The Raymer enterprise., 1922-06-01
BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN
ay. does that Star-spangled Banner yet wave
Der the land of the free and the homo Of the bra

BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN
ny. does that Stars pangied Banner yet wave
Der the land Of the free and the homo OF the bave'
oRT MHENRY will be restored
- and preserved as a national
park and perpetual national
.MEkN memorial shrine as the birth.
l~ SM place Of The Star.Spangled
W A% Banner" written by Francis
NJ Hkk Scott Key-lf a bill Is. 3349)
Mk1(1 WIZ introduced by Senator France
N&I9l4ZT Of Maryland goes through con.
@&S gress.
TY An act was passed In 1914
which granted the use Of the
Fort McHenry Military reservation to the city Of
Baltimore for park purposes The new bill
amends the 1914 act 80 as to read. In part:
''The secretary of war is hereby authorized and
directed so soon as It may no longer be needed
tor uses and needs growing out of the recent war,
TO begin the restoration Of Fort McHenry. in the
state Of Maryland now occupied and used as a
military reservation, including the restoration Of
che old Fort McHery proper to the condition In
which 1t was on the LIST Of September, 1874 and
to place the whole Of said military reservation In
such condition as would make 1t suitable for
preservation permanently as n national park and
perpetual national memorial shrine as the birth.
place Of the immortal 'Star.Spangled Banner
written by Francis Scott Key; and that the sec.
rotary OF war be- and he Is hereby further author.
lied and directed as are his successors, to hold
the said Fort McHenry in perpetuIty as mill.
tary reservation, national park and memorial, and
to maintain II as such . the said reserva.
tion to be maintained as a national public park
subject to such regulations as may from time to
time be issued by the secretary Of war: Provided,
That the citizens Of Baltimore city and Of the
state OF Maryland shall be given as free and full
access to and use Of said national park as they
would enjoy II this were a part Of the park system
OF Baltimore city"
Provision Ia made for restoration and Improve
ments 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 fof maintenance
Nothing Is said in the bill about museum of
appropriate relics. Nevertheless II Fort McIIenry
Ia to be restored and preserved as a perpetual
national memorial shrine as the birthplace Of the
Immortal "Star-Spangled Banner" II would seem
that the Flag which inspired the national hymn
should be feature Of the shrine.
For the original star.Spangled Banner-the &C.
tual piece Of red white and blue bunting that Key
was so anxious to see by the dawn's early Light
IL still In existence. 1t Is probably the most Inter.
estng bit Of bunting In the world to good Ameri.
cans II Is In the National museum In Washing.
ton and thousands go to see It every year.
This sacred relic Is now more than one hundred
years old and looks Its age. It has, however been
mounted on net and has been carefully mended
With good care II should last a long time
As every good American knows-or should
know--the Flag now consists OF thirteen alternate
red and white stripes. representing the thirteen
original states and blue field on which are
forty-eight white stars arranged In six rows Of
eight stars each, representing the forty.elght
states now constituting the Union The forty.
seventh and forty-eIghth stars were added In 1912
when New Mexico and Arizona were admitted.
Tho original Flag was adopted by congress June
"a, 1777-that's why June IA Is observed as Flag
Day. 1t had thirteen stripes and thirteen stars
It was the plan In the early days to add both a
stnr and a stripe to the Flag for each new state
But II was soon seen-by 1912 there were five new
states-that while star could easily be added
additional stripes were out of the question The
addition In 1904 of two stripes for Vermont Q70D
and Kentucky u7o2) destroyed the proportions
OF the Flag So there were never more than AZ.
teen stripes and the fifteen were officially reduced
to the original thirteen in 1878.
It's Of interest to note tAat the Fort McIIenry
Flag has but fifteen stars. though In 1914 there
were eighteen states, Tennessee Q798) Ohio
tlSO2) and Louisiana u812) having been admit.
ted. But fifteen II has-in six alternate rows Of
shree and two stars, beginning at the edge of the
field next the staff. The explanation is that no
official change was made In the Flag between 1904
and 1918, The Flag In 1918 was given twenty
stars, Indiana 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 Key1
Senator France. In introducing the Fort Nc.
Henry BILL put into the Congressional Record the
contents of a 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
to attack and the fate Of the Union In the balance
II was then that Fort McTIenry stood firm against
the invader. redeemed our eastern seaboard and
dlllyered the federal government from serious
diS1ster or utter ruin.
In the two and half years Of war preceding
the defcuse Of Fort Mcienry scores of the fastest