Evening star., 1945-04-08
stamps
Bv James Waldo Fa,Uceff.

By James Waldo Fawcen.
The time seems ripe for another
National Stamp Conference after
the model of the meetings and dis
cussions held at the Hotel Carlton
in the spring OF 1887.
For months past there has been
gradually expanding difference be-
tween the Post Offlce Department
and the philatelic public. If the
prevailing tendency continues, the
results may be a break which all
concerned naturally would deplore.
To illustrate the difficulty, the case
of the stamp proposed in honor Of
the Marine Corps is cited. The sug-
gestion for a postal adhesive show
ing the raising of the Stars and
Stripes on Iva Jima was put for
ward by Senator Joseph c. OMa-
honey of Wyoming on March II. No
one opposed the idea. On the con-
trary, everybody Endorsed it. The
expectation was that department
officials would accept it with alac-
rity. Instead, four weeks have come
and gone, and no action has been
announced.
Spokesman for the department, Of
course. deny that the delay indicates
lack of interest on their part.
They explain that they have the
suggestion under consideration, that
no announcement can be made un-
til President Roosevelt and POST
master General Frank C. Walker
have approved a model, that no
model can be prepared overnight,
that other proposals have to be
taken into account, that regular
procedure must be followed and that
it does not help for outsiders to
make frantic" inquiries about what
is being done or not done.
! Meanwhile, the psychological mo-
ment to say "Yes!" to Senator
o OMahoneys appeal has been lost.
four of the Marines who raised the
Star Spangled Banner on Mount
Suribachi have died in action, their
relatives and friends YEARLY wait
for news that the homage intended
for them finally has been agreed
upon.
! A similar story might be told about
the long expected Red Cross blood
plasma stamp, first proposed in De-
cember, l941. The department
months ago released an official
"hand-out' to the effect that such
an issue probably would be author
lied shortly. A design created by a
gifted young engraver in the Bu-
reau of Engraving and Printing was
approved by the President. But the
adhesive which was to dramatlze
one of the most notably humane
campaigns in modern history still
has not appeared. Post ONCE Of
ficers express irritation when they
are asked what has become of it.
They also are frankly impatient
of the drive for reprinting the s.
cent Korean stamp, suddenly with
drawn from sale in the Phllatellc
Agency less than eight weeks after
it was made available there on No
vember 2. Gossip limiting that it
has been an object of speculation on
the part of a small group of in
vestors" is contradicted with We
hemence by department heads. Their
books, they insist, prove that there
were no large purchases Of the Ko-
rean item. 1t would be breach
of precedent to reprint any stamp,
ooonrIj,c n fhpir rONfonfINf1 Vet
they admit that the 3-cent Susan
B. Anthony commemorative" has
been sent to press 10 different times.
Perhaps a second National Stamp
Conference would help to solve these
and other existing problems. Dep
uty Third Assistant Postmaster Gen.
eral Roy NJ. North yesterday de-
cIared that he would welcome such
an effort The stamp department
of The Star therefore suggests an
open meeting or series of meet
ings between representatives Of the
Post Office Department and its
agent, the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing. and accredited officers Of
philatelic organizations and phila-
telic writer's along the lines of the
conference of 1887.
Among those who should be in
vited to take part in the conference
discussions, the following are OBJ
vious nominations: Senator OMa-
honey. Mrs Catherine L. Manning,
philatelic curator of the Smithson-
ian Institution: David D. Caldwell.
chairman of the Postage Stamp
Centenary Committee: Harry l..
Lindquist. president of the National
Federation of Stamp Clubs: Donald
L. Lybarger, president of the Ameri-
can Philatelic Society; Vincent Do
manski, president of the Society OF
Philatelic Americans; Franklin R.
Bruins, president, and Jere Hess
: Barr, secretary of the American
Philatehc Congress, Albert F. Kunze,
president of the Washington Phila-
telic Society; Charles H. Vaughan.
president of the Collectors Club of
Washington; Deli Norona, postal
historian, Moundsville, w. Va, and
Hugh M. Clark. editor of the Scott
series of Standard Postage Stamp
Catalogues.
Among the citizens of Portland,
Oreg.. who want the Korean stamp
reprinted are Helen E. Kirsch, Vir-
ginia E. Dewar, Emily Shand, T. A.
Newholm, Henry c. Collette, w. j,
Lewis, Troy Hoover, Charles P.
Werner, Jean Holmes, Carl S. Bald
ing, H. D. johnson, Mabel Earring
ton, G. A. Sprague, Louise Anderson.
Mrs. Ella Adams, Ernest Sellars.
A. P. Waldron, D. E. Bennett, Vio-
lette Olstad, Dorothy Root. Helen
Ward, Mrs. C. A. Nielsen, Mildred
Meyer. Gerald Phillips. Lorene Lisk,
R. B. Watts, Leroy c. Porter, Harry
F.. Turner, D. G. Dunbar. Mrs. E. l..
l Chapman, Mrs. E. S. LIE Blanc, B. F..
Adams, Lois F. Wagner, Irma Ferris,
Thomas C. Kimm, Helen E. Kidrick,
C. w. Lee, Lois Atwood, Janet Far
rel, Mrs E. H. Bellinger and Verda
R. Lockyear.
The Collectors Club of WASH
l.