Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-26
SILK AMERICAN FLAG
GIFT TO THE DISTRICT
Presentation Made by Federation Of
Citizens Associations-Emblem
Received by Commissioners.

In the presence of the District Com
missioners, heads of departments OF
the local government and officers and
members of large number of citizens
associations, the Federation of Citizens
Associations, through President Charles
S. Shreve, this afternoon formally pre-
scented to the District government a
silk American flag. which will be dis
played permanently in the boafdroom
of the municipal building. The pres
entation ceremonies were held in the
boardroom at 2:30 o'clock.
The federation. which has been rec
ognized by the Commissioners as a sort
of unofficial city council, Is the only
organization of District citizens that
ever has been granted use of the board
room of the municipal building for its
meetings. A committee composed of
@ Jesse C. Suter. William Nick. Clayton
and DIR. Emory \. Bryant was appoint
ed to purchase the flag which was pre-
scented this afternoon.
President Shreve's Address.
After receiving the flag from the
committee, President Shreve, in pre-
senting it to the Commissioners, said:
..The Federation of Citizens Associa-
tons. representing the ideas of centralized
civic effort general questions in our
National Capital. and recognizing that,
at this critical moment in our national
history, the American soul should be re-
vealed, do present to you as the stewards
of our municipal welfare this American
flag, fashioned by the hands of the artisan
until by its beauty it reflects the patriot
ism that it is intended to symbolic. We
ask that it remain In this boardroom as
a constant reminder to all who enter of
Its glorious history and its most glori-
Gus prophecy. May ii, like the hand of
Roderick Dhu. in times of national dan
ger. ever call the entire nation to arms.
and. with another wave, return it to
peaceful pursuits May it ever represent
the doctrine that sovereignty springs
from and for the people; that the rights
OF life, liberty, property and the pur-
suit of happiness shall be clearly defined
and guaranteed; that liberty shall not be-
come mere license or regulation become
tyranny; that the interests of society, as
whole. are paramount to that of the
individual. group or class, and that or
ganization, properly regulated and exer-
cised without oppression, is necessary to
all classes of society.
We leave it to your care. with the
fullest confidence that you will guard
its safety, reverence its sanctity and
maintain its time-honored principles Of
Justice, liberty and equality"
Response by Commissioners.
Both Commissioners Brownlow and
Kutz responded with brief speeches of
acceptance. in which they compliment
ed the federation upon it's work in
serving as a clearing house for the
activities of the civic bodies of the
District.
The flag will be displayed at an angle
of IS degrees from a pedestal designed
by Municipal Architect Snowden Ash
ford. 1t is Az by 51s feet in size, and
mounted on a mahogany finished staff,
with FURNISHED brass trimmings. The
staff also is equipped with a silver
shield, presented by William Ramsay,
federation delegate from the Bright
wood Citizens Association. bearing the
inscription: Presented to the Com
missioners of the District Of Columbia
by the Federation of Citizens Associa-
tiens, May, 1917"