The Meeker herald., 1922-06-10

Nk1(- W introduced by Senator France
N%1lallIH of Maryland goes through con.
@@ xresa
An act was passed in 1914
which granted the Of the
Fort NcIIenry Military reservation to the city OF
baltimore for park purposes. The new bill
amends the 1914 act 90 a. to read In part:
'-The secretary OF war is hereby authorized and
directed 3" sc0n as 1t may No longer be needed
Tor uses md needs growing out of the recent war.
b beEin the restoration Of Fort McEenry. In the
state OF AInrylnnd. now occupied and used as
military reservation. including the restoration OF
the old Fort MsHery proper to the condition In
which II was ot the LIST Of September. 1914, and
to place the whole Of said military reservation In
such q condition. us would make It suitable for
preservation permanently as national park and
oerpstual national memorial shrine the birth.
place Of the Immortal 'StarSpanged Banner
written by Francis Scott Key: and that the
Rotary Of war he. and he Ia hereby further author
ised and directed. nre his SUCCESSORS. to hold
the said Fort Alcienry in perpetuty MILL
tary reservation. national park and memorial and
to maintain II rs such the said reserva.
tion to be maintained as q national public park.
subject to such regulations ms mny from time to
time be ISSUED by the secretary Of wnr: Provided.
That the citizens Of Baltimore city and Of the
state Of Maryland shnll be given as free and full
acccss to and use of said national park they
would enjoy II this were part Of the park system
Of Baltimore city"
Provision Ia made for restoration ind improve
nentA under approval of the secretary Of war and
at the expense of the United States. The sum Of
100000 is appropriated for the work and $4,000
annually for maintenance.
Nothing Is sald In the bill nbout n museum of
appropriate relics. Nevertheless II Fort NcHenry
10 to be restored and preserved a perpetual
national memorial shrine the birthplace OF the
Immortal "star Spangled Banner" 1t would seem
that the Fling which inspired the national hymn
should be a feature OF the SHRINE.
Hor tho Iod pon
teal piece Of red. white and blue bunting that Key
Was ~ anxious to see "by the dawn's early light"
% still In existence II is probably the most inter-
osting bit Of bunting In the world to good AmerI.
cam. 1t Ia In the National museum In Washins-
ton and thousands go to see 1t every year.
This sncred relic IL now more than one hundred
1ears old and looks Its age. It has, however, been
mounted net and has been carefully mended.
With good care 1t should last long time.
Az every good American knows-or should
knOw--the Fling now consists OF thirteen alternate
rcd and white stripes, representing the thirteen
original suites. and a blue field which nre
forty-eHht white stars, arranged In six rows of
eight snrs each. representing the forty.eight
staten constituting the Union. The forty
seventh and fortyelghth stnrs were added In 1912
when New Mexico and Arizonn were admitted
Tho Original Flag WINS adopted by congress June
~. 1777-that's why June II is observed us Flag
Day II had thirteen stripes and thirteen stars.
1t WIS the plan In the emily days to ntd both
star and IA stripe to the Fling for each new state
But II WINS soon seen-by 1912 there were five new
staies-that while stnr could easily be added
additional stripes were out OF the question. The
addition In 1894 Of two stripes for Vermont 781)
and Kentucky l792) destroyed the proportions
OF the Flng. So there never more than ff.
teen stripes md the fifteen were officially reduced
10 the original thirteen In 1918.
tts Of interest to note TINT the Fort McHenry
Flag has but fifteen stnrs though In 1914 there
were eighteen states, Tennessee (179G) Ohio
(18G2D and Louisiana (1S12) having been admit.
ted. hut fifteen It hns-n six alternate rows of
three md two stnrs. beginning Mt the edge Of the
ncld next the star. The explanation ia that no
official Change was made in the Flag between 1904
and 1918. The Flag In 1918 was given twenty
stars Indlnnn and Mississippi having been ADMIT.
ted. and thirteen stripes
Did you know that by correct usage the Flag
In time Of peace Is not permitted to float all night
except at the grave Of Francis Scott Key?
Senator France, In Introducing the Fort Nc.
Henry bill, put Into the Congressional Record the
contents of booklet prepared by himself and
other patriotic citizens This booklet contains
among other things. the following Interesting
matter:
The list of September. 1914. saw the city of
washington burned the handful Of American war
ships driven to port by force of superior numbers
the Atlantic coast from Maine to Louisiana open
70 attack and the fate Of the Union Ii the balance
II WAS then thaa Fort McHenry stood hrm against
the invader, rsdsemed our eastern seaboard and
delivered tho federal government FROM serious
disaster or utter rum.
In the two and a half years Of war preceding
the efe,.sr Ut Fort McHenry. scores Of the fastest