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The stamp on this souvenir leaflet 10c Vatican Palace (Scott 20 ) from the Postage Issues of 1933. As far as I can tell the postmark appears to be a handstamp I-17 but I am still studying that. The postmark has a diameter of 32mm, DEL in small caps, 6 point stars, and both moons are empty. The only thing that bothers me about definitely declaring it an I-17 handstamp in the positioning of the postmark hour when comparing it to the VPS example. (see Vatican Notes, Volume 21, Page 10, Sept - Oct 1972 ) Pope Pius XII received the special envoy to the Vatican, Myron C. Taylor, who presented a letter from President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Feb. 27, 1940.
Several days before Taylor's papal meeting The Bulletin, a Catholic newspaper in August Georgia, has published a short article about the appointment:
This article mentions Mr. Taylor was to sail on REX, an Italian ship, and was able to successfully cross the Atlantic landing in Naples. As WWII began. Italian cruise ships were among to last to sail and as the war progressed they remained in port for safekeeping. For most of the war the Rex docked in Genoa. On September 8, 1944, the RAF attacked it and sank the ship in shallow waters.
The Vatican formally extended ambassador status to Myron C. Taylor on February 13, 1940. However, in the United States, there were some who opposed Roosevelt's appointment citing separation of church and state. After all, the U.S. Congress had prohibited diplomatic relations with Vatican City in 1867 and full diplomatic relations were not re-established until 1984, but this meeting on February 24, 1940 must have had some meaning as the newspaper reported it as a significate occurrence.
Taylor remained an ambassador to the Vatican throughout the war years and into the post-war years, serving both Roosevelt and Truman. At the time of his death in May of 1958, President Truman noted: "The Honorable Myron C. Taylor performed great services for both me and my predecessor in the White House to the Vatican at a time when it was essential that the United States be represented in that quarter. Undoubtedly, no one could have performed the job as well as he did… All of this should be deeply grateful for the unselfish works of this fine man and able public servant." Reference: • Methodist Church Conference Urges Recall of Myron Taylor The Bulletin Vol. XXI, No.5, page 1 (May25, 1940) • Envoy Arrives At Vatican The Bulletin Vol. XXI, No.3, page 1 (March 23, 1940) • Pope Receives Summer Wells and Myron Taylor at Vatican The Bulletin Vol. XXI, No.3, page 1 (March 23, 1940) • Envoy of President Enroute to Vatican The Bulletin Vol. XXI, No2, page 1 (Febuary 24, 1940) • Myron Charles Taylor FAMpeople.com - https://fampeople.com/cat-myron-charles-taylor_3 • Myron Charles Taylor Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myron_Charles_Taylor • SS Rex Wilipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Rex |
