17017

Office of the Postmaster General
Washington, D.C.

March Twenty-Six

19 25

Mr. George Dudley Seymour,
129 Church Street,
New Haven, Connecticut.

My dear Mr. Seymour:

I have your letter of March 24. By way of reply let me say that this carries to you the very first of the Nathan Hale half-cent stamps. It will not be ready for distribution or sale until April 15 and if you were a Philatelist you would know that the stamp cranks would attach great importance and value to the first of the issue. I think you are entitled to the distinction of having it and I am therefore sending it to you as an expression of good will and congratulation on the consummation of that for which you have so long and so ardently wished.

You will note that the stamp is of a sepia brown. The blue was discarded because of its conflict with the Roosevelt stamp of that color, for which it might have been easily mistaken especially by near-sighted persons.

I shall very much appreciate the life-sized print of Hale.

The Post Office Department has two copies of the picture of Postmaster General John M. Niles, one of which is framed and hangs in the gallery that leads from the Eleventh Street

THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON

May 31, 1923.

My dear Mr. Seymour:

I feel genuinely obligated to you for reminding me of the anniversary of Nathan Hale's graduation from Yale. I wish it were possible that some really fitting and adequate testimonial to Hale, of a national character, could be provided. Your suggestion is appealing, but unfortunately it is not possible to provide for all the national heroes in this way. I hope an opportunity will be afforded when, either in compliance with this particular suggestion or in some other way, I may be able to contribute my bit toward reminding the American people of Captain Hale and his great services and sacrifice.