Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-09-28
The Imperial German Flag.
n the st. Louis Post-Dis1Ateh.

From the st. Louis PostDisEatch.
Before 1871 each German kingdom
had its own flag. composed of two
eOlOrs, black and white for Prussia,
green and white for Saxony, blue and
white for Bavaria, and so forth.
Not only the kidgdoms, but the prin-
CAPABILITIES, had their especial flags, all
of two coIOrs, and the German array
constituted a regular kaleidoscope.
When the empire was established it
became necessary to adopt a flag,
and this led to q tremendous contro-
versy and to plans and schemes with
Outnumber. No kingdom wished to
have its standard entirely ignored,
andthe smaller governments insisted
equally strong upon their rights. 1t
was practically impossible to let
sOmein without admitting all torep-
resentatiOn, and a flag was presented
to the council having the matter in
charge, which would have been, if
adopted the most curious and COM
picated standard ever seen. The
idea was to represent the coIors OF
the different kingdoms in the corner.
or jack, Of the flag, and to have the
free cities and principalities show
their cOlOrs on the outer part. Two
arrangements were offered for con-
sideratiOn, one not unlike the Stars
and Stripes IN general design, and an
other sort OfcheckerbOard arrange
ment. Whenit is borne in mind that
more than forty combinations had
to be made, the complication of this
flag can be appreciated. A very fierce
controversy arose over this point.
all admitting that such a flag as the
one proposed would be absurd, while
no one was willing to give up the
claims OF the particular government
he represented. The kingdoms pro-
posed a plan by which their cOlOrs
alone should be combined into a ma
tlOnal flag, but this was strOnglyOp
posed by the smaller divisions Of the
empire. After letting the matter run
on for some time, the Prussian dele
gates, who had at first taken little
part in the discussion, came to the
Z
This was that the Prussian cOlOrs.
black and white, should be combined
with red, which from the time i'm
memorial had been recognized at the
imperial color. A furious controversy
at once broke out, as the representa-
tlVes Of the smaller kingdoms OBJ
jected most strongly to being entire
" ignored, and apparently swallowed
up IN the Prussian dominion. But
the smaller states, who saw that I'M
der no circumstances had they any
chances Of recognition, Joined forces
with Prussia, preferring to have COM
rades in extinction, and the cOnse-
quence was that the present cOlOrs
were decided upon. The smaller
kingdoms, Bavaria especially, then
insisted upon each flag, in addition
to the imperial standard, at the
head Of it's troops. This was voted
down, on the ground that such a.
course would give valuable imfOrma-
tiOn to any enemy as to the number
of troops in front. AS n last resort
a resolution was offered to the effect
that the positions of the cOlOrs
should be changed, and that they
should be hung parallel to the staff,
instead Of at right angles to it. A
PruSsian commissioner raised the OBJ
lection that this might cause fatal
misunderstanding in time Of battle,
as the blue white, and red OF the
French could not be told from the
German banner. This was regarded
as conclusive, and the present stand
ard, which is essentially a Prussian
HaO- was adOO4Ad -