Show Our Flag Stand With Flag Day just past and another day of patriotic observance fast approaching approaching approaching ap ap- this Is ts a good time to review the significance of our most cherished nation symbol Like other symbols our flag has somewhat different meanIngs mean mean- Ings Inge to eat of us us s po possibly there are Changes In hi attitude as the years go by We wonder for example how many Americans today would agree with these words of President Woodrow Wilson on Flag Day June 14 1914 This flag for the future Is meant to stand for the just use of undisputed national power No nation is ever going to doubt our power to assert its rights and we should lay it Otto to heart that no nation shall henceforth doubt our purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose to put it to the highest uses to which a great emblem of justice and government government government govern govern- ment can be put We believe that individually most Americans feel feet pretty much that way about our flag today Yet it Otis is evident that some foreign governments governments friendly friendly and otherwise have lately come to doubt our our national resolve and purpose and to question or challenge our willingness willingness willingness will will- to use our national power forthrightly forthrightly forth- forth rightly to put down threats to our own just rights or aggressions against our allies Among our own government leaders too there are some who apparently shy away from the Idea of undisputed national national na na- power no matter how just the cause Even in such magnanimous activities as the giving of our material wealth and substance to less prosperous nations and peoples some of our officials officials off oU- d diffidently propose that this should be done through one or another international international inter inter- national agency Then there are those in to our government government govern govern- ment who counsel restraint In the use of our national military might when callous callous cal cal- lous aggressors threaten us or attack our allies ls urging Instead that we rely on collective security measures We hear them call for the United Nations to take charge of the situation In hi Vietnam It is even proposed that major major ma mat jor elements of our national military fi forces should eventually be turned over overto overto overto to the UN or some similar supreme national organization to be used as a world army or peace force Such ideas may bear resemblance to some of President Wilsons Wilson's later proposals proposals pro pro- but hardly with his 1914 declaration declaration declaration declara declara- tion that Old Glory should thereafter stand for the just use of undisputed national power We think he was right the first time |