraits Of other distinguished
persons The same is true in European
countries. There has, it is true been
an increase in the use of landscapes
usually OF historical significance. in re-
cent years. Here in the United States
tnere are postage stamps showing notable
national park scenes.
Some military heroes have been hon.
ored by stamp portraiture here but not
primarily as such. George Washington
was military hero of the highest order.
out his portrait appears on stamp issue
not because Of his sword but because he
was President of the United States. The
same is true of Andrew Jackson.
IL might be argued that the American
preJuolce which has existed so far springs
from certain fear of too great a glori-
ncatlon OF the military Such a fear
dates from the foundation of the coun-
Try. For example, the Constitution pro-
Wdes that no appropriation for the mill
tary branches can be made for more
than two years in advance. The theory
OF this Is that if it were possible to pro-
vide funds for the maintenance of an
army Tor long term of years in ad.
vance. some President of the United
States, being commander in chief, might
use the armed forces to perpetuate his
tenure of Office.
1t might be suggested that this new
departure, this final acceptance Of war
heroes as stamp subjects, indicates a
Fascist turn of sentiment But that
seems scarcely likely. Much of the old
fear has been dispelled after so many
long years of civilian control of Ameri-
can affairs. with the Secretaries of war
and of the Navy almost invariably
civilians who have never borne arms,
Ceremonies marked the initial issuance
OF the Army and Navy stamp series. The
sale was made only at the Benjamin
FRANKLIN station of the post office in the
new Post ONCE Building at Washington.
Roy M. North, Acting Third Assistant
postmaster General. sold the first sheet
OF the one-cent Army issue to Secretary
OF War Woodring. He presented the
sheet to dintinguished guest, Mrs.
Eleanor Selden Washington Howard.
MRS. Howard is the great-great-grand
niece OF George Washington, who might
properly be named as Americas No.
military hero. She is the only living
person who was born at Mount Vernon.
The 1rst sheet of the l-cent Navy
stamps was purchased by Admiral VIII
liam H. Standley, retiring chief of naval
operations. He also presented the sheet
to Mrs. Howard.
The stamps will be placed on sale at
post ofdces throughout the country as
soon as distribution can oe Accomplished.
That the demand will be large is .ndi-
Gated by the circumstance that. in an
ticipation of the first sale at Washing
ton orders numbering 100000 were
placed.
One of the mysterious things about
stamp collecting is that stamps become
rare 50 soon. When one thinks OF the
millions of copies printed it seems
strange that they are not ever-present
but soon become rarities. To be sure,
most users Of stamps are not collectors.
An envelope bearing a stamp destined
to become rare more often than not is
tossed into the waste paper basket, to be
sent to the dust bin and the incinerator.
There is distinct fascination about
postage stamps. In some fashion they
constitute pictorial history, for usually
the pictures which stamps bear, whether
OF men or events, notice an important
subject. The first stamps are traced to
$500 years before Christ, when the great
King Sargon Of Babylon employed them
as Identification of his colriers. That is
long time ago, bpt to this day the
same general idea is used. In the exact
survival we find that the British post
office stamps official mail with the letters
o. H. M. s. That means "on His
Majesty's service" and Is comparable to
the United States postal frank.
\
An illustration OF stamp rareness Is
found in the story Of the most famous
stamp in the world TO-DAY. In British
Guiana the postmaster ran out of the
regular issue, periodically shipped him
from England. He improvised an issue,
nrinfinR from a nictllre of a shin nilh.