Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-07-19
f66PE6 METHOD Or bisriAYz
ING, HANGING AND sAtur.
ING TINE AlsERioAM FLAG.

The Adjutant General of the
war department has issued the
following:
Many inquiries concering the
proper method of displaying,
hanging and saluting. the United
States flag are being received in
the war department with the evil
dent object of securing some au-
thoritative statement relating to
the subject.
In this connection it should be
remarked that while it is within
the province of the war depart
ment to prescribe rules and reg
ulations governing the matter In
question for observance within
the army, yet it is beyond it's
province to prescribe any such
rules or regulations for the guild
ance of civilians or to undertake
to decide questions concerning the
subject that are presented by civ
ilians.
There is no federal law now in
force pertaining to the manner of
displaying, hanging, or saluting
the United States flag or pre-
scribing any ceremonies that
should be observed in connection
herewith. In fact there are but
two federal laws on the statute
books that have any bearing upon
this subject, one the act Of Con-
gress, approved February 90,
1905 (33 Stat. L., p. 1857, provid-
| ing that trademark cannot be
Registered which consists of or
comprises, inter ALA, 1.-The flag,
coat of arms, or other insignia of
/ the United States, or any simula-
ton thereof" and the other the
act of Congress approved Febru-
airy 8, 1919 (Public-No. 3O5-
Gath Congo, providing certain
penalties for the dissertation, mu-
tilation, or improper use of the
flag within the District of Column
bia. Several states OF the Union
have enacted laws which have
more or less bearing upon the
general subject, and it seems
probable that many counties and
municipalities have also passed
ordinances concerning the mat
ter, to govern action within their
own jurisdiction.
Warning against Dissertation of
the American flag by aliens has
been issued by the department of
|justice, which has sent the fol-
lowing notice to federal attorneys
and marshals:
amy alien enemy tearing down,
mutilating, abusing, or desecrat-
ing the United States flag in any
way will be regarded as a danger
to the public peace or safety with
in the meaning of regulation AZ
of the proclamation of the presi-
dent issued pril 6, 1917, and will
be subject to summary arrest and
punishment.
1t is the practice in the army,
each day in the year, to hoise the
flag briskly at sunrise, prospect
i've of the condition of the wealth
er, and to lower it slowly and
tremendously at sunset, indicat-
ling the commencement and cessa-
tion of the activities of the day,
and to display it at halfstaff on
Memorial Day MAY 3O) from
sunrise until noon and at full
staff from noon until sunset, and
also on other days specially des-
ignated for that purpose by the
proper authority, the flag always
being first hoisted to the top of
the staff before being lowered to
the half staff position.
There has been some question
among civilians concerning the
exact location of flag hung at
"halfstaff.'' Theoretically, the
flag is always hung on a separ-
ate staff, much shorter than the
staffs usually erected on build
ings, and as consequence a flag
hung at halfstaff would be To-
Gated much higher on the ordin-
airy flagstaff than under the pres
ent practice, but still the custom
of placing the halfstaffed flag in
about the center of the flagpole,
whatever it's length may be, is
rather generally observed
throughout the country, and this
department see no real objection
to this custom.
Considerable discussion has
arisen throughout the country
concerning the proper manner of
hanging and displaying the flag
for decorative purposes. AS al
ready stated, there is no federal
law governing the subject, and in
dividual opinion differs as to the
procedure that should or should
not be followed. 1t has been sug-
gested that as far as possible the
hanging of the flag should be re-
stricted to suspending it from a
flag pole, in the regular way, and
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