The National tribune., 1910-02-03

copy of this Flag, will by that time
have crumbled into dust. No one would
remember that such a thing ever exist
! ed, and it will not be annaled in any
| history that will live. Think how they
twill study that mutilated banner and
wonder just what Nation and race of
people it may have belonged to. There
are stars and stripes on many BAN
ners, some with these crosswise and
some of them quartered with other col
ors; but, all the same. they are In a
way National flags. and represent some
country, but this bastard flag can rep
resent positively nothing, and no one
| 20 centuries hence would ever guess
| that it might at one time have been the
really beautiful Star-Spangled Banner
| of the United States of America, which
| by that time will probably comprise the
whole western hemisphere. So what
was there to be gained by Mr.. Peary in
mutilating our Flag after the fashion
that he has?
Mr.. Roswell R. Moss. of Elmira, who
has objected in the only way to make
1T count, and that is in the courts of
the country, against this mutilation of
the Flag. AT meeting of the Sons Of
the American Revolution early in No
vember MIR. Moss, who is the Historian
of the New Town Battle Chapter of
D.
that he had brought suit against Mr..
Peary for conspicuous misuse of the
Stars and Stripes on his return from
the Arctic regions. Mr.. Moss explained
that Mr.. Peary had used the Flag upon
the Roosevelt as he sailed up the Hud-
son River during the Hudson-Fulton
celebration, and that under the laws of
New York this was a conspicuous desc
Grafton of the American Flag. In his
address to the Sons Mr.. Moss said:
1T Is to be regretted, tho, that fol-
lowing that brilliant achievement of
Commander Peary he should have
treated the Flag with such conspicuous
disrespect as in my opinion required
it not to be permitted to pass unre-
buked
NO one now would tolerate the Flag
being used as breechclout by some
competitor in an athletic event But it
was not alone such vulgar acts Of dis
respect that the recent statutes in
many States were intended TO prevent
and punish as dissertations of the Flag
Thus tisc statute of the State of New
York prohibits the use of the Flag or
any emblance of it for advertising pur-
poses, and prohibits the exposing to
public view of the Flag on which there
has been printed or painted any word
The statute goes further in some de-
tails not needing mention. The man.
date of the statute has the sanction OF
| imprisonment or fining for violation
and for the purpose OF its enforcement
there Is given to any citizen right of
action to recover penalty Of $50 with
costs, to be paid into the Treasury Of
the state.
| Commander Peary was in command
| of the Roosevelt, a vessel of American
register.
Every vessel that sails the high scag
f1-t i.g. r.
nationality must he shown by The Tag
which ii places at the conventionaliy
appointed place. On such a vessel as
the Roosevelt that place Is the peak
of the spankergaT After Commander
Peary had ridden in Pattle Harbor off
the Labrador coast while his vessel was
undergoing repairs, tl:- news came thai
he would soon enter Sidney, n s., fiy-
ing al the fore the Canadian ensign; at
the main the Pesry Arctic Club flag. at
the miZZen the New York Yacht Club
nag, and at the peak of the spankcr-
gaf the North Pole flag This was
described as the American Flag, with n
broad white band placed upon it dag
onally from the upper corner of the
plue held to the lower outer corner of
the stripes, on which was printed in big
black letters North Pole Upon read
ing that news j wrote TO the Secretary
OF the Navy for reference to statute or
regulation on the subject Of proper
showing of respect to the Flag men
tioning the North Pole flag as the oc-
casion of my writing, but saying that
did not expect an opinion Of the Depart
ment upon Commander Pearys con-
duct In the letter ] expressed the opin-
ion, however, that the carrying of such
a flag IN parade in the city of New
York would be crime under the New
York statute. Subsequently ] received
letter from the Department giving
information to the effect that the De-
partment was without knowledge of
any Federal statute or Departmental
regulation on the subject, excepting
only statute of the United States for
bidding the use OF the Flag or any part
OF 1t as trademark. saying. however.
that the Department WAS aware of stat
utes in many States to prevent and pun
lsh the desecration of the Flag The
letter said that the reason of no De-
partmentai regulation was because the
A $500 Watch for s5ss
.steh .ssih 81
rtistis tnshsspsr
al a lava tN1