Evening star., 1945-11-25

1tanPs
Bp Ja,nes WaIdo Fawceff

zine for November "a. Mr.. Sloane
says he was engaged by the execu-
tors of the late Presidents estate,
within 10 days after Mr.. Roosevelt's
death Non April u last, and his ap-
praisar therefore is official in the
sense that it was made for the heirs
and has been accepted by them.
Mr. Sloane's report disposes
finally of the theory that the albums
presented TO the President by for
eign governments and by friendly
| individuals at home and abroad are
to be withheld from the auctions
now being arranged for final dis
persal of the collection. Mr. Roose-
welt left specific memoranda, typed
on White House stationery, men
tioning the circumstances under
which he received the stamps and
the name of the donor or source of
the gift"
Mr.. Sloane also found "about a
dozen large cartons loaded with
modern covers from the State De-
partment, received in current daily
mail from the United States Con-
sular Offices, Embassies and Minis
tries around the world" These en-
velopes, extensively franked with
foreign postage and airmail issues,
were regularly collected at the State
Department and sent over at fire.
quent intervals to the White House"
The President cut off the stamps he
wanted and sorted others to be given
away.
But not many were distributed
during Mr.. Roosevelt's lifetime, for
Mr.. Sloane. says in italics: He was
most rabid collector and loved his
stamps so we'll that seemingly he
never could get enough of them"
The President saved row upon row
and page after page" of the same
specimens, and she does not appear
to have regarded them as dupli-
Gates"
Mr.. Sloane discloses that Mr..
Roosevelt had devoted some part
of his time every day to his collec-
ton and often worked over his
stamps while in bed" The President
carried albums with him aboard
ship and plane when he journeyed
to his momentous wartime confer
ences in foreign countries" 1t also
! is asserted that: HE worked with
his stamps at Warm Springs
on the very morning of the last day
of his life"
Mr.. Sloane's judgment is that
''of the greatest value and impor-
tance" are Mr.. Roosevelt's die proofs
of United States issues. "One of
these collections is contained in IL
handsomely prepared brown leather,
looseleaf ring binders, presented to
him by the Post Office Department.
Each of the proofs in this group,
Mr.. Sloane explains, is mounted in
transparent celluloid folder to-
gether with full historical informa-
tion relative to each stamp issue,
giving the names of the engravers,
photographs of the models used in
the designs, the dates of issues and
quantities issued"
The Post Ofice Department mate
rial begins with the first Bureau
issues of 1894, complete in all values
to the S." Mr.. Sloane says: The
list is very lengthy-just take your
| United States catalogue and check
them OF, coming to a stop with the
Century of Progress issues of 1888.
! After the date mentioned, it Is
suggested, trial proofs and essays
were sent to Mr.. Roosevelt. In any
case, another collection of die proofs
mounted in four volumes was given
him by the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing. .
Other items" in the, President S
estate, Mr.. Sloane reports, ARE the
notorious imperforate sheets leach
q. . imperforate sheets leach COM
plete) which were dis
tributed' by Postmaster General
Farley, Many regular sheets of postal
emissions of Mr.. Roosevelt's admin
istration likewise are listed, such
as the 50-cent Chicago Zeppelin
issue. most of the airmails, the
Trans-Pacific and Trans Atlantic
Clipper sheets, the Famous Amer
leans, the Flags stamps, ETC." Most
Of these sheets "are autographed by
various Government officials" as
well as by the President himself.
"Over 27 volumes of first-day
covers, airmail flights, souvenir
cachets and similar covers of phil
atelic interest"-presumably those
mounted by Gerard Ten Eyck
Beeckman-are mentioned by Mr..
Sloane, who adds the comment: "a
large number Of them are magnifi-
cent, beautifully engrossed."
Among the presentation collec-
tions" contributed by foreign heads
OF states and others, Mr.. Sloane
speaks of Nicaragua, Denmark and
Danish West Indies. Poland Czecho-
slovakia, Russia, Irish Free State,
Australia, Norway, Monaco. Free
France, Haiti, Guatemala, Panama
Vatican City, Greece, Switzerland,
Costa Rica, Jugoslavia, the Neither
lands, Portugal and colonies "a
partial list" Three volumes were
given by the philatelists of Argen-
tina, seven by those of Venezuela
one by those of Brazil. Maxim Lit
vinov presented a book of all the
issues of the Soviet Union, Crown
Prince Olaf the stamps of Norway
Prince Felix de Bourbon the stamps
of Luxembourg, Gen. Nogues the
stamps of French Morocco. Gov
ernment officials in the Union of
South Africa, Belgium, China and
Sweden sent many fine specimens
of their respective administrations.
Most of these collections" it is
stipulated. were inscribed .
with the most cordial regards and
good will"
Mr.. Sloane closes his appraisal
with a statement to the effect that:
Every collector will have an oppor-
tunity to purchase some of the