The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-01
Old Glory Is
Dean of Flags
D. Albert pAvsoN rERHUNE.

What Is the Oldest flag That ines,
the oldest flag flown by any civilized
or semi civilized nation? What coun-
try can claim the greatest antiquity
for its national banner?
Ask nine people out Of ten, and the
answer will be China" or perhaps
Japan" or even "Spain." Not one
person in n thousand knows the cor
rect reply. Nor, hearing that reply, VIII
most people at first believe 1t.
The oldest flag flown by any civil
ICED nation is--OLD GLORY!
The Stars and Stripes is older than
the flags OF Great Britain or Spain or
France or Germany or Italy or Portu-
gal or any of the rest. Older by many
years.
OF course, all those countries had
flags before America was discovered.
But not the flags they are now flying.
AS far as the banners now In use Is
concerned, Uncle Sam Is the dean OF
the flag wavers. Go over the list and
you will find this Is true. Remember,
Old Glory was born June IA, IT'D.
Take Great Britain. for example:
When the Union was formed between
England and Ireland, in 1901, the Brit
ish flag then in use was abandoned
for one bearing the white cross OF st.
Patrick, along with Its earlier devices.
That In the present British flag. And
1t dates back only to 1901.
Frances ancient monarchical flag
was thrown into the scrap heap by the
French revolution. Out OF that tur-
MOL arose the present French tricolor
the red, white and blue representing
Liberty. Equality and Fraternity. This
tricolor was decreed In 1794--Seventeen
years after Old Glory.
The German flag-Black, White and
Red--was not adopted until the close
OF the Austro- Prusslan war. The Han
seattle leagues colors we're red and
white. The Hohenzollern emblem was
black and white. By combining these
two. the present German flag was de-
vised: first for the North German con-
federacy (November rs, 1862, and.
about three years later, for the new
German empire. 1t is more than ninety
years younger than Old Glory (from
whom the three-striped youngster Is
due to learn an unforgettable lesson).
As for Russia---well, does any one
know Just what the Russian flag IS
today? II so. the knowledge will prob
ably be OF little use by tomorrow. Tho
old imperial flag Is in the discard.
The red OF the Bolshevii: the stand
ard (as yet unannounceO Of tho
Ukraine: the tribal Of clan banners OF
the other Cossacks. etc.--all these may
or may not emerge one day into ma
tional flag. But when they do, Old
Glory will have had at least a start OF
141 years on 1t.
The banner which Spain planted on
Americas shores five and quarter CEN
turtles ago liz not In any way the same
flag that modern Spain swears ALE
glance to. The Spanish flag with which
the world Is now familiar was not
adopted until 1885, when the Stars and
Stripes were eight years old, and grow
ing rapidly.
SPANS turbulent little next door
neighbor. Portugal, is one Of the old
est nations In Europe. But the flag 1t
now flies was not adopted until 1876
after Napoleon had turned Portugal
upside down and the allies had set 1t
Overwhelmingly back upon Its feet. 1t is
thirty eight years Old Glory's junior.
Sweden and Norway, as you know,
were once joint nation. The fla.
they adopted for their union WAS de-
vised in 1917. Since then. of course.
the two uncongenial countries have
separated. and each has a flag of its
own. But even their Union Flag was
not born until Old Glory had celebrat-
cd it's fortieth birthday.
China's dragon ensign dates back to
the dark ages. But that Is no longer
China's official flag. Tho Chinese en-
pire has crumbled into nothingness, at
the breath Of modernity. and in Its
place stands a new China with a new
flag. This oldest country. therefore.
boasts one Of tho very newest flags on
earth--a flag compared to which Old
Glory Is a snow -beared patriarch.
The same lis true OF Japan. The an
Client ensign Of the Hermit Isle with
its dual rulership OF Shotgun and MI
kado) was changed to tit the new dy-
nasty and new conditions. The flag
Of up-to-date japan is creeping In
FAINT compared to ours. The former
cd golden chrysanthemum with lS
petals, blooming on n scarlet field.
Denmark's present flag came into use
after Norway broke loose from her
Danish parent, in 1914, or after Ma
poleon had finished Juggling with the
dynasties of the little people Of Europe.
Belgium, In 1881, became an indie
pendent monarchy, and then adopted
for the first time the black. yellow
and red colors OF the olden House Of
Brabant as national flag. Holland
(once Spanish province. then IA re-
public. then IA toy principality. Great
ed by Napoleon, and finally u more or
less independent kingdom). suffered
several startling alterations of national
ensign before settling down to her
present flag. Swit2erland's modern
form of government did not begin un.
til the Nineteenth century--or rather,
was resumed then. in an improved
form. when Napoleon could no longer
bother it. Each Of its present can
comments has a flag of its own. Though
the original Swiss eInblems is Of great
antiquity. it Is Il revival" not q con-
tinued, design Of flag.
Yes, Old Glory is the dean of the