The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-05-30

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something should be done to recon-
cile the differences in the design on
the shield. A committee from the War
department and the Navy department
called on President Roosevelt and
suggested that since other nations
had but one flag for its chief, it was
not consistent for our President to
have two. So it was decided to adopt
a new flag, closely patterned after the
older navy flag, but with several
notifications. A short time later
orders were issued by the secretaries
of the two departments that the c0iors
on the shield, as certified by the State
department (seven white and six red
bars) be followed and on November
81, 1902, it was officially announced
that the controversy between the two
departments over the design of the
Presidents flag was at an end. The
only other change was to make the
eagle white, heavily stitched in black.
Despite the agreement, however, the
flags used by the two branches of the
service were not yet the same. True,
both used the same device as to the
eagle and the shield, but the navy
chung to it's blue field and the army
to it's red field. 1t was not until the
next administration that decided steps
towards uniformity were taken. On
June "a, 1912 and again on October
30, 1912. President Taft issued execu-
tive orders that 1.-THE color of the field
of the Presidents flag shall be blue"
but the army did not Immediately con-
form and difficult situation arose at
the inaugural ceremonies of President
Wilson in March, 1913. The review
ing box in front of the White House
was decorated with two Presidents
flags, provided by the War department
and the Navy department. The Navy
departments was blue, but the War
departments was red!
This revived the old controversy
and when again in 1915 there was
double display of colors the matter
assumed serious aspect. 1t was
pointed out to President Wilson that
an agreement should be made and
standard flag adopted for both
branches of the service. The President
called in Lieutenant-Co Commander By
ron McCandless, aide to the secretary
of the navy, and requested him to pre-
pare a design for the Presidential
standard. The new flag was to consist
of blue field with four white stars
in the corners, since the flags of an
admiral and of a general bear four
stars as sign of command, and the
President is the highest ranking
admiral and general. Instead of an
exact reproduction of the great seal,
President Wilson expressed desire
to have his personal seal. modifica-
ton of the great seal used on the
Presidents stationery in the White
House, on the flag. This seal differs
from the great seal in that the eagles
head is turned to the sinister tits
lefty and the stars above the eagle
are differently arranged.
The new design was prepared by
the bureau of construction and repair
under the direction of Commander
McCandless and was approved by the
President in an executive order dated
May 20, 1916. So at last the con-
troversy was ended and Presidents
flag, uniform for both branches of the
service, came into being.
But though the army-navy contro-
vefsy over the Presidents flag was
thus ended, there are those who are
not yet satisfied with the Presidents
flag. They point out the fact that the
seven white and six red bars on the
shield, even though it does have the
Endorsement of the State department,
is not in conformity with the arrange
ment of these colors as prescribed in
the act of congress of June 90. 1852,
adopting the great seal of the United
States, nor as prescribed by the act
of congress of April 4, 1918, prescrib-
ing alternating red and white stripes
in establishing the American flag.
But more serious that this, accord
ing to heraldry experts, is the fact
that on the Presidents flag the eagles
head is turned towards the sinister,
that is, away from the flag pole. 1t
is one of the ancient rules of heraldry,
they say, that no bird or animal ever
look away from the staff, for if sIch
flag is carried into battle, the head
thus turned would make it look as
though the bird were retreating from
the enemy. On all other flags on
which the eagle appears, it's head al
ways faces the staff, regardless of
which side of the flag one looks at