The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1923-08-31

On Flag Day, June IA, representa-
tives of GO organizations met in
Washington for conference, called
by and conducted under the auspices
of The American Legion, to draft an
authentic code Of flag etiquette. The
code drafted by that conference is
printed in the Call of the North be-
cause there seems to be considerable
uncertainty where there should be
none.
While the rules adopted by the con-
ference have no official government
sanction, nevertheless they represent
the authoritive opinion of the principal
patriotic bodies of the United States
and of Army and Navy experts, and
are binding on all of the organiza-
tons which took part in the gather
ing. The conference constituted it
self a permanent body, so that modifi-
cations in the rules can be made if
this proves desirable. The rules as
given below are from the final cor
rected draft of the code as brought
out of the conference. Legion posts
will find the rules and diagrams
worth calling to the notice of school
pupils and citizens generally.
There are certain fundamental rules
of heraldry which, if understood gen.
orally, would indicate the proper
method of displaying the flag. The
matter becomes a very simple one if
it is kept in mind that the National
Flag represents the living country
and is itself considered as living
thing. The union of the flag is the
honor joint; the right arm is the
sword arm, and therefore the point
of danger and hence the place of
honor.
1. The Flag should be displayed
only from sunrise to sunset, or be-
tween such hours as may be designat-
ed by proper authority. 1t should be
displayed on national and state holt
days and on historic and special &C.
easion. The flag should always be
hoisted briskly and lowered slowly and
tremendously.
2. When carried in a procession
with another flag or flags, the Flag
of the United States should be either
on the marching right, i. e., the
Flags own right, or when there is a
line of other flags the Flag of the
United States may be in front of the
center of that line.
8. When displayed with another
flag against a wall from crossed
stats, the Flag of the United States
should be on the right, the Flags own
right, and it's staff should be in front
of the staff of the other flag.
4. When a number of flags are
grouped and displayed from stats, the
Flag of the United States should be
in the enterc or at the highest point
OF the group.
5. When flags of States or cities
or pennants of societies are flown on
the same halyard with the Flag of the
United States, the National Flag
should always be at the peak. When
flown from adjacent stats the Flag
of the United States should be hoist
ed first. No flag or pennant should
be placed above or to the right of
the Flag of the United States.
6. When flags of two or more ma
lions are displayed they should be
flown from separate stats of the
same height and the flags should be
of approximately equal size. Inter-
national usage forbids the display of
the flag of one nation above that of
another nation in time of peace.)
z. When the Flag is displayed
from a staff projecting horizontally
or at an angle from the window sill,
balcony, or front of building, the
union of the Flag should 60 clear to
the head of the staff unless the Flag
is at half mast.
8. When the Flag of the United
States is displayed in manner other
than by being flown from staff it
should be displayed fiat, whether in
doors or out. When displayed either
horizontally or vertically against a
wall, the union should be uppermost
and to the Flags own right, j. e., to
the observers left. When displayed
in a window it should be displayed the
same way, that is, with the union or
blue field to the left of the observer
in the street. When festoons, roset-
tes, or drapings of blue, white and
red are desired bunting should be
used, but never the Flag.
9. When displayed over the mid
die of the street, as between build
ings, the Flag of the United States
should be suspended vertically with
the, union to the north in an east-and-