Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-21
Circulation Every 10EE6
Evening Yesterday / AAVOO
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 81, .l9lS.
Ffy the Country's Flag, Everybody

In our zeal for other and seemingly
more important things, We appear TO have
forgotten, TO q certain extent, the Amerl-
can f7ax-or At least to have neglected 1T,
and the Stars and Stripes have been less
frequently seen on our streets and build
ines even though requests were made for
general display. Neglect, probably, is the
cause OF this absence of our flag, for our
natr,otism surely is not tagging, but only
assuming less demonstrative form.
For instance. on Sunday, the Stars and
Stripes were displayed from above the
doorway of Wilmington's first cItizen-Ii
such VIC NAV call our veneratcd townsman
who has filed such notable places IN
public life for half century. From no
other private house in Market street was
our banner wavlng-at least not prom-
nently enough TO be noticeable as ono
drove along the thoroughfarc. From some
of the public buildings, notably the his
toric old City Hall, bunting representing
the flags of some of the Allies and the
GREAT Red Cross was displayed, but IT was
sorry down-in-the-beel, faded, dllapi-
dated bunting, clinging limply to rusty
lookine poles. as If ashamed OF the DIRT
accumulated by many months service.
With these exceptions there was nothing
10 show a stranger that he was IN an
American CITY. the metropolis Of the State
that contributed vastly 10 the formation
and stability Of the United States in our
rarliest dsys. There was nothing 70 lndl-
.ate that Delaware was participating IN
f, ,ac great world conflict for democracy
I'd equal rights. and equal opportunity,
ssr that two DAYS earlier American
oops had driven 4 wedge into the strong
id Of our foes defenses. crTimbled mp hrs
e captured his men and guns, and
ampeded him 10 the cover o( his great
,rtresscS. 10 sing the swan song Of
,utocracy.
Surely, after battle that is changing
the map OF the world, that is proving the
first staggering blow to bestiality, bar
barity, lust, greed, tyranny, theft and
imnoraliiy-a blow to reclaim the world
and start II night again, we might express
our recognition OF the great triumph on
the bloody field Of battle by displaying
the flag Of the frst great Republic OF
modern times.
There never has been time when our
coIntry's flag stood for go much as 1t does
at this moment; never before has II re-
hected such glory, and never have its
stars and bars of red and white and blue
shore so respondent as they do today,
while grouped with the national ernb4enls
of our Allies.
Our flag has long stood for the issues
so supremeiy at stake In this world war.
1t symbolizes liberty progress, happiness,
prosperity, and In this great Arrnagedden
it is showing the way 10 other nations Of
the world to the path which we walked
alone until we reached the pinnacle of
national completeness.
The Stars and Stripes, too, stand for
brotberly love and heipfulness, for IN those
days of darkness for our country, which
arc DOW becoming but a memory, we fed
every hungering people in the world
bound up the wounds of the stricken -
hike the Beigians and ministered lovingly
10 the broken-heart No plea of the
auffering was made IN vain, and even
though to answer the call it took our men
and our ships through zones wherein
death awaited our conirg, there was no
faltering; America has served all map-
kind ia way so generous, go loving, 50
hearty, that we have gwen the world
new Interpretation of brotheriy love
Truly, a flag which stands for such
nation, that symholizes such people,
should wave it's ripping folds from every
home, from every building, until our city,
from every point, shows red and white
and blue.
And let us have fresh flags, too, with
the colors undimmed- the stars may
stand out as bright as those IN the heavens
above
And the service flags: They need re-
heNlhg; ieiicouihSJ anu starry au-
dltions While we may Keep the Home
Fires Burning for our boys overseas, it
is the duty OF those of us who STAY at
home TO see, also, that The Star Spangled
Banner" always shall wave. and he kept
clean, and show care and appreciation
instead Of unintentional neglect. BY this
little attention We can manifest our pride
o. country and our appreciation Of the
fact that our flag is the most honored
ensign in the world today.