Evening star., 1937-02-07
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
AS forecast several weeks ago. the
Post Office Department is preparing
to issue two new stamps for trans
Pacific airmail use. 1t was officially
announced on Monday last that the
values will be 20-cent. green instead
Of blue as originally planned, and So
cent. carmine. The design represents
q revision of the 25-cent denomination
Of 1885. First distribution is limited
to the Philatelic Agency, Monday,
February Is.
The text Of the formal announce
nnent includes this paragraph: 1T
will be necessary for collectors desir-
ing covers from San Francisco, Homo
lulu and Guam to the Orient by the
first flight on the extended trans
Pacific route to prepare their own
covers. including the affiXing Of the
appropriate stamps thereto, before for
warding same to the post Offices
named for dispatch. The following
reduced rates will become effective on
the trans-Pacific airmail service be-
ginning with the first flight to the
Orient: United States (mainlanD to
Macao and Hongkong, zoe; from
Hawaii to Macao and Hongkong. soc;
and from Guam to Macao and Hong
kong, 3Oc. It is expected that the
first flight for China will leave San
Francisco March "a or later"
When Washington collectors ap-
pealed to President Roosevelt in the
interest of better cancellation service
for first-day sales, the Chief Executive
referred their petition to Acting Third
Assistant Postmaster General Roy M.
North, who, on January IS, replied:
every known precaution is taken at
post Offices designated to have the ad-
vance sale of new issues of postage
stamps to provide satisfactory cancel
1ations on flrst-day covers, but 1t has
not been found possible to prevent oc-
casional irregularities. Provision
Is being made for special canceling
equipment at the Washington Office
In connection with the cancellations
of philatelic covers on subsequent is
sues of new stamps that should further
minimize faulty postmarks."
Postmaster Vincent c. Burke, 1t is
understood, personally will supervise
the cancellation service arranged for
Thursday, February 18, on which date,
as scheduled, the Scent Army and
Navy stamps will appear. He is de-
termined that "this time there will be
no Just cause for complaint" and asks
the cooperation of collectors toward
that end.
Secretary of the Interior Harold l..
1ckes soon is to have a conference
with the President concerning the
projected American Indian stamps.
Meanwhile photographs are being
gathered from different sections Of the
country for use in the proposed Sc
ries. It has been suggested that In
dian artists be assigned the work of
designing the borders.
If the Michigan commemorative OF
1885 had been brought out on the cor
rect centennial date of the States
admission to the Union, it would have
been released on January 26, this
year.
AS reported in The Star Friday, the
Scent, dull blue, BoscaWen, N. H.,
postmaster's provisional stamp Of
1886, for which the late Arthur Hind
once paid $4,000, has been sold at
auction in New York for $500.
Admirers of Gen. Henry Martun
Robert, author of Roberts Rules of
Order, famous parliamentary guide,
have appealed for a stamp In tribute
to his memory.
The Hartford Courant says: "There
were SIS red plates for the frames and
40 blue plates for the centers of the
beacon Scent airmail stamp Of 1928,
and the Bureau Issues Association has
records Of 1904 plate number combi-
nations"
According to the Associated Press:
IF the head of Benjamin Franklin
disappears from the 1-cent postage