| Show n r. r l Some Other American Banners I You You May See Flying on Flag Day DaYl- DaYl By ELMO SCOTT WATSON 1 TT 3 A k kh h N id R tr To John Nance Garner of Texas Texal shown above aboe has haa be been n given hen the distinction of being the first Vice President In our history to have I a banner emblematic matle of his Me office omee It was only recently designed and pre pre- him him n a white banner on which appears the national coat of arms and four tour blue stars stir Now that the fear year 1030 1930 has hll another flag added to our national stand off colors and we ws will soon on June 14 be celebrating Fla Flag day a again aln It seems appropriate to consider some ome of tho the other American flags which have bue their part In our na ns- national national tradition even enn though they are re not so well known as II the Stars and Stripes First of all there Is I the Presidents President's Presidents President's Prell- Prell dents dent's flat flag the personal banner of or orthe the Chief Executive Its It's a blue bine flag nOlt edged with white arid arlit yellow silk IlIk fringe bearing the United States coat of arms In the center and a ae e white star star- starIn In each filCh corner The nag Pret flag hit hat had hadIn hadale hadn In ale n Interesting history Inasmuch at II the question of a proper design for It hat has resulted In n I a series erlee of heated controversies over sever several veral point points of heraldry Involved Its history hit has be been n one long record of changes and restorations restoration until finally In 1918 1916 under und President Woodrow Wilson Willon there evolved the Presidents President's flag as It It la is to da day Before that time eath each President President Pres ident had the right to the design for hit hie own flag and most mot of them did But the Presidential flag used b by President Wilson Wilton has hu been used b by ou our Chief Executives since Ince that time times A distinctive flag for tor the frell President dent had bad Its origin In the navy On April 18 1803 1865 Gideon Wells secretary secretary secre secre- tary of the navy nur issued a set let of naval regulations prescribing that on the occasion of the visit of the President on bo board rd a war of the American ensign should 1 be die dis displayed played at the main This was the first official order to designate a flag denoting the presence of the President dent dent aboard a national ship A change was WOl made th the 1110 next nut year ear when the tho rectangular Union Jack of ot dark blue bearing horizontal rows rowl of white tan stare one for each ch state was wal adopted as II tb the Prest Pres- dear denra flag when on OD board a 1 national nue vessel An Unfortunate Choice Although this this was Walt th the first distinctive dis dis- flag for tor the President It was vaa an unfortunate choice In the navy the Union Jack it at the foremast fore tore foremast mast mISt Is le a I signal for pilot Thus Inthe in inthe the case cue of ot a ship with only one mast mut the display of the Union UnIon Jack Jack might mean DltOn either the tho President PrEll Preel- dent or the pilot r In the case cage ot of a two master the tho signal would be confusing contusing con con- fusing and since at that time a e aJack Jack at the rigging was a signal l of I distress It Its use for tor the President was hardly one complimentary to the highest officer In tn the Ilse land t i In 1589 however tb optional en- en sign was again designated as DI the i Presidents President's flag and it remained thus thul until 1832 when William It Ii Chandler secretary of ot the na navy IsI III Is- Is sued I an order which wa w. wag approved by President Chester Alan Arthur that the that the n flag of the he President of th the United States shall cons consist lit of ot a ground round with the arms of ot the United States Stages In la the center It was wu not until 10 la years later however that that the army followed the lead of i the n naty navy J h by adopting a distinctive flag flar- for tor ltd its commander in chief When It did Id its iti action marked the beginning of ot a series Cripi of controversies controversies contro contro- which bleh were ere to lest last for tor nearly near- near I Iy ly two decades Under a general order Issued March 28 23 23 from the a adjutant generals general's once office by direction ot of the rl of war the Presidents President's fla flag for tor the army was designated AIa as AI asa a flag of scarlet bunting buntin with white stars la lu each of ot the four tour corners and la In the middle of ot the field a large larre blue star tat outlined in la whit and andi andt i t bearing In the center the United 1 I States State coat coat of arms anus Around this I central star tar were ere other white stare atari representing the states state of ot the Union During the be Spanish American war wr warthe the Che army was hung bung upon the hit wall will ot of the cabinet room I In n the White House symbolizing the position of ot President McKinley I as a. commander In chief of the army and was wal the first war ar flag of Its kind that had thus ever been blen used nut Dut for tor some unknown reason renson the navy nUl Presidential flag which would symbolize his position as II commander command command- er in chief of the tho navy was wall not thus thul displayed The army Presidential lag flag w. w was first tint exhibited publicly atthe nt at the he peace jubilee celebration In Chicago CM Chi cago cogo In 1809 1899 and again at a similar celebration In Philadelphia Later both joth the army and the navy flags lags were twice hung In the main ballway ball ball- wa way of the White House during army and navy receptions but the army inny flag was never hoisted until March 4 1001 when It flew over the residential Presidential reviewing stand dand nt at the second Inauguration of McKinley Navy Army-Navy Controversy The first controversy over the Presidential flag came up In 1809 1899 The War department order of ot 1898 1893 lad had definitely directed that the official of ot- coat coot of ot arms on the central tar star should be be as determined by bl the State Hate department and the arms arm referred referred re re- re- re to are those shown on the great seal of the United States which Is la In the custody of the Department Department De De- of State The shield thereon there there- on had always displayed seven eTen red and six sir white bars alternately red and white which was WOl strictly in accordance accordance accordance ac ac- ac- ac with the act of congress of ot June 20 1782 establishing the great seal leal In 1809 1899 when the equipment equipment equip equip- ment nent officers at New York and Mare Hare Island where flags for tor the navy are made were furnished their flag books for tor the year lear they called attention at at- lention to the tact fact that the shield on the Presidents President flag erroneously displayed seven white and six red stripes Instead of ot the reverse It was wal discovered that the design had hadeen bEen een copied from a publication of If the State department entitled The Seal of the United States Staten The matter was taken taken- up unofficially with the State department and ended with an on admission from officials of ot that department d' that there was wall no logical reason for tor the reversal of the tile colors which was presumed to be the result of an ar- ar but the navy clun clung to Its blue field M and the army to It its red field neld It was not until the next administration that decided steps toward uniformity uniform unIform- ity were taken On June Junt 24 21 1012 1912 and again on October 29 21 1012 President Ires Pres ident dent Taft Tart Issued executive orders that the color of ot the field of the Presidents President's re flag shall be blue But the arm army did not Immediately Immediately Immediately Immedi Immedi- conform and a difficult situ situ- atlon arose Irose at the Inaugural ceremonies ceremonies cere cere- monies of President Wilson In March 1913 1013 The reviewing box In front of the White Whit House Houe was decorated with two Presidents President's flags flag provided by the War Wa department depart ment and the Navy department The Nav Navy departments department was wu blue but the War Wi departments department's was red redl I Double Display of Colors Color This revived the old controversy and arid when again in 1915 there was wasa a double display of colors the tile matter matter matter mat mat- ter assumed a serious aspect It was pointed out to President Wilson Wil WIl- son on that an as agreement should be made and a standard flag adopted for tor both branches of the service The President called in Com Corn Byron Dyron McCandless aide to the secretary seey sec of the navy and Ind requested him to prepare a design for the Presidential standard The new flag was to consist of a blue field with four white stars In the corners since the flags nap of an on admiral and of a e general bear four tour stars as a sign of command and the lre President Is le the highest t ranking admiral and gener gener- al Instead of an exact reproduction tion of the great seal leal President Wilson Wilson Wil WIl- son on expressed a desire to have his personal seal leal a modification of the great seal used on the Presidents President's stationery In the White House on the flag This seal leal differs from the great seal In that the eagles eagle's head headle Is le turned to the sinister It Its IS left leet and the stars above the eagle are differently arranged The new design was prepared b by bythe bythe the bureau bureon of construction and repair repair re ro- re- re pair under the direction of ot Commander Commander Com Com- mander McCandless and was approved approved approved ap ap- proved b by the President In an executive executive exec exee order dated May 20 1016 lola 1010 So I also have hue their own emblems If It the secretary of ot war Is making an official visit there Is le displayed a ared ared red flag flog bearing the th United State coat of arms with some minor differences dlf dif from that shown on the Presidents President's flag and four tour white stars stare In the corners comers If Its It's the seey secretary sec of ot the navy nn It Its It's a blue flag with a white anchor In the center and the four tour stars The Secretaries' Secretaries Flags Flag If Jt its it's the secretary of the treasury treasury treas treas- ury ur you will see another blue flag nag but the design on It Is even more complicated Two crossed anchors are surrounded b by a rIng aring of thirteen white stars In front of the intersection Intersection Inter later section of the anchors Is a shield bearing In la the top half balf a pair of ot scales scale of the balance type typo and In Inn the lower halt half a key The symbolism symbol symbol- ism of ot these Is la of ot course clear The secretary of the treasury holds the key kel to the nations nation's strongbox and from the earliest days the balance scales were used in weighing precious precious precious pre pre- cious metals The secretary of commerce also has hOl a blue flag with the four white stars but in the center Is a white shield at the top of which sails salla a three masted vessel Tessel and below a lighthouse casts cut its It beams abroad The secretary of ot labor has bas a white flag flog adorned with four tour blue stars stare and the seal leot of the Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of Labor In the center This Includes an escutcheon surmounted b by a spread eagle and bearing upon Its field the plow and other devices which proclaim the dignity of laborThe laborThe labor The flag of ot the secretary of ot the Interior has bee a light green field bearIng bearIng bear bear- Ing In th the center the golden figure of a buffalo and a pointed five star starIn starIn starin In each quarter Besides the national banner with Its 13 red and white stripes and Its Us 48 43 stars emblematic of the 48 states in the Union there are also alao 48 other oth er American flogs one flags one for tor each of those commonwealths About one halt of these are blue bille banners bearing In the center the state seal or some other figure emblematic of that state and a few notably few notably Ohio Vermont and New Mexico MexIco are are I J Jt t x vI jf it These flap flags representing every state In the Union were handmade by H. H I. I of Richmond who b Is teen seen right outside circle exhibiting this unique collection with the aid of Richmond Business College girls The picture was WI mad made from the top tep o of the Virginia World War Memorial carillon at It Richmond Photo courtesy Virginia State Chamber o ot of Commerce heraldic license In 1002 1903 the acting secretary of ot the navy 1 Issued Issued issued Is Is- sued a memorandum that the State department certifies that the shield has hOI seven white and six red bars ban alternating white and red and It Is II ordered that such luch shall be the seal sealon sealon sealon on the Presidents President's flag Meanwhile the army continued to tomake tomake tomake make Us its flag with the seven red and six all white stripes on the shield In November 1002 it was wal decided that something should be done to reconcile the difference in the desIgn design de do sign on the shield A committee from the War department deportment and the Navy Nuy department called on President President dent Roosevelt and suggested that since other nations nation had but one flag llac for tor Its chief It was not consistent for tor our President to have two So it was decided to adopt a new flag closely patterned after acter the older older old old- er nu navy flag but with several modi modi- A short bort time later orders order were issued by the secretaries of ot the two departments that the colors colon on the tho shield as certified by the State department seven Jeven white and six red bars be followed and on November 21 21 1002 lore It was officially announced that the controversy between between between be be- tween the two departments over oyer the design of ot t. t te fee Presidents President's flag liar was wasat wasat at lit an end cud The only other change was to make the eagle eaKle white heavily eu- eu ray ily stitched la black Despite the agreement t however the flags need by bl the two trance brances of the service were not yet the same larne True both used the same device device de de- vice as II to the eagle cade and Ind the shield at last the controversy was wal ended and a Presidents President's flag uniform for tor both branches of the service came come Into being But nut though the navy army controversy controversy con con- over the tho Presidents President's flag nag was WRIt thus thul ended there are those who are not yet satisfied with the Presidents President's flag flog They point out the fact tact that the seven white and six red bars bare on the shield shields even though it does have bave the Indorsement of ot the State department is le not In conformity conform conform- ity with the arrangement of ot these colors as 81 prescribed in the act of congress of ot June 20 SO 1782 adopting the great seal Beal of ot the United States nor as sa prescribed by the act of ot congress congress con con- gress creu of April 4 1818 prescribing i alternating red and white stripes In establishing the American flag fisC But more serious than this aCcording according ac- ac cording to experts expert I is the fact that on the Presidents President flag the eagle eagles head I le II turned toward the sinister that Is la aWl away from the flag fIg pole It Is II one of the n en- n- n dent clent rule NI of heraldry the they say uy that no bird or animal ever look Iwa way sway from the stiff staff for fo If such a flag la Is carried Into battle th the head thus thul turned would make I if look lookas lookas as II though the bird were retreating retreat retreat- Ing from |
