Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-11-05
OFFICIAL BANNERS
ARE LITTLE KNOWN
Vice President Latest to Get
Personal Flag.

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?
ut was not until February Z,
that the vice-president was grant
ed an official flag, and the secre-
tary of agriculture never has had
one" says the National Geograph-
ic society.
''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.
One large star in each corner OF
these flags indicates the high ranks
of the possessorS.
''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.
It is not known who designed this
flag, with its white 'fouled' anchor
in the center and it's white stars in
each of the four corners.
War Secretary's Flag
"The secretary of wars flag was
authorized in 1897 by order of the
adjutant generals office. 1t is
scarlet, with white star in each
corner and the coat of arms Of
the United States in the center.
'When a separate portfolio was
e. 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 light
house at the bottom.
'The Department of Labor
adopted flag designed by its Sec
rotary, William B. Wilson. It is
white, with the seal of the depart.
ment in the center and a blue
star in each of the four corners.
It 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 eros
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
the four stars across the bottom OF
the flag represent the seven princi-
pal activities of the department.
"It was Postmaster General Will
Hays who, in 1921, proposed a 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 a
white star in each of it's four cor
ners. The Post Office seal, post
horse in speed, with mail bags and
rider is shown in the center.
Changed by Order
'The secretary of state was Civ
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 a white star in
each corner.
1.-THE designs of the new flags
for the secretary of state, the at
torney general, and the postmaster
general were executed by Mr.. A.
E. Dubois, of the quartermaster
generals office.
"The attorney generals flag was
designed upon suggestions made by
Attorney General William D.
Mitchell and a group of friends. 1t
is blue with white star in each
corner. The center bears the arms
shown on the Department of Justice
seal.
"The flag of the secretary of
the treasury was in use in 1917
when the National Geographic
magazine published it's first flag
number. It is believed that a fire
in 1920 destroyed records which
would show the name of the
designer and the first use made
of the flag. It is blue, with a cir
Gle of Is white stars surrounding
two fouled anchors
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