The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1922-06-15


TU An act was passed in 1914
which granted the use of the
Fort NcIIenry Military reservation to the city of
Baltimore for park purposes. The new bill
amends the 1914 act to read in part:
The secretary of war is hereby authorized and
directed, soon 1t may no longer be needed
for and needs growing out of the recent war,
Ia begin the restoration of Fort McIenry in the
state Of Maryland now occupied and used as
military reservation, including the restoration of
the Old Fort McIIcry proper to the condition in
which il was on the lSt Of September, 1914, and
to place the whole Of said military reservation in
such condition as would make It suitable for
preservation permanently national park and
perpetual national memorial shrine the birth
place of the immortal 'StarSpangled Banner
written by Francis Scott Key; and that the
rotary OF war be and he is hereby further author
lied and directed, rs are his successors to hold
the said Fort McIIenry in perpetuty as mill
tary reservation, national park and memorial and
To maintain il such the said reServa-
tion to be maintained as a national public park,
subject to such regulations may from time to
time be issued by The secretary of war: Provided
That the citizens % Baltimore city and Of the
state of Maryland shall be given free and full
access to and use of said national park as they
would enjoy if this were part of the park system
of Baltimore city"
Provision is 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 for maintenance.
- Nothing is said in the bill about a museum of
appropriate relics Nevertheless If Fort McHenry
is to be restored and preserved as perpetual
national memorial shrine the birthplace of the
immortal "Star-Spangled Banner" il 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 "by the dawn's early light"
is 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 ii every year.
This sacred relic is more than one hundred
years old and looks it's age. II has, however, been
mounted on net and has been carefully mended.
With good care 1t should last long time.
AS every good American knnws-Or should
know--the Flag now consists Of thirteen alternate
red and white stripes, representing the thirteen
original states. and a blue field which
fortyseight white stars, arranged in six rows of
eight stars each representing the fOrty-eight
states now. constituting the Union. The forty
seventh and forty-eighth stars were added in 1912
when New Mexico and Arizona were admitted.
The original Flag adopted by congress June
II. 1777-that's why June Il is observed as Flag
Day. II had thirteen stripes and thirteen stars
II the plan in the early days to add both a
star and stripe to the Flag for each state.
But It soon seen-by 1912 there were FIVE new
states-that while a star could easily be added
l additional stripes out of the question The
addition In 1894 of two stripes for Vermont Q79D
and Kentucky Q792) destroyed the proportions
of the Flag. So there were never more than fif-
teen stripes and the fifteen were officially reduced
to the original thirteen in 1918.
It's of interest TO note that the Fort McHenry
Flag has but fifteen stars. though In 1914 there
were eighteen states, Tennessee Q796) Ohio
US02) and Louisiana QSl2) having been admit
ted. But fifteen II has-in six alternate rows of
three and two stars beginning at the edge of the
field next the staff. The explanation is that no
official change made in the Flag between 1894
and ISIS 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 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 10 port by force of superior numbers
the Atlantic coast from Maine TO Louisiana open
10 attack and the fate of the Union in the balance
II was then that Fort McHenry stood firm against
the invader. redeemed our eastern SeabOard and
delivered the federal government from serious
disaster utter ruin.
In the two and half years Of war preceding
the defense of Fort McIenry scores of the fastest