For broadcast on CBS Radio Network stations 
April 24-25


The Real World intrudes.


The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries.


This weekend was supposed to be a 50th anniversary celebration 
for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization created in early 
April 1949.  There would be a NATO summit in Washington with 
the current heads of all member nations present, and either 
during the summit or just before it, the United States would 
issue a commemorative stamp honoring the anniversary.


Well, there's still a summit this weekend, but there's 
no stamp. 


The reason is Kosovo: Security is MUCH tighter than it would 
have been. Streets and subway stations are closed, a downtown 
post office and other buildings are off-limits and mail 
collection boxes have been removed from the streets in the 
area.


And, with all that, the security that attends ANY meeting of 
world leaders, plus the difficulty of organizing a stamp 
ceremony involving important dignitaries, the U-S Postal 
Service said...."maybe later."  We're told the stamp -- 
featuring a dove of peace -- might come out next fall.


Later this week, look for a 33-cent version of the 
Cinco de Mayo stamp in your post office.

And that's stamp collecting this week. 

I'm Lloyd de Vries, CBS News. 

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