Evening star., 1942-06-21
AMONG THE STAMP COLLECTORS
News of the Phlatec World Its Interests and PeopeRevew
the Stamp Press-List of Local Meetings.
By James Waldo Fa,Ocen.

sides Of a die-cut page, the blanks
resemble nothing else so much as
the stationery supplied to prisoners
In certain Federal penitentiaries.
A space is provided for the inGorSe-
ment of the censor, and postal Off
eials admit that all such correspond
ence likewise Is subject to examina-
ton by persons making the neces-
sary photographs and enlargements.
Stamp collectors, of course, al
ready realize that the cro-fllming
their hobby since it eliminates. both
adhesive labels and the ordinary
traditional style of envelopes.
The entire scheme obviously is a
wartime development of technique
tracing back to the last years of
the 18th century If not to the bal
loon post Of the siege of Paris in
ls70-l. Whether or not the manu-
facturers of the Photographic ma
chimes used in the duplication of
the letters are responsible for the
experiment Is a matter of specu-
lation.
One fact is definite, namely, that
the Post once Department is not to
blame for a development which ad-
mittedly involves considerable in
crease of expense and waste of time
and labor as we'll as inevitable vio-
lation of essential rights of privacy.
Those skeptics who doubted that
there would be any war propaganda
stamps now have their answer. Col
iectors are advised to expect at least
one such issue month until further
notice.
Walter Kaner has prepared a
series of personality sketches now
being supplied to newspapers by the
press section of the War savings
staff of the Treasury Department in
behalf of the campaign to sell War
savings stamps to the philatelic
public.
A more helpful enterprise, it
seems, would be that of declaring
War savings stamps valid for post
age, as eminently respectable for
collecting purposes as are the War
savings stamps of the First World
War, thousands of copies OF which
still rest in albums unredeemed-to
the profit of the Government.
The Fort Custer (Mich) News
for May 80 says: "LipStick impress
sions to seal envelopes is a custom
of increasing popularity from the
looks of mail that passes through
military post offices. it has been
discovered at Fort Custer.
Some letters show both sides
of the envelope marked in GRIM
son by the dainty lips of soldier
sweethearts, while other letters sent
by girl friends or wives reveal mes
sages of love conveyed in small
drawings and designs.
Its quite interesting to see the
many varieties of love messages
says Pvt. Robert L. Downing of the
11th Infantry Mail Detail, who has
been making something of a per-
sonal study of military letters.
But what about the soldiers?
How do their letters look when
mailed to the girl back home or
the little wife?'
They are just as decorative. take
1t from Pvt. Downing. They fashion
rather clumsily shaped coats of
arms to brighten up the corners
where the plain word Free should
be written. Shields, flags, insig-
mia and other subjects are used as
q basis for the many decorations on
the letters.
"A former mail carrier greets his
buddies back home in the post office
by printing notes to them on his
envelopes. Another has been known
to send air mail letters to his wife
with a fireplace drawn on the out
side with a mantel sign reading:
Keep the home fires burningr
"A post office employe down in
Tennessee was saved trip into the
mountains by letter mailed at Fort
Custer. On the outside Of the en-
velope we're instructions to postal
employees for 'phoning his family
collect and arranging for them to
come down out Of the hills and
claim the letter"
Pvt. Downing before he entered
the Army. was postal clerk at the
Friendship Heights station of the
Washington City Post Office.
Counterfeits of the made to
order" overprints of the Free
French movement already are re-
ported in circulation and readers
are warned to beware of them.
Both volumes of the l943 edition
of the Scott Standard Postage Stamp
Catalogue will be available in a
single binding about october /.
The Manitowoc Philatelic Society
Is sponsoring a series of nine cachets
for the launching of an equal num-
Der Of submarines. For detailed in
formation write A. c.. Dusold, I'LL
South Ninth street, Manitowoc, Wis
Croatia has a new 25-kuna post
age stamp representing the Castle
of Scallos d'Ozaly in zagreb; also a
4 plus Ok semipostal for war relief.
Precanceled National Defense
stamps-all 1-cent denomination
are available from Oakland, Calf;
Aurora and Bloomington, Ill; Sag
tnaw. Mich; Cincinnati and Marion,
Ohio; Portland, Greg; Pittsburgh,
Pa: Providence, r. l.; Fort Worth
and Galveston, Tex.
Mark ODea, original designer of
the Maritime Commission eagle now
adopted for national use in the
win the war" stamp, is public rela-
tions director of that branch of the
Government and not, as indicated
previously, an administrative as
sistant to Rear Admiral Emory S.
Land.
Collectors again are warned against
paying exorbitant prices for stamps
STAMPS AND COINS.