Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-12-22
NEW STAR FOR NEW STATE
Arrangement Of The Field Has Been
Officially Completed
OKLAHoMAiN 1r1 olSfeRHoOo
Same Arrangement Of Stars That Has
Been Used for Many Hundred
Years
Special CorTespondence.

Special Correspondence.
Washington, d. c., Dec lion the
list of next July, a new star, represent
ing the state of Oklahoma, will be add
ed to the American flag. Formally and
officially the new arrangement of the
stars in the union will be effective OH
the Fourth of July. All flags in the
United States service win be changed
to conform TO the new arrangement.
This win entail a large expense, but
the expense is one of the incidents to
the admission to sisterhood of a new
state.
While the arrangement of the stars
on the flag is purely an administrative
matter, the officials Of the war ana
navy departments have conferred
about it with members of congress and
with artists who have taken an inter-
est in it. The arrangement involved
a pretty nice question, as it had so
to be made as TO admit of the addition
of at least two other stars. represen-
tative of states which, in all probable
ity, will be taken into the Union at
some future time. The desire of the
officials was so to place the stars as
to afford opportunity for the additional
insignia without destroying the general
effect of the whole.
When it became known that the sub
jeet was under consideration, sugges-
lions of all kinds and from every sec
ton of the country were made to the
officials. Some of them were good
and a few of them were regarded as
absolutely grotesque. Old people and
young submitted their ideas, many COM
ing from school children who manifest.
ed patriotic desire to contribute to
the beauty of the national ensign,
After months of study, it was decid-
cd to adopt what practically was the
simplest form that had been suggest
ed; and curiously enough, 1t was an
arrangement that many different and
widely separated people had offered.
1t follows closely the traditional ar
rangement of the stars which has OBJ
GAINED for almost a hundred years.
Dramatically. the plan is we'll balanc
ed and symmetrical and it appeals to
the observer as natural and beautiful
Across the top of the blue field, ex-
tending lengthwise of the flag, will bt,
a row of eight white stars; the second
row win be seven in number placed
beneath the spaces of those of the top
row; the third and fourth rows will be
identical with the first and of the same
number of stars-eight: the fifth row
will consist of seven stars placed ex-
actIy below those of the second; and
the sixth row will be eight stars which
follow the lines of the FIRST third and
fourth rows.
This design has been adopted Of
ficially and work will soon begin on
the new ifiags which are to be made
Ito conform to il. Such flags as are
now in the service will not be thrown
away, but merely will be changed in
respect to the arrangement OF the
stars on the blue field This will in
volve considerable time. however, as
well as an expense, as the government
nses thousands of flags of various
sizes and materials, all of which win
have 10 be changed in accordance with
the new regulation. OF course, all new
flags made from this time forward will
conform to the arrangement of the
union which will be effective on the
next anniversary of the nations indie
pendence.
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