The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-04-10
WHAT OF OUR FLAG?
HISTORY OF ORIGIN
AND WHAT It MEANS
National Museum at Washington
Recitcs Some Matters Of Inter
est Regarding Our National
Emblem; First Display in i777.

Special Correspondence 10 The Herald,
Washington. u. G., April iO.-Today
probably several million American
fags are waving serenely In the var
led broczcs OF our spacious land. sig
nincant ut the calm and digniicd, yet
deep and LASTING patriotism OF the
American people. BE this our native
land or adopted country, we pledge
allegiance TO that nag. as We
pass. and YEA II in miniature as a
token OF our loyalty. And yet what
do We know about is origin. its mean
ing. and It's history. a lecture trip
to the United States National Museum
In Washington. The national deposit
tory OF American relics. viii ten you
much Of the nag.
Naturally there we're many forms
ct early nags. especially colonial
types used by the individual colonies.
and militia regiments. before the nag
Of the United states was established
BY our continental congress On JulY
til171. now celebrated as Flag day.
This act required that the nag Of he
United States be OF thirteen alternate
red and white stripes and that the
UNION zoe lllit'l NN4At AhAN W ~
blue field. representing 8 new con-
stellatlor. but 1t did not define how
many points the starr should have
how they should be arranged. MOI
max, provision for additional ones.
Washington's Definition.
At the time Of the adoption Of Thu
resolution. Washington Is said to have
observed. I'VE take the star from
heaven, the red from our mother
country. separating q by white stripes
thus showing that We have separated
from her. and the white stripes shall
20 down to postcrity representa-
liberty
The hrst display of the stars an'
Stripes il believed to have been ol
August L. l7T1 when the new ia
vas huistcd over the troops at FOR
SCHUYLER. Rome New York JON
Paul Jones is said To have been tn
first 10 ny the stars and stripes oN"
m, high seas. ON the Ranger d
November. iIT5 The National mu
scum has an early naval l2-siar TYP
nag z,id to have been flown 10y jon
paEl Jones' during The war OF IN
Revolution.
IL has been well said that our ma
uunn, emblem stands FOR America
deals and idoas-ii is not the nag q
a family or a house, but the nag q
the whole people Il Is the emDlcr
az liberty and freedom being indie
a'nr Of individual independence an
Vet symbolic If q unltcd and ,l">eI
bonded people, Far from "cin
merely painted and dyed cloth. u rer
rcs,nts the constitution and govern
uori Of "A hundred million trro pee
pI,. 10 stands for the people them
selves. and records the history O
their nation.
thirty Hl~tori, American Ilag,.
In the National museum az Nasf
.ugtuu. among the many other pair
otto relics aud cmblcm- are display'
tnirty historic American flags. %
the .tbols. the history each is REQ
ordcd. some came FRO 4 the neId
battle. a number 'r"m famous 80
fights. and others we're flown "N'
garrisons OF forts by di%sttnguishc
American officers
Tho series OF fags show very wo
the periodic changes which nav
taken place in our nag From IN
time of the Revolution IN, stars an
stripcs IN the nag have varied u
Wcro thirteen stars during the Rt'
olution. fifteen in the war 81 lal
|fVcnty-ninr In the Mexican wa
tnirt,-thrcc to thirty -ryc IN the CIV
war. |iorty-h,c 100 the Spanish war, AN
forts eight today. The stripes WEI
. ..r.. tF.f.. FhHffNgfI 10 MtfNs