Evening star., 1944-04-02
CtanPs
By James WaIdo Fa,ycen.

the native American genius OF
Thomas A. Edison, are half a century
old this month. Some foreign coun-
tries take proper advantage Of such
anniversaries to bring out stamps OF
cultural value recognized through
out the world.
Rev. Father Marion j. Weron of
the Mission House at Ellicott City,
Md, Is a collector Of the stamps of
the United States and North and
Central Europe.
Philip II. Ward, jr, Of Philadel-
phia, chairman Of the Postage
stamp Centenary Exhibition Com
mittee in 1910, has received two let
ters from 1t. Gen. Mark w. Clark,
commander Of the 5th Army in
italy, indicating that even in the
midst of one of the greatest military
campaigns in modern history he has
not forgotten the pleasures Of his
philatelic avocation.
Copies of the Cathedral Age mag
azine for Easter, containing an illus
trated article on stamps showing
cathedrals by the editor Of The
Star stamp department, still are
available at Washington Cathedral
ut cost, SOC each.
First-day sales reports for the new
Scent airmail stamp, released March
81, are: 313,10l stamps sold. $25 ,048;
covers Cancelled, 147,484.
Stamps have been requested for
the 125th anniversary Of the crossing
of the Atlantic by the steamship
Savannah, 1919, and the 18th an
niversary of the completion of the
Union Pacific Railroad, 1869.
The death Of DR.. Stephen B
Leacock, economist, teacher and
world-famous humorist, raises the
question: Ought not Canada to have
a series Of stamps in homage to her
''heroes Of peace? Among those
who thus might be commemorated
are: Sir William Osler and Sir Fred
erick Banting, physicians; Goodwin
Smith, philosopher; Ralph Connor
and Sir Gilbert Parker, novelists;
Sir Charles @. d. Roberts, w. H
Drummond, Bliss Carman and John
McCrae, poets; Tommy" Thomson,
painter, and others.
Mrs. Lena p. Shawen Of the sec
retariAl staff of the Division of
Stamps is recovering from the ef-
fects Of a painful accident on Mon
day last. Tripping over the cord of
q portable electric lamp in her Of
fice, she fell TO the floor with such
violence a. to break her nose and
seriously sprain one OF her arms.
Her friends among stamp collec-
tors, legion In number, assure her
of their sympathy and best wishes.
Red Cross slogan cancellations Of
many different varieties are in cir
culation % . feature of the Nation
wide War Fund campaign which
closed Friday. They are eminently
suited to specialized study as a
ptlilatelic sideline.
Indications are that the Scent
psn-American Union jubilee stamp,
now no longer available at the
Philatelic Agency, Is a speculative
5avortte with rapid and permanent
In catalogue price as
sured.
Henry II. Huff, writing in The
Rockford (Ill.) Star for March 26,
says: The amazing growth of the
stamp collecting hobby and the mil
lions Of dollars that have been in
vested In rare stamps is based upon
the fact that postage stamps are
government property. They have a
caste that no privately produced
commodity could have. When a
government is guilty Of issuing
stamps without postal validity or
beyond necessary requirements for
postal duty, stamp collectors are ex-
plotted. II such condition were
permitted to exist with much fire.
quency, stamps would lose their in
vestment value. Obsolete United
States stamps, for example, have
appreciated in value because of the
confidence OF stamp collectors that
our Government will not in the
future produce additional quanti-
ties Of these extinct issues"
The latest alibi offered for the
reprinting of stamps for the Philip
pines philatelic agency is that the
additional supplies" were needed
to replace off-centered and other
wise imperfect stock; but such an
es.cuse is ridiculous and futile in the
face Of the fact that the agency
actually obtained from the Bureau
OF Engraving and Printing $84, 1000
worth OF made-to- order adhesives
and allegedly had ordered approxi-
mately $250,000 worth of other is
sues at the time the investigation
began.
Mr.. and Mrs. David D. Caldwell
OF Washington attended the recent
Atex exhibition at Atlantic City.
Stamp meetings for the week are
listed as follows:
Tomorrow evening at 8-Wood-
ridge Stamp Club, home of Mr.. and
Mrs. Yves. M. Tryon and family,
2802 Twentieth street NE.
Tuesday evening at 8-Collectors'
Club of Washington, TIL m n
School. Twelfth and l. streets NV.
Program, exhibition and bourse.
STAMPS AND COINS.
WASHINGTON STAMP co.