Smyrna times., 1936-08-20
OFFICIAL FLAG
CABINET MEN
Are Little known By the
Public Yet They Are
i'm Use
DEPARTMENT BANNERS

Washington, D. C.-If the flags Of
the President, vice-president and
the cabinet members were parad-
ed before you, how many would
you recognize?
1T was not until February 7
that the president was grant
ed an official flag, and the secre-
tary of agriculture never has had
one" says the National Geograph-
ic society.
1.-THE vice-president's personal
banner is like the Presidents, with
blues and whites reversed The
Presidents, authorized in 1916, has
a blue field charged with the pres
idential arms, in which the eagles
feathers are embroidered in white.
On large star in each corner of
these flags indicates the high ranks
of the possessors.
1.-The President has had four
flags. Gideon Welles, secretary
of the navy, established the first
of these Distinguishing banners in
1865. The next year Secretary
Welles authorized the flag which,
except from 1870 to 1876. has been
used by the secretary of the navy.
1t is not known who designed this
flag, with its white fouled' anchor
in the center and its white stars in
each of the four corners.
War Secretary's Flag
1.-THE secretary of wars flag was
authorized in 1897 by order of the
adjutant generals office. It is
scarlet, with a white star in each
corner and the coat of arms of
the United States in the center.
When a separate portfolio was
created for the secretary of labor
in 1913, the secretary of commerce
retained the old flag Of the COM
bined departments, changing only
the shield. The present commerce
flag is blue, with a white star in
each corner. In the center is a
white shield, bearing a three-mast-
ed vessel at the top and a light
house at the bottom.
THE Department of Labor
adopted a flag designed by its Sec
retary, William B. Wilson. 1t is
white, with the seal of the depart
ment in the center and blue
star in each of the four corners.
1t is considered the department
flag rather than the personal BAN
ner of the secretary, and the four
stars in the corners are said to
represent the four bureaus within
the department.
Franklin K. Lane, secretary of
the interior, and DR.. Gilbert Gros-
venor, president of the National
Geographic society, designed the
first interior flag in 1917. The pres
ent flag is light blue, as contrast
ed with the navy blue ordinarily
used in the United States flags,
with the departmental seal show
ing a buffalo in the center. The
three stars across the top and
the four stars across the bottom of
the flag represent the seven princi-
pal activities of the department.
1T was Postmaster General VIII
Hays who, in 1921, proposed flag
for the Post Office department, but
the actual design was suggested by
Miss Alice B. Sanger, an employee.
This flag has a blue field with
white star in each Of its four cor
ners. The Post Office seal, a post
horse in speed, with mail bags and
rider is shown in the center.
Changed by Order
.'The secretary of state was giv-
en- a flag designed by the Navy de-
partment and approved by execu-
tive order in 1920. In 1888 a new
executive order changed the flag
slightly. 1t is now blue with the
coat Of arms Of the United States
in the center and white star in
each corner.
The designs of the new flags
for the secretary of state, the at
torney general. and the postmaster