Evening star., 1942-06-28
AMONG THE STAMP COLLECTORS
News Phatelc World Its Interests and PeopleReview
the Stamp Press-List of Local Meetings.
By James Waldo Fa,ccen.

BY James W ddO TdCCeH.
The Scent Win the War" propa-
ganda stamp may have to be re-
designed and reprinted. 1t has been
discovered that in the form in which
It has been manufactured 1t repre-
sents a contradition of its intended
purpose. Experts say that it symbol
ICES not a great campaign for VIC
tory, but rather the negatlon OF such
q drive. Incredible as it may seem,
It is an expression of pacifism!
A small error in the drawing OF
the stamp composition is responsible
for all the trouble which has de-
veloped during the past few days.
In order to understand what has
happened. it is necessary to know
that according to the standard
principles of heraldic ornament, the
American eagle in wartime if not
invariably in time of peace should
face the daXter-that is, his right:
the spectators left. In harmony
with the position thus described, the
arrows he clutches in his claws
should be pointed in the same direc-
ton.
But are they? The answer is OBJ
vious. One brief glance at the pho
tograph of the design of the win
the War" adhesive as released by the
Post Office Department for repro
duction will suffice to show that the
eagle is looking away from the tar
get toward which his missiles-sig-
nifying a declaration of hostilities-
are aimed.
Presumably, the artist who made
the drawing did not appreciate the
distinction between the two atti-
tudes; yet it is a familiar rule of
simple logic which he has violated.
The mistake was detected by
Capt. Charles Cary, assistant cura-
tor, division of history, Smithson-
ian Institution. His observation was
checked and approved by the War
Department.
Whether or not it will be de-
cided to withdraw the stamp from
scheduled sale next Saturday re-
mains unknown for the moment
An announcement probably will be
given out tomorrow.
First 1t Charles A. Kenny, former
editor and publisher of the National
Stamp News and one of the sponsors
of the Postage Stamp Centenary
celebration in 1910, again is sta
toned at Fort Bliss, Tex.
The Poster Stamp Publishing Co.,
2445 South Damen avenue. Chicago
announces a series of 16 anti-Fascist
poster stamps, printed in four colors
ard offered for sale a cost, 20 cents
q set.
Speaking in the House on Tuesday,
June Is, Representative John M.
Coffee of Washington discussed
stamp collecting and stamp collec-
tors as follows:
Recently the subcommittee of the
Committee on Appropriations saw
fit to strike out the provision where
by bicolored stamps were issued by
our Post Office Department.
1T will be recalled that airmail
stamps were formerly issued in two
or more colors. Today they are
issued only in one color. 1t may
seem trif1ing to point out to the
Committee of the Whole of the
House of Representatives that that
resulted in a loss in its appeal to
philatelistS, the scientific name for
stamp collectors in the United States.
The British colonies derive no small
amount of revenue, by which they
maintain their colonial governments
throughout their vastly scattered
empire, through the sale of hand
some postage stamps, issued by IA
nous lithographers in London
Waterlow g. Sons principally.
"It is pointed out by philatelists
that the issuance of varied and
lithographically inviting stamps
could make a distinct appeal to the
stamp collectors of the United
States, who number about eight and
q half million. in providing irresis-
tible incentives to them to buy
these stamps. 80 per cent Of which
would be profit to the Government,
because they would be put into
stamp collections and never used.
In that connection I would point
out that if we would issue stamps
incorporating a semipostal feature,
such as Switzerland does, We would
derive extra revenue for the Post
Office Department. In such coun-
tries as Switzerland, Portugal,
Spain, Holland. France, Belgium,
San Marino. and many other coun-
tries, they issue what are known as
semipostal stamps. In other words,
they have a stamp such as three
plus one, or three plus two. Those
stamps would be for use in carry
ing frst-class mail from one city
to another. carrying the regular
Scent charge, but would cost 4
or cents to the general public.
The extra amount would be ear
marked for Red Cross or some other
special use, such as the USO, Navy
and Army relief, and so forth.
Il simply point out to the COM
mlttee as worthy OF STUDY IIlc eA-
ample set by other stamp-issuing
countries of the world, as to the
revenue which they derive from
issuing semipostal stamps. Those
stamps in Switzerland maintain all
of the hospital and all of the Red
Cross services of that entire country
from the revenues derived over and
above the amount earmarked for
postage.
These could be issued, such as 3
cents plus 1 cent, or cents plus 2
cents, and leave it to the public as
to whether or not they wanted to
buy those stamps, such as the Red
Cross issue or the USO issue, or any,
thing else. and the extra amount
over cents to be set aside for that
purpose.
Millions of dollars were derived
by the little countries of Switzer-
land, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavla
before the Second World War began,
from this plan. The Philatellc
Agency maintained by the Post Of
fce Department of the United States
Government brings into the Treas