Evening star., 1924-12-10
j. S. FLAG HISTORY
IS TOLD BY COLBY
Rear Admiral, Retired, Ad-
dresses Sons of Revolution
Meeting Here.

.Comdr. Essex Hopkins Of the
American vessel Alfred, leading a.
squadron into the Bahama Islands,
which resulted in the capture of
Nassau and 100 guns. flew the first
American flag early in the Revolu-
tionary War. The American flag, au-
thorized by Congress in 1918 and
having the same design as that now
carried by the military and naval
forces, with fewer stars, was designed
by Simon Chester Reed, an American
naval officer.
John Paul Jones during the War
of the Revolution carried the Ameri-
can battle flag, with the stars placed
in parallel bands. He carried the
flag of the new republic into every
civilized nation on the globe, unfurl-
ing 1t over British territory on his
historic expedition to Great Britain,
American flag which was saluted by
foreign nations.
Colby Reveals Facts.
These facts on the development of
the American flag were revealed by
Rear Admiral Colby M. Chester,
U. s. N, retired, who addressed the
annual meeting of the Sons of the
Revolution in the District Of Column
bia last night at the Metropolitan
Club. Admiral Chester gave a de-
tailed and illustrated history of the
evolution Of the flag. punctuating his
discourse with many interesting anec-
dotes from his own personal obser-
vations.
The official American flag has never
been recognized as having stars in a
circle, Admiral Chester declared. The
original use of this flag would have con-
80
land, which had a lone star in the mid
die OF group of stars, representing
Maryland in the center Of the Union Of
States. The stars on the American flag
have always been placed in parallel
lines, he said.
Disputes Bryan View.
Taking issue with the declarations Of
William Jennings Bryan and David
Starr Jordan that there shall be no
moro wars, Admiral Chester declared
the millennium has not yet arrived, and
that this Nation should remain in a
state of preparedness. There will be no
moro wars. he declared. when crime
shall have ceased and prisons will be
turned into schoolhouses. Admiral
Chester scored Mr.. Bryan and DR.. Jor-
dan for their pacifistic views, and said
that even though the United States
could possibly raise an army overnight
a standing army was needed. In sup
port Of his contention he said 1t took
100000 men moro than seven months
to fire the first American gun in the
World War.
Brig. Gen. George Richards, United
States Marine Corps, was reelected
for the seventh consecutive time
president Of the society, an honor re-
ferred to by the president as a Sig
nal' one. Other officers elected were
as follows: Vice president, Clarence
A. Aspinwail; secretary, Charles P.
Light, ST.; treasurer Maj. Edward F.
Riggs; registrar. William Walker
Smith; chaplain. DR.. Thomas Edward
Green. Capt Robert r. Bennett,
Col. Herbert ]. Slocum, U. s. N. re-
tired, were elected members of the
board of managers, other than those
who are ex-officio members.
The society received a report on
the essay contest being conducted by
it, presented by Comdr. J. H. Sypher,
L. s. n. The essay contest being con-
Quoted in the schools ends February
%.
Union OF the two societies COM
posed of descendants of the patriots
Of the War of Independence was dis
cussed.
Four new members were elected as
follows: Maj. Edgar E. Hume,
w. McReynolds and John n. Moore.