Arizona republican., 1914-04-27
AMERICANS AND THE FLAG
To the Editor of the Republican: Sir:

Sir:
 troubled by the insults heaped by the Huertistas on our national flag it be- hooves us, perhaps. to reflect whether We set others good example in our treatment of that flag. It has often been said that we Americans do not treat our flag with proper respect My own experience supports the truth oi that criticism. I have seen the na- pillow covers. I have seen it in mosa ics on the floor of a room It is a common practice all over this country to put up our flag and leave it out day and night often for weeks at a time.
 The impelling reason of this letter is however, an incident l witnessed thu other day. It was just before the Elk! festival. when this city was being pre- pared for the occasion. Near the cor her of Central Ave and Washington St. l noticed heap of American flag in the gutter. Dirty water was in tn
 
 fore l got to them a newsbOy, who ap parently felt the impropriety, iifte, them out of the gutter and placed then on the sidewalk
 It is true that those flags were to b strung across the street with a lot O red, white and blue bunting. No dis 1 respect was intended The men Wh were decorating the streets were busy | and were no doubt little careless. a busy men are apt to be in matters c so-called form. Perhaps, to them tn | American flags seemed to call for n l different treatment than the othe ! banners. If that is true. when doe | our flag become worthy of special con sideration? When is it to be treated a
 mere tri-colOred bunting of pleasin
 and ornamental aspect. and when a
 the symbolical device of a great ma
 ton? To put these questions is to ans
 wer them.
 The truth is our national flag shoul
 not be used as an ornament It shoul
 not be placed in such a situation ths
 it is practically impossible to acco1
 it the traditional and inspiring honor
 That does not mean, of course, tn;
 preparations, municipal or Otherwis
 or individuals may not dignity ar
 honor festival or commemorative ot
 casions by displaying the flag Bl l whoever does so is clothed with u
 moral responsibility to see that the fla
 is treated with respect.
 The American flag is indeed beaut
 ful and makes a very handsome dec,
 ration: but it is far more than tha
 Countless brave men and women ha'
 loved it and died for it. Only yeste
 day and the day before ten of o sailors laid down their lives for it. W ! must not forget this. In honoring Il
 flag We honor our country and tho who have made it great. However. need not go into that, as it is ve lear to everyone
 As we are not d military nation mo of us who have not had military trail ing may not know just what homo ire due the flag. It will not do to S; that We do not need to know, that it our own business how we treat O flag and it doesn't make any differen what foreigners think. On the ol hand it is a good thing in itself r honor the flag. It inspires patriotis } and devotion and links us to millio of our fellow men. On the other han
 in adopting flag, we have adopted } 1 symbol not merely to inspire us but represent us before the world , ! therefore we do not accord our fl; l he honors decreed by tradition ' 1annot expect foreigners to truly r , | spect it.
 ' The flag should never be allowed touch the ground. and should be talk 1own at night These two rules a ] accepted as the least marks of respe p that can be rightly paid the flag. 2 May I suggest that if the Americ 2 | flags used to decorate our main tho r | oughfares on festive occasions belo : to the city, they be distributed to t z prize pupils of the public schools. ca V recipient being instructed how to | Q the flag? Banners in the colors of t t city. if the city has colOrs, might
 used to take their place.
 Il Very truly yours. y JOHN DE R. STOREY = Phoenix Ariz, April 25.