Evening star., 1941-08-03
AMONG THE STAMP COLLECTORS
News the Phaec World Its Interests and Peope-Review of
the Stamp Press-List of Local Meetings
By James Waldo Favcen.

The propaganda stamps of Soviet
Russia are comprehended now at
last for what they were intended
to be-the boast of the pioneer
military state of modern times!
Other nations were preoccupied
with plans for peace in 1922 when
the Bolshevik postal authorities pro-
duced the first of their hideous
worker" and soldier" ,adhesives
(Scott's Type A-49 and A-5O). The
faces depicted upon these stickers
were british and cruel. Lest their
significance be missed, an ugly
peasant" tA-53) was added in 1923.
The three designs have been In
systematic use ever since.
Meanwhile. the earliest of the
Lenin memorials" (A-6D we're re-
leased following the death OF the
original Red dictator, January Il,
1924. They were indescribably IN
artistic, but it may be said In their
behalf that they lacked the satanic
quality of the Ulianov labels (A-66
and A-75), brought out in 1879 ana
1926
A series showing the mausoleum
of Lenin was placed on sale on the
first anniversary of his departure.
Then followed a set to publlclze the
goth anniversary OF the abortlVe
revolution" of 1905, the designs
showing rebel leaders, rioting mobS,
street barricadeS, etc-a hint OF
things equally provocative to come,
including several f1amboyout COM
memorativeS" TO mark the 10th an
niversary of the Socialist rising of
1917.
The 10th birthday" of the Red
Army also was observed in 1927.
Four stamps we're printed: Ok, SOL
der. Lenin tomb and Kremlin; lax,
sailor, cruiser in background; l6K,
cavalryman, and 28k, aviator (A-88,
A-6e, A-9O, AID. Had the world
been sufficiently alert, it would have
grasped the meaning of the threat
involved in these tiny scraps OF
paper" They instructed the Japa-
nese in the East Mussolini in Italy,
Horthy in Hungary, Kemal IN
Turkey, Pilsudski in Poland and
MANY other tyrantS whose chief
claim to fame now is that they IN
turn gave lessons to the master or
them all, the Nazi Napoleon, Adolf
Hitler.
Once the fashion of propaganda
stamps was set, the BolSheVlstS
made the most of it. In 1890 they
brought out four issues decorated
with pictures of Red cavalry gallop-
ing all over everything; in 1882 eight
bearing views of mobs in action,
power stations, metallurgical plants,
harvesting with tractors and other
examples of totalitarianism in in
dustrv: in 1888 one illustrating the
Red banner and five in homage to
26 commissars who were "assaSsl-
mated" at Baku, and In 1884 SIX
representing Lenin in childhood, IN
youth, as boss" and with Stain.
How well the Soviets knew the
power of the forces of destruction
thev had launched was illustrated IN
the group of five so-called horrors
of modern warfare stamps tA-l9z
TO A-1e6D distributed in 1884. They
depict bombs falling from the SKY,
women and children in panic hlgnt,
wounded soldiers in retreat from the
front. a soldier attacking civilians
and soldiers shaking hands over
slaughtered officer.
Russian troops had seen service
In Spain in 1888 when the next
commemorative for the Red Army
we're manufactured They had Tor
their subjects: An infantrymen, an
other soldier, a sailor, an aviator, an
anti-aircraft soldier, machine gun
ners and Stain reviewing cavalry
(A-241 TO A-24D.
During the same year set OF air
transport labels was issued. one
of the lot was devoted to parachute
Jumpers (A-285l A similar theme
is used on a sticker in which girl
member of the All Union Young
Communist League is portrayed
(A-2o6).
But the philatehc public never
saw the connotations OF the Soviet
propaganda of conflict. Only in the
light of the events of the past six
weeks are the barbarous Bolshevik
stamps intelligible. Had their mean
ing been properly appreciated when
they first we're circulated, civiliza-
ton might have been spared its
current ordeal.
Henry C. Wolfe, in The Imperial
Soviets," published last year, ex-
plains: Every policy, every act of
the Kremlin has been made on the
assumption that another great war
was inevitable. When it would come,
Stain was determined he would be
prepared to turn it to his advan-
tage"
Postage stamps were among the
instruments of the Red Cars pur-
pose from 1924 just as they were in
cluded among the weapons of. his
former partner, his present enemy,
beginning in 1888.
The Society of Philatelic Amer
leans has prepared special meter
slogan 10 De uSeu uuIIllg lIS 4Ijn an
rual convention at Philadelphia.
August Is to 81. Impressions will
be made on cacheted envelopes
which may be obtained at cents
each from Mrs. Marjie V. Wamsley,
1443 Stevens street, Philadelphia.
The story OF the sale of the collec-
finn Of Enrprp Ppnillord i,vol,oe n
wealthy diamond merchant from
Holland who wished to escape to the
United States. 1t is alleged that this
unnamed individual purchased Mr..
Remillard's albums for 500 600
STAMPS AND COINS.
Eidnlifu Gfarnr, "a