A STORM IN A STAMP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23332, 26 October 1937, Page 8

A STORM IN A STAMP

A touchy nationalistic spirit is sufficiently symptomatic of the world’s mood at the present time. Nations have quarrelled bitterly ere this about strange things—a careless \yord, a biting of the thumb. Yet the riches of historical precedent might be explored in vain for the discovery of a case of their flying at one another’s throats over a symbol so prosaic as a postage stamp. That, nevertheless, appears to be precisely what the Central American Republics of Honduras and Nicaragua will soon be doing unless the mediatory efforts of neighbouring Republics, reinforced by the influence of the United States, have the effect of reducing their Governments and peoples to a calmer frame of mind. This Central American business only goes to show what a provocative power lies in the hands of a Postmastergeneral, and how careful he should be. The trouble started when, a little over a month ago, the Nicaraguan Government put out a postage stamp depicting “ the official map of Nicaragua.” Evidently the map gave exactitude to a territorial line dividing the two Republics which has been the subject for many years of a dispute which is still unsettled. Promptly the Honduran Government rose in its wrath and demanded the suppression of the stamp. The Nicaraguan Government stood firm, and retorted by banning an air mail stamp, allegedly showing the disputed border strip, which had been issued by the Honduran Government two years previously. Speedily the atmosphere became electrical. Orators of both countries, as it is recorded, broadcast bitter speeches; Honduran students, learning that Nicaraguan firebrands were talking war, declared themselves ready to fight, and in a reverberating manifesto proclaimed that to die for the Fatherland was to open the doors of immortality. The thunders of the storm might have been supposed to be sufficient for the satisfying of national honour on both sides, but a more menacing symptom seems to have been an actual movement of troops towards the disputed territory. It is to be hoped that the worst developments may be avoided, and that a new arena of armed conflict will not be added to those which already are sufficiently engaging the world’s attention. Nicaragua and Honduras are small countries, scarcely half the size of New Zealand, their respective populations are under the million mark, and their armies, which are restricted in terms of the Washington Central American Conventions, do not exceed 2500 men in either case. The fact that in Honduras every citizen is liable for service in the army may give that Republic an advantage in trained reserves over its neighbour. But in keeping with the casus belli it is a mosquito war that threatens. No doubt Honduran and Nicaraguan patriots are quick of temper and take themselves very seriously, but to the outside .world there must be an element of comedy in the spectacle which they are providing in their apparent zeal to plunge their countries into a sanguinary and exhausting struggle over a postage stamp. It seems scarcely conceivable that the suasion brought to bear, particularly now that the Government of the United States is exerting itself for the maintenance of peace, should be less than sufficient for the bringing of these bantam Republics to a less belligerent frame of : mind. Meanwhile Nicaragua will have become associated with covetous .thoughts in the mind of every genuine philatelist. Not every day is born into the world a stamp that threatens to provoke a war and to which additional historic and special interest may yet attach.