The Holly chieftain., 1922-06-01

BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN
o ay, does that star-Spangled Banner yet
Der land Of the free and the home Of the brave,
ORT M'HENRY will be restored
y and preserved as a national
park and perpetual national
HEWN memorial shrine as the birth
lNC USjM place of 1.-THE star-Spangled
W AAM Banner" written by Francis
M |Ikk Scott Key-if bill Is. 8349)
ENk 1v WIZ introduced by Senator France
NN4I9lkIH of Maryland goes through con-
@ gress.
FV 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 go as to read in part:
"The secretary Of war is hereby authorized and
directed, 30 soon as 1t 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
military reservation, including the restoration of
the old Fort McHery proper to the condition In
which 1t was on the 1st of September 1914, and
to place the whole Of said military reservation In
such condition as would make 1t suitable for
preservation permanently as 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
retary 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 1t such the said reserva-
ton 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 part Of the park system
Of Baltimore city"
proviaOn IN made for eatorafiop oud fynprova
nents 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 museum Of
appropriate relics Nevertheless II Fort McHenry
national memorial shrine as the birthplace Of the
Immortal "Star-Spanged Banner" 1t would seem
that the Flag which inspired the national hymn
should be feature of the shrine.
For the original star-Spangled Banner-the ac-
tual piece of red. white and blue bunting that Key
was 81 anxious to see by the dawn's early light"
still in existence 1t is probably the most inter-
esting bit of bunting in the world to good Ameri.
cans 1t is In the National museum In Washing
ton and thousands go to see 1t every year.
This sacred relic is now more than one hundred
years old and looks Its age. 1t has however, been
mounted on net and has been carefully mended.
With good care 1t should last 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-eight
states now constituting the Union The forty
seventh and fOrty-eghth stars were added in 1912
when New Mexico and Arizona were admitted
The original Flag adopted by congress June
IA, 1777-that's why June IA is observed as Flag
Day. It had thirteen stripes and thirteen stars
UNI thn YnyQ ", fhn nr1v dave odd hoAl>
star and stripe to the Flag for each new state
But 1t was soon seen-by 1872 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 q7e1)
and Kentucky (1792) destroyed the proportions
Of the Flag. So there were more than ff.
teen stripes and the fifteen officially reduced
to the original thirteen In 1873
It's of interest to note that the Fort McHenry
Flag has but fifteen stars, though in 1914 there
were eighteen states, Tennessee (1796) Ohio
(1SO2) and Louisiana Q812) having been admit.
ted But fifteen 1t 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 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 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
to attack and the fate Of the Union in the balance
It 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 McHenry. Of the fastest