Frederick John Melville

“ These stamps were at first received by collectors with disdain and some disgust; the memory of the tragedy of June 10th, 1903, was still too fresh to allow the world to join readily in any jubilation over the centenary of a dynasty which had been dragged from obscurity after many years, to occupy a throne lately emptied by the foul hands of assassins. It is even said that the early sales of the stamps were entirely disappointing. But this was all changed from the moment rumours of a cunning intrigue attached themselves to the issue. ”

“ The year following the grimmest of all the royal tragedies of Serbia the surviving dynasty commemorated its centenary, and issued perhaps the most sensational stamp series known to collectors. These will go down to posterity as the "Death Mask" stamps, although the curiosity of artistry which led to this designation probably owes more to the excited imagination [Pg 72] of the Serbian and foreign public than to any gruesome intent on the part of revolutionary artists. ”

“ The various Powers interested in Turkey have for many years maintained agencies of their own postal administrations in Constantinople and other parts of the Turkish Empire, and these, owing to the untrustworthiness of the Turkish service, secured the bulk of the foreign correspondence both of Europeans and Turks. Latterly, Turkey has been endeavouring to compete more keenly with these rival post offices within its own dominions, and they have sold specially earmarked stamps to business firms for use on foreign correspondence at a substantial discount off face value. ”

“ During the Crimean War extensive arrangements were made by the Post Office to maintain postal communication with the forces in Turkey, the Black Sea, and the Baltic. Prior to the war, the British Government did not maintain any postal packets between Mediterranean ports save some steam vessels for the transport of the Indian mails, and some of these were taken up by the military and naval authorities. Letters for Constantinople and the Levant ordinarily went through the French and Austrian administrations and were chargeable at the then high foreign rates of postage. ”

“ 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 competition. 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. ”

“ In addition there are supervising officers for each division, and in the event of the post office making its own arrangements for transport between the base and the field offices, a number of overseers are required. The officers and men all have the word "POST" in brass letters on the shoulders of their uniforms.
Postage stamps of India (including postcards and embossed envelopes, both ordinary and "official") are stocked by all field post offices, and ordinarily a six-months' supply is sent out with the force, and is distributed from the base office to the field post offices. ”

“ Great Britain, France, Russia, Japan, Belgium, Serbia, Montenegro, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey.
But the developments are already full of significance, and the stamps of each of the countries at war acquire a new interest in the occasions for their extra-territorial use as the armies invade the territories of their opponents. At the beginning of August the Germans invaded France and Belgium, accompanied, or followed shortly, by field postal organisations, of which few particulars are yet available. ”

“ Russia. The Empire of the Tsars has provided collectors with a few stamps of philanthropic interest in connection with its wars. A set of four denominations was issued in 1905 and sold at 3 kopecs per stamp in excess of the face-value, this extra sum going to the fund organised by the Imperial Women's Patriotic Union for the benefit of orphans of soldiers and sailors who fell in the war with Japan. The following are the descriptions of the stamps which were printed by the Imperial Printing Office at St. Petersburg in the delicate colour work for which that establishment is justly celebrated ”

“ The nations having had special stamps for their post offices in Turkey are:—
Great Britain (closed October, 1914) . France (closed October, 1914) . Russia (closed October, 1914) . Italy (closed October, 1914) . Roumania (discontinued 1896) . Austria (closed October, 1914) . Germany (closed October, 1914) .
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A curious set of stamps, never really required for postal duty, was issued by the Turks during the Graeco-Turkish War of 1898, under the pretext of being required for the use of the Turkish Army of Occupation. ”

“ The growth of Prussian dominion and the fusion of the German States into one vast empire is well demonstrated in the stamp album by the joint Austro-Prussian issues for the conquered Danish duchies, by the disappearance of the States from the list of separate stamp issuing countries, replaced at first by stamps of the North German Confederation, and later by stamps of the German Empire. ”

“ In France, as the postmarks already illustrated denote, the British Army Postal Service has several grades of post offices. The chief is the Base Post Office, the principal sorting establishment for all mail matter passing between our British Post Office and the Army Postal Service. The Base Office is quite a large concern and has a vast amount of clerical work to perform. In it letters are sorted, letters taking precedence over all other mail matter, after which the newspapers, and lastly the parcels are dealt with. ”

“ Each of the foreign post offices in Turkey, including our own British post office, used special stamps. Years ago, when the British office was first set up, ordinary English stamps were sold, but there were abuses of the currency values so that it was found desirable to overprint our English stamps for use in Turkey with either the value in Turkish currency, or with the word LEVANT, which effectually prevented any large purchases in Turkish money being exchanged at the English face value. ”

“ The British Expeditionary Force, with its well-equipped Army Postal Service, was in France by the 16th. About this period the Germans invaded Cape Colony. The Tsar's promise of autonomy to Poland may ultimately demonstrate its fulfilment in the issue of new stamps for Poland. France issued its first Red Cross stamp, and similar war charity stamps have since appeared in Monaco, French Morocco, Russia, Austria, Hungary, and Bosnia. ”

“ From the foundation of the Empire the stamps show little change. Being a collection of sovereign states it has never been regarded as appropriate for the Kaiser's portrait to figure on the stamps as King George's does on most of the stamps of the British Empire. The German stamps to-day bear a female head (Fig. 234) drawn by Paul Waldroff after a representation [Pg 76] of "Germania" by an actress Fräulein Anna Führing, which so impressed the Kaiser that he adopted this as the symbol of Germany on its stamps. On modern high value German stamps there are pictures of more war-like interest. ”

“ It is part of the duty of the base office to see that each field office maintains a sufficient stock of stamps, in accordance with a minimum determined by the chief superintendent in respect of each field post office.
In 1900, in connection with the Boxer Troubles in China, Indian troops were despatched to assist with contingents from all the Powers in the relief of the Legations, and with them went their Army Post Office. Since the settlement of the troubles a permanent Legation Guard has been maintained by the Indian Army in China. ”

“ Changes at this period followed in rapid succession, and Amadeus failing to make headway as a constitutional Sovereign resigned his troublesome crown in February, 1873, in favour of peaceful retirement in Italy. The little stamps aforementioned were changed under the new government—this time another form of republic—to shew a mural crown in lieu of the royal one, and the portrait of Amadeus gave way to an emblematic figure Peace in July, 1873. Peace! What most desire, but few can obtain and keep. Nor was the next stamp design of Justice (July, 1874) much less wide of the mark. ”

“ If the prohibition of pictures in the past has been no myth, and the late departure from precedent is the result of the advent of the New Turk, then, indeed, the New Turk hath courage, for each true believer of the Prophet must needs regard every new-born child, whether a creature of the flesh or of the mind, as a thing that is touched by Satan. ”

“ Egypt — Sudan — Morocco — Military Postcards — Additional Postmarks.
Egypt.—An event of the greatest interest to philatelists is the termination of the suzerainty of Turkey over Egypt, and the placing of the latter country under British protection. As a British protectorate, Egypt will be transferred to the British Empire division of the stamp catalogues, and a greatly increased interest will be taken in the postage stamps of the land of the Pharaohs, with the result that the earlier issues will rise appreciably in value. ”

“ The French stamps for Morocco (Fig. 403) have now been overprinted "PROTECTORAT-FRANCAIS", as may be seen by comparing this 10 centimes value with the same denomination utilised for Red Cross stamp purposes (Fig. 153) . The change in the status of Morocco may render the British postal agencies there unnecessary, in which case the series of British stamps overprinted "MOROCCO AGENCIES" (Figs. 404, 405) may be rendered obsolete. ”

“ The correspondence coming from the garrisons very rarely bear a Field Post cancellation, and it is generally cancelled with ordinary town postmarks like the mails of troops still at home. Besides this, there is, occasionally, a censor Troop cancellation; to the latter also belong the Lazarett cancellation (hospital service) , of which we have seen several that were interesting. Lately, a large number of pieces of mail have been coming from troops in the enemies' country, without postal cancellations—owing to strategic reasons—which is much to be regretted from the view-point of the collector. ”

“ Chitral, Malakand, Tirah, China, Tibet, Somaliland, and South Africa. The system of the Indian Army Postal Service is similar to that already described for the British Expeditionary Force on the Continent. A base office is established at each military base, and works as a head office, communicating with India and with the field. Field post offices of 1st and 2nd class are attached to brigades, divisional troops, and divisional headquarters, and these fly a distinguishing flag by day and display a distinguishing lamp by night. ”

“ The wise men of the East, who have drunk deep of the streams of wisdom that flow from the Book of Warnings, have read many different meanings into the verse, and in Turkey it has been taken to imply the forbidding of all figures, and even the ruminative game of chess is barred by the strict Muslim. ”

“ The Indian troops enjoy free postage on unregistered letters and postcards posted to the United Kingdom, France, and India, but correspondence to all other countries, such as Switzerland, Holland, Scandinavia, and the rest of the world has to be prepaid with I.E.F. stamps, as also the parcels and registered letters for all countries. ”

“ Ever since the first stamps of the Sublime Empire appeared in the reign of Abdul Aziz, on whom be Peace, we collectors of stamps (on whom there can be no Peace, for in stamps there is constancy but in change) have [Pg 83] nourished a fond fancy that pictures and portraits are forbidden to the Muslim, and that Allah, who is great, and his prophet, Muhammed, have set the Curse upon such works of Satan. ”

“ To-day many thousands of letters and postal packets are being sent to and received from the troops of the British Expeditionary Force in France, yet it is a simple fact that [Pg 8] but a small percentage of the civilian population in this country knows anything of the existence, far less of the workings, of the Army Postal Service as an organisation separate and distinct from the postal department of the home Government. ”

“ It devolves upon the Director of Army Postal Services, who is represented at general headquarters, and at the headquarters of each Army by an Assistant Director, to organise the service, and to supply to the various offices the information necessary to ensure the proper circulation of the mails. This, especially in a campaign like the present, is a delicate task, often complicated by the restrictions necessary in military policy to preserve secrecy as to the movements of the troops. ”