The Vashon Island record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1916-1919, 1917-11-22

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In 1912. $50 British ships. carrying
5000 sailors. and cargoes OF immense
value. were captured on the high seas
by our American cruisers.
The English we're wellnigh para.
lyzed by this wonderful success OF our
navy. The papers burst forth In a
vehement TRADE and declared that
the time honored flag of England had
been disgraced by piece OF striped
bunting, flying at the masiiieads of a
few iir-built frigates. manned by a
handful of outlaws" A British states
man damned Columbus for ever dis
covering America History tells us
that France smiled and said that the
English papers were telling the truth.
A century and half has passed.
What change. No one in England
says piece of bunting now, or hand
full of outlaws. The handful has be-
come q mighty nation of over 100000
900 people. and over the u PLURIBUS
uNuM and liberty, justice and equal
lily floats the Star-Spangled banner
Old Glory. It floats by the side of
The flags of many nations.
The principles 1t represents are to.
day acknowledged by all the people
Except three despotic ones) to be the
true and lasting ones which must pre-
vail in the earth
Everywhere they salute Old Glory
with reverence and enthusiasm. Today
England and France admit that the
issues that must be fought out to the
end are those announced by the United
States; and today over 100000 of the
iinlon's sons are overseas fighting
side by side with British, French.
Canadian, Australian, Oriental, and
those of the islands of the sea, fighting
for the principles we have announced
and for which we have fought since
the days of 1776.
There are many flags In many lands,
There are flags of every hue;
But there Is no flag In any land.
Like our own Red White and Blue"
Never in all our history has the
Stars and Stripes been flung to the
breeze for sordid or selfish ideal.
1t never fioated over the vanguard Of
the oppressor. but always over that of
the liberator
In 1864 II noated over the Union
hosts as they fought to unlock the
shackles of slavery from 100000 of
the black race.
In 1893. when the tri-partite treaty
of Tutilla was signed friend was
present who said that there was very
little demonstration when the Eng
lish and German flags were unfolded;
but when the Stars and Stripes were
sent up, the dusky inhabitants raised
such cheers that 1t seemed to make
the very mountains quake.
Those Malay children knew that this
Old Glory stood for liberty. and prob
ably already knew what the German
flag stood for.
Ask the Hawaiian, the Philippine,
he Cuban, the Porto Rican, the West
Indian. and they will all tell you that
1t stands for all that they have hoped
for in the ages past; that 1t heralds
the coming of the better day, and the
era of prosperity, happiness and peace.
The ancient alchemists were always
trying to transmute the baser metals
into gold Even Roger Bacon believed
that 1t could be accomplished. But
the greatest melting crucible in the
universe is these United States. You
of squad OF soldiers in khaki. Each
one represented different nationality
and all lined Zip under the folds of Old
Glory. 1t was a representative pic
ture.
To our shores have been coming for
the past two centuries people from
all parts OF the world from every
nation.
They have come from different mo
tives. Some because of religious per
secution. like my maternal ancestors;
others on account OF political perse-
cution, like my paternal ancestors
many came because they saw in the
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