The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-17

are put through a printing press like
calico. skirts and come out ali colored at
the rate of one hundred q minute. Girls
then snip them apart with sharp shears
and glue them to small sticks hardly
bigger than matches. The best flags have
canvas band seam along the back,
through which a rope may be run for
fastening them to the pole tackle.
Anybody is at liberty to make United
states Tags. Thus it comes about that
all sorts of patterns of the national en-
Sign are on the market and in use. But
II any one desires to have the colors as
they ought to be reference must be made
to the standard adopted by the army and
navy. This standard, altered from time
to time by the addition OF fresh stars, is
preserved and will continue to be kept by
the secretaries of war and navy. Insthe
War Department at Washington, close by
Secretary Alger's office is displayed In
glass case tie true regulation flag of this
country. To exhibit it better, it is illu-
minated by a brilliant electric light.
This Is the original; all the others must
be limitations or else they are not correct.
The secretaries of war and the navy are
the custodlans Of the flag of the United
States. Ii new star be added, they
determine just where on the blue field
1T IS to be put. Until recently there was
some confusion as to the government of
the stars, no law governing the matter
Indeed, Congress has never adopted any
enactment on the subject, beyond re-
qulrement that one white spangle should
pc added Tor every new State admitted to
tne Union. In 1880, however, the Presi-
dent directed that the stars on the navy
nags should be arranged in parallel hori-
zontal rows. The Same method had been
auopUed by the army at an earl Ter period,
III appears, but the stars on the flags of
inc war department were not in vertical
rows. The navy having accepted vertical
rows, there was difference in design
Which was not corrected until President
Benjamin Harrison ordered his secretary
OF war and secretary of the navy to agree
between themselves on one pattern.
Ihs proper design for the blue field of
Old Glory is fixed and absolute other
arrangements of the stars, which common
~ are distributed more or less higgledy-
plggledy, are wrong. Several spaces are
purposely left in the regulation pattern
lor the spangles which will represent
States yet to be admitted. The last State
let into the Union was Utah, in 1885, and
she took her position at the right-hand
end OF the fourth row. There are six rows
OF stars In the flag of the United States,
numbering forty five in ALL Room is not
needed Tor many more, inasmuch as the
only Territories remaining available for
and Arizona. In this account, however,
no thought is taken of the great reserva-
ton known as the Indian Territory, from
winch the slice named Oklahoma was cut
out, nor of Uncle Sans vast Arctic
province of Alaska. This country is
acquiring foreign real estate so fast just
at present that an alteration may yet
nave to be made in the distribution of
the stars on the flag SO as to afford extra
space. IN small flags, by the way, no
attempt IS made to have the number of
stars In the blue field correct, because no
one takes notice of that. -
Never, hitherto, has the President of
the United States had a war flag for use
IN the field. Now, however, such flag
mas been made for Mr.. Mckinley. by
oroer OF the secretary of war. 1t is of
scarlet bunting, measuring thirteen by
eight feet. In each of the four corners is
nVe-pointed white star, and i'll the
center of the flag is fifth star of large
size. Inside Of the big star is another
winch forms a blue field, on which is
en- pro1dered the official coat-of-arms of
inc United States. On the scarlet field,
around the large star, are other white
stars one for each State. Colonel Bing-
nam Is said to have designed this flag, as
well as the President new colors, which
are or scarlet silk, six inches long and
TOUR feet wide. The staff bearing the
colors is surmounted by globe and an
American eagle
The President is commander in-chief
not only of the army, but of the navy
also. Accordingly, he has a naval flag,
which is of blue silk, about half the size
OF the regulation ensign. In the center
Is an eagle, exactly like that on half
dollar. The bird is embroidered in white,
the arrows and olive branch accompany
ing 1t being worked in the same material.
stars are arranged above the eagle, and
the shield on its breast is worked in red,
thus giving the national colors-red,
white and blue-and forming beautiful
nag. Hitherto this flag has never been
Used by. the President except when he