Evening star., 1944-03-19
Capital Sidelights
By VIII P. Kennedy.

~'AN~AAS ITO
By VIII P. Kennedy.
The United States flag, hanging be-
hind the Speakers rostrum in the
House. Is made of japanese silk, and
for several years there has been in
Speaker Rayburns office a flag of all
American manufacture waiting to re-
place the House flag. Out Of difference
to the National Society, Daughters of
the American Revolution who, in good
faith, contributed the present Speakers
background flag, 1t has not been re-
placed. If and when the OAR say
the word, an all-American flag will re-
place the flag of Japanese texture
This was disclosed following the
protest of Chairman Sol Bloom of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee at
the White House, when he found q
flag in the lobby of the Executive
Mansion trimmed with a gold fringe
border, contrary to law which he
himself had written. He then en-
phasized that the United States flag
does not have gold fringe border
The White House attendants promptly
appealed to the War Department au-
thorities.
A newSpaperman, visiting Chairman
Bloom in his Capitol office, chided him
that he had q flag on his own desk
with such a gold-fringe border. Mr..
Bloom told an interesting story of how
he had appealed to Donald Nelson,
urging that priorities should be given
50 that flags Of American materials
might be made. Mr.. Nelson assured
him that there are plenty Of American
made flags on the market and that he
would send such flag to Chairman
Bloom to prove 1t. When 1t arrived,
it had gold-fringe border-and Mr..
Bloom explained that he still has it on
his desk "as horrible example"
Chairman Bloom is an authority on
the flag and on patriotic observances.
He has also in his Office three flags
of all-American manufacture which he
is awaiting opportunity to present to
Gen. Douglas Macarthur, to President
Manuel Quezon of the Philippines Com
monwealth and to the head of the
Australian government. These flags,
as well as the one waiting to be hung
In the House, are of celanese.
Considerable discussion has been
heard about the Capitol regarding the
way the large silk flag in the House
behind the Speakers desk is hung.
Some of the Capitol guides from time
to time have told Capitol visitors that
the flag is hung incorrectly. Members
of the House have taken up the dis
cussion. AS matter of fact, the House
flag is properly hung. Representative
Bloom gives a terse and appealing rule:
You should always look at the flag
so that the stars are opposite your
heart" Frederick D. Owen, president
Of the Society of Patriotic Decorations
and Civic Improvements. directed the
hanging of the House flag. He said that
the flag should hang against wall
with the blue field to the left (as one
faces it,, so that the eye may read
stars and stripes rather than stripes
and stars"
The United States Government daily
is using more typewriters than any other
institution or organization anywhere
throughout the world ever used. The
first typewriter introduced in a Gov
ernment office, 1t is claimed, was for
William Gates LIE Due, who, in July, 1877,
was appointed by President Hayes to be
Commissioner of Agriculture He had
helped to develop the Remington type
writer as is explained in Genesis of the
Typewriter" in the library of the Minne-
sofa Historical Society, of which he was
an active member for more than ST
years.
AS Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr..
lie Due established a historic tea farm
at Summerville, S. c.; gave special at
tention to production of sugar from
sorghum and beets, and secured spe-
cial appropriation for the investigation
of animal diseases, which led to estab-
lishment OF the Bureau of Animal In
dustry.
BY appointment Of Secretary Window
of the Treasury Department, Mr.. lie DUO,
from 1890 to 1895. was receiver for the
National Bank at Fayetteville, N. C. He
was grandson of Henri Due of Lyon,
France, who came to this country as a
soldier under Count d'Estaing to aid
the colonies in the Revolution. His inti-
mate schoolday companions were Will
liam T. and John Sherman and Thomas
Ewing. He travelled through the South
and West selling school and law books.
After being admitted to the bar in 1849,
he edited book entitled "Etherology
and the Phreno-philosophy Of Mesmer-
ism and Magic Eloquence." He opened
law ONCE and bookstore In st. Paul,
Mimi. and published the Minnesota