Evening star., 1923-07-03
CAPITAL KEYNOTES.
BY PAUL y. COLLINS


The American Legion was one OF
the prime movers in the recent con-
ference OF sixty-eight patriotic So
dietiss upon how to prevent desecra.
tion Of the United States flag. An
elaborate code was formulated at the
Conference, containing specific rules
for, the hanging Of the flag. Since
then the American Legion has vio-
iatea many Of the rules. This has
not been done through any desire to
violate the code, but because the
rules have not yet been written on
the hearts of individuals as living.
sound hne when the committee reads
them. but when decorators and ar
fists get busy, what are rules be-
tween friends?
Rule , Of the code says
When tho flag Of the United States
Is displayed other than flown from a
staff 1t should be displayed fiat.
whether indoors or out. When dis
played horizontally or vertically,
against wall. the, union should be
uppermost, and to the flags right, lie.
to the observer's left"
At the banquet given by the Ameri-
can Legion last week to its national
commander the H.gs were festooned
in groups. wherein half Of them had
their unions revefsed--to the OBJ
servers right. More was displayed
fiat. all were caught n a bunch at the
bottom.
At District convention Of delegates
of all American Legion posts Of the
District of Columbia last Friday
evening the flag was cofNpicuous by
its total absence, though the cere-
mony Of opening and cksing any
Legion meeting requires the flag
salute.
Nor is this apparent indifference to
the flag code confined to the district
Of Columbia.
The American Legion Weekly, the
organ of the national organization,
has undertaken> to celebrate HE
Fourth of July with prize designtn
colors on the front cover of the pui-
lication. On page is of the same mum
Der il calls attention to this picture
as follows:
AN American of italian extraction
who had served the country OF his
birth as naval officer. and been
wounded In action against the enemy
before the world war was even
dreamed Of, won the first prize in the
annual Fourth of July American
Weekly cover contest open to federal
vocational training students who are
studying at the Society of Illustrators
school for Disabled Soldiers. in New
York city Two prizes we're offered
prize went to Rddolph A. Bianconcini
whose winning design appears on the
cover of this issue"
1t Is not to the discredit Of the
Italian artist that his winning design
violates the code How about the
the errors. The artistic character OF
the frontispiece is not criticized.
The design depicts Liberty, as a
woman-a left-handed fighting WON
an. for she carries her sword in Its
scabbard on her right hip. where she
| would have to use her. left hand in
drawing II. Her left arm, however
bears as a shield large reproduction
| of the Legion insignia: this is pic
The code says in its list Of "Don'ts'
No. S:
do not place any object or emblem
| of any kind on or above the flag OF
the United States"
It may be argued that this shield Is
not pictured as being painted on the
| flag itself. but as a shield before the
| flag.
X
However that may be. Liberty Is at
| tired in the flag of the United States
The dress consists of a waist of the
starry union. partly covered by a Goa,
of mail. together with a skirt of red
and white stripes.
If the whole had been either the
! union or had been merely the red and
| white stripes the plea might have
been made that 1t was only bunting
| but the combination. as pictured. is
Enthusiastically the fiag-not bunting.
| No. II of the codes "Don'ts" says: