The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-14

important issues. Public opinion is
rapidly crystallizing out of the ex
IRENE views of the militarist and the
pacifist into an awakened demand fol-
proper preparedness that will insure
if possible peaceful neutrality with
honor, but that will insure whatever
the outcome, our national honor here
and everywhere. Interest in domestic
matters, important as 1t is, has been
Ioutrivalled by interest in foreign
affairs.
'aThe assumptions of Japan are be-
ginning to irritate our complaisance.
The Mexican sore is fostering ON our
very borders. And the awful cata
clysm of the European war is involv-
ing our national prosperity, peace and
honor in a way that demands atten-
ton So that it seems to me emf
nently fitting that we stop moment
to consider our country's flag, and to
observe this day set apart for special
honor to the flag, at this time of
great national stress and trial.
Three Periods Represented.
| Three periods of our national his
tory are represented here today-the
daughters and sons of the American
revolution are keepeing alive the
glorious memories and teachings Of
that great achievement. The veterans
of the Grand Army recall to our
minds the sacred sufferings and sue
cesses of that later conflict And it
| is particularly significant to me per-
sonally that we are unwilling this
Maine tablet at this time, when there
! is being organized a local camp of
Spanish-Amerfcan war veterans,
named after the first Keol1uk boy who
gave his life in that cause, and in
| whose name there has been just pre-
sented to the camp by two sisters,
this beautiful banner.
Those Of you who represent the
revolutionary war, and those who
fought in the civil war, join here with
| the survivors of the Spanish Ameri-
can war under one common flag, and
| in one common cause. and / know
with one common purpose-to do
honor 10 this glorious flag, and to
reconsecrate ourselves to that for
which it stands-the prosperity, the
peace, and the honor of our country.
All Love Our Flag.
I'VE sometimes hear it said that
lpatriotism is dying out in this coun-
TRY. At times like this we know 1T
is not dead We all love that flag.
Does it not seem to you-whenayer
you look at the flags of other lands
that our flag is the most harm oni.
ous-the most appropriate-the most
beautiful of all? No other flag
simply in the graceful combination of
it's very parts compares with it. Its
thirteen stripes SO simply and so
strangely tell the story of our simple
and strong beginning. The field OF
blue, and growing stars spell the his
tory of our growing comm onwealth
The very colors speak of faith and
courage and purity. To me no other
flag approaches the simplicity and
beauty and inspiration in our coun-
try's flag.
you will pardon personal expert
ence? We often are not fully aware
of our real feelings as to some GER
tain matter till testing time comes.
We take our flag like our wonderful
country-as a matter of course, but
let some crisis happen, some event
out of the ordinary occur, and then
the common daily environment takes
on a new and lasting meaning.
"Once in Canadian town our
party called on the American consul,
lust to make an informal call of cour-
tesy to our country's representative,
and l shall always remember the
thrill of delight with which we
watched that beloved bunting go
: mounting to the sky, as the consul
hoisted the stars and stripes above
his office in honor of our call.
HOMAGE to Stars and Stripes.
I IN - -bar, at
a teachers convention, thousand
|, Canadian school children sang theiI
national anthem, waving as they die
the Union Jack. At the conclusion
. of the song, ont of courtesy to the
, American teachers present, they sang
: a stanza of our national anthem, eacf
child producing a small American
flag and waving it as he sang l tel
YOU that every American present
realized, il never before, how deal
that old flag was.
Just once Inore-we were In Italy
down in boarding house in Rome
1t was the Fourth of July and
gloomy, dull day at that-wifhou
; any signs of our American holiday
when one of our party produced :
bunch of firecrackers and a small
. American flag that had been brough
along for Just such purpose as this
1 and we went up on the roof of tina
/, pension and certainly made old Rome
:, howl in that particular quarter for
: short time With new understanding
we caught new vision of our coun
z try's flag and with it newer ant
' truer need of loyalty and devotion.
5 "No-patriotism is not dead In thf
2 country, nor is II sleeping either. II
|. the testing times it has burst forti
!, full grown, live and sufficient for tn
: hour. In the great crises IN GU
. corntrv,s history that flag has stoo