Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-13
ERNING THE AMERICAN FLAG
ny FREDERIC ". HAsNIN

WASHINGTON. ID. c.. May 12-
fantins tho American flag on the
western battlefront is probably mere
~ Il figure OF speech; for battle flags
are going out OF use. In former wars
the nag was used as IL raliying point
and as an indicator OF the center OF
attack, but this use has no place In
trench and artillery fighting
when asked IL the American army
would carry flags In this war. the War
department declined to say. Flags
were WILDLY used during the Spanish
a'nerie"n War. 1t asserted. but SO fur
us inns war WAS concerned no 1nal
dcciSion had been reached. II ad-
united that flugs were supposed 10 DO
ou' OF date in Europe. Since 1879. at
the battle or Isan6hlwann, when two
bravo and valuable soldiers los, their
ives IN attempting TO rescue the
British colors. Great Britain is re.
ported 10 have barred uso Of the lag
IN battle.
In apite of tho part that our army
may also fight without "a nag, the nar
factories in the United States arc
speeding UP their output Tic CONNER
ciai establishments. OF course. arc
swamped with Il tremendous demand
from patriotic civilians, but tho gov
ornmcnt factories arc also overworkcu.
| For tho flag Inns many uses other than
In battle.
The government has two t,aE-mullin;;
.actor'eS-pnc Tor the army and one
ioF the navy. Tho army plant is az
'ached TO the Philadelphia depot, while
that Of the navy IS on the third floor
OF the bureau Of Equipment building
1T the New York navy yard. The navy
at all times requires a lot more Cat:s
tmah docs the army. In addition TO the
stars and stripes in various sizes, cv-
cry ship must carry nearly two nun
drcd and atty different flags OF Other
nations. the material and making of
which costs Uncle Sam Approximately
$1,000 per ship. Every time = Cni: sd
states bat;leship calls at foreign
port IT must display it's good man
ncra by dying the has OF tina, particu
!Nr nation along with Stars and
Stripes.
The making OF this l;rse number Of
naval flags even in peace times Keeps
q force OF NIFTY women md several
men buSy. and now tina; we arc to
have thousand wooden ships TO he
Tagged the force has heeu increased
Moreover, this price Of bunting has
gone UP. so that the government flag
bin this wear IS going To be enor-
nous. Al Of the bunting for govern
mont flags comes from Lowell. Mas.
where there are three large factories
devoted 10 the manufacture OF this
fabric.
when it arrives al the flag factory
II Is put through various :csts to de-
,erminc its quality. First II is soak
cd in soap and water: tho next day II
Is soaked In salt water. and the third
da" il is hung out III the air. where
IL remains for ten days. For thirty
hours. at least, It must he exposed 10
= bright sun. When ii thus become
p. lac,
run" or fade. . strip two inches wide
OF the warp is put III machine and
submitted 10 pulling strain OF 81
mounds. which tests It's tensile
strength.
On tho floor OF che Of the rooms IN
the factory are chalk mari; lines and
metal markers OH which tho NaE3 are
measured and cut out They arc scwol
on regular sewing machines, ntted will,
electric motors. and the stars arc Gu,
by special machine invented for tina
purpose. Thirty feet long by nineteen
feet wide is tho larEest flag made by
the government. which is the United
manufacture. Other Tags. such as the
Presidents nag. bearing special and
intricate designs, are even more cxpcn-
sivo and require weeks OF patient work
TO embroider and finish.
The present standard flag OF tho
and white stripes. with 2 blue field In
the upper left-hand corner containing
rorty-eiBht white stars placed in six
rows of eight each. This description
may seem a irihe unnecessary to the
average American patriot who has :,
perfectly good American nag hanging
from his front window. but II is we'll
10 recall the fac. that this arrange
ment "as authorized by the Secretary
Of War as late as 1896. Before that,
designs OF American flags were legion
For years they had been the confusion
and despair of foreigners. Indeed. In
lS4t. the Dutch government inquired
politely: what is tho American nag
Formerly We're Many StyIes.
Ten years later. nine different style.
OF American flags were observed on
one day in the harbor OF sew York.
Even now, il is disconcerting 70 note
the opinion OF some foreigners concern
ing IL. Frederic Harrison. for cx.
ample. says something to this effect:
When the United States decided TO
adopt flag after tho ancestral emblem
Of their chief, they committed an alb
surd blunder Than the Stars and
Stripes. nothing more srotesuue. con