Washington Journal., 1943-01-22

paper a proclamation by the burgomaster
telling the citizens they were expected to flag
their houses in honor of a passing visit OF
His Majesty, the German Emperor.
The newspaper announced that Emperor
William, returning to Berlin from a vacation
at a southern watering resort, where he had
been met by their Excellencies Prince Bis
marck and Fieldmarshall Won MOltke, would
pass by Munich.
He would be welcomed at the railroad sta
ton by His Majesty, King Ludwig, and by
their Excellencies, F'reiherr Won Lutz, Prime
Minister, and General Won der Tam. 1t was
to be but a brief courtesy meeting, since His
Majesty, Emperor William, attended by their
Excellencies, Prince Bismarck, the Chancellor
and Count Won Moltke, Chief of the General
Staff, merely would alight from the private
car Of his special train to exchange greetings
with His Majesty, the King, while they were
passing through Bavaria. Then the distin-
guished visitors forthwith would continue
their return trip to Berlin, where their I'M
mediate presence was required by reasons OF
state.
Father wondered whether the city authorit-
les would expect our house to fly a flag to-
gether with all the %neighbors' houses. If so,
we should have to fly our Stars and Stripes,
the only flag we had.
w Z CUllOlCn DlChCO up OH1 OO1O OAA D6
flag was brought forth so seldom-only on
Washington's Birthday and on the Fourth
Of July, or on other very rare occasions when
flags of all nations were in order-that the
display of "Old Glory" for us always was an
outstanding event, part of a pleasant holiday
when schools would be closed.
Father dampened our hopes. Instead Of
sending me up to the attic, as he had done
last Fourth Of July, to fetch our flag from
where it leaned furled on its staff, he looked
out the windows of our dining room, glancing
up and down the street, and remarked that
he saw no other flags flying.
Crowding to the bay window we children
likewise beheld no neighbors' flags. | was
disappointed, for | loved the street displays
in bunting Of blue and white or of black and
yellow futtering in the wind or gently waving
in huge banners hanging from yard arms,
wherewith the people of Munich were wont to
celebrate festal occasions. Our street also
would be gay with flags. My favorites then
were special quaint banners, either showing
the royal emblem Of a lion rampant on a white
and blue checkered field, or the city's ancient
token, the so-called "Munchener Kinda
black friar holding a book against a back
Iground Of rich yellow. In the old central
quarters of the city the display on such
feast days was even more profuse than in
Jul .
Foreign flags there were to be discerned
only over embassies, legations and consulates.
When the b~lack-white-red colors Of Imperial
Germany we're shown here and there over a
house it was taken to mean that some Prus-
slams dwelt within.
Looking For Flags
Now Father sent me forth to find out
whether flags flew today on other streets
than ours, bidding me report to him within
la half hour. incidentally | was to take a
turn past the American Consulate nearby to
mote whether our Consul General was flying
his flag.
Running around a few blocks | soon made
sure that the people in our neighborhood
were not showing any flags. Only when [
turned a corner Of the nearby park, screening
Il massive building that housed the royal
art collections, | saw two flags flying over
its portal,-one showing the b~lack-white-red
~colors Of the Empire, the other the blue and
white royal standard Of Bavaria. Over the
American Consulate nearby no flag flew.
When | came home with my report, Father
remarked shortly: "That settles it. We need
not trot out Old Glory for this meeting Of
monarchs. I'm mighty glad our Consul has
the sense to keep out of it,
At the Prime Minister'S House
Left to go my own way I went to look up
my classmate Erwin, who lived with his
mother and stepfather, Baron Won Lutz, the
Prime Minister, in a mansion on one Of the
handsomest streets Of the inner city. From
its wide balcony a Bavarian flag was flying,
the only one on the whole street. | got to the
house just in time to see the Baron in gala
dress with a star on his breast entering a
court carriage, the door of which was closed
after him by a lackey in royal livery. The
carriage drove off in the direction of the
roval nalaca nearby.