Evening star., 1938-05-22
BvJames Waldo Fa,vceff.

Government OmclalS, aVlaIOIS, SIdWp
collectors and their friends joined to
celebrate National Airmail Week un-
der the auspices of the Washington
Philatelic Society at the Hotel Carl
ton Wednesday evening.
Speakers included: Second Assistant
Postmaster General Harllee Branch.
9apt. of the Airmail Division Charles
P. Graddick, Postmaster Vincent G..
Burke, James c. Edgerton, who flew
the first regular airpost cargo from
Philadelphia to Washington May Is.
1918, and now is research officer OF
the Bureau of Air Commerce. De-
partment of Commerce; Joseph S.
Edgerton, aviation editor of The Star;
Roy Knabenshue, pioneer dirigible
pilot, National Parks Service, Depart
ment of the Interior; Nils H. Randers,
Pehrson, Library of Congress; Paul
Edward CARRIER, Smithsonian Insti-
tuition; Gerard Ten Eyck Beeckman,
Albert F. Kunze and Miss Alice B.
Cilley.
Mr.. Branch read a greeting from
Postmaster General James A. Farley
congratulating the society on its edu-
cational work and thanking it for CO.
operation in the campaign to popular
ize air1nail facilities.
The walls of the meeting room and
many tables were covered with frames
of airpost covers and stamps. esti-
mated to approximate several hum
dred thousand dollars in value.
Among the exhibitors were Carter
Glass, jr., president of the American
Philatelic Society: Louis Jay Heath,
past president, Washington Alrmall
Society; Francis B. Leech, past presl-
dent. American Airmail Society; Da-
vid H. Davenport, Washington corre-
spondent of Mekeel's Weekly Stamp
News: Alden H. Whitney, regional vice
president of the Society of Philatehc
Americans; Miss Elsie Louise Holt
greye. treasurer of the Washington
Federation of Junior Stamp Collec-
tors; William A. Verhas, Miss Agnes
Johnson and Mrs. Catherine L. Man
ming.
A feature of the show was a letter
flown by Mr. Edgerton on the pre-
n,ier flight, now owned by Fleming
Newbold of The Star.
Souvenir airpost covers, with nag
ship station catchets, were received
during the meeting and distributed TO
members and guests.
The program closed with moment
of silence, all present standing, In
remembrance of Wilbur Wright. Earl
Ovington. Amelia Earhart and other
"honored dead who never die.
Stamp collectors prefer double-size
stamps. A National Federation Oh
Stamp Clubs poll on the subject de-
yeloped a six-to-one sentiment against
small commemorative. Presumably.
the tragedy OF the Maryland issue OF
1888 has not been forgotten.
Envelopes and postal cards may be
Included in the next edition OF the
Post Office Departments official De
scr,ption of United States Postage
Stamps" The names of artists re-
sponsible for stamp designs and en-
craving also have been suggested tor
inclusion.
The secret history of recent postal
issues is beginning to leak out For
instance, it happens to be true. doesn I
Il. that the red bird alrmail stamp.
released at Dayton and st. Petersburg
on May IA, and in Washington on the
following day, was produced over
night? Gossip affirms that President
Roosevelt ordered it at 3 O'Clock in the
afternoon and had the model on his
desk at 9 the next morning. Of
course, compositions thrown together
IN such panic haste cannot be artlstl-
cally worthwhile. The miracle is
that they are as attractive as they
sometimes have been.
Word comes from China that the
Japanese invaders soon will set up a
new postal system to replace that
which they largely have destroyed.
Collectors are advised to anticipate
stamps and markings of the transi-
tion period.
SCOTS Monthly Journal hereafter
will be published by the new Scott
Stamp & Coin Co.. Inc, while the
Standard Catalogue and Specialized
United States Catalogue will be issued
under the firm name of Scott Pub
lications, Inc, headed by Hugh M.
Clark as president.
New issues release dates, repeated
Tor the benefit of readers whose CAL