The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-09-29
MANY SPECIAL FLAGS,
Uncle Sam Has Some Which Are
Very Seldom Seen.
C0LORS OF THE PRESIDENT.

Not Until 1882 Did the Chief Exseu-
tive Of the Nation Have a Personal
Banner, but Now He Has Three, the
Naval, Army and Peace Flags.
As the United States grew and the
government expanded many new de-
partments were added, and with them
many special flags have come into ex-
1stence. Least often seen and yet
most interesting Of these twenty-five
or thirty special flags is that of the
president Of the United States. He
has a wealth of them-in fact, no less
than three-but they are seldom seer
in public. There Ire two each Of these
flags, n Of bunting and one of silk.
They are exactly alike, with this ex-
ception, but the one of silk is called
the presidents colors."
The president of the United States
had no personal flag until 1882. If he
went aboard a ship his presence was
denoted 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 denot-
ing the presence of the president, for
these flags were hoisted or gala occa-
sions when the president was not
around. The lack of a distinguishing
flag for him was felt by the navy also.
and the secretary of the navy by gen.
eral orders, Aug. 10, 1882, established
a flag for 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 center. The flag was to be hoisted
at the main Of the vessel when the
president was aboard and be 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
outbreak 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 this lack of
a distinguishing flag for him and
stated that he thought the commander
in chief Of the United States army and
navy ought to have a distinguishing
flag. President Mckinley did not like
the suggestion, but the secretary of
war did, and a flag vas made. 1t was
designed by Frederick D. Owen and is
a beautiful thing to look at. The Off
cial description of the flag is as fol
lows:
1.-THE presidents flag is of scarlet
bunting, thirteen feet fly and eight feet
hoist. In each corner is a 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. In
side 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 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 with
in the circumference of an imaginary
SAAN4C lAACC 4CCC anu u QuullCl Ill
radius. In the upper point over the
angle is a constellation of thirteen
stars, representing the original thirteen
states of the American confederation"
Mr.. Owen explained that in the olive
leaves, it's berries and the arrows is
symbolized the original thirteen. 1t is
also not a little singular that the Off
cial seal should bear in it's motto ex-
actly thirteen letters and that the gen.
also numbered thirteen. The magnif-
cent silken colors of the presidents
flag are of scarlet, and the design is
embroidered upon this so exquisitely
that it is impossible to tell right from
wrong side when looking at the flag.
The colors on the flag are what is
called ''proper"-that is, natural-the
eagle being brown and the olive
branches green, with red berries. This
flag is to be displayed only in time of
war.
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, as the forefathers intended,
and six red stripes. And that is the
seal today. There was a long discus
sion whether the seal should not be
changed to agree with the stripes on
the flag, as the forefathers intended,
but it was decided that as it had
been adopted it should remain. This
"peace" flag thus has the seal correctly
depicted. The eagle is snow white.
its feathers being outlined in deep
black. There is q different arrange