The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-08-02
better to use them in the striped
red, white, and blue.

better to use them IN the striped
red, white, and blue.
In hanging these colors place the
blue at the top. The United States
followed the French in the making
of the fve-pointed star, and they
also followed the French in the ar
rangement of the colors. One of
the reasons for this is that the stars
1 of the flag are placed in the blue
field, and the stars should always
be kept at the top. If one desired
to place stars upon blue stripe, it
would be absurd to have the blue
stripe at the bottom. There is no
regulation of either Army or Navy
for the use of the striped bunting,
for the reason that neither the
Army nor Navy ever use anything
but the flag. 1t is simply a matter
of French heraldry and good taste
which demands that the blue field
shall always be uppermost.
If hung lengthwise, the field
should be at the right as one faces
it. If hung as it flies from the up
right pole, the field should be at
the left. When two flags are used
in drapery. the two fields should
join. and they should always be at
the top.
1t is impossible to trace to its
original source the conventional
use of one flag in reproduction by
printing press, but it seems to
have been the custom from time
immemorial to place the staff of
the flag to the left, with the colors
or the length of the banner flowing
to the right as you face it, and GUS
tom makes law.
The national anniversaries when
flags should be flown are Lincoln's
Birthday, February 12; Washing
toms Birthday, February %; Mem
orial Day, May 30; Flag Day, June
ID; Independence Day, July 4.
Other days that may be observed
are the Battle of Lexington, April
10; Bunker Hill, June II; Battle
of Saratoga, October II; Surren-
der of Yorktown, October 10, and
Evacuation Day, November 25.
When passing a flag raised on it's
staff lift the hat or hand in salute.
When the flag is passing in pa
rade or review, rise. If sitting. and
salute with hat or hand, and always
lift the hat from the head till the
flag has passed. This is the mill
tary law of all nations.
A flag hung union down is
said to be at distress" and thus
sends call for help. It is some
times thus hung by those who do
not love it and desire to humiliate
it. Custom has thus made law for
| lovers of the flag. The Army and
Navy have no regulations govern
ing this. In very early times it
was the custom to carry the banner
upside down to denote mourning
for the death of lord or baron.
The distress" signal, so called,
has probably grown out of this.
Shipowners should insist on flag
makers cutting ships ensigns of
the proper proportions. By Ex-
ecutive order promulgated May
20, 1915, it was ordered that ma
tional flags and union jacks for all
departments of the Government,
with the exception that the colors
carried by troops shall be the sizes
prescribed for the military service,
shall conform to the following pro-
portions:
Hoist (width) of flag-------- l
Fly Qength) of flag------- 1.9
Hoist { (width) of union ----- 7.13
Fly Qength) of union------- .76
Width of each stripe------ 1-13
The size of the union jack shall
be the size of the union of the ma
-tional flag with which it is flown.
The following is taken from the
Navy Regulations:
''The national ensign on board a
ship of the Navy at anchor shall be
hoisted at 8 a. m. and kept flying
until sunset. Whenever a ship
comes to anchor or gets under way,
| If there ia sufficiant liUht for the