The Postage Stamp in War Part 10

The postage stamps of Spain introduce us to the revolutionary element in 1868 in which year Isabella II. fled to France as a result of the revolution under Prim and Serrano. That was in September, and the current stamps were overprinted before the end of the year with the words HABILITADO POR LA NACION (authorised by the nation), signifying that they were now being used under the Provisional Revolutionary a.s.sembly. One of the forms of overprint reads HALILITADO POR LA JUNTA REVOLUCIONARIA. Some of the known overprints did not emanate from the headquarters of the Provisional Government but were added at the order of local juntas or revolutionary councils. The familiar emblematic figure of Spain followed on the stamps issued on January 1, 1870.

The republican form of government did not last long, and in 1870 the Duke of Aosta, second son of King Victor Emmanuel of Italy, was chosen King of Spain, now a limited monarchy, as Amadeus I., and his portrait was introduced on the stamps of 1872-73. The tiny c. de peseta stamps of the former year bear a small design of a royal crown.

Changes at this period followed in rapid succession, and Amadeus failing to make headway as a const.i.tutional 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.

There were actually in Spain between the revolution of 1868 and the restoration of the house of Bourbon three different types of republic, the limited monarchy under Amadeus, and a military dictators.h.i.+p. In 1872, too, the pretender Carlos proclaimed himself King of Spain, and issued the celebrated Carlist stamps from 1873 to 1875. So far as the general issues of Spanish stamps are concerned, their changes subsequent to the restoration of Alphonso XII., son of Isabella II., are free from further revolutionary changes, but there are postal war tax stamps of 1874-1879, and 1898 (_Fig._ 354).

[Ill.u.s.tration: 354]

A remarkable instance of planting a bogus set of stamps on collectors occurred in connection with the Melilla campaign in 1893-1894. In the set there are 53 or possibly 54 varieties, each for a different detachment of the Spanish forces. The inventor of the scheme apparently launched his venture by going about amongst the troops, sailors, officers, etc., distributing specimens of the stamps he had conceived in their behoof, and consequently the appearance of some of the labels on letters emanating from soldiers and others at the war gave colour to the supposition that these gaudy labels had been provided by a generous and otherwise unoccupied government at Madrid.

Of the fifty-three stamps, all _except_ Nos. 1 and 2 are perforated.

Nos. 1 to 5 are in design of _Figs._ 355, 356, and were supposed to have been for the use of the five Army Corps.

The colours are (1) black frame, arms red and yellow; (2) blue frame, arms red and yellow; (3) as No. 1 perforated; (4) as No. 2 perforated; (5) black, red, and orange;

[Ill.u.s.tration: 355 (1-2) 356 (3-5) 357 (7-35) 358 (36-42) 359 (43)]

7-13. One for each Regiment of "Cazadores" or Cha.s.seurs, the name of the Regiment on each stamp.

14-35. One for each Regiment of Foot, with the name of a Regiment on each stamp.

36-42. One for each wars.h.i.+p, the name of a s.h.i.+p on each stamp.

43. Commissariat Department.

44. Civil Guard; a disciplinary Corps, half military, half police, a la Royal Irish Constabulary.

45. Staff.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 360 (44) 361 (45) 362 (46) 363 (47) 364 (48) 365 (49-53)]

46. Engineers.

47. Artillery.

48. Medical Staff Corps.

49-53. One for each Fort; name of the Fort on each stamp.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 366 367 368 369]

China's troubles during the Boxer rebellion were reflected in the stamp alb.u.m by the "C.E.F." stamps of India (see Chapter II.) and by the use of the stamps of several of the Powers co-operating in the defence of the Legations. The revolution of 1912 made its mark in the overprinting of the Imperial stamps with various republican overprints (_Figs._ 366, 367) and the revolution when completed was commemorated by two sets of stamps issued in November 1912; one set bears the portrait of Dr. Sun Yat Sen in a frame in which are unripe ears of wheat, and inscribed "in commemoration of the _revolution_" (_Fig._ 368); the second set bears the portrait of President Yuan s.h.i.+ Kai, and in this set the ears of wheat are ripe, and the inscription reads "in commemoration of the _republic_" (_Fig._ 369).

Although not issued in connection with warfare, it may be noted that the only separate postage stamps of Heligoland appeared while the island was in British possession (_Fig._ 369A). Since its cession to Germany in 1890 the islanders have used German stamps.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 369A.]

CHAPTER IX

THE GREAT WAR OF 1914-1915. CHECK-LIST OF NEW STAMPS.

At New Year, 1915 it is too early to show more than a few of the first philatelic signs of the great world war which is being waged between

Great Britain, France, Russia, j.a.pan, 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.

By the middle of August the French had entered Alsace and German Lorraine, and the Russians having invaded East Prussia set up posts there in which they used the current Russian stamps. 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. j.a.pan's declaration of war, and successful attack on Kiaochow, probably led to the use of j.a.panese soldiers' stamps (_Figs._ 201, 202) by the forces engaged, possibly along with Indian stamps overprinted C.E.F. (China Expeditionary Force, _Fig._ 61), for the use of the co-operating British land forces. On the 26th the British along with the French took Togoland, and have already issued stamps of the Anglo-French occupation of that former German colony (_Figs._ 384-386). Prior to their issue the British Gold Coast stamps were used in Togo for a time (_Fig._ 370). Towards the end of the month the bombardment of Malines destroyed the Belgian State Stamp-printing works, rendering it necessary to create an entirely new series of Belgian stamps when the Government finds itself in a position to do so. On the 29th Samoa was taken by the New Zealand forces, and English stamps have been used there (_Fig._ 371), and already a provisional and a definitive set of British Samoa stamps have appeared (_Figs._ 382, 383).

[Ill.u.s.tration: 370 370A. 370B. 371 372 373]

German attacks in September on various British and French colonial possessions may in some cases leave philatelic records, chiefly in the way of war postmarks which may be looked for from the affairs in Nyasaland, British East Africa, Zanzibar, German South-West Africa, etc. Postmarks, too, record the withdrawal of the French Government to Bordeaux (_Figs._ 155, 156), and the sending of great loyal contingents from Canada (_Fig._ 372) Australia, and New Zealand (_Fig._ 373). The effect on stamp issues caused by Turkey's abolition of the capitulations has already been referred to as rendering a considerable number of stamp issues obsolete, and this event has been commemorated on the Turkish issue, which, by the way, was printed in London. Australia's capture of German New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago, is already reported to have been followed by the re-issue of the German colonial stamps of New Guinea (_Figs._ 370A, 370B) with a British "G.R.I." overprint.

Some postal aspects of the retirement of the Belgian Government to Havre in October (_Fig._ 216) and the issue of German stamps for Belgium (_Fig._ 209) have already been referred to.

Turkey's entry into the war in November may have the effect of removing Turkey from the list of European stamp-issuing States, and has already led to the long antic.i.p.ated proclamation of a British protectorate over Egypt, and the annexation of Cyprus. The fall of Tsingtau renders obsolete the German colonial type of stamp for Kiaochow, although there may have been some interesting provisional issue here, and also possibly in the Marshall and Marianne Islands.

All these and many more happenings of the past few months will leave their traces in new stamps, or in new uses for stamps, and when at last the enemy shall be vanquished and Peace reigns once more, one of the most fascinating histories of the great War will be that recorded in the pages of the stamp alb.u.m.

The following is a synopsis, or check list, of distinctive postage stamps already issued in connection with the war. Issues reported but not yet seen by or satisfactorily vouched for to the present writer are not included.

AUSTRIA.

October 4, 1914. War Relief stamps. Current design adapted (_Fig._ 258) sold at 2 h.e.l.ler over face-value.

5 h.e.l.ler green.

10 " carmine.

BELGIUM.

October 2, 1914. Red Cross Stamps. Lithographed on white wove unwatermarked paper. Perf. 13. White gum.

(a) _Head of King Albert (Figs. 210, 211)._

5c. green.

10c. red.

20c. purple (cross in red).

(b) _Monument design (Figs. 212, 213)._

5c. green (cross in red).

10c. red.