Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-06-01

BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN ~,
o say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
Ger land of the and the home of the brave?
v.vzA> ORT M'HENRY will be restored
M and preserved a national
k%A park and perpetual national
NI(~MN\ memorial shrine the birth
IWES~I\3N place of THE Star-Spangled
NIX - NW Banner" written by Francis
W. MI Scott Key-if a bill IS. 3349)
ANY, - Wb introduced by Senator France
NAA&I9ll/5w of Maryland goes through con-
w<gZ<ESS gress.
TVU An act was passed in 1914
which granted the use of the
Fort McIenry Military reservation to the city of
Baltimore for park purposes. The new bill
amends the 1914 act as to read, in part:
''The secretary of war is hereby authorized and
directed, So soon as it may no longer be needed
for 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
military reservation, including the restoration of
the old Fort McHery proper to the condition in
which it was the LIST of September, 1914, and
to place the whole of said military reservation in
such condition would make it suitable for
preservation permanently a national park and
perpetual national memorial shrine the birth
place of the immortal 'Star-Spanged Banner
written by Francis Scott Key; and that the Sec
rotary of war be- and he is hereby further author
the said Fort McIIenry in perpetuty as a mill
tary reservation, national park and memorial and
to maintain it as 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 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 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 as the birthplace of the
immortal "Star-Spangled Banner" it 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 anxious to "by the dawn's early light"
is 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 it every year.
This sacred relic is 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 it 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 a blue field on which
fOrtyeight white stars, arranged in six rows Of
eight stars each representing the fortyeight
states now constituting the Union. The forty
seventh and fOrty-eighth stars added in 1912
when New Mexico and Arizona were admitted.
The original Flag was adopted by congress June
IA, 1777-thats why June IA is observed as Flag
Day. It had thirteen stripes and thirteen stars.
! 1t was the plan in the early days to add both
! star and stripe to the Flag for each new state.
| But it 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 1894 Of two stripes for Vermont 179D
and Kentucky G792) destroyed the proportions
of the Flag. So there were never more than ff-
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 Q79G) Ohio
! (SO2) and Louisiana 1Sl2) having been admit
| ted But fifteen it 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 1918. The Flag in 1918 was civen 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 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
1t was then that Fort McIIenry stood firm against
the invader, redeemed eastern seaboard, and
| delivered the federal government from serious
disaster or utter ruin.
In the two and half years Of war preceding
the defense Of Fort McIIenrY scores of the fnsest