The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-09
For a Clean Flag--Life Work of Modern Betsy Ross
ny JOHN ELFnEru wAr1e1Ss

a RE YOU for clean nag? FRI
~ day next. Its 135th birthday.
will you join the crusade for
Old Glory's dcliveranae from COM
m.rcal prostitution?
The members of nifty six patriotic
societies-upwurd of Il million men.
women and chlldr.n-are already In
line. This Flag Day will find their
struggle gaining. but as SKA unwon.
All Of the great powers OF Europe
and four OF our Latin American neigh
ooTS have laws prohibiting the desc
Grafton of tn'sir national eligb lens. We
have no Federal statute 10 that effect.
only partial list OF our Common
~ea!ths have State laws on the sub
t5ct. Uncls Sam shuts thu gates of
intersta.ts commerce 10 articles hav!ng
labels that offend honesty, but not TO
those having labels that offend pa
triotism-not. for example, TO whisky
bottles and basr BOTTLES whose labels
are ATn'srican nass sUper:Inposed with
the names OF dlsullers aud brewers
1t was woman who mothe-cd the
Star Spangled Banner. and 1T ,"as a
woman who started. among patriotic
soc!ettfs. this crusade for that en-
blems II scue from degradation. The
latter. Mrs. Isabel Worrel Ball. Of
Washington. yesterday talked to me
at length about her long fight for a
clean flag.
Modern Betsy Ross.
This modern Betsy Ross-as .nde-
faugaODa o nagmaher as She is n flag
dttendSr--was Born in AL Illinois log
ciJain. She saw her father march OFF
to the war OF wars. and she wore the
htan from her youthful fingers help
ing her mother irduce all Of the nome
made linen TO lint for soldiers wounds.
Later. as a cowboy girl on her fathers
ranch in Kansas. she DEITY threw
the lasso whiia galloping over uac
prairtss 70 hrlp round up the herd
Having augh, the first school in
her county. and served n $ clerk TO this
Legislature. she went down into Arl-
sona and New Mexico, to suffer many
among Wild Indians as SPECIAL CORES
pondApt OF the Albuquerque Journal
and pioneer woman Journals, or the
Sopthwest. While living in "A box car.
on the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad,
while that linz was building. her i'm
provised dwelling was riddlAd win
bullets from hostile redskins. and al
though Two others inside were killad.
she escaped unhurt. Thirty years ago
she returned from the Wild. aui has
been working Journalist ever since.
For twenty-one years she has welded
her pen in the national capital. where
NOW sh,s Is ono OF the editors OF the
Natl, nal Tribanc.
During her stirring career in t&e
Southwest Mrs pali mad. her FIRST
nag. It WAS one OF tho old pine tree
designs and was curiosity TO the
children OF her desert ne!ghborhood.
principally because none OF them
had ever seen a tree or even q picture
81 e do
collection OF sAventy-.wo flags, no two
alike which shows the pedigree OF our
national emblem, Deg ming with tha
banner of Ferdinand and Isabella
md that Of Cabot or these Atty
four are the various prtcoIonial and
COLONIAL f1ags planted upon our coll.
and eighteen are special Federal naGs
Stars and Stripes were adopted, .Tunc
~. l777.
Appointed "Patriotic Instructor"
More than a quarter century ago
the woman's Iosiiet Corps-to-da
$4,000 .trong--naie tar first organ
.zcd effort TO teach greater respect
for the flag. Mrs Bail was then
member and has sincc strved as d.
rartupent president She entered At
many States tho society obtained
permission to enter the pubic schools
and teach children the history OF and
respect for tSc flag. In few years
zach department OF tho CORPS appointed
committee on "patriotic teaching"
10 systematic this work. and in 1905.
on Mrs Balls motion. each depart
snent was ordered 10 appoint Il pa
trlotic Instructor" She was the FIRST
designated IN tins soc!ety.
Setting out upon her work in the
national capital. she found TO her sur