The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-07-05
UNCLE SANS
new BANNER.
National Emblem Of 1907 Has
Gone Out Of Fashion.
new STATES RESPONSIBLE.
Addition of Arizona and New Mexico
to Union Causes Rearransement of
the Stars In an Even Bloek-chanee
Effective July q.

tne OtaTs IN an Even bIoSk-Chango
Effective July q.
July 4. 1912, will be recorded as
memorable in that n new American
flag was born on that day. The rear.
rangement of the stars of the national
banner is due to the recent admission
into the Union of Arizona and New
Mexico as states. The addition Of the
two stars representing the former ter
ritories is an advantage so far as ap-
pearance is concerned because the lr-
regular lines of stars In the dying flag.
forty-six in number, are replaced by
an even block of stars, eight in each
of the six lines.
The date of the change in the flag Is
in accordance with custom of long
standing. which provides that when
ever Uncle Sam introduces his made
over emblem such introduction shall
occur on the Fourth of July, the ami
versary OF the independence of the
thirteen original colonies. The work
Of fashioning the new flag has been
going on for weeks, and the forty
eight star bapner will fly at army
posts, government buildings, aboard
ships of the nation. at American lega
tions and consuiates and elsewhere.
The rearrangement Is made by re-
moving the two short rows of stars OF
the old flag. In thirty nine states it is
obligatory that the American flag be
flown from the public schools, and
these flags have been remodeled or
new ones purchased by reason of the
admission of the two new states. That
the flags now used by most of the
public schools could be remodeled and
the expense Of new flags obviated IS
due to the fact that they had the white
stars sewed on the blue ground so that
the stars could be taken off, the two
extra stars added and again sewed on.
No Rule on Proportions.
In all nations except the United
States the size of the flag of the coun-
try is regulated by executive decision,
and the absence of such a ruling as
applying to the United States caused
the general supply committee of all
federal departments to complain and
ask that uniform proportion be es
tablished. The protest resulted in the
appointment of a commission on uni
fOrmity, which submitted its report to
the president.
In view OF the fact that president
of the United States has never ruled
what shall be the proportions of the
flag, the various departments have
reached an understanding in the mat
kar nrp1sNr nah nVstr Ar1f t,ffV
lates the proportions 1t desires the flag
to be made when the order is placed.
The standard navy flag is nineteen
feet long and ten feet wide. The war
department post flag is foot longer
and the same width, and the garrison
flag of the army is thirty-six feet hong
and twenty feet wide. The big garri-
Son flag has thirteen stripes, and on
the upper quarter, next to the staff,
Is the field Of stars representing the
number Of states on a blue field over
one-third the length of the flag. The
storm flag is 20 feet by 10 feet and the
recruiting flag o feet 0 inches by 4
feet inches.
When the revenue marine service
flag was adopted by congress in 1899
there were sixteen states, and the flag
as officially designed had sixteen per-
pendicular stripes. alternate red and
white, the union Of the ensign bearing
the arms Of the United States in dark
blue on white field No change has
been made in this flag since the time
Of its adoption.
The american Jack" is the 'union"
or blue field Of the flag.
A New Flag Suggested.
Representative Timothy II. Ansber-
ry of Ohio recently introduced a bill
in congress proposing a revolution in
the present style Of arranging the stars
OF the national flag. The measure pro-
vides that the stars shall be placed in
five arcs, these to be extended with
new stars at the ends upon the admis-
sion OF new states. His argument Is
that the next alteration of the national
banner will upset the solid block of
stars in the flag born this Fourth of
July, probably making 1t necessary to
place the stars in seven lines Of seven
stars each, and this combination would
be spoiled when the fftieth state comes
into the UniOB.
The new national flag Of 1912 sue
ceeds that of July 4, 1907, which made
its appearance with forty-six stars, the
forty-sixth star being in honor of the
admission Of Oklahoma into the Union.
The official flags of the United States
are not mads Of silk, as so many per
sons believe, but instead Of bunting
A flag made of silk or cotton would
be like a string when exposed TO rain,
while a flag of wool withstands the
wet better than any other material