The Postage Stamp in War Part 9

CANADA. Our great North American dominion gave us a patriotic Empire stamp a few years ago to mark the introduction at Christmas 1898, of Imperial Penny Postage (_Fig._ 308). It shows a map of the world on Mercator's projection with the British possessions coloured in red, and with a line quoted from Sir Lewis Morris's jubilee ode, "We hold a vaster Empire than has been." The "b.u.mptiousness" of the quotation led _Punch_ to suggest a few alternatives:

We are richer than anybody.

We are Tremendous Swells.

The Policeman outside Mansion House is the finest in the world.

Our fleet can smash all the rest.

Mind your eye!

By Jingo, if we do--!!!

Go to Jericho!

The difficulties of printing a map of the world in colours within the s.p.a.ce of a postage stamp led to "minor" geographical inexact.i.tudes, such as the annexation by the red colour, of the United States, the invasion of France by England, and the removal of the Cape of Good Hope out into the sea. But unlike the Dominican Republic's map stamp of 1900 it did not lead to complications with other countries.

Canada's Quebec Tercentenary issue includes some stamps of martial interest (_Figs._ 309-311), the 5 cents shows the French Governor Champlain's house in Quebec, round which a wide ditch was dug and breastworks were thrown up and cannon mounted to protect the colonists from the savages. Generals Wolfe and Montcalm are portrayed on the 7 cents, the 10 cents shows the old city and fort of Quebec in 1700, and the other denominations show incidents in the exploration of Canada and portraits of King Edward and Queen Alexandra, and of King George and Queen Mary.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 312 313]

MEXICO. Mexican stamps from 1856 to the rise of Porforio Diaz demonstrate some of the political changes through which the country has pa.s.sed, from Republic to Empire, and back to Republic. Revolution has brought about provisional stamps of a rare order, such as the Guadalajara, Chiapas, and Campeche stamps of 1867-1868, and the more recent issues of the "Const.i.tutionalist" party for Sonora (_Figs._ 312-314) and Tamaulipas (_Fig._ 315).

[Ill.u.s.tration: 314 315]

_Figs._ 316, 317 represent ordinary Mexican stamps commandeered and overprinted by the rebels.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 316 317]

Martial portraits figure on the stamps of many of the South and Central States; to mention them all would require a goodly sized dictionary of American biography. In addition, specialists find much interest in tracing, by extra-territorial postmarks, the movements of troops in the various wars between Brazil and Paraguay, Chili and Peru, etc.; and many of the countries give us scenes recording outstanding incidents in their histories, especially on their issues commemorative of the centenary of their freedom from the Spanish yoke.

Chili, for example, depicts the battles of Chacabuco, Roble, Maipo, the sea fight of April 27, 1818, between the _Lautaro_ and the _Esmeralda_, and another ending in the capture of the _Maria Isabella_ on October 28. In this series also is a portrait of the renowned Admiral Cochrane, the 10th Earl of Dundonald, who organised the Chilian Navy and played a great part in Chili's struggles for freedom from Spain.

Ecuador's issue of 1896 marks the end of a period of civil strife and the triumph of the Liberal Party, a portion of the proceeds of the sale of the stamps being devoted to the dest.i.tute families of soldiers killed while serving in defence of the Liberal cause.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 318 319]

Colombia gives us a number of stamp designs of war-like interest, including warrior heroes, and a crude picture (_Fig._ 318) of the cruiser _Cartagena_. A particularly bitter commemoration of the centenary of the independence of Colombia in 1910 was the picturing on a registration fee stamp of the wholesale executions ordered by the Spanish victors at Carthagena on February 24, 1816. (_Fig._ 319). To this stamp objections were raised by the Spanish Minister at Bogota, and in deference to his protests it was withdrawn from circulation.

Guatemala displays its Artillery Barracks (_Fig._ 320). The much disturbed Dominican Republic warns off possible invaders by displaying the fortress of Santo Domingo. Its map issue of 1900 (_Fig._ 320A), owing to a dispute over the boundary indicated nearly led to war with the Haytian Republic. Hayti shows the fortress of Sans Souci (_Fig._ 321). Peru having had its stamps much overprinted by the Chilians in 1881-1883, vaunts more peaceful subjects on its recent picture stamps, e.g., its General Post Office, Munic.i.p.al Inst.i.tute of Hygiene, and the Lima Medical School. Uruguay, after its civil war of 1904, added a "peace" overprint to its contemporary stamps, reading PAZ-1904. It also ill.u.s.trates the fortress and port of Montevideo, and its cruiser of the same name on its issues of 1908 and 1909 (_Fig._ 322), and Venezuela has given us crude sketches of the revolutionary steamer _Bankigh_ (_Fig._ 323), and a map stamp ill.u.s.trative of the great boundary dispute with Great Britain.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 320 320A 321 322 323]

Brazil also furnishes examples of stamps specially furnished to soldiers and sailors for use on their letters home in war-time. These were printed by a stationer in Rio de Janeiro and were used during the war with Paraguay 1865-1870. The army franks are inscribed EXERCITO (Army), and those for the sister service ARMADA (Navy).

CHAPTER VIII.

Miscellaneous Wars and Commemorations.--Patriotic Empire Stamps--Victoria--New Zealand--Barbados' Nelson Stamp--A Dutch Naval Commemoration--Balkan Wars--Greece--Albania-- Epirus--Bulgaria--Roumania--Italy--Portugal--Spain--Mysterious Melillas--China.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 324 325]

Australasia has not had much occasion for war stamps, but it is worthy of note that at the time of the South African War Victoria issued two postage stamps of patriotic designs, obtained in public compet.i.tion.

The Victoria Cross design (_Fig._ 324) gained the prize for the penny stamps and the prize for the twopence stamps was awarded for the other design (_Fig._ 325) showing a picket on foot and armed scouts scanning the horizon of the open veldt in the Transvaal, whilst in the distance are the faint outlines of the hills which the British have had to scale. The central figures in the latter design are in the uniform of the Victorian contingent. These stamps sold at 1s. and 2s. each although they only prepaid 1d. and 2d. postage respectively, the balance going to the Patriotic Fund.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 326]

In connection with the same campaign New Zealand issued in 1901 a stamp printed in a khaki colour to commemorate the sending of a New Zealand contingent to the war. The stamp (_Fig._ 326), designed by Mr.

J. Nairn of Wellington and engraved in New York, pictures the part of the contingent sent as New Zealand's response to "the Empire's call."

Barbados marked the centenary of the battle of Trafalgar by an issue of stamps depicting the "first monument erected to Nelson's memory, 1813" (_Fig._ 327). The monument is in the capital of the Colony, Bridgetown, but its claim to be the first erected to Nelson's memory is contested.

Another naval hero, Michael A. de Ruyter, Admiral-in-Chief of the Dutch Fleet, is commemorated on a set of stamps of Holland issued in 1907 for the ter-centenary of his birth. This design, in addition to a portrait of the Admiral, depicts a battle at sea (_Fig._ 328).

[Ill.u.s.tration: 327 328 329]

The recent Balkan Wars (1912-13) would require a volume to describe in detail the philatelic results. Two Greek stamp designs commemorate the victories of the troops allied against Turkey. One shows the cross of Constantine over the Acropolis and city of Athens and the Bay of Salamis; the other depicts the eagle of Zeus flying over Mount Olympus with a snake in its talons. _Fig._ 329 shows the design of two war charity stamps sold for the benefit of Greek soldiers incapacitated in the campaign, and for the widows and orphans of the killed. Greece overprinted stamps very lavishly for territories occupied during the war. When the fleet occupied Mytilene the Greek authorities overprinted the Turkish stamps they found there with a Greek inscription rendered "Greek occupation--Mytilene." Lemnos was furnished with Greek stamps overprinted LEMNOS in Greek characters, and many other places were provided with Greek stamps overprinted with an inscription signifying "Greek Administration." In Samos four issues of new stamps appeared in 1912-1913, and Icaria's Independent Government stamps prepared just prior to the Greek occupation were overprinted "Greek Administration."

[Ill.u.s.tration: 330 331]

Albania's separate stamp issues were an outcome of the Balkan Wars.

The first were created in 1913 by overprinting Turkish stamps with a device of a double-headed eagle and the word SHQIPENIE (_Fig._ 330).

Since then four or five new issues have appeared, crude labels of circular handstamp pattern (_Fig._ 331) with the value typewritten.

More recently a series has appeared depicting Skanderbeg, the warrior hero of the Albanians, and these were overprinted in March, 1914, with an inscription "_7 Mars. 1467._ rrofte mbreti. 1914" to commemorate the arrival of Prince William of Wied as Mpret. The year 1467 was the date of the death of Skanderbeg.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 332 333 334]

The "autonomous state of Epirus," another outcome of the Balkan troubles, has given us some quaint stamps. The first was the skull and cross-bones issue (_Fig._ 332), the inscriptions on which read "Liberty or death--Defence of the fatherland--Lepta 10." This was succeeded by a more ambitiously designed stamp (_Fig._ 333) showing an evzone or light infantryman in the act of firing. The simple name "Epirus" was extended to "Autonomous Epirus" (_Fig._ 334). Other crude issues have appeared in Epirote districts, as yet not very satisfactorily authenticated. These include Koritza (_Fig._ 335) and Moschopolis (_Fig._ 336), both places in lower Albania.

Another curious provisional is one for Gumuldjina (_Fig._ 337) in the vilayet of Adrianople.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 335 336 337]

Crete's troubles may be ended with the final settlement of the Turks; in its stamps since 1898 we see the influence of the British, Russian and Greeks, and a remarkable range of revolutionary stamps. On one modern stamp of 1907 (_Fig._ 338) is depicted the landing of Prince George of Greece at Suda on his appointment as High Commissioner.

He is being received by Admirals of various Powers, Noel of Great Britain, Skrydloff of Russia, Pottier of France, and Bettolo of Italy.

A still more recent stamp of Crete shows the fort at Suda, and was issued to celebrate the raising of the Greek flag on May 1, 1913.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 338 339 340]

On two stamps of 1901 commemorative of the War of Independence Bulgaria pictured a cherry wood cannon, a home-made affair used by the Bulgarian patriots against the Turks, and drawn from one which is preserved in the national museum at Sofia (_Fig._ 339). The following year, 1902, the 25th anniversary of the battle of s.h.i.+pka Pa.s.s (August 21, 1877) was the occasion for a set of stamps showing a view of the ravine with the Bulgars tumbling rocks down upon their enemies (_Fig._ 340). Later stamps of this country show some interesting portraits of King Ferdinand (_Figs._ 341-343) in naval and military uniforms, and one showing the King with the sceptre in his right hand and the orb in his left, and wearing the garb of the ancient Tsars of Bulgaria. These form part of a fine pictorial issue of 1911, and it is noteworthy that these stamps may be found with Turkish cancellations, used by the victorious Bulgars in the recent campaign before they could subst.i.tute Bulgarian postmarks for those left behind by the Turks. In 1913 the pictorial set up to the 25 stotinki, was issued with an overprint in Sclavonic characters signifying "War of Liberty" to mark the successes against the Turks.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 341 342 343]

The enlightened Prince Cuza was responsible for the introduction of many reforms in Roumania, among them being postal reform, with the use of adhesive stamps, those of 1865 bearing his portrait. He was obliged to abdicate the year following the issue of the stamps as a result of a conspiracy. The late King Charles was his successor, there being no further developments to recall. Rather in this case we read from our stamps the more peaceful story of the growth of the King's beard. In commemorating the 40th year of King Charles' reign a long pictorial series of stamps showed among other pictures Prince Charles saluting the first shot fired at the Battle of Calafat, the meeting of Prince Charles and Osman Pasha in 1878, the Roumanian Army crossing the Danube in 1877, the triumphant entry of the victorious army into Bucharest, and Prince Charles riding at the head of his Army in 1877.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 344 345]

Italy has given us commemoration portraits of Garibaldi (_Figs._ 344, 345), and its war with Turkey in 1911 extended the use of the overprinted Italian stamps of Tripoli (_Figs._ 346-348). From the Italian pages of our alb.u.ms much of the story of the makings of United Italy may be learnt chiefly by the absorption into one of all the separate stamp issuing states, Sardinia, Naples, Sicily, Parma, Modena, Romagna, Tuscany, and, although much later, the States of the Church. The jubilee of the Union was commemorated by a set of four fine designs in 1911, one by Signor A. Sezanne showing (_Fig._ 349) a sword grasped by a hand, symbolical of the Italian Union, and at the sides are branches of palm in memory of the warriors who died in the Wars of Independence.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353]

Portugal does not offer much war-interest, though plenty of historical a.s.sociations, in its postage stamps. The Republic followed so soon after the a.s.sa.s.sination of King Carlos that the stamps with the portrait of the young King Manuel had no long service without a distinguis.h.i.+ng mark to show that the stamps were issued by the Republican Government (_Fig._ 350). These have since given place to a distinctive Republican design (_Fig._ 351). It is interesting to note that the Red Cross Society and the Civilian Rifle Corps in Portugal have a limited privilege of free postage, for which they use their own special stamps (_Figs._ 352, 353).