Evening star., 1955-05-15
Patriot Stamps SheIved
But Reason Is Mystery
By JAMES WALDO FAwCETT

BY JAMES WALDO FAwCETT
The Nathan Hale stamp.
which collectors had requested
for the bicentennial of his
birth, June 6, will not be
issued then and, according to
present indications. never will
be issued. This became known
when. after waiting a year for
formal announcement of ap-
proyal of the desired patriotic
adhesive, philatelists made in
quiry at the White House and
were told: Sorry, it is not on
the Post Office Department
schedule"
With the Hale stamp. the
projected labels in homage to
Patrick Henry, Paul Revere.
Caesar Rodney, Israel Putnam,
Richard Montgomery, Samuel
Osgood, Thomas Paine, Abb
gail Adams and Molly Pitcher
ali Revolutionary worthless
went into the wastebasket.
Congressional support obvi-
ously could have saved them,
but it was not forthcoming in
sufficient volume. News of the
collapse of the program was
received with profound regret
by leading stamp collectors and
students throughout the Ma
ton.
Indications are that pres
sure groups outside the Gov
ernment are in control OF
whatever new stamps are to
be issued. Stamps in memory
of the late Senator Robert A.
Taft of Ohio, Chief Justice
Charles Evans Hughes, the
pioneer woman f1ier Amelia
Earhart, Gen. John j. Pershing
and Andrew w. Mellon, Secre-
tary of the Treasury and
founder of the National Gallery
of Art, have been considered
in recent months but have
been brushed aside. The Great
Stone Face sticker for New
Hampshire was an accident,
ratified because of President
Eisenhower's special interest
in that State and political
rivalry between its two Sena-
tors.
Exactly how the sponsors Of
the Atoms-for-Peace stamp
managed to win approval for
their idea remains as much a
mystery as ever, since such a
label is reported to be unpop-
ular in the very highest cir
.cles of the administration.
No actual meeting of the
Artists Advisory Council to
aid in the designing of stamps
has been held or is scheduled.
One of the members of the
group informed The Star last
week: $50 far we have been
consulted once, but have only
been shown a number Of rather
poor designs for the 500 Locks
commemorative and a pencil
led sketch for Atoms for
which we made various recon-
mendations, suggestions for
changes, etc. We don't know
yet whether our advice has
been needed or not. We GER
tainly hope that we shall sue
ceed in catching up with a
design problem before it is
Matched out in the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing"
When the 15-cent Certified
Mail collection agency stamp
is released in Washington ex-
clusively. June 8, first day
cancellation enthusiasts will
find themselves obliged to sign
for their covers and letter.
carriers will learn that new
duty has been added to their
burdens-the task of locating
addresses for their auto
graphs. Appropriately enough, i
the color of the Certified Mail
Sticker will be red.
AS forecast long ago in The
Star, purple has been chosen
for the color of the Scent
Armed Forces Reserve COM
memorative, slated for initial
distribution May 81.
Philatelic Agency sales are
the lowest in years, despite
an exceptional number of high
value stamps on the available
list.
The Jubilee Exhibition Of
the Washington Philatelic So
ciety, to be staged at the
Shoreham Hotel, october 20
to %, under the administra-
tive management of Franklin
r. Bruins, jr., philatelic curator
of the Smithsonian Institu-
ton, will be classified and ar
ranged as follows: United
States, postage and revenues.
Bureau issues; Confederate