The Washington herald., 1916-06-14
flag OF nation
IS STANDARDIZED
Executive Order Follows Dis
covery Of Sixty Odd Sizes
of Emblems in Use.


ments has actuated an executive order.
dated May g. standardizing the form
and size of all our national flags. The
flags and Union Jacks of all departments,
with certain exceptions in the army and
navy. must now conform to specifca-
tions.
Taking the hoist, or width, as l. the
ly, or length Is 1.s; the hoist Of the union,
7-13; the fly of the union, .7s, and the
width Of each stripe, 1-13. There are
twelve prescribed sizes, from 1.d feet
to 20 feet hoists, but the 1s-foot flag Is to
be the standard.
The American flag collections Of the
United States National Museum include
some fine examples OF our flag. indicative
Of its development in several historical
periods, its many changes, and its
gradual Standardization
II Is interesting to note that during
the revolution the flag had thiIAeen stars;
in the war Of 1872, fifteen; in the Mexi-
can war, twenty-nine; in the civil war,
thirty-ive; in the Spanish-American war
forty-fve. and today, forty-etght. The
American flag is among the oldest Of
national flags being older than the pres
ent British Union Jack, the French tri-
color and the flag OF Spain, and many
years older than the flags OF Germany
and Italy, some Of which. like those of
other countries, are personal flags, or
those Of reignins families.
No EARLY Colonial Flags.
There are no early colonial flags, such
as were used by. the Individual colonies,
and militia regiments before the flag Of
the United States was established by
Congress on June Il. Ill., now celebrated
as Flag Day. This act required That
the flag OF the United States be thirteen
stripes, alternate red and white; that
the union be thirteen stars, white In
blue field, representing new constella-
tion," but did not define how many
points the stars should have, how they
should be arranged, nor make provision
for additional ones.
The navy Immediately adopted this flag
but the army was much slower to act
Representative OF the early stars-and-
stripes type. there is twelve-star flag
said to have been used by John Paul
Jones during the War of the Revolution.
Il measures ten and one-half feet by
six and one-fourth feet, and was pre-
sented to Lieut. James Bayard Stafford.
L S N, on December 13, 17s4, by the
marine committee of the Continental
Congress. as a reward for meritorious
services during the Revolution, coming
later to the Smithsonian Institution as
a gift from Mrs. Harriet R. Perry
Stafford.
Another flag of the very highest his
toric value Is the original Star spangled
Banner" which flew over Fort McHenry
in Baltimore. during the bonbardment
on September 1874, 1914. and was the
inspiration for Keys anthem. 1t now
hangs in the rotunda of the new National
.Iuseum Building. where the models in
competition for the Key Memorial are
now on display.
The Fort McHenry Flag.
This Fort McHenry flag Is Of the fifteen
stars-and-stripes type, adopted by an act
approved by President Washington. Janu-
ary 13, 1874 which took effect May /,
1873, after the admission of Vermont and
Kentucky. II measures about thirty
feet square, is much battered and torn
with one star missing, but this great
historic souvenir has lately been pre-
served by quilting II on heavy linen cloth,
and remains one Of the country's most
precious relics, From 1875 this form con-
tnued as the standard flag until Presi-
dent Monroe's administration, when Con-
gress enacted tat 1t should thereafter be
Of thirteen stripes, with the addition
Of a star for each new State, commenc-
ing July 1, 1873.
It seems that the army never carried
the national flag in battle. though there
IS record of its as a garrison flag
from about 1877 or 1898. to 1884. until 1916.
Bodies Of troops carried during this
period, and before 1t, what was known
as national colors, or standards, of blue
b.azoned theron. comprising an eagle
surmOunted by a number Of stars, and
With the designation of the body of
troops, as infantry, artillery, etc, in
scribed on a scroll.
In 1884 the artillery were given the right
Of carrying the Stars and Stripes as
secorded by the War Department regula-
lions. the infantry and cavalry still using
the national arms with an added scroll in
the eagles beak bearing the words: "E
pluribus unum.", These flags remained
the cOlors OF the infantry until 1s41. and
the cavalry until as late as 1887, when
they were ordered to employ the Stars
and Stripes.
Many Forms in Existence.
So many styles and forms Of the Stars
and Stripes flags were in existence IN 1897
that certain foreign governments found
IL necessary to make inquiry of this gov
ernment just what the official flag was,
resulting in the publication in 1889 of
careful study Of the subject by him who
later became CGen.) Schuyler Hamilton.
However, 1t was not until 1912 that very
definite specifications were drawn up.
Under President Taft's administration
representatives OF the various govern
ment departments conferred on PROPOSE
uons and other details of the national
flag, resulting in an Executive order
dated October 2. 1912. which tended to
standardize the Stars and Stripes, and
yet further specifications were found
necessary only recently.
Many Flags in Collection.
Ten hass Of the collection pertain to
The civil war: The garrison flag of Fort
Moultrie, s. C., lowered when the COM
mand evacuated that fort to assemble at
Fort Sumter, December 26 1850; a boat
flag flown by Commander Charles g.
Boggs, U. s. N. when he left the Gun
boat Varuns, sunk in an engagement be-
tween a Confederate Flotilla and the
Union Fleet under Admiral Farragut be-
low New Orleans, April "a, 1852; a signal
flag Of white cloth with painted stars
and stripes; headquarters flag of Major
Gen Benjamin T. Butler, U. s. VoIun-
teers, flown at Fortress Monroe, Virgin
Ia in 1851; the nag raised at New Or
leans by its citizens upon the occupa-
ton of the city by the Union forces under
Maj. Gen. Butler, May 1, 1862: the re-
mains of the flag carried in the three
days fight at Salem Heights, Va, May
s-S, 1883. when three color sergeants were
killed. though the banner never faltered
or S~n TO the ground; General Hazen's
zarHson hoizted