The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-15
PRESIDENT FLAG
OF RECENT DESIGN
Not Until 1882 Did Chief Ex-
ecutive Have a Person.
al Banner.
THREE FOR HIS OWN USE
ONE OF THE ENsIGNs Is THE So
CALLED "PEAcE" FLAG WHICH
WAS ADOPTED ONLY SEVEN
YEARS AGO.

EXPANDED, many new departments
we're added and with them many spec
ial flags have come into existence.
Least often seen. and yet most inter-
esting of these twenty-five or thirty
special flags, is that of the president
of the United States. He has
wealth of them. in fact no less than
three. btu they are seldom seen in
public. There are two of each of these
flags. one Of bunting and one of silk.
They are exactly alike with this excep-
presidents colors."
The president of the United States
had no personal flag until 1882. If he
went aboard ship his presence was
by the national flag hoisted
at the main truck, and his presence
in a garrison or post was denoted by
the raising of the big garrison flag.
These were not entirely distinctive as
the presence of the presi-
dent, for these flags we're hoisted on
gala occasions when the president was
not around.
The lack of a distinguishing flag for
the president was felt by the navy
also. and the secretary of the navy
by general orders, August 10. 1882, es-
tablished a flag for the president of
the president of the United States.
The general orders described the flag
as of blue bunting with the coat OF
arms of the United States in the CEN
ter. The flag was to be hofsted at the
main of the vessel when the president
was on board and he carried at the
bow of the launch on which he came
aboard.
In the army there was no distin-
gushing flag for the president of the
United States until just before the out
break of the Spanish-American war.
Colonel Theodore Bingham, who was
then superintendent of public build
ings and grounds, called the attention
of President Mckinley to the lack of
a distinguishing flag for him, and
stated that he thought the comman-
der in chief of the United States army
and navy ought to have distinguish
ing flag. President Mckinley did not
like the suggestion, but the secretary
of war did. and flag was made. 1t
was designed by Frederick D. Owen,
and is beautiful to look at. The Off
cial description of the flag is as fol-
lows:
One Of the Flags.
THE presidents flag is of scarlet
bunting, thirteen feet fly and eight
feet hoist. In each corner is five
pointed star Of five inch radius to the
tips. In the center of the scarlet field
is a 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 a
band of white three inches wide. The
inner star forms the blue field upon
which is the coat of arms of the Unit
ed States.
"On the scarlet field around the
large star are forty-six small white
stars, one for each state, equally scat
tered in the re-entering angles and all
included within the circumference of
an imaginary circle three feet and a
quarter in radius. In the upper point
over the angle is a constellation of
thirteen stars, representing the orig
inal thirteen states of the American
confederation"
Mr.. Owen explains that in the olive
leaves, it's berries and the arrows, are
symbolized the original thirteen. 1t is
also not a little singular that the Off
cial seal should bear in its motto ex.
actly thirteen letters and that the gen
eral order which created the flag was
also numbered thirteen.
The magnificent silken colors OF the
presidents flag are of scarlet, and the
design is embroidered upon this SO ex
quisitely 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
embroidering of the coat Of arms tool
two young women six weeks OF steady
eight hours day work. The colors
of the flag are what is. called prop
err" that is. natural, the eagle being
brown and the olive branches green
with red berries. This flag Is to b.
displayed only in time of war.
/ The colors prescribed by the nav.
department are of blue bunting, witt
the great seal Of the United State,
displayed in proper colors.
/ Peace Flag.
i Yet another flag has the president
In 1902 the peace flag was adopted
This third flag differs in good man.
respects from the other two. In tn,
first place. the great seal of the Unit
ed States is correctly depicted.
! On the other flags the design Of tn,
seal is seven red stripes and six whit
ones. which is correct as the flag de
, sign was adopted by the third con
gress, but when the great seal va
adopted the designer. not knowin
z much about the flag. arranged It wit
} seven white and six red stripes An
} that IL the seal today. There was
: long discussion whether the sea
: should not be changed to agree Wit
the stripes on the flag as the forefatf
) ers intended, but 1t was decided tina
, as It had been adopted It should n
l main.
This new peace flag thus has "a
seal correctly depicted The eagle