Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-08-01


radical change on the Nations birth
day, but rather it was enlarged and
improved" by the addition OF a new
star for the new State OF Oklahoma.
The general public has been wont to
think OF Oklahoma as full-hedged
member of the sistcrhood OF States
ever since action was taken many
months ago looking to her admission
to the Union, but us u matter Of fact
she did not fully attain to the dig
nifty Of her new relation until In
dependence Day, when Uncle Sam
unfurled 46-star flag in her honor.
The new flag. which by mandate
of the United States Government will
henceforth constitute our national
insignia, was designed almost u year
ago, and for months past the govern
mental and private flag-makers have
been busy adding the new star to
new flags with the revised arrange
ment Of stars. This has been 10
small task, for the Government has
thousands upon thousands of flags
of one size or another in use in all
parts Of the world. That Uncle Sam
has been forehanded in this matter,
however, is attested by the fact that
some weeks ago the officials OF the
House Of Representatives inadvert.
emily violated the law by raising a
46-star flag over the United States
Capitol. or course, 1t was all mis-
take, but II proved that new flags
were In hand at the Nations law
factory all ready for use weeks be-
fore they were needed.
The United States Navy Depart
ment and the War Department are
jointly the custodlans of the Amer
lean flag. Not only do they use
more flags than anybody else, but
they manufacture their own flags.
The flags for the ships and stations
OF the Navy are made by large
forces OF expert Hagmakers at the
Navy Yards at Brooklyn. n. Y, and
Mare Island, Cal. whereas the red,
white, ana blue bunting comprising
the Army flags is sewed together at
one or another of the Government
arsenals. All the other flags used by
Uncle Sam, including those which
float from the public buildings scat
tered throughout the land and the
branch offices" of the Government
In foreign parts, are manufactured
b. private firms under contract with
the Government. However, whenev-
er It is necessary upon the admission
OF new State to rearrange the flag,
as in the present instance, the vari-
Gus Federal departments that make
outside purchases of flags take their
cue from the Navy and War Depart
ments and instruct the private flag
makers to follow whatever design
may be adopted by the fighting serv-
Ices.
There Is no rule stipulating wheth-
er the Navy Department or the War
In providing new design for the
flag when change becomes neces-
sary In the present instance the
Navy people got ahead of their mill
tary brethren in planning for the
transformation of the Stars and
Stripes. No sooner had 1t become
certainty that Oklahoma would be
admitted to the Union than the mat
ter OF re-arranging the flag was
brought to the attention of the head
of the Navy Department by Mr.. A. c.
Wrenn, chief clerk of the Bureau of
Equipment. This latter Office has, as
a part of its work, the provision OF
the flags needed for all our warships,
and Mr.. Wrenn was particularly in
terested in the subject through n
long-continued study of the history
of the flag and it's evolution.
The powers that be in the Navy
Department decided that. although
there was no immediate need for the
new flag, 1t would be an excellent
idea to perfect plans for the change
when 1t should be necessary. Ac-
ocrdingly, Flag Architect Wrenn was
asked to prepare several different de-
signs-that is, several possible ar
rangements of the stars, for. OF
course, the 13 stripes representing
the 10 original States remain I'M
changed no matter how many latter
day additions there may be to Uncle
Sans family. The flag expert found
that he had no easy task ahead of
him. Not only was 1t desirable to
perfect the most artistic possible ar
rangement of the stars. but 1t was
also necessary to constantly bear in
mind that the scheme of rearrange-
ment must be such that a star could
be added to each of the flags already
on hand without marring their APP
pearance.
However, Mr.. Wrenn finally evolv-
ed three different designs, each full
filling all requirements. One of
these was chosen by the officials Of
the Navy Department and recommen-