The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-04
MAKING BRITISH FLAGS
THOUSANDS MADE IN THE CITY OF
WASHINGTON FOR GREAT
BRITAIN
SECRECY ABOUT THE ORDER
The Local Firm which Has Been
Turning Out These Standards
Processes Ignorance as to
Their Destination.

"A very extraordinary order for 1000
British flags, comprising the union jack,
the marine flag, and the regular Brit
lsh standard, is now being filled by a
LEGAL firm which manufactures flags,
says the Washington Post The order
was placed six months ago, and the hulk
of the banners have already been deliv-
cred. The amount of the order is about
10000
The most interesting feature of the
order Is that the flags are presumably
Tor the British government, ana what
makes it more remarkable IS tIla1 suca
flags should be manufactured in this
country, or, indeed, in any other country
than the land they symbolic. Though
the members of the local firm profess
ignorance as to the Identity of the pur-
chaser of these flags and claim that the
conditions attached to the order prohibit
the d1spensation of any information CON
corning it, there are reasons for believ-
ing that the flags are really intended
for the British government. No ore
else would want such a quantity of
British flags, unless it might be a pros
pective bidder for the privilege OF deco
rating the pension office for the forth
coming Inauguration ball Even for that
British flags would not be wanted in
such quantities.
Twenty years ago England exported
our flags are made
Down in Boerland, over in China, and
In the thousand and one places where
the sun never sets on British possess
ions" soon will fly the British dag,
made by an American firm, out of Amer
lean manufactured bunting, carded out of
wool from sheep that feed on the broad.
rolling Texas plains.
Each working day1n the week 40 wom-
en- and girls set before their electric ma
chimes carefully, patiently stitching to-
gether the red cross of st. George, the
white ST. Andrew satire of Bonny Scot
land, and the blood red satire of brave
old 1reland's patron saint st. Patrick.
But never for one instant does the love
of country waver in the hearts of the
patriotic tlag-makers.
DETECTING THE ERROR.
Some six months ago this local firm
received an order from prominent
tent manufacturing company, asking for
estimates for 500 British union jacks.
The bid was submitted, accepted, and
an order given for the flags.
Following this came a magnificently
bound volume containing number of
finely executed water color sketches of
British flags, together with directions for
the measurements of each flag.
On the outside of the volume heavily
stamped in gold, We're the letters "V.
K"
This was the first intimation the flag
makers had that they had secured an
official order. They were for q time
properly awed, but with characteristic
American presumptuousness. they pro-
ceeded to find fault with the models sub
mitted to them.
The head Of the firm, who is an expert
in heraldry, looked the drawings over
and a fh1t fhoU did no
with the verbal or written blazon for the
A9ql SS7I9QlL9A9N -N0BC uoIun QsIlILI
have been made that way for nearly 100
years.
lie communicated with the persons who
sent the order but the firm refused to
interfere saying that tie flags had been
made according to the drawings submit
ted for the last hundred years, and must
continue to be made that way. Not yet
satisfied, the local firm decided to refer
the matter still higher and write to the
garter king of arms, Sir Alfred Woods.
The substance of his letter follows, and
is in itself an interesting history of the
flag and how the mistake occurred:
On the union with Ireland, in the be-
ginning of the present century, the Irish
red satire of ST. Patrick was introduced.
The st. George cross remained as it was,
but the saltires of Scotland and Ireland
We're placed side by side, but counter
changed. The verbal and written bazens
and very plain, but in making tile flags,
or, rather. showing pictoriaIly how they
were to be represented, a singular and
very absurd mistake occurred which IN
the manufacture of the flags has con-
tinued until the present day.
On Jan. l, 1901, the flag was appointed
TO be blue with three crosses, or, rather,
only one cross-the red cross of ST.
George and two saltires, one, the white
of st. Andrew, representing Scotland,
and the other the red satire of Ireland.
And in order to meet a law in heraIdry,
that color must not be placed on color,
it was directed that where the red cross