Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-02-15

which the youth of the land is respond
ing TO the call of the nation, speaks SO
universally, so eloquently as the SER
vice flag. There is no busy thorough
fare, no congested mart of trade in the
country, that does not p esent to the
sight of the h%urrying, scurrying people
the familiar spectacle of the red-bord-
cred white flag with Its quadrangular
center dotted by blue stars that testify
to the presence of some employee in
the service of his country. The won
derful custom has become esta blished
throughout the land and today there is
a star for every lad in uniform. The
nation is determined that no sacrifice
shall go unnoticed, unrecognized.
The service flag was such a happy
thought and Its popular adoption was
so spontaneous that all thought of the
author of it was lost. The originator
of the service flag is Captain r. l..
Queisser, who was captain of the Ma
chine Gun Company, Fifth Ohio In
fantry (now 145th U. 3. Infantry.
This service flag has become so popu-
lar hat Congress is considering the
idea of adopting an official emblem.
The question of one mans right to con-
troll q thing of this kind has been brougt
up. Captain Quiesser claims to have
offered his service flag to the Govern
ment but says that neither Congress
nor the War Department was Impress
ed with the idea.
On his return from service on the bor-
der, and just a short time before he
was mustered out of the Federal SER
vice, he was injured in an automobile
accident, necessitating his retirement
from the service, and for nearly W
months was confined to the house. In
telling The Eagle about his service flag
idea, Captain Queisser said:
"My injury occurred on March 10,
1917, and shortly after April 6, when
war with Germany was declared lat
that time still being confined to the
house by my injuries)the thought came
to me that both of my o u who were
still officers in the Guard would again
be called out, and L wondered if | could
not evolve some sign or symbol by
which it might be. known that they
were away in their country's service,
and one which would be to their moth
er a visible sign of the sacrifice her sons
were making.
1.-THE inspiration of the service flag
came to me in that manner. / imme-
dIately had one made, submitted 1t
first to come of my military friends,
then suggested the use and distribu'
ton of the flag by the Council of the
City of East Cleveland (of which I was
vice-president), and they were good
enough to pass an ordinance adopting
1t. and providing that one flag be pre-
scented to the family of every soldier or
sailor entering the service. Shortly
thereafter Mayor Harry L. Davis adopt
ed the design for the City of Cleveland,
and later the State authorities did like
wise.
IA little later some of my friends who
had noticed how fsvorably the flag had
been received throughout the country
suggested that the design be patented.
After consulting with some influential
men | agreed and had my attorneys re-
quest two patents, one on the textile
flags, and one on the jewelry and other
methods OF using it. The main reason
for securing the patent was that a por-
ton of the royalty which would be fix
ed at a very minimum sum should be
set aside for Red Cross work. AT the
suggestion of my wife so per cent. of
all the net profits Of the sale of the flag
and pennant was set aside for that pur-
pose by the directors of our COM
pany.
"My original thought was to give
this flag to the Government and the
people, but after it was buried in COM
mittee in the Senate July 30 and in the
House September "a, with no chance
of its being made official, l made up
my mind to put it across myself with.
u the backing of the powers that be-
relying on the approval of the public.
The flag did not, like Topsy, just grow,
but cost me several thousand dollars
for a nationwide newspaper propa-
ganda before 1 ever had any idea of
any return whatsoever, doing it at first
for the sake of personal pride.
Unfortunately there has been some
newspaper notoriety given the subject
doing the last several weeks, and after
a thorough investigation we have as
certained that in the main it was orig
mated by some of the flag manufac-
turers, who could not bear to see a part