The Enemy's Stamps--Germany--Austria--Bosnia--Hungary--Turkey.
GERMANY. In postal arrangements for armies in the field Germany has
shown earlier organised war posts than any of our Allies. As with the
regular postal systems on the Continent, their early history is bound
up with the records of the princely house of Thurn and Taxis, of which
house Count Roger set up in 1460 the first horse post between the
Tyrol and Italy. About 1535 Johann Baptista von Taxis created the
first field post offices operating with the armies of the Emperor
Charles V. against the Turks and in Italy. The hereditary monopoly
which the Thurn and Taxis family enjoyed from the fifteenth century
continued well into the nineteenth, the last remnant of it being
purchased from the family by Prussia in 1867 for three million
thalers.
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.
The stamp collection plainly shows the modern progress of military
Prussia to the lead in the Germanic countries. Collectors have many
interesting postal relics of the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 in the
form of Feldpost Brief, and the Franco-Prussian War brought about the
first special war stamps issued by Germany for the use of their armies
of occupation in Alsace and Lorraine, and in the invaded parts of
France (_Fig._ 233). Of this campaign there are also the "Feldpost
Brief," and the then novel form of communication by postcard was also
adopted for military purposes in the "Feldpost correspondenz karte."
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 of "Germania" by an actress Fr[:a]ulein Anna
F[:u]hring, 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. The 2 marks stamp shows
an allegory of the Union of North and South Germany from a painting by
Anton von Werner, with the motto "SEID EINIG, SEID EINIG" (be united,
be united!); the 3 marks (_Fig._ 235) shows a group of German princes
with the Kaiser on horseback at their head, a scene drawn by W. Pape
of the unveiling of the memorial to Kaiser Wilhelm I. The highest
German stamp denomination, the 5 marks (_Fig._ 236) shows another group,
with the present Kaiser prominent in it. This is also by Pape, and
represents one of those spectacular appearances which the Kaiser has
revelled in, the delivery of an address on the anniversary of the
reconstitution of the German Empire. The motto "EIN REICH, EIN VOLK,
EIN GOTT" (one kingdom, one people, one God) is one which, as we now
know, may be carried too far!
[Illustration: 233 234 235 236]
Since the outbreak of the present war the German armies have no doubt
provided a great deal of new material for philatelic study, and a
recent number of a stamp journal published in the Fatherland tells us
that collectors there are zealously following the development of the
German Field Post Offices, adding the following information:
There is a lot of interesting material already, not only with
regard to the printed forms used in the Field Mail Service,
but also with regard to the Field Post cancellations, Troop
Letter cancellations, and Censor postmarks. 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. In the near
future, the working out of German Field Post cancellations of
the war of 1914 will be an exceptionally thankful philatelic
report. We will only mention the news that France had issued
several occupation stamps which were said to have been used
during the occupation of Muelhausen. A collector in Muelhausen
wrote to us about this mythological issue of stamps, that the
French, during both occupations, have neither used their own
stamps, nor have they organised any kind of postal service.[6]
Belgium, as already noted in Chapter V., has been provided with stamps
of the Germania type overprinted "Belgien" and the value in centimes
(_Fig._ 209). These have, no doubt, been issued in enormous quantities
with the hope of raking in shekels not only from the Belgians and
from German stamp collectors, but also from collectors and curiosity
hunters in neutral countries. Although there are plenty to be had in
Switzerland, Holland, and other neutral countries at about sixpence
the set of four, it is extraordinary to relate that in one or two
isolated cases British dealers have obtained and sold supplies at very
fancy prices. As in the case of the similar issue so called "Alsace
and Lorraine" of 1870-1871, there will be plenty to go round, and it
will be time enough when the Huns have ceased from troubling us to
gather these relics into our albums as memorials of Germany's trail
through the beautiful towns of Belgium. In any case it is inadvisable
to buy any unused stamps originating in an enemy country since the
outbreak of the war, as they represent a clear contribution to the
enemy's Treasury.
[Footnote 6: Incidentally the German journal, _Berliner
Briefmarken-Zeitung_, in a very moderate article on the war's effect
on the stamp trade, states that German collectors are buying up
Belgian, Serbian, and Montenegrin stamps, evidently in the "opinion
that these countries will become non-existent."]
[Illustration: 237 238 239]
Very few postmarks of the present war have so far reached us from
Germany, but _Fig._ 237 is a type of the Field Post Office date mark.
_Figs._ 238, 239 are Censor marks, and the next (_Fig._ 240) is the
cover of a letter from a prisoner of war interned at Kissingen.
[Illustration: 240 241 242 243]
AUSTRIA. The stamps of Francis Joseph the Unlucky, who has been on the
throne of Austria since the first Austrian issue appeared in 1850,
do not call for more than pictorial representation here. The general
postage stamps current in Austria were originally issued as a special
series to mark the sixtieth year of the Emperor's reign (1908).
Slightly modified, they were re-issued for the celebration of his
eightieth birthday (1910). The illustrations (_Figs._ 241-257) show
the original issue of 1908 as still current. The portraits are copied
from paintings in the Royal palaces, and the subjects are: 1 heller
(Charles VI.), 2 heller (Maria Theresa), 3 heller (Joseph II.), 6
heller (Leopold II.), 12 heller (Francis I.), 20 heller (Ferdinand).
[Illustration: 244 245 246]
Of the present Sovereign, unluckier than ever in the present war, the
series comprises several good portraits. The 30 heller shows him at
the time of his accession in 1848, the 35 heller a portrait painted
thirty years later, 1878; the 50 heller shows him in the uniform of a
Field Marshal, and on the 1 krone he figures with the insignia of the
Order of the Golden Fleece.
Contemporary portraits appear on the 5, 10, and 25 heller (_Figs._
244, 246, 249), and a particularly fine portrait stamp of large size
is the 10 kronen (_Fig._ 257) printed in deep brown, blue and ochre.
[Illustration: 247 248 249 250 251 252]
The 2 and 5 kronen stamps (_Figs._ 255, 256) respectively present
views of the Imperial palaces Sch[:o]nbrunn and Hofburg.
[Illustration: 255 256 253 257 254]
On October 4, 1914, two stamps were issued in Austria of a war charity
postal character, selling for 2 heller more than the face value,
the extra 2 heller going to the fund for the widows and orphans of
Austrian soldiers killed in the war. The designs are adapted from the
ordinary 5 and 10 heller stamps (_Figs._ 244, 246) by a lengthening
of the stamps for the addition of the date 1914 (_Fig._ 258). These
although paying postage to the value of 5 and 10 heller, sell at 7 and
12 heller respectively.
[Illustration: 258 259]
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. The military occupation of Bosnia-Herzegovina by
Austria under the treaty of Berlin, 1878, was followed thirty years
later by the coup of October 5, 1908, by which the Emperor-King
proclaimed his sovereignty over the two provinces. His portrait first
appeared on a Bosnian stamp of the pictorial series of 1906-7 in
which, incidentally, there are included views of Sarajevo where
occurred the murder of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand on June 28,
1914, a tragedy which provided a pretext for hastening the German
plans for a world war. In 1912 the Emperor-King's portrait re-appeared
on the stamps of the military postal administration of these provinces
(_Fig._ 259).
The 5 and 10 heller stamps of 1906 giving views of the Pass of Narenta
with a view of the river Prenj, and the valley of Vrba, are reported
to have been overprinted "1914" and surcharged 7 and 12 hellers for
use in collecting 2 heller contributions to the Austrian war fund.
HUNGARY. The stamps of Hungary, in the lower values (_Fig._ 260)
depict the Turul, the mythical bird of the Magyars, which was said to
have been the messenger between them and Heaven, and their guide along
the road that took them into Hungary. When the Magyars proclaimed
Arpad their first King, the Turul perched upon his forehead. Two of
these low value stamps have been, with modifications and overprint,
adapted for selling as war charity postage stamps (_Fig._ 261) at 5 +
2 filler, and 10 + 2 filler. The war inscriptions read "HADI SEGELY"
(War Relief) and on label at the foot, obliterating the original
inscription, "OZVEGYEKNEK ES ARVAKNAK KET (2) FILLER" (for the widows
and orphans two filler). The next illustration (_Fig._ 262) is a
charity postcard from Hungary bearing one of the war relief stamps.
[Illustration: 260 261]
TURKEY. The coming of the Young Turk has completely changed the aspect
of Turkish stamps. They have robbed the collector of a rare illusion,
and we owe them a grudge for it. The picturesque fancies which we
treasure in our memories as the children store up the fables of the
nursery, are dear to us children of a larger growth. But our love of
fantastic lore suffers many a shock. 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 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.
[Illustration: 262]
Much has been written by philatelists, as well as by Muhammedan
scholars, upon the subject, and the continued philatelic fidelity to
the _Thoughra_ (the Sultan's sign manual) on the Turkish stamps has
ingrained into collectors the belief that the Turks would never
depart from their reading of the law as set forth by Muhammed in this
particular. The verse which, in the Koran, sets forth the alleged
prohibition is transcribed:--
O believers! surely wine and games of chance, and statues, and
the divining arrows are an abomination of Satan's work! Avoid
them that ye may prosper.
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. We, of Christian faith, would appear to
have a more emphatic prohibition of the making of pictures in the
translation of the Mosaic law:--
And God spake all these words, saying, Thou shalt not make
unto thee any graven image, or the likeness of anything that
is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that
is in the water under the earth.
[Illustration: 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276
277 278 279]
Our theologians have not regarded the second Commandment as a
condemnation of the making of pictures, though many an earnest
believer, during the phases of pictorial frenzy through which we have
passed and are still passing, may have regarded the picture paper and
the picture palace as abominations of Satan's work.
The new pictorial stamps of Turkey have dispelled one of the mellow
myths of our cult, a myth which, perhaps, was simply an exaggeration
of a prohibition which is more in common with Western ideas than with
Western practices. For instance, there have been recorded seizures of
pictorial postcards in Turkey, attributed to the Muhammedan law;
but these probably concerned cards which gave offence to Muslim
susceptibilities by their blatant portrayal of the unveiled faces
(_inter alia_) of women. 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.
Yet one other illusion concerning Turkish stamps has been shattered of
recent years. We are told now that the Crescent, so long an emblem of
the Sublime Empire, owes nothing to the moon. The barking of dogs on
the appearance of the moon at the siege of Byzantium may have saved
the city, and the partial eclipse of the orb of night may have aided
the Turks at the capture of Constantinople, but the Turkish Crescent
is no memorial thereof, merely a horse-shoe or an amulet. Professor
Ridgeway says it is the result of the base-to-base conjunction of two
claw or tusk amulets. Says another writer, "There is no historical
evidence that the Turks thought at all of the moon when they adopted a
crescent as their national symbol."
Turkey's first departure from the _Thoughra_ device for its stamps was
in 1913, when a set of crude picture stamps displayed an alleged view
of the new General Post Office at Constantinople (_Fig._ 280). Later
in the same year a finely-engraved set of three denominations, 10,
20, and 40 paras, was issued to commemorate the recapture on July 22,
1913, of the fortress of Adrianople after the Balkan War. The design,
which was engraved in London, shows a view of the Mosque of Selim
(_Fig._ 281).
[Illustration: 280 281]
On January 15, 1914, a fine new set of London-printed stamps was
issued depicting a number of scenes in the Turkish Empire and a
portrait of H.M. Sultan Muhammed V. Incidentally some of the designs
are of warlike interest, notably the cruiser _Hamidieh_ on the 2
piastres (_Fig._ 272), Turkish War Office on the 5 piastres (_Fig._
274), and the forts of the Bosphorus on the 50 piastres (_Fig._ 277).
The vignettes of the full set of the 1914 issue are:
2 paras, mauve. Hippodrome Obelisk.
4 " sepia. Column of Constantine.
5 " purple-brown. The Seven Towers.
6 " deep blue. Leander's Tower.
10 " green. Fanaraki.
20 " scarlet. Castle of Europe.
1 piastre, bright blue. Sultan Ahmed Mosque.
1-1/2 " carmine and black. Martyr's Monument.
1-3/4 " grey and red-brown. Bathing Fountains of Salem.
2 piastres, green and black. Cruiser _Hamidieh_.
2-1/2 " orange and green. Candilli.
5 " deep lilac. Ministry of War.
10 " red-brown. Sweet Waters of Europe.
25 " dull yellow-green. Suleimanieh Mosque.
50 " rose. The Bosphorus.
100 " indigo. Sultan Ahmed's Fountain.
200 " green and black. Sultan Muhammed V.
[Illustration: 282 283]
In addition there were issued four postage due stamps, one bearing the
warlike "Arms" of Turkey, and the other the Thoughra, or sign-manual,
of Sultan Muhammed V. (_Figs._ 282, 283).
Already the present war, even before Turkey had on its part opened
hostilities, has produced an important effect upon the postal
arrangements of Turkey by the "abolition of the Capitulations" which
took effect on October 1, 1914. 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.
[Illustration: 284 285]
The star overprinted in blue or red (_Figs._ 284, 285) on the current
stamps indicates those sold in this way.
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 Turkish Government has long been trying to
get these foreign post offices closed, but without success until the
outbreak of the present war; they are all now closed, and their stamps
consequently obsolete. The nations having had special stamps for their
post offices in Turkey are:--
Great Britain (closed October, 1914).
France ( " " ).
Russia ( " " ).
Italy ( " " ).
Roumania (discontinued 1896).
Austria (closed October, 1914).
Germany ( " " ).
[Illustration: 286]
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 Turkish inscription on these odd-shaped stamps (_Fig._
286) reads "Special for Thessaly, that part of the country conquered."
Even at the time these stamps first saw the light in Thessaly, the
Turks were boarding their transports to evacuate the country. Large
remainder stocks have been sold since the evacuation, and extensive
forging of these stamps has been detected.