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Italy 1941, Hitler interviews Mussolini about his future role as a colonial governor

Even for Italian fascists, this stamp does not age well. At first Italy was an important ally of Germany and Mussolini’s rise to power was an inspiration to Hitler. Italians fortunes in the war went very badly and the King removed Mussolini and had him arrested. Only to have him “saved” by the Germans and named a figurehead of their occupied Italy. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

This stamp displays Hitler and Mussolini as equals. They were not even in early victorious days. Though he fashioned himself as the leader, il Duce, Mussolini was just a Prime Minister that the King could and did have him removed when things turned bad. There was a coup attempt against Hitler in 1944 as things went bad, but it failed because Hitler retained all his power. One wonders to what extent even Hitler realized the difference.

Todays stamp is issue A235, a 25 Centessimi stamp issued by the Kingdom of Italy in 1941. It was part of a five stamp issue in various denominations. There were additional denominations prepared but not actually issued. The post war Italian government auctioned them off to stamp dealers with the proceeds going to charity. According to the Scott catalog, this stamp is worth $2.25 used. The post war charity issue are worth $35 and of course are all mint.

Benito Mussolini was born the son of an active socialist. The name Benito was after a left wing Mexican President. As a young man, he himself was active in socialist politics especially when he emigrated to Switzerland to avoid Italian military service. He returned to Italy when there was an amnesty for draft dodgers but soon was working in the then Italian areas of Austria Hungary. Over time he became well read and multilingual and his politics became more right wing as a result of World War I. Like Peron in Argentina, his rise to power attempted to draw support from both the left and the right. As with Peron, in power he was a figure of the right. With him has Prime Minister, he signed alliances with Nazi Germany and  Japan.

The Italian army proved to be a big liability once the war started. Their equipment was not up to date and Italian industry had no ability to correct that. Italy’s attempts to invade Greece from Albania  and Egypt from Libya were failures. An even bigger mistake was sending over 200,000 troops to fight alongside the Germans in Russia. The force had little military capability and really fought alongside Romanian and Hungarian in what the Germans hoped would be quiet flanks near Stalingrad. They weren’t as this was where the Soviets counterattacked. The German client state troops folded like a cheap suit and the German position at Stalingrad was surrounded and the defeat was the turning point of the war. Barely half of the Italian troops made it back to Italy in early 1943. By then the Italian presence in Africa was at an end and the allies invaded Sicily.

Italian King Victor Emmanuel II removed Mussolini as Prime Minister and had him confined in a mountaintop hotel. In a daring raid, Germany landed commandos from gliders on the mountaintop recovering Mussolini and flying him off the mountain in a small Storch airplane. A haggard Mussolini was flown to Hitler and his new role as a colonial governor was explained to him. Germany had occupied the Italian boot and would contest the Allies in Italy for the rest of the war.

In April 1945 Mussolini attempted to again head for Switzerland where he hoped to fly to sanctuary in Franco’s Spain. He left his wife and children behind, perhaps as a continued presence in post war Italy. He was instead found by communist partisans, shot, hanged and his body desecrated publicly. His remains were later dug up by his supporters and Italy had a crazy corpse hunt on his hands. When the government finally found his remains they were at a loss as to what to do with them. Eventually in 1957, a right of center Italian government contacted Mussolini’s widow Rachele and turned over his remains for a Catholic burial in his hometown. By then, she was running a restaurant in her hometown. She was eventually granted a pension but for years was denied on the excuse that Mussolini had not taken a salary as Prime Minister. She died in 1979. This stamp equates Hitler with Mussolini, but the extent that he was part of the system allowed his family some normalcy eventually. Hitler had no descendants, but his henchman had no future in postwar Germany.

Rachele Mussolini

Well, my drink is empty. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2019.

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Switzerland 1882, Helvetia looks down on a Swiss economic miracle

Switzerland is the globalist ideal. A multi language, multi religion place that is a peaceful, prosperous model for the world. It was not always this. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

As I write these articles, I become more and more enamored by these female embodiments of a nation that were so common on 19th century. Here we have Helvetia, the female Latin embodiment of Switzerland. Switzerland had just transferred more authority from the canton to the federal government. Without the human frailties of an actual person and slightly short of religious heresy, these images provided a united ideal to strive toward. It seems a little silly now, but then us moderns have lost a little of the ability to strive.

Todays stamp is issue A20, a 50 Centimes stamp issued by Switzerland in 1882. There are many versions of this stamp issued over 20 years. The early printing was the worst and the least valuable which I believe this stamp displays. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth $25 used.

The 19th century did not start out well for the Swiss. They were conquered by Napoleon. The many changes to the legal and business structure took years to undo. There was also discord between Catholic areas in the south and Lutheran areas in the north. Lutheran appropriation of Church land and a takeover of the educational system lead several Catholic Cantons to form a rival “Sonderbund” to the weak federal government. The Sonderbund counted on support from Catholic France and Austria but in 1848 they had there own issues. When the Federal army moved to bring the Sonderbund cantons back into line, the Sonderbund quickly folded. The Federal government was strengthened and the Jesuits banned.

The post 1848 government seemed to find just the right balance of enough autonomy for the different people in the different cantons and yet still with a national identity. It was the time of industrialization and of people moving to the cities. Even in this Switzerland was lucky. Many of the new factories were textile, that offered opportunities to women, and the paychecks did much to raise their lot. At the same time, high end watchmaking took off that offered great rewards for people who learned the intricate skills.

The working classes doing well coincided with a great deal of growth in finance. The tradition of neutrality meant that the Swiss Franc  was often left as the only readily convertible currency during a crisis/war. Large amounts of gold especially from Germany were transferred to Switzerland in exchange for Swiss Francs that could be used to fund needed imports. This is in addition to all the private wealth moved in for preservation. The fees collected for this safekeeping were quite high. All was not profiteering, the Red Cross was founded in Switzerland and the country took in wounded veterans and political dissidents from all sides during both World Wars.

While you still see her red cross shield regularly on Swiss stamps, Helvetia herself no longer appears. The newest I could find was 1922 on an overprint of an earlier issue. This Philatelist is ready to welcome her again on a stamp. Perhaps one of the Europa Cept issues were all the nations display once more their Latin female embodiments.

Well my drink is empty and the $25 value of todays stamp would cover a few more rounds. Decisions! Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2019.

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Libya 1977, Can Jamahiriyah be a direct enough party to avoid an Arab Spring hangover

Few people and lots of money. Does it lead to great achievement of just a big party and a big hangover. In Libya’s case the party was soon over and the hangover goes on and on. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

This stamp is from the party phase in Libya. A horse race in front of an ancient fort. Yet now the fort isn’t owned by a Ottoman Pasha or a colonial Italian outpost. The place was in local hands and it was time to party. Oil had been discovered in 1959 and average income went from 50 dollars a year in 1950 to over $10,000 in 1980, This was richer than former colonial power Italy. A reason to party sure, but with it comes over confidence and acting on stupid dangerous whims.

Todays stamp is issue A224, a 115 Dirhams issued on December 11th, 1978 by the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah. It was part of a three stamp issue that celebrated the Libyan study Center, a government office that promoted their version of local history. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth $1.50.

Libya was an Italian colony through World War II. There were Italian colonists that were the center of economic activity and the vast bulk of the country was desert. After the war, an Ottoman era Emir was made King Idris. He was a figurehead who was elderly and spent about half the year abroad. In 1959 oil was discovered in great quantity but few royalties from it stayed in Libya and fewer still got to the average Libyan.

In 1969, a pan Arabist, Berber, Army lieutenant Muammar Gaddaffi lead a bloodless coup declaring an Arab Republic and himself Coronel. King Idris was sentenced to death in absentia and Italians and western military bases kicked out. This was all popular as was the partial nationalization of the oil fields. Partial being key, because the simple country had no way to operate the fields themselves. Food prices were cut, rent was cut, and educational opportunities were expanded. Money was also squandered on more arms than the country had soldiers to operate and failed attempts at unions with other Arab and African countries. This generally involved the signing of a deal, and a large wealth transfer from Libya followed by nothing. As late as 2010, the newly reorganized and recapitalized by Libya African Union declared white man Gaddaffi, King of Kings. Not their finest hour.

Gaddaffi in 1973

With plenty of money, grudges and not much education, things got a little weird. Deciding in the mid 70s for his revolution to take on more of a third way politically. the Arab Republic became a Jamahiriyah, which was alleged to be direct democracy without elections but closely following Gaddaffi’s teaching as put forth in his Green Book, red book was already done by Mao remember. There were purges and a reduction in oil revenue and increasing sanctions as countries got revenge for Libyan support for violent radicals worldwide. American bombing in 1986 mostly ended that and by the 2000s Libya was trying to keep the party going by selling foreign concessions and that old standby of demanding reparations from old colonial power Italy. Italy paid in hopes of Libyan help in curbing sub Saharan migration into Italy.

One interesting Libyan project was man made rivers leading from the desert to the main cities of Tripoli and Bengazi. The water was coming from deep aquifers left over from the last ice age that Libya believed contained enough water to let the desert turn green for 2000 years. Gaddaffi called it the ninth wonder of the world. I can find no mention of it  post revolution so I assume it stopped working. Otherwise the nineth wonder of the world would rate some mention in the last 6 years.

In 2011, Arab Spring came big time to Libya. At first, Libya was able to use it’s large air force to keep at least Tripoli under control, but the Arab League and Nato who were both long tired of Gaddaffi. Nato  initiated a no fly zone and bombing on behalf of the rebels. Gaddaffi’s Bosnian Croat wife and blond daughter were able to escape to Algeria by armored Mercedes, but Gaddaffi, one of his sons and one of his fellow officers from 1969 fought on in Sirte near his childhood home. The pro Gaddaffi force was immobilized by a Nato airstrike on the convoy. Gaddaffi was killed slowly while he pleaded for his life and before and after death was repeatedly sodomized. The naked body was then put in a meat locker to allow for goulish tourism. What a shithole, and shame on Nato for flying over it as if their new favorites had any moral superiority. Some of the rebels took to using the old Royal Libyan flag but the horrors that have come since have somewhat turned the tide. In 2016 Gaddaffi’s Bosnian Croat widow was allowed to move back to Libya and take residence in one of their old palaces. She must be either brave of foolhardy.

Well my drink is empty and I am glad that modern methods  are being found to extract oil without having to dirty yourself with involvement in places like Libya. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2019.

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USA 1943, Korea is listed as a country to be liberated

The USA issued a series of stamps that listed 13 countries overrun by the Axis during World War II. This implicitly promised USA help in the liberation. Quite a task. It is perhaps a surprise that Korea was included on the list. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Initially neutral, the USA was brought in to World War II by the Pearl Harbor attack and the subsequent German war declaration. A few years of tough fighting later, this stamp issue sets out the liberation of 13 countries as a requirement for peace. A direct manifestation of the principle of unconditional surrender the Allies agreed to. In a democracy, it is quite surprising that such a government decree received no push back. It shows what a different time it was and the kind of sacrifices countries were demanding of their people.

Todays stamp is issue A368, a five cent stamp of the USA issued in 1943-44. The thirteen stamps of the issue each had a separate country flag and all were 5 cent. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents whether it is mint or used.

Korea had been annexed by Japan in 1910. This was the last step of a process over the previous 60 years that had weaned the Korean Empire from being in the Chinese sphere to the sphere of Japan. At first the Korean monarchy agreed to the forced upon them Japanese concessions but over time Japan wanted more direct control and less say by China. The final annexation was agreed by the Korean Prime Minister but not the last Korean Emperor, who refused to sign and was banished.

In general terms, the Japanese treated Koreans better than they treated occupied Chinese but it was not a friendly situation. There was no draft of Koreans to serve in the Japanese forces till near the end of the war but many volunteered. The was also much movement throughout the empire of laborers, some conscripted. There was no fighting in the area during the war, and as stated above, only volunteers fought for Japan.

As such, it is surprising that Korea was listed as a place to be liberated by the USA. Japan was to be punished. This was to prove very costly for the USA. The Soviets shared a border with Korea and although they had not fought Japan till the month before, they were available to take the surrender of Japanese forces in northern Korea. Rushing to be a part of the “liberation”, the Americans rushed forces in southern Korea in late 1945. A division of Korea was agreed at the 38th parallel between the Soviets and Americans.

The Soviet puppets in North Korea sought to unite Korea by invasion in 1950. Another war and 58,000 Americans died over the next three years to prevent a united Soviet puppet Korea. We see today what a horror show North Korea turned out to be, but I wonder if the USA realized the sacrifice necessary. I wonder how much thought was given to including Korea on the list to be liberated. Perhaps not enough?

Well my drink is empty and I may poor a few more to toast the sacrifice of the USA in regards to Korea. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2019.

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Soviet Union 1966, When showing off a minority People’s Poet goes wrong

The Soviet Union had within it many middle eastern types as a leftover from Czar time conquests, When life hands you lemons make lemonaide. So dutifully  the Soviets are talking up the literary geniuses from the hinterland. Here we get to meet Akop Akopian, a maybe Armenian poet. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

Several of the literary figures on this Soviet stamp issue have later stamp issues after their region became independant. That helps confirm that the people thought the man worth remembering. That is not the case with Akop here, though Armenia has had nearly 30 years to get to this official Soviet “People’s Poet”.

Todays stamp is issue A1518, a 4 Kopek stamp issued by the Soviet Union in 1966. It was an eight stamp issue all in the same denomination. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 30 cents used.

There seems to be many name variations attached to this man. For the purposes of this offering I will use his Soviet name Akop Akopian, this has the advantage of being spellable and demonstrates the fungibility of tribe in Soviet times. Akop was born in Elisabethpol, Russia in 1867. The area had been conquered from the Persians 40 years before. The city is now called Ganja and is the second largest city in independent Azerbaijan and no longer contains the volatile soup of Armenians, Russians, or Jews. The Azeris have it to themselves now after a pogrom in the last days of the Soviet Union.

Akop published his first book of poetry in 1899 five years  before he switched to the Communist Party. He mainly worked out of Tiblisi in modern day Georgia. Into the area, Akop concentrating on bringing the Socialist Realism literary method as put forth by the Soviet Maksim Gorky. The Soviets themselves seem to be a little confused about who this guy was as at different times they bestowed the title People’s Poet of Armenia SSR, People’s Poet of Georgia SSR, and People’s Poet of the Transcaucasian Federation, SSR. Notice nothing from where he was really from.

Akop’s titles include Revolution, Red Waves, Died but didn’t Disappear, and One More Cut. That last one about blood sucking, probably really got to the heart of the matter.

Even in the Soviet Union, where the arts were so lavishly supported, Akop was forced to have a day job. He was the Chief Commissar of the Soviet Georgia State Bank. Wonder if he ever won the People’s Banker title?

Well my drink is empty. Come again soon when there will be another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2021.

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State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs 1918, it would appear the new boss in Bosnia is Serb

A while back, The Philatelist did an Austria Hungary Bosnian region stamp overprinted to reflect the occupation of Serbia, see https://the-philatelist.com/2020/03/27/serbia-1916-with-bosnia-occupying-serbia-in-the-service-of-germans-it-may-be-time-to-stamp-the-black-hand/    .Three years later, the same issue of stamps is now overprinted to reflect Serbia was not only back in charge in Serbia but had Bosnia and relishing it with lots of fun cross outs. Emperor Franz Joseph was dead so lets cross him out and the new State of… failed to mention Bosnia  so better also cross that out as well. At least the stamp is still denominated in Austrian money, so there are additional cross outs to look forward to. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

As Yugoslavia was coming together in the last days of World War I, a rare show of unity was displayed by all the various ethnicities from Yugoslavia who were members of the Austrian Reichsrat parliament. They would work together toward succession. Stamp overprints tell the real story though, the Serbian Cyrillic script tells the Bosnians who was in charge.

Todays stamp is issue A23, a 3 Heller stamp issued by the not internationally recognized state of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs in October 1918. It was a 16 stamp issue of overprints on an Austrian Bosnian military postage stamp from 1912 featuring Emperor Franz Joseph. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 40 cents unused. A postal cancellation doubles the value. the unoverstampted original from 1912 is also worth 40 cents unused.

At the time of this stamp there was still officially an Austrian appointed military governor of Bosnia, a Croatian General in Austrian service named Stjepan Sarkotic. He was not in favor of the Serbian takeover of the area though he realized there was going to be a major restructuring. In 1910, Austria allowed for freedom of religion in Bosnia to practice and not face attempts at conversion. To a large extent, this made Bosnian Muslims more comfortable. So it was with them that he met in the last days trying to avoid Serbian domination.

Austrian/Croat Governor of Bosnia Stjepan Sarkotic. He doesn’t look like the type of guy Bosnian Muslims could go to.

I mentioned above the action of the Yugoslav members of the Reichsrat. They were inspired by American President Woodrow Wilson peace proposal that specially set out self determination and autonomy for the many peoples of Austria Hungary. It was this spirit that lead to the forming of the State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs that indeed had representation from some from all the ethnicities including the Bosnian Muslims.

Serbian Army enters Zagreb in 1918 during the State of Slovenes s Croats, and Serbs in 1918

It was not to be. Entente power Italy was still at war with them trying to grab territory and the Entente powers decided instead on a Kingdom for the area under the old Serbian King. The new Kingdom arrested now former Governor Sarkotic. When he was released he relocated to Vienna and worked with Croat nationalists there. His goal was reunification of Croatia and Bosnia with Austria because he thought it the only way for the other peoples of Yugoslavia not to be crushed by Serbian nationalism and the influence of the Serbian Orthadox Church. He died in 1939 before the next round of Yugoslav postal cross outs folowing the German invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941, see https://the-philatelist.com/2019/09/20/croatia-1941-crossing-out-peter-ii-is-something-we-all-can-agree-on/  .

Well my drink is empty. Come again soon when there will be another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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Martinique 1947, the Vichy colony with the fleet and the gold

One thing that happens when a home country is conquered is that there is a rush to get out the assets of the country that are moveable. It was thus that tiny and mostly destitute Martinique  became host to much of the French fleet including their only aircraft carrier and much of the gold supply of France. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

This issue of stamps was the last issue of the French colony of Martinique before it became a French overseas department. This was already in process so the stamps can be seen as an introduction to France of their new countrymen and women.

Todays stamp is issue A25, a 30 Centimes stamp issued by the French colony of Martinique in June 1947. This was the last issue of the colony and lead times can be seen in that it actually came out 5 months after Martinique was declared an overseas department of France. This was a 17 stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 50 cents unused.

Martinique was first spotted by Christopher Columbus, who did not start a settlement but released some wild pigs and goats onto the island. The island was occupied by warlike Caribe Indians that it was up to the the French to subdue. Cardinal Richelieu’s Company of the American Islands was responsible for development that included sugar cane, coffee, and indigo. The development was quite lucrative but required the importation of many African slaves. The island is also subject to frequent hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes so it was not an easy go.

The ending of the French slave trade in the 1830s was the end of the gravy train as the plantations could no longer be staffed. There was an attempt to replace sugar cane with bananas but workers could again not be attracted.

In 1940, the French aircraft carrier Bearne was ordered to the USA to pick up American made planes available under lend lease. On the way back to France it was ordered to divert to Martinique. Also sailing out of France in June 1940 was the cruiser Emile Bertin which was carrying 286 tons of gold. She originally was meant to go to Halifax, Canada but the now Vichy government had second thoughts and ordered her to slip away with the gold. It was unloaded safely in Martinique. 286 tons of gold is over 39 billion dollars in todays money. Two British cruisers began a blockade to keep an eye out for the gold. The gold was deemed readily obtainable by the British and listed as collateral by them on their wartime loans.

French cruiser Emile Bertin. Built in 1935 and named after a naval architect, It served until 1959.

Martinique was under Vichy leaning French Admiral Georges Robert. He found it easier to work with the Americans where the French fleet in Martinique would be rendered immobile and in return the island would not be bombed or invaded and the gold would stay in French hands.

In 1943, Admiral Robert was ordered back to France and the journey took him through Puerto Rico and Portugal. With him out of the way the gold and the French fleet fell into Free French hands. Post war Admiral Robert was tried and convicted of collaboration. He was sentenced to 100 years of hard labor though only did six months and was pardoned in 1957. Imagine his sentence if he had pocketed the gold personally.

Well my drink is empty and imagine being in the crew of the Emile Bertin and understanding  that France has lost but absolutely everyone is out after you. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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Quaiti State in Hadhramait 1969, The what state in where

The stamp topical guys have found another important country with which to show off western art. Where do you guess this is? Thee choices; the United Arab Emirates, Somaliland, or the Yemen. Those who guessed Yemen were correct. I guessed UAE knowing Finbar Kenny sought out some pretty small villages looking for Emirs and mythic post offices. This actually was a semi autonomous Sultanate affiliated with the British colony at Aden to the north. By the time of this issue however. communists had overrun the area and incorporated it into South Yemen. They let not good for postal use stamp issues continue though notice it is a state now not a Sultanate. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

The quite nice painting on this stamp was painted by Thomas Gainsborough R. A. late in his career in 1785. It was painted of a young couple of 21 years, the future Mr. and Mrs. Hallett and their Pomeranian sheepdog. It was a period when British artists like Gainsborough were getting more recognized with the help of the then new Royal Academy and the fancy people could buy their art locally. Over the fullness of time, the particulars of the people on the painting became less important and the painting acquired the title “The morning walk” that it did not have in period. The painting is in the collection of the British National Gallery.

Sorry value seekers, this is a fake stamp so there is no catalog value.

Forces under Sultan Quaiti conquered this area in southern Yemen in 1881. The Sultan than entered into a treaty relationship with the British in 1890 and the area became a protectorate of the British Colony in Aden. In the early 1960s, the British intended to leave the area and they created a Federation of South Arabia as a hoped for successor state. The Quaiti Sultanate refused to join the Federation.

Map of area in period

The British had bigger problems in the area. Pan Arabist communists were receiving much support from Egypt’s Nasser and Britain had to declare a state of emergency in Aden. Over a short period there was a bomb attack on the colonial governor, an Air Aden airliner was shot down with no survivors, and most shockingly the Aden police mutinied and ambushed and killed 23 British soldiers. The British understandably lost interest in South Arabia and just left in November 1968.

Remember though the Quaiti Sultanate was not a part of South Arabia. They hoped for a UN referendum on the areas future. Instead that November the Yemen marched in unopposed and that was the end of the Sultanate. If you think of the relative position of Aden verses Dubai back in the protectorate days and think of Aden now. It would not be difficult to conclude that a still British influenced South Arabia under the Sultans might have been a better outcome. Neither Aden nor Dubai itself have much oil.

Well my drink is empty and one wonders what it must be like in modern Aden. When people think of how some of the old international trading cities thrived post Britain and others just sunk  into hell holes do you blame the British, do you blame Nasser, or do you look in the mirror. The last must be the hardest. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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Saudi Arabia 1960, Turning the gardens green again with sewage

The Saudi capital of Riyadh translates into the gardens. The town, it is believed grew up around an oasis and indeed there is a large wadi to the west of the town. A wadi is a mostly dry lake bed so indeed implies there was once water. Civil engineering has now allowed the area to turn green again thanks to that wonderous resource of modernity that we never run short of; sewage runoff. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

This stamp comes from an earlier period in the development of Wadi Hanifa. It shows dam work designed to control flooding and catch the water from it. It is a good thing to show on a bulk postage stamp. I also like that the King is not there personally taking credit for the expensive development. That would have made it more political in a time of resentment when pan Arabists harbored much resentment against the traditional Monarchies. The stamp just leaves the subtle non political message that things are progressing.

Todays stamp is issue A23, a 50 Piaster, (new currency that year), stamp issued by Saudi Arabia in 1960. It was a 16 stamp bulk postage issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth $2.50 used.

Riyadh is first mentioned by Arab chroniclers around 1590 and first became the Saudi capital in 1825. Local folklore has the history going back much further. In the time before Mohammed, the area was fertile with lakes and much rainfall. The area was part of the Al-Yamama Empire. God/Allah became displeased with the rulers of the area and delivered to them the scourges of drought and locusts that forever changed the area.

Well almost. In modern times Riyadh has become a more populous and important city with much revenue to fund development. Riyadh water supply is desalinated water piped in from the Persian Gulf, a distance of almost 300 miles. In 1982, the city built it’s first sewage treatment plant. The runoff from the plant post treatment is directed into the Wadi Hanifa. This turned the area green with several lakes available for recreation. Migratory birds have also shown up. The sewage runoff is enough, 23 million cubic feet a day to allow for the cultivation of date palms and power the largest oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. Under brush has been planted under the treated sewage flows to further clean them naturally.

Wadi Hanifa post sewage

Turning Riyadh back into a garden has been complicated by the rapid population growth that the city is experiencing. At the time of this stamp in 1960, the population  was 150,000. It is now over 7 million.

Well my drink is empty. With the conflict between the withering of climate change and the greening possible from projects like this, it will be interesting to see which side wins out. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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Belize 1979, Liberation theology suggests not replacing Britain with Guatemala

What to do when your independence leaders are pumped and ready to take control, the colonial power is ready to depart and then the larger neighboring, poor county announces, you really belong to us? Well your liberation theology suggests prayer, but also asking for help, from Britain, from the Commonwealth, from the nonaligned movement, and finally from the UN. Was the key helper Cuba? So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.

This stamp issue looks forward to the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York in 1980. There is a reworking of the issue issued after the games took place showing the gold medal winners of the events featured. Though then British Honduras formed a recognized Olympic Committee al the way back in 1967, 14 years before independence, and sent athletes to every Summer Olympics since 1968. Belize has never sent athletes to a winter games and to date none of their athletes have medaled.

Todays stamp is issue A66, a 50 cent stamp issued on October 10th, 1979 while Belize was still a self governing colony of Great Britain. It was an eight stamp issue in various denominations that also offered a souvenir sheet. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 60 cents. The souvenir sheet is worth $13.50. The post game version of this stamp with the medal winner is worth $1.10.

The British had outposts in what they at first called the Mosquito Coast. The area was very sparsely populated but Spain was also making territorial claims in the area. After Guatemala was independent from Spain the claims on now British Honduras continued but Guatemala was always poor and weak.

In the 1950s the British were ready to wrap up the colony in Latin America. Their favored independence leader was George Cadle Price, the product of a British father and a Central American mother. Cadle Price studied widely to be a Priest. This allowed him to become immersed in the Liberation Theology of the day and also avoid military service to Empire at a time of war. When the pressure for military service lessened, he returned to Belize City having not been ordained as a Priest. He took a job with a prominent businessman and formed a sanctioned pro independence PUP political party.

George Cadle Price, Belize’s political leader under various titles from 1961 -1993.

The party though was about to have a giant monkey wrench  thrown by neighboring Guatemala. They announced their intention to occupy and integrate Belize into Guatemala based on old Spanish claims. All of Latin America immediately backed Guatemala’s claim. The British tried to negotiate with Guatemala but the best offer from them was Belize becoming an affiliated state. This was not acceptable to now Premier of British Honduras Cadle Price. He petitioned Britain to send a small infantry force and a detachment of Harrier jump jets to Belize to deter from the army of Guatemala. Meanwhile Jones started lobbying Cuba to change sides to crack the previously solid Latin America block. When Cuba indeed came out in favor of Belize independence, Mexico also joined the cause. Now it was possible to get a UN vote in favor of Belize independence. This happened in 1981.

Guatemala finally renounced their territorial claims on Belize in 1992 and Britain was able to withdraw their military the next year. I can find no accounting of the cost of maintaining a presence in Belize for 30 plus extra years. Remember also the troops so far from home stationed on the surely aptly named mosquito coast.

Well my drink is empty and no matter how many stamps are presented here, there is never an excuse to toast Guatemala. Come again soon when there will be another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.