The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-06-11

l.
has proclaimed June IA, Monday
next, Flag Day, and asked the peo-
ple to fly the Stars and Stripes this
year along with the flags of the Uni
ted Nations wherever feasible.
June IA has been set aside as Flag
Day for years, but the President lays
special emphasis on it's observance
this year by saying: "the Stars and
Stripes is a battle emblem flying in
the deserets and jungles and over
Arctic SHOWS. 1t is mark of hope
to our Allies and of despair to our
enemies. This year the flags of 81
United Nations are marching togeth-
er, as the emblem of a gathering Of
fensive that shall liberate the world. "
We owe our official celebration OF
Flag Day to President Woodrow Will
son. On May 10, 1916, he issued a
proclamation designating June IA
of each year as Flag Day, and it has
been so observed since that time.
AS for the honor of being the orig
inator of Flag Day, it would be diff
cult to award that title to any one
person, since several Americans con-
tributed to the idea.
One of them is a woman, Mrs.
Laura B. Prisk, widely known as the
Mother of Flag Day." During Pres
ident Wilson's administration she
was editor of the Patriotic Instruc-
tor in New York and in that publi-
cation suggested setting: aside June
IA as Flag Day. Her suggestion was
forwarded by the Daughters of the
American Revolution in New York
to the President and his proclama-
ton of May 13, 1915, followed soon
afterwards.
Another who seems to have just
claim to the title of Originator" is
BENJAMIN Altheimer of New York
Under the title of Flag Day Man,
the New Yorker magazine in its issue
of June IA, 1880, told his story as
follows: Benjamin Altheimer," you
might say, lis responsible for Flag
Day; did you know that?"
Mr.. Altheimer thought of setting
aside a special day for the Spangled
Banner, back in 1910. He was on a
visit to San Antonio, and he watched
with sparkling eyes the flag retreat
ceremony at Fort Sam Houston one
afternoon 1t impressed him might
lily. He was about sixty then, and a
great patriot in a quiet way lovel
of the flag of the Betsy Ross tradi-
ton, of the United States of Ameri-
ca generally oddly enough, he was
born in Germany
He came to America as young
man, plunged into banking and bro
kerage out in st. Louis and, in no
time, made millions of dollars. His
gratitude for the quick success that
he, a foreign-born Jew, had in a
strange country, took the form OF
philanthropy and patriotism. He
gave to hospitals, founded libraries,
aided government projects, financed
charities, led off campaigns for the
relief of victims of fire, flood, war,
and unemployment. Always in his
mind, however, there lurked de-
sire to do something for America in
a big way. The incident at San An
tonic was his inspiration. A great
reader of our history, he knew Cor
if he didn't, he looked it up) that
June IA was the day when Congress
accepted Betsy Ross flag. Then,
with the same spirit and gusto that
had put over charitable campaigns,
he started his drive to interest the
nation in it's flag. He began on st.
Louis. He promised to give fine
flag to any institution which would
formally observe Flag Day on the
fourteenth. The Second Presbyterian
church of St. Louis was the first to
respond-in 1911. Other churches
synagogues, and schools fell in line
Mr.. Altheimer soon had to go into
the flag purchasing and presenting
business on big scale, with secre-
taries and others helping him to meet
the demand. Since he was retired
from banking, he could give all OF
his time to it. In 1912 St. Louis, as
a municipality, celebrated Flag Day
Flags were everywhere. All traffic
stopped for full minute at given
time. Mr.. Altheimer was happy. He
was happier yet when, in 1917, he
got to President Wilson in person,
and Flag Day was made a national
occasion. In 1927, the one-hundred-
and-fiftieth anniversary of the adop-
ton of the flag, the United States
Flag Association invited Mr.. Althei-
mer, along with Lindbergh, to attend
its celebration in Washington. He
couldn't go, because Of illness, but
the association sent him cross OF
honor and citation, signed by Cool
idge, for having planted the true
appreciation of the flag In the hearts
Of the American people"
The nav II lacks from here IL