The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-14
TODAY FOR OLD Ges:ss z i i Big Celebrations of Flag
 Day. STOP WORK AT THE CAPITOL Washington WM Be AbIaze of
 Bunting. [ Patriotic Societies Threusheut the U.ited states win P.ase te Pay
 Tribute ts the Emblem ef Trssasm. . t s i.f f e

Washington, D. C. June 13-- Throughout the length and breadth of the United States. from the Atlantic 10 the Pacinc. from the Canadian from In the detached American prosecutions in Alaska. Hawaii. the Philippine Is lands and Porto Rico, patriotic Amer lcans will celebrate tomorrow the lsznd anniversary of the American Flag. created by Act of Congress on June IA. HIT.
 Although not legal holiday by na- more generally and faithfully observed wherever Americans. have their homes than any other day in the year, except Ing Christmas.
 For many decades after the adoption of the Stars and Stripes the celebration of Flag Day was principally confined to the official observance or the ami yersary by the Federal ofnciais throughout the country and occasional csiebrations by patriotic societies and patriotic school teachers.
 The sentiment for the flag of the country grew stronger and with 1t the desire to honor the symbol of freedom py the appropriate observance or its birthday. The various patriotic asso- citations of the country combined their efforts to bring about msre general public observance of Flax Day and their efforts have been crowned wits gratifying success.
 In six of the States. Illinois. Michi. gan, Connecticut. wisconsin, Oregon and California, Flag Day has been pro. claimed q legal holiday and there p every reason to believe that osneS States will initiate this example
 On every school house. from every Federal and other public building and from hundreds of thousands privets buildings and homes. Old Glory will De unfurled and everywhere the anfiiveY- sary of its birth will be observed Tn an appropriate manner by patriotic ex- ercises. It is safe to say tha. no pns triotic organization in the country VIII neglect to honor the birthday of the Stars and Stripes, and no district or other school, even in the remotest parts of the country, will fail to teach les- son of national pride and loyalty to the future citizens ot the American cem- monwealth aa ....a of thS ii6nofsd fi&s h 6tufatts ana de | speeiaf efforts to observe the day ap- l propriateIy and there are few build inRs if any, public as we'll as private. that will not display the Stars and Stripes Flags of every dimension, from the enormous enbiems on the government buildings. to the diminu- tive nagS WIFI Aou CH0of ttV GiS oehcs : wise dismal aspect of the cottages of the poor.
 Pennsyivania Avenue. the majestic thoroughfare. leading to the Capitol. will be 6 perfect blaze of the national eolors Tn all the public and private schools exercises will be held in com memoration of the nag's birth and the various patriotic organizations. inciud- ing the G. A. R.. the Sons of Veterans. Qna n- ish War Veterans, the Sons of the Rev olution and many others. will observe the day by holding memorial celebra- tions with speeches, singing and music.
 The American flag of. the present day. although unlike the original flag made by Betsy Ross in Philadelphia, after a sketch by George Washington, In May, 1777, and adopted as, the. national .em- blem by Congress on June 14, TIT. is merely an elaboration and augmenta- ton of the original. Congress decid- ed. That the flag of the United States he thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stara white in blue field, represent ing a new constellation" At first it was decided to add new stripe and new star for every new State admit ter to the Union. But. when the num- Der had reached twenty, Congress, in 1918 decided upon careful deliberation to adopt the plan suggested In q bill by Representative Peter H. Wendover. of New York. and order the flag to be "thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white. with union of twenty white stars in blue feld." It was also ordered that one star be added for every new State admitted and that the new flags should so into effect on the Fourth of July next following such admission.
 The first flag made in Philadelphia was afterward raised on the Ranger, John Paul Jones's valiant battleship. The first fort on which the Stars and Stripes were raised was Fort Stanwix. Rome N. r., and the first battle fought under the Stars and Stripes was that at Brandywine. September II. TIT. Be- fore the adoption of the Stars and Stripes flags of various designs were used by the American patriots. Fa- nous among them were the Massachu- setts Pine Tree" the Cambridge" the 'riger." the Putnam" the Three Crescent" and the ',Moultrie" flags.