18 D
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: JUNE 10, 1917,
i
i-5
t,
DID CLORY WAVES
ABOYETHE FREE
Origin of tfie American Flag
and the Ideals for Which
the Stars and Stripes
Stand.
Thursday several million American
Hags will be waving serenely in the
breeze significant of the calm digni
fied, yet deep and lasting patriotism
ot the American people. And yet
what do we know about its origin,
its meaning, and its history I There
were many forms of early flags, es
pecially colonial tvpes used by the'
colonies and militia regiments, he
fore the flag of the United States was
established by the Continental Con
gress June 14, 1777, now celebrated as
Mag Day.
This act required that the Flag of
Ihe United States be of thirteen hori
tontat stripes, alternate red and white,
ind that the union be thirteen white
itan on a blue field, representing a
new constellation, but it did not de
Ene how many points the stars should
save, how they should be arranged,
nor make provision for additional
vnes.
At the time of the adoption of this
resolution, Washington is said to
hive observed: "We take the star
from heaven, the red from our mo
ther country, separating it by white
ftripes, thus showing that we have
separated from her, and the white
tripes shall go down to posterity
representing Liberty."
Old blory first been,
One of the first occasions for pub
lic display of the "Stars and Stripes"
is said to have been August 6, 1777,
when the new flag was hoisted over
the troops it Fort Schuyler, Rome.
New York. John Paul Jones, is said
, 10 have been the first to fly the Stars
nd Stripes over the high seas, on the
"Ranger," in ' November, 1777. The
Kational museum has an early naval
twelve-star type flag said to have
Seen flown by John Paul Jones during
Ihe war of the revolution.
It hat been well said that our na
tional emblem stands for American
ideals and ideas it is not the flag
of a family or a house, but the flag
of the whole people. In the National
Museum at Washington, among the
many other patriotic relics and em
blems, are displayed more than 30
historic American flags. Some came
from fields of battle, a minilwr front
famous sea fights, and othere were
flown over garrisons or forts by dis
tinguished American officers.
The series shows the periodic
changes which have taken place in
our flags. From the time of the re
volution! the stars and stripes in the
flag have varied. There were thirteen
stars during the revolution, fifteen
in the war of 1912, twenty-nine in
the Mexican war, thirtx-thrce to thirty-five
in the civil war, forty-five in
the Spanish American war and forty-eight
today.
Star Spangled Banner. . ,
The stripes were changed first from
thirteen to fifteen, and then back
again to thirteen. It may be summ
ing to know that our national flag is
among the oldest flags of the nations,
being older than the present British
Jack, the French Tri-color, and the
flag of Spain, and many years older
than the flags of Germany and I Inly,
tome of which are cither personal
flags or those of the reigning families.
The American flag of the highest
historic and sentimental value to the
whole country is in the National Mus
eum collections. It is the original
"Star Spangled Banner," which flew
over Fort McHenry in Baltimore
Harbor, during the bombardment
September 1.3-14, 1814, and was the
inspiration of Francis Scott Key's im
mortal poem, now sung as our na
tional anthem.
This Has is also known as the
"Fort McHenry Flag." It is of the
15-star-and-striJie type, adopted after
the admission of Vermont and Ken
tucky by an Act approved by Presi
dent Washington, January .1.1, 1794.
The "Star Spangled Banner" mea
sures about thirty feet suuare, though
it was probably somewhat longer, and
is much battered and torn, with pne
star missing, possibly shot away.
Not Used By Army. -
This historic national souvenir of
the war of 1812, has lately been pre
served by quilting on heavy linen,
and will ever remain one of the coun
try's most precious relics. From
1795 this form continued as the stan.
dard flag until President Monroe's ad
ministration, when congress enacted
that it should thereafter be of thirteen
stripes and twenty stars, with the ad
dition of a star for eacli new state,
commencing July 4, 1818. j
For many years the army did not
carry the Stars and Stripes in battle
though it had been 'in general use as
a Rarrisnn flag. The land forces
during this period and before 'carried
what was known at national colors or
standards, of blue with the coat-of-
arnis ot 1 tie lumen states, compris
ing an eifgle surmounted by a iiumber
of stars, emblazoned thereon, ' with
Ihe designation of the body of. troops.
In 1H.M, War department regula
tions gave the artillery the right to
carry the Stars and Stripes. 1 he in
fantry and cavalry still used the na
tional standards, rwhich remained the
colors of the infantry until 1841 and
of the cavalry unti 1887, when" that
branch of the army was ordered to
carry the Stars and Stripes. From
its adoption in 1777, however, naval
vessels universally displayed the na
tional flag.
Standardized The Flag.
Many forms of the stars-and-stripes
flag existed until recently, for it was
not until President Tail's adminis
tration that definite specifications
were drawn up. An executive order,
dated October 29, 1912, prescribed
standard sizes for the "Stars and
Strires," and yet further specifications
in sizes were found necessary by
President Wilson only last year.
The history of the flag thus indi
cates that the "Stars and Stripes" was
not officially carried by our troops in
battle until the period of the Mexican
war, 1846-47. Several flags of that
period are in the Museum collections.
Flag Day With Exercises.
A huge flag, donated to the county
by an Omaha business man, whose
name will not be given out until the
day of the exercises, will be raised in
front of the court house Flag day,
June 14.
Patriotic speeches are to' he made
anil a salute of twenty-one guns fired
as a part of the program.
Judge Estellc will preside.
Captain C. K. Adams will present
the flag to the county on behalf of
the donor.
Spanish War Veterans' drum corps
and Armour's lilcc club will furnish
music.
The flag is 25x35 feet in size and is
too large to fly on any of the flag
staffs atop the court house.
A big pole will probably be erected
on the court house lawn.
To Unveil Monument to Departed
Members of Women's Relief Corps
MRS GEOJ?G3EDDY
CLAJA FESMN,
Barton. Ihe Memory Day associa
tion is an outgrowth of the old
Arbor Day association which found
its work of planting trees in honor
of departed members, impractical.
U. S. Grant, George Custer and
George Crcok corps members are in
cluded. Mrs. Eddy will preside and Mrs.
Hough and Miss Keenan unveil the
monument Mrs. Abbie A. Adams
will give the address, Rev. John F.
Poucher the invocation and benedic
tion, Miss Leta Toney and Miss
Eleanor Potter readings. "America"
will be sung by all present and the
Grand Army of the Republic drum
corps and fluartet will take part. Taps
will be sounded.
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to 50 on your fuel bill
Do you know thaj, a-large percentage of the gasoline
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Let us show you how to eliminate this trouble and in
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Wtlmo'fflani
For the Ford, Maxwell, Overland, Studebaker, Saxon,
Buick and Oakland. ' , .
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Distributed by the
Automobile Necessities Company
640 Brandeis Theater Bldg. Omaha, Nebraska.
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Patriotic sentiment will run high
at the unveiling exercises for the
monument to deceased members of
the Woman's Relief Corps which
the Memory Day association will
hold at Forest Lawn cemetery at
three o'clork today. The tribute to
departed members was made pos
sible by the untiring efforts of the
officers, Mrs. Lillian P. Eddy, presi
dent; Mrs. Addie E. Hough, vice
president, and Mss Clara Feenan,
Secretary-treasurer. The funds were
raised by personal subscription and
by a series of concerts sponsored by
the association.
This is tne third monument in the
United States erected to Relief Corps
members. The national organization
erected one. to the memory of Clara
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