Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-05-07
TRACES OF MANY
FLAGS in GERMAN
Standard Of Austria Also Is
Complex Affair; Belgium's
Once Brabant's

PrtOr to the FrancO-I'rilSSt;in war OF
1870 the German empire was little
more than II group Ut scattered states.
When they combined into Il single EN-
plrt.. however, traces OF all their tiags
were combined IN the resultant stand.
ard
To he sure. the cOi0rs Of Prussia
black ana white and the l'russian
eagie enter very largely into 1t. but It
must I've remembered that this country
t,.HUnie at that time the head and
ruler OF all the others. Besides the
>lnallet states there were also the
llag> Of East AND West Prussia to TIE
Included. That Ut West Prussia was
niack. white. black. three stripes OF
eqiaI diameter, running the length Vt
the nag That of East Prussia con
sisted "f two such stripes. the upper
thick ana the lower white. The
Jack'. OF the imperial navy consists
Ut three. horizontal stripes. the upper
DIack. the middle white and the lower
red. The m,i,.h priced iron cross dat
my back to the end Ut the twelfth cen.
tnry' Is III the center. This red stripe
appears III the final war ensign Of the
pihp!re, III which the tricOlOr (ilack.
white. red appears In the upper omar
ter, with the iron cross upon 1t. while
ne remaining three-quarters are white.
with the royal arms in the center A
black cross divides the whole Tag into
quarters.
The dag of Austria IL n very com.
plrx affair. To begin with. the various
Austrian provinces have their own
fings Bohemia Is red white. TyrOl II
white.re DaInatia is blue yellow. Ga
ifcia H. blue.rpd. Croatia IL red white
blnp and lstria is yellow white blue
Then again. austria. Fl hungary being a
.inai monarchy. both Austria and Hun
gary must be separately represented
and fulIy-On the dag. Fortunately.
this combination was rendered more
-asy BY the fact that portions Of the
days Of both countries were already
the snme. Thus. the Austrian flag was
red white-red. the Hungarian was red
wihte-green. Compromise was effect.
ed by dividing the lowest horizontal
stripe In two. and leaving half red
while the remainder was green. The
arms Of both countries also appear ON
the dag. This was decided upon March
Il, iSaS0
The imperial standard Of the car Of
all the Russins " Of brilliant yellow.
in the center Of which IL large dou-
tile headed black eagle. This Tag dates
from the year l412. when Ivan the
Great married Sophia. niece Of Con
stautine rnlne,lOg,ls. and thence as-
sulned the arms Of the Greek empire.
On the breast Of the eagle IL an es
rutcheOn hearing ON its red tieid In sil
vpi the figure IT st. George Staying
the dragon. the whole being surround
ed by the collar Of the Order Ut st
Andrew. On the displayed wings Ut
the eagle nre other shields bearing
the arms Of Kiev. NOvgor0d. vladi
mir. Kasan. etc. The Russian union
jack IL very similar to TINT Of Eng
land. save that the principal crOssbars
are blue Instead Of red This IL the
we'll known Russian war t1ag. The
saint Of Russia.
IN. well known tricolOr of France
is made up ~ three stripes hue.
white and red running not the length
but the width Of the flag II dates
from the era "t the French revolution
M. INT, iSt. iV, 1eNll II
mas been the nationn Ia. since. with
but sli.ht variations In iI94. the tri
color was also made the jack of the
French navy.
The union jack of Great Britain Is
."ll,lmS.d OF the three crosses of st
george. 81. Patrick and st. Andrew
That If the first was a broad red cross
tlividin. the white flag into four white
.-,u,ares. the white cross OF st An
drew. IN Il blne background. ran from
, crnpr to corner dia.onaily. while the
tr,! rrt,sS uf 81 Patrick ran in the sa me
objection II the union jack ne exam
ned il will he found to he composed
al these three crosses. as >tated. The
iing WAS first ulIfurIed in 1901. on the
union in that gear Of Great Britain
England. Scotland and Wales' and
ireland.
The flag of Belgium il composed OF
II rricoior--black. yellow and red run
ming up and down. that is. the width
and not the length Of the flag The
royal standard has the arms placed III
the center of the yellow strip This
VAS adopted as the national flag IN
1891. being originally the coors OF the
duchy of Rrabant.
From l411 until 1906 Belgium be
.nngcl to Anstria. but on the latter
.itc il fell into the hands OF Spain
N 1898 and for some years Following
i, was held by France. and In lSl4
WAS handed over To the t'rlnre OF
Orange. hut in lS:,O the Bpigians rose
against the HollanderS and established
their independence. The flag which i
.iow flown WIS then adopted.-WaSn