The Washington herald., 1908-06-13

tomorrow Congress, representing lile D
thirteen Federated Colonies. legislated /
that the flag of the thirteen United /
States be thirteen stripes alternate red |
and white; that the Union be thirteen |
stars, white in a blue field, representing
q new constellation" On that day the
Stars and Stripes was first flown as
government flag by John Paul Jones on
the Ranger The flag had already been
in semi-odicial use almost a year, thrifty
Betsy Ross having supplied many en-
signs to the nation. ensgns that were
they now in existence. would be worth
their weight IN gold.
It was not until September 3. III, that
the action Of Congress on the flag ques-
ton was made public through the press.
though word Of the new law had reached
Col. Ganseyoort's command at Fort
Schuyler and a drummer boy had made
a flag after the prescribed pattern For
he white he took two old ammunition
shirts; for the red he requisitiOned on
the wife OF n private for her one red
! flannel petticOat. for the blue he used an
old coat that had been captured at
! Peekskill. On August 3, 1777. the first bat
tie fought under the legally defined flag
was that fought IN defense OF Fort
| Schuyler.
| This was the first battle flag. To-day
/ the nation supplies 10 It's defenders
/ thousands Of flags every year, flags that
are made. not Of shirts, petticoats. and
! Jackets. sewed by the clumsy fingers
/ Of a patriotic drummer boy, but of bunt-
/ ing that has borne stern chemical and
/ physical tests that has been cut and
sewed by hundreds OF experts. Last year
| 10 the army Of the United States there
were furnished l.2T storm and recruiting
/ flags, 342 post flags and q garrison
/ flags. For the preceding year there had
been issued 1O76 storm and recruiting
flags, &5 post flags, and 20 garrison flags.
/ These. scWed into a big cOverlet, would
reach comfortably around the United
States and give her the appearance Of
gian; harlequin.
Each. battle ship Of the American navy
IS entitled 10 80 flags every three years,
though many are penewed oftener than
this The majority OF these flags are sig
nal flags. though each ship carries forty
three foreign flags, measuring 35 by 13
feet. The cost Of the flags for each battle
ship IS about $500. no small item in IN
Gle Sans bill for equipments. especially
when 1t is recalled that he has twenty
seven first and second class battle ships in
commission Besides these. there are
cruisers. torpedo boats. torpedo-boat de-
strovers, submarines. monitors, gunbOats
supply ships. colliers, training and receiv-
ing ships, some % all told. that must
have a go0dly supply OF bunting for
everyday use and for dress-up occasions
Tor these naval flags Uncle sam uses up
about $4,000 worth of material every year,
pays $1,000 IN wages. and produces an
/ average Of 5000 flags Of 4OS different pat
!, terms.
The material Of which the flags for gen
eral service are made must stand severe
tests. The navy lses about l5.000 yards a
year for Old Glory alone. and the goods
must be OF superior grade The bunting
is AmeTiCan-made. II must be all wool
and nineteen inches wide. II Is washed
for twenty-foUr hours in soap and fresh
water. and next day is given a like treat
ment with salt water Then for ten days
II is exposed 70 the weather, thirty hours
, OF sunshine being stipulated. And that Is
not all. The tensile strength must be
: proved, for there are storms 20 be wealth
cred, and q siXty-mile gale can whip aver
age cloth 20 ribbons. A strip Of bunting
= two inches wide must have a strength OF
siXty-hve pounds when proved on the
. testing machine. Two inches Of filling
. / y
b bunting has been proved IL is given over
E 70 cutters and sewers who. by rule and
$ line cut out and make the flags.
The Presidents flag requires the most
time and money among the national de-
b signs az the Brooklyn Navy Yard. II
b takes a woman working daily a whole
month 10 make one. The design Is the
United States coat-of-arms on a blue
: field, and as all the stitches are set by
a hand, and the embroidery done with
q silk at 50 a pound. each flag costs a
1 pretty penny when done. II is the for
n eign flags that take most time and
;. money in the making. for as each battle
d ship must have It's quota, Uncle sam
! must have them on hand. The Latin
4 American republics have flags that cost
!. a great deal San Salvador's emblem
y with its landscapes, seasCapeS, floral col
e lection, and Cabalistic designs. keeps one
/ woman busy for sixteen days. and costs
Uncle Sam $3.50. Germany's eagle and
= scroll work Is next highest In cost. and
whenever the white elephant o. Siam Is
made Uncle sam must hand over SIS
= while MeXicO's serpent-eagle design call!
Y for $3.50. The very largest United State!
J, flag thirty-six by nineteen feet, costs tht
n government only $40.
As 10 The rest Of Uncle Sans flags
IA official and semi-official. no census coult
y ever be taken. Every embassy, legation
and consulate abroad has its quota, ever,
10 custum-house, post-ofhce, and mint, ev
. cry administration building that In an,
o. way touches the nation or a common
oT wealth. has its symbol OF liberty o
the more than half a million public
: schools of the United States. the ma
jority fly flags IN token of the spirit O
= patriotism which they foster. other ed
ucational institutions, companies of Stat
militia, patriotic organizations, bushes
houses. clubs, private residences, sea
., going vessels Of every character, ali dis
= playing flags, bring the total numbe
in daily use far into the hundreds o
thousands. Big factories turn out count
- less numbers every day. During cam
\ paign years the output is greatest q
= private factories. for every speaker
~ stand, every train bearing political dele
= gates. every hotel housing political bodie
must burst out in a blaze Of red-white
/. and-blue patriotism when occasion de
= mands.
y Because Of the wide use OF the flag 70
advertising purposes during the past III
- teen years, a movement has been under
the Sons of the American Revolution, tn
Daughters OF the American Revolution
and the trades unions to secure nations
and State legislation for the protecuo
of the flag against such degrading uses
While legislation has not yet been Sc
cured public sentiment has been awak
ened and the flag is receiving more rev
erence.
The first time the stripes design wa
publicly recognized as the American fla
was when 70 was flown from PrOSpeC