The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-07-06
The ADVERTISERS sEMI-wEEKLY
The Flag


breezes of our spacious land, significant OF til
calm and dignfed, yet deep and lasting, patrio
ism OF the American people. Be this our natv
Hand or adopted country, we pledge allegiance t
that flag, uncover as we pass, and wear it in min
Eature as a token of our loyalty. And yet wha
do we know about its origin. its meaning, and ii
history? A lecture trip to the unitedsSta Ma
tional Museum in Washington, the national dc
pository of American relics, win, says recen
bulletin of the Smithsonian Institution, teach muc
concerning the flag.
i Naturally there were many forms OF early flag
especially colonial types used by the individua
lcolonies and militia regiments, before the flag G
the United States was established by our Cont
mental Congress on June IL, 1777, now celebrate
as Flag Day This act required that the flag Q
the United States be OF thirteen horizontal stripes
i alternate red and white, and that the union b
Il thirteen white stars blue field, Representing
IA new constellation, but it did not define hov
4 many points the stars should have how the
should be arranged, nor make provision for add
| tional ones -
j One of the first occasions for public display o
4 the STARS and Stripes" is said to have been OF
J August E, l777 when the new flag was hoiste
lover the troops at Fort Schuyler, Rome, New York
John Paul Jones, is said to have been the first t.
1 fly the Stars and Stripes" over the high seas Of
the Ranger in November, l777. The Nationa
Museum has an early naval l2-star type flag sail
| TO have been flown by John Paul Jones during tn
/ War of the Revolution. ..
From the time of the Revolution the stars ant
stripes in the flag have varied There were thir
teen stars during the Revolution, fifteen in TIL
/ War of 1872, twenty-nine in the Mexican War
thirty three to thirty-hve in the Civil War, forty
five in the Spanish War and forty-eght today
The stripes were changed first from thirteen t
fifteen, and then back again to thirteen.
! 1t may be surprising to know that our nationa
! flag is among the oldest flags of the nations being
cider than the present British Jack, the Frencl
Tricolor, and the flag of Spain, and many year
FOLDER than the flags Of. Germany and Italy SOM
| Of which are either personal flags those of tn
Ireigning families. @1.s. .""a
The American flag Of the highest historic ant
sentimental value to the whole country is in tn,
National Museum collections, 1t is the origina
l"Star-Spangled Banner" which few over Fort Nc
Henry in Baltimore Harbor,j during the lombard
ment on September 1914, 1914 and was the in
spiration of Francis Scott Keys immortal poem
now sung as our national anthem. 1t is of TIN
fifteen star and stripe type, adopted after the ad
mission of Vermont and Kentucky by an act APP
proved by President Washington, January -, 1874
The "Star Spangled Banner" measures about thir
ty feet square, though it was probably somewha
longer, and is much battered and torn, with on
star missing, possibly shot away. .. -"
From l795 this form continued as the standar,
flag until President Monroe administration whe
congress enacted that It should thereafter be o
thirteen stripes and twenty stars, with the add
ton OF star for each new State, commencing
| July x, 1878. ~ ~
! 1t seems that for many years the Army did no
carry the Stars and Stripes in battle, though
had been in general use as a garrison flag TIL
land forces during this period and before carried
what was known as national colors or standard
of blue with the coat of arms of the United States
comprising an eagle surmounted by a number o
stars, emblazoned thereon, with the designation Q
the body of troops. In 1884, War Department
regulations gave the Artillery the right to carr
the Stars and Stripes. The Infantry and Caviar
still used the national standards, which RENAME
the colors of the Infantry until l84l and of tn
Cavalry until 1887, when that branch of the Arm
was ordered to carry the Stars and Stripes Fror
it's adoption in l777, however, naval vessels uni
versally displayed the National flag. *
The history of our flag thus indicates that tn
Stars and Stripes was not officially carried by on
troops in battle until the period Of the Mexica
War, l84o-47. In that a flag OF thirteen star
and stripes was carried by the battalion of volun
teerS from Maryland and the District of Column
lia, and the flag of Company |, Fourth Regimen
Of Indiana Infantry of thirteen stripes, with a
eagle in the field. Ten flags of the National Mu
scum collection pertain to the Civil War
-%%s
| There has been a trial of diplomatic strengt
| between the United States and Iapan in CHM