Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-06-29


flag. President Mckinley did not like
the suggestion, but the secretary OF
war did, and a flag was made. 1t was
designed by Frederick D. Owen, and
is a beautiful thing to look at. The
official description Of the flag Is as fol-
lows:
"The presidents flag is Of scarlet
bunting, thirteen feet fly and eight feet
hoist. In each CORNER is a five point
ed star Of five inch radius to the tips.
In the centre Of the scarlet field Is q
large fifth star, also of five points, two
feet nine inches in radius to the tips.
Inside of this star Is a parallel star,
separated from It by band Of white
three inches wide. The inner star
forms the blue field upon which Is the
coat of arms of the United States. On
the scarlet field around the large star
are forty-six small white stars, one
for each state equally scattered In the
re-entering angles, and all included
within the circumference Of an imagi-
nary circle three feet and quarter in
radius. In the upper point over the
angle is a constellation Of thirteen
stars, representing the original thir-
teen states of the American confedera-
ton.
Mr.. owen explains that in the olive
leaves, its berries and the arrows is
symbolized the original thirteen. 1t
is also not q little singular that the
official seal should bear in its motto
exactly thirteen letters, and that the
general order which created the flag
was also numbered 13. The magnifi-
cent silken colors Of the presidents
flag are Of scarlet, and the design Is
embroidered upon this so exquisite
ly that 1t is impossible to tell
right from wrong side when looking at
the flag. The colors for President Taft
have just been completed. The en-
broidering of the coat Of arms took two
young ladies six weeks of steady eight
hours a day work. The colors on the
flag are what are called proper" that
is, natural, the eagle being brown and
the olive branches green with red ber-
ries. This flag is to be displayed only
in time Of war.
The colors prescribed by the navy
department are of blue bunting, with
the great seal Of the United States
displayed in proper colors.
Yet another flag has the president.
In 1902 the peace" flag was adopted.
This third flag differs in a good many
respects from the other two. In the
first place, the great seal Of the United
States is correctly depicted. On the
other flags the design Of the seal Is
seven red stripes and six white ones,
which Is correct as the flag design was
adopted by the Third congress, but
when the great seal was adopted, the
designer not knowing much about the
flag arranged 1t with seven white and
six red stripes. And that is the seal
today. There was a long discussion
whether the seal should not be chang
ed to agree with the stripes on the flag
as the forefathers intended, but 1t was
decided that as it had been adopted 1t
should remain. This new peace
flag thus has the seal correctly depict
ed. The eagle Is snow white, its feath-
ers being outlined in deep black. There
is a different arrangement Of the stars
and of the sunburst also. The sun
burst is exactly circular in form, with
the rays radiating from the group OF
stars. The colors .are Of silk with ex-
actly the same design.
The secretary Of the navy has blue
flag with a foul anchor and four five
pointed stars in white. The assistant
secretary of the navy has a white flag,
with the stars and anchor in blue.
The secretary Of war has red flag,
with the great seal Of the United
States displayed in proper colors. The
assistant secretary of war has a white
flag, with the seal displayed. All four
have silken "colors."
When any of these officers are OFF,
cially present on a ship, at a military
camp or post, or on a visit of cere-
mony, they have the right to have their
flag displayed. But over and above
all, at all times, floats the national flag.
To float any kind Of pennant or
streamer, except one, above the Stars
and Stripes is considered an insult to
the flag and the nation it represents.
The one exception is the church pen
nant. When divine services are being
held aboard ship or in camp or post,
the church pennant, a long spoked
white flag, bearing a blue cross, flies
above the fiag-Washington Star.