The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-14
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Flag Day, while about the youngest of our national anniversaries, is being made much of since America got into the great war and made such glorious rec ord in preserving democracy for the world.
 | The first official recognition of Flag i Day was made by the governor of New York, who gave orders that, on June IA, 1Saz, the national flag should fly over all the public buildings of the state. The holiday was also observed that year by the Philadelphians.
 The 14th of June was chosen by the governor of New York in 1897 because, on this day, IF years before, the flag of our union was formally adopted by l congress in the resolution: Resolved, That the flag of the 13 United States be 13 stripes, alternated red and white; that the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation. I l am glad that John R. Hornady, pres | ident pro tenn of the city commission, at
 
 1 Junior Order United American Mechan- ics, has issued a proclamation asking the citizens of this great city to make Flag Day, this the 14th of June, notable by it's patriotic celebration, for in their petition they pointed out it's need in burning words of loyalty calling atten- tion to the fact that lat this period of !, trv' icfa there has been manifested so many ele- | ments among us who have no love for our flag and the thing for which it stands, noted among them the anarchis~ tic bomb outrages against public officers and government and the states" It was my privilege also to hear Mrs. w. J. Fielding, formerly Miss E. S. Eos ter, who did such excellent work as field secretary of the illiteracy commits | sion, make a spirited speech at the Ro- tary lunch, explaining Flag Day,y in which she stated that the Daughters of the American Revolution will have flags on sale in the various department stores the proceeds to be used to help provide schools and equipment for districts in the state which do not have adequate means to furnish proper facilities. The wearing of the flag will testify both to your loyalty to your country and to your interest-in redeeming Alabama from il- literacy.
 I am glad that nation, state and city are vieing with one another to make Flag Day worthy celebration. I am glad that after a half century the south is whole heartedly joining in with the north in paying tribute to the great national symbol of liberty. I am glad that today the country is fraternizing as never be- fore and that in truth and in fact we car speak of the United States, for there is no longer any north, any south, any east or any west, but that we all are Americans.
 Henry Ward Beecher, the great preach CT, truly said: "A thoughtful mind, vixen it sees a nations flag, sees not the flag only, but the nation itself; and whatever may be it's symbols it's in signia, he reads chiefly in the flag the government, the principles, the truths the history which belong to the nation.p This being true the sight of Old Glory as it waves in the breeze, ought to give every American true patriotic thrill
 As I sit here and write. every now and tten I turn my eyes towards the court house, where I get view of the stars and stripes proudly floating in the sum- mer breeze; a sight of which in Europe has brought new light into the eyes of many of the smaller nations who have been sitting in the shadow of autocratic power through the centuries, but who are now lifting up outstretched hands tc America to see that justice will be don> when the treaty of peace is signed.
 Our national flag is a beacon of hope for the downtrotten and oppressed man. kind of every nation and cline. The stricken Jews in Poland and Russia and wherever the "pale" deprives them o1 their rights and liberties, and even per mits them to be hafried like animals putting them to all kinds of humiliation and 10 QedLn ltSell, ItJOiSc III WA"l VI. Glory stands for in this great free coun try of ours; and so they make their ples for us to enfo1d them in its protecting power.
 H. G. Wells, the author of 'The Fl ture in America" when he was in thi country some years back, was present a Flag Day observance in school il the United States. It made wonder |. flu, impression upon him, just as did tn sight of newsboy in the Boston Pub } lie Library make on Matthew Arnold for both had caught the spirit of tn } great western republic in the promis , Of it's children. It impressed them nor
 tlan our skyscrapers, exchanges an 7 great commercial enterprises.
 wells, the dreamer. the thinker, wen
 back to England but not before he wen l on. record as saying: Tt is a thing Tn 0 glad not to have missed. I recall larg e cool room, with slopng floor, tier ris f ing above tier of seats and desks, and : big class of bright-eyed Jewish children . boys and girls, each waving two littl American flags to the measure of tn n song they sang, singing to the accompa e niment of the piano on the platform be Il side us, God Bless Our Native hand y They sang with considerable variet