Evening star., 1945-07-08
By James Waldo Faucet.

By James Waldo FaWceH.
The Baltimore Sun editorially OBJ
serves:
"As though life wasn't already con-
fusing enough, the National Flag
Code Committee has introduced an
argument for public discussion tnat.
If accepted, would throw the whole
art and science of phflateiy into con-
fusion.
"Philately Is the fancy name for
stamp collecting. Sometime ago IL
was proposed by philatehsts ana
others that the Two Jima fiag-rais-
ing picture be reproduced on post
age stamp as an appropriate gesture
to the armed forces. The Flag Code
Committee objected strongly to this.
1t objects to the prospect OF the
American flag being licked behind
its back, pounded onto envelopes,
smeared by and run through can
ceiling machines
when you come to think OF 1t, this
is desecration of sort. But isn't it
well-intentioned dissertation? BY
long custom, representation on
postage stamp Is considered tre-
mendous honor We regularly lick.
pound and otherwise maltreat the
postage stamp portraits Of G. Wash
ington, 3. Franklin and all the other
past Presidents. States fight to have
their historic monuments memorial
lied on special commemoration
stamps. Word has it that before long
series Of postage stamps bearing
the likeness Of the late President
Roosevelt will be published Qs pub
lished the wordO in his honor. Not
long ago the United States issued a
whole series of special postage
stamps, each bearing a reproduction
in full color of a flag of one OF the
occupied countries. Surely we had
no intention, in putting out these
stamps, of doing dishonor to the
flags of Belgium, Holland, Norway,
Greece, France and all the rest.
Most people thought we were honor
ing those flags when we put them on
our postage stamps.
so the Flag Code Committee has
introduced an extremely confusing
notion. If its logic is sound, the only
thing we can do is to abandon our
present practice and hurriedly put
out a series of American stamps car
rying the likenesses of Hitler, Musso-
lini, Quislng and Hirohito."
The Two Jima fag-raising stamp,
to be released Wednesday, will be
printed in Marine green; the Army
stamp in khaki; the Navy stamp in
blue.
i 1t is indicated that President
, Truman will autograph f1rst-day
covers of the Two Jima issue to be
, sent to each of the three men who
Ilhave survived the raising Of the nag
and to the parents of the men who
did not survive.
The Navy stamp probably will bs
released on Navy Day In October.
Robert E. Hannegan succeeded
. Frank C. Walker as Postmaster
General on Saturday, June 30. What
the change may mean to the phila-
/ telic public remains to be seen. Mr..
Walker, a generous and kindly man,
according to some observers made
; the mistake of taking advice from a
counselor who lacked sympathy with
stamp collectors and warned him
I against catering" to them.
The Scent Franklin D. Roosevelt
stamp was designed by Victor s.
McCloskey, jr., and engraved by
Charles A. Brooks, picture, and
Axel w. Christensen, lettering.
Former Secretary Of State Cordell
Hull received the first sheet dis
tributed, a gift from retiring Post
master General Walker. The total
sale at the Philatelic Agency was
2,504, ,093 copies, valued at $75,122.7s.
Plate numbers are: 23285 to 23268
and 232e3 and 1894.
George A. Scott, stamp writer for
the Associated Press Feature Serv-
ice, says: Copies of the scent
airmail envelope issued by the Post
Office Department this spring now
are arriving in this country from
United States Soldiers in Europe.