The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-04-18
MEANING Of FLAG
TOLD IN ACROST|C
Intensely Interesting Talk
by Principal Douglas
of Wilbraham
FREEDOM, LOYALTY,
AUTHORITY, GOD
These Are What Letters in Word Flag
Stand for Men S Forum Meets in
Refreshed About Matters of History.

Weaving history in enhancing form
into his theme, The Meaning Of the
Flag, Principal Gaylord W. Douglas Of
Wilbraham academy, Wilbraham, Mass,
presented that meaning last evening
in the Unitarian parish house in a meet
ing Of the men S forum as It had never
before been held up for inspection be-
fore an audience in Brattleboro.
He chose as the form for presenting
the theme an acrostic with the letters
FLAG as the basis They stood, he
said, for Freedom, Loyalty, Authority
and Cod
lie clothed his thoughts in words,
whether in original phrases or in liberal
quotations, that went straight to the
point he wished to make. Men had
their memories refreshed about early
American history and learned for the
first time the relation some events 5ore
to the final making Of the present flag
of this nation. rs the course of an en-
blem for general use by the colonies
was traced in entertaining form with
frequent side lights ON an incident Of
character that Frightened the picture.
Through the early Colonial DAYS, with
the Pine Tree and Rattlesnakc flags, to
the time in l775 in Philadelphia when
| the Philadelphia Light Horse company
was presented with a flag OF Is red and
white stripes, Svmb0lieaI Of the Is col
onics, the historical features went. Tic
! Imore familiar adoption of the form of
| the present flag hy congress and the
method Of necessary changes for the
addition of new states TO the union
were attractively presented.
Taking up the acrostie form Of reach
ing his main theme, Principal Douglas
said that the flag was born in freedom.
| Freedom has ever been developed
! through sacrifice. suffering and service
| The flag represented il in l716, in 1861,
in sos and little later at Pckin. II
means freedom to men and To races Of
men, 1t means freedom of speech, OIL
religion of personal movements. Ii
spite Of things that have happened re
Gently il still stands for freedom and
will continue to do so. With malice
towards none and with broken hearts
we are in the great war, forced there
for the purpose Of Bringing about ;
world peace.
! Loyalty is required in return fo'
freedom. There is greater loyalty
than physical courage and strength il
hattle-the loyalty to live worthily
Fighting is not the test of loyaltv
Loyalty lies in life, not death.
With freedom and loyalty Authority
is needed. 1t is not the flag that en-
forces respect. It is what is back O
it. Wherever it rcars itself i'll TIL
course of freedom i is with authorit,
and demands loyaltF
God divine leadership, IS the othe
ingredient to make no the acrosti
meaning lie described how that gath
ering Of men in Philadelphia to organ
Ire a congress failed to make proetes
until after Benjamin Franklin ha'
moved that the sessions should b
opened with prayer Ha pictured III
: religious characteristics Of Washingto
and of Lincoln as Indicative of tn
. deep religions sentiment that has bee
manifest IN many Of those i'll authority