The Sunday Oregonian., June 13, 1915, MAGAZINE SECTION, Page 3, Image 69

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WASHINGTOX. June 13. Though
as yet the baby of nations. Un
cle Sam has many flags of which
lie has reason to be proud. Most of them
are In the possession of the Govern
ment, but a few are owned by Indi
viduals or Army posts.
One of them is now kept In the
statehouse at Annapolis, Md., was car
ried by the Maryland troops during the
War of the American Revolution and
is made in accordance with the act of
Congress. June 14, 1777. It is posi
tively known to have been the regi
mental Sag of the Third Mayland Reg
iment, commanded by Colonel John
Sager Howard, at the battle of Cow
pens, S. C, in January, 1778, in which
fight it was held by William Bachelor.
Bachelor was sent home to Baltimore
wounded and took his flag with him.
After Bachelor's death in March, 1781,
the flag remained in his family and
when the British invaded Maryland in
1814 this same flag was carried by
William, Bacnelor's son, in the battle
of North Point, as a banner for the
Twenty-seventh Maryland Regiment.
This "William Bachelor died in 1885.
The flag in 1907 was presented to the
State of Maryland and has since then
reposed in Its Capitol building at An
napolis. Another famous banner Is the battle
flag of Commodore Oliver Hazard
Perry, the same one which flew suc
cessively on the masts of his flagships,
the Niagara and the Lawrence, in the
battle of Lake Erie, September, 1813.
This flag had been made at Perry's ex
press command, but at the suggestion
of Purser Hambleton and the words it
bore, "Don't Give Up the Ship," were
the last uttered by Captain Lawrence,
killed in the fight In June, 1813, be
tween the English and American forces.
These words have erroneously been at
tributed to Perry, but are, In fact, an
adopting of Lawrence's sentence to
Perry's flag. The banner is a bunting
of one solid color, bearing its famous
motto in large letters across its face,
and Is now kept at the United States
Naval Academy at Annapolis.
In the same chamber at the academy
Is a gorgeous royal British standard
which was captured from the Parlia
mentary house when the capital of
Canada fell, in 1813, into American
hands. It Is a magnificent ensign,
with five quarterings, all in radiant
tones, the heraldic blazonry being such
as was used in the time of George III.
In one corner is a red lion poised in
air, to denote Scotland; In another Is
the golden harp of Ireland; two other
quarters contain three golden rampant
lions for England, while in the central
quartering is a combination of the
arms of Saxony, Hanover, Brunswick
and Lunenburg, with some emblems of
the Holy Roman Empire.
In the National Museum in "Washing
ton Is the real Star-Spangled Banner,
the same flag which floated over Fort
McHenry in September. 1814, when it
was attacked by the British, and the
one around which Key wrote his im
mortal poem. Being 36 by 28 feet, it
will hang from the second story of a
building to the first floor. In spite of
time, it is well preserved and the stars
and stripes which "gleamed through
the perilous fight'" are still plainly to
be seen.
Mexican trophies are to be seen at
the Naval Academy. These flags are all
unique in design, bearing the Mexican
condor standing on a cactus, with a
snake in its mouth. There are several
of this war. one of them being the flag
captured by General "Winfleld Scott and
Commodore Matthew Perry at the fall
of Vera Cruz in 1847.
In the ante-chamber to the room of
the Secretary of War, in Washington,
is the famous flag which flew over Fort
Sumter In April. 181, when it was tired
on by the Confederate batteries. This
was the shot which opened the great
war between the states.
The flag of the Merrimac Is now
owned by the family of the late Cap
tain Beverly Littlepage, formerly of
Washington.
Another flag of the Merrimao Is In
ncrLr yOurCsuntrMTdttcned and Tsrn,
ButRich In
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the possession of C. F. Gunther, of Chi
cago; this was the one first raised, but
was shot away. The flag owned by the
Llttlepages is the second one run up.
In the rooms of the Stevenson Post
at Roxbury, Mass., is preserved one of
the strangest banners the world has
ever seen. In a tobacco factory In
Richmond In Civil War times many
Union soldiers were prisoners, among
them a Timothy J. Regan. Regan con
ceived the Idea of making a flag of
Union Stars and Stripes, even, in the
close confinement of their prison. There
were about 20 men and they secretly
got together the material.
A flannel shirt made the blue ground,
a shirt of white cotton furnished the
white stars and goods were bought
sufficient to make the red and white
stripes. In hiding, they worked at
their task till at last it was finished.
It was thrown to the wind once In "a
place which was sheltered from the
view of the guards, then torn into
strips and divided among the men. Af
ter the war Regan, by persistent ef
fort, managed to get together all the
pieces and had them sewn again into a
flag, which Is now at Roxbury.
The flag of the Maine, the ship whose
'sinking precipitated the Spanlsh-Amer-.ican
War in 1898. Is kept at Annapolis.
Nearby are banners captured by Dewey"
at Manilla from the Spanish, as well as
trophies of the battle of Santiago.
The banner which floated over the
North Pole, raised there April $, 1909,
by Commander Robert E. Peary, now
lies for safe keeping in the vaults of a
safe deposit company in Washington. It
was made by Mrs. Peary, the stars being
worked In silk embroidery. It was
flown In the wind on the shores of the
polar sea for more than a fourth of its
circumference. The bits of white with
which it is dotted indicate the frag
ments which the explorer left with
records at different places in his jour
ney. Some were deposited at Cape
Morris K. Jessup, the farthest northern
point of land on earth; one was left at
Cape Thomas Hubbard, another at the
starting point of the dash for the pole
Cape Columbia five bits are in the
ice of Peary's "Farthest North" In 1906
and one is yet in the eternal stillness
of the North Pole Itself.
The oldest flag in the National Mu
seum at Washington is the first United
States flag of which there is authentic
record. This is the banner of John
Paul Jones. On tne very day the law
was enacted establishing & National
flag for the United States of America.
June 4, 1777, Congress appointed John
Paul Jones to be commander of the
Ranger. History does not relate, with
authority, the exact date of the mak
ing of the Ranger's flag, but It must
have been very soon after the eon
erressional enactment, because the War
Department states that "The 6hlp
THE SUNDAY OREGONTAN, PORTLAND, JUNE 13,
Hfotsiyandllsnsr.
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Ranger, bearing the Stars and Stripes
and commanded by Captain Paul Jones,
arrived at a French port about Decem
ber 1, 1777, and her flag received, on
February 14, 1778, the first salute ever
paid to an American flag by foreign
naval vessels."
Later, .Paul Jones set his loved en
sign high above the .Bon Homme Rich
ard, and it waved triumphant over
many a fierce encounter with the foes
of the new country. The most notable
of these was when it came in contact
with the British ship Serapis in 1779
and went down. Commodore Jones res
cued his precious "starry flag" and
hoisted it over the captured Serapis,
bringing it home covered with honor.
The museum authorities believe this
to be the first American flag that came
Into existence after the enactment of
Congress. A evidence of the theory
they point to the 12 stars instead of
13. Had this flag had an official
predecessor the mistake In the num
ber of stars would hardly have oc
curred. This historic standard, kept intact
by long and loving care, shows Its age
in much-frayed edges and worn patches
The 12 Btars, arranged In three par
allel perpendicular rows, still stand
out stanchly on their unstable founda
tion, for the blue field and the 13 red
and white etripes have grown pathet
ically threadbare.
The National Museum contains a col
lection of remnants of flags that par
ticipated in naval engagements from
the time of the Revolutionary War to
the war with Mexico; also those of for
eign vessels of war captured by the
Navy during those periods. This dis
play of fragments Is qui Interesting.
It was collected, by Peter Force, of
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Washington, and presented by him to
the Library of Congress, which trans
ferred it to the National Museum.
Among these remnants is a piece of
the British flag of La Guerriere, used
during her encounter with the Consti
tution, and of the Java, worsted by the
same Indomitable American, as well as
a fragment of the flag of the Algerlne
brig Zoura, captured under Decatur.
A division of the museum's flag col
lection relates to the Civil War, and
the most interesting of these is the
garrison flag of Fort Moultrie, in
Charleston harbor, S. C. This flag
was lowered December 26. 1860, when
Major Robert Anderson, First United
States Artillery, moved his forces to
Fort Sumpter. The flag was secured
by his second in command. Captain
Abner Doubleday, and remained in his
possession until presented to the
Smithsonian Institution at Washington.
In the National Museum also is the
United States flag raised in New Or
leans by the volunteer! flag committee
after the occupation in 1862. This .was
the first Union flag raised by citizens
of any of the Confederate states after
the commencement of hostilities. Here,
too, is the flag of the United States
ship Kearsarge, In use at the time of
the surrender of the Confederate cruiser
Alabama, also the first United States
flag raised in Richmond after the sur
render. This was used as headquarters
flag by General E. p. C. Ord, U. S. A.,
when he took possession of the city.
The history of our war with Spain is
illustrated at the National Musemu by
a series of flags of picturesque interest.
There is here the Spanish garrison flag
used at Fort San Cristobal, San Juan,
Porto Rico, during the entire war. and
floated over the fort during the bom-
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bardment by the American fleet. May
12, 1898. There is, too, the flag lowered
from the customs house at the nlaza.
Ponce, Porto Rico, when it surrendered
to the United States. The yellow stripe
How War-Baby
WHAT to do with children born
out of wedlock during the war
period has suddenly become a
question in Great Britain. Ronald
McNeill, a member of Parliament, pro
poses to Issue a "general edict of for
giveness through the pulpits of the
country, which will automatically re
move the stigma from the . child" so
born.
. The proposal is met with outspoken
opposition by women of prominence.
This is an age-old characteristic of our
race. Men are more prone to forgive
such missteps than are women. Men
look upon it as a natural problem, re
sulting from the detaching of large
numbers of young men from the re
straining mora! influence of home;
women look upon it aa a violation of
the moral law. The French met the
question in February by reviving the
.-"cradle law." This law provides for
receptacles outside of churches and
hospitals in which unwelcome children
may be deposited and become the care
of the state.
The issue has been foreseen by the
Germans. Not content with the ad
vanced methods of their municipalities
in dealing with such children, they
minimized it by marrying groups of
young people in batches and throwing
the glamor of war about the young
women by acclaiming them as "war
brides."
But it was not so new a situation
to the Germans as It was to the Eng
lish and the French. The Germans'
long preparation in solidifying and
conserving the resources of the Em
pire had years before extended to il
legitimate children in a most humani
tarian way.
In the latter part of the last cen
tury infant mortality had become a
grave question in Germany. The Ger
mans took up the task with systematic
energy. Towns that had an infant
mortality of 38 per cent in i8S8 had 26
per cent in 1896, 20 per cent in 1906,
and just before the war many towns
had fallen to 10 and 12 per cent. The
deaths among illegitimate children had
been twice as high as among those of
more fortunate birth. The reduction
of the death rate among legitimate
children was readily accomplished. To
reduce the rate among the others was
more difficult.
The municipalities were encouraged
to adopt new and radical measures.
The care of such children now begins
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in this flag was painted red to give it a
chance to escape Identification. An
other Spanish flag here was taken
from the trenches before Santiago, and
still another is a guidon used by Span
ish infantry at Porto Rico. The mu
seum is also custodian of the pennant
flown by Admiral Schley on the
Brooklyn during the battle of Santiago.
The United States Marine Corps has
a number of flags of vital import. It
is proud of its trophies, and well It may
be, for it was foremost in winning
them. The Marine Corps possesses the
first American flag under fire in Cuba.
This was raised by the marine bat
talion at Guantanamo, the 10th of June,
189S and flew during the 100 hours of
continuous fighting by the marines at
that point. After its use in this en
gagement it was hauled down and sent
to headquarters at Washington.
Another noteworthy flag belonging
to the corps Is the signal flag used by
Sergeant Quick at the battle of Cuzco.
During the engagement the fleet sta
tioned in the bay, while firing on the
enemy, was seriously endangering the
unseen marines on ' land, who already
had the Spaniards surrounded. A vol
unteer was requested to go out and
signal to the fleet to stop firing. Ser
geant Quick Immediately responded,
and in full view of the enemy stood
and wig-wagged the Dolphin to stop
firing. The signal flag was rent in
several places, but the sergeant es
caped Injury. For this act he received
a medal and honorable mention.
Among some later flags to come into
possession of the Marine Corps is the
large United States flag used by the
marines during the siege of the lega
tion in Pekin at the time of the Boxer
riots. It may be recalled that the
guard of the Oregon served in Pekin.
This was their post flag, and It was
planted on the Tartar city wall, where
it was jealously guarded. Later it was
hoisted on the ruins of the Imperial
Chien Men as a signal to the allied
forces, and it has the honor of being
the first signal the latter had that
their friends were still living. The
flag shows Its hard usage at the hands
of its enemies, being torn in several
places by the volleys of shot and shell
assailing it.
Another Chinese memento possessed
by the Marine Corps is a large imperial
flag captured on the walls of Tientsin
by the marines when they attacked
the city. This is a large pennant
shaped affair of turkey red, with enig-
matical Chinese characters in the cen
ter.
Problem Is Met
prior to fheir birth. A municipal
guardianship for the chllSren was es
tablished. No prospective mother, mar
ried or unmarried, undergoing the
physical strain of childbirth, need lack
friends, food or shelter in German
towns. A municipal mothers' associa
tion is authorized by the authorities
to supply food to prospective mothers
at the expense of the town during four
weeks prior to the child's birth, with
the services of a doctor, nurse or mid
wife, as required. Single women, left
to face the ordeal of mothf-bood alone,
may enter the ever-open door of ma
ternity homes without any formality
whatever.
The children tecome the legal wards
of municipal guardiahs approved by the
local authorities. Women assistants
are sent to look after the mother and
continue oversight over the children,
especially during the first two years of
life. The assistants call freely upon
the nurses of the public dispensaries
for advice and assistance. This mu
nicipal guardianship continues until
the child is 14, and. If it is necessary,
until the child Is of age. Besides car
ing for the child and its mother, the
public guardian looks after "the pro
tection of the child against its father."
The guardian sees that these men dis
charge their legal liabilities, and the
success which has attended their ef
forts has paid for the labor and the
expense.
The conservation of Infant life was a
matter of necessity In such an indus
trial and military country as Germany.
The German government performed its
task with characteristic painstaking
care.
It is interesting to note two things:
First, that neither during our war with
Spain nor our Civil War and many
bitter things were said against Sher
man's Army marching to the sea, did
any such problem arise. Second, that
the French met the question with si
lent discretion; the English, with dis
cursive forgiveness; the Germans, with
phlegmatic utilization. Letter to New
York World.
Oeniua in Hnrneas.
New Republic.
It would have been an interesting
thing if a thunderclap had suddenly
broken that cloudless new-world haying-weather,
and if a cry of exaspera
tion had escaped some strong soul,
surfeited by the emptiness and bland-
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ness of that prim little moral circle
that thought it had overcome every
thing when in fact it had touched noth
ing. But to the genteel mind of
America, before Walt Whitman and
the Civil War, there was no self-respecting
opposition. Of course, in that
boundless field of convention, prosper
ity, and mediocrity, a wild poppy might
struggle up weedily here and there
amid the serried corn. But the irregu
lar genius had no chance. He felt sin
cerely ashamed of himserf. He hid his
independence, fled to the back woods or
to Europe, and his sad case was hushed
up as if it had been Insanity (for in
sanity was hushed up too) and burled
with a whisper under the vaguely ter
rible epitaph "dissipated." He prob
ably died young; at any rate he never
"did" anything. Whoever was unhar
nessed was lost.
The Manila Bay Incident.
Early in May, 1898, Admiral Dewey's
fleet sailed into Manila Bay, beat the
Spaniards, and established a blockade.
Soon afterward two English cruisers, a
French cruiser and a Japanese cruiser
appeared and willingly complied with
the very reasonable regulations that
the Admiral laid down for them. A day
or two later a German cruiser, the
Irene, appeared. She ignored the Ameri
can flagship and dropped anchor where
she chose. Admiral Dewey overlooked
the incident as due to carelessness or
ignorance. Next morning, another Ger
man ship, tha Cormoran, arrived. A
launch was sent to hail her and was
ignored. A shot was fired across her
bow, for it was feared that she might
be a disguised Spanish ship. Then she
came to and was boarded.' Two days
later, on May 12. Admiral von 3Iedrich
arrived in his flagship, the Kaiserln
Augusta.
By the middle of June - there were
five German warships in port, two of
them with a heavier displacement than
any of the American vessels. It was,
as Admiral Dewey records, an anxious
time owing to the possible arrival of
another Spanish fleet from Spain, and
meanwhile the Impertinence of the Ger
mans increased.
Finally, without Admiral Dewey's
permission, the Germans landed men
at Mariveles Harbor for drill and took
possession of the quarantine station at
the mouth of the bay. On July 6 Ad
miral Dewey was told by Filipino In
surgents that the Germans had been
interfering on Subig Bay with their
operations against the Spaniards. Ad
miral Dewey sent two vessels to in
vestigate. It was found that the Ger
man cruiser Irene had visited the Span
lards and had kept the Insurgents from
using a small steamer which belonged
to them. No Germans were actually
fighting.
The situation, however, was not
pleasant and Admiral Dewey took the
occasion of the news of Santiago to
visit Von Diedrich and lay before him
his position. The main trouble waa
Von Diedrlch's refusal to admit that
the Americans had the right as block
aders to visit and board all vessels, in
cluding foreign warships, entering the
bay. The German Admiral said that
he would submit the point all authorli
ties on international law recognize that
Admiral Dewey's position was sound
to a conferenco of the senior officers of
all the men-of-war in the harbor. Only
Captain Chichester, the British com
mander, turned up. He supported Ad
miral Dewey and said that he had in
structions to comply with even stricter
regulations than the Admiral had laid
down.
After the German cruiser Cormoran
had been again brought up by a shot
across her bow Diedrich capitulated,
sent an apologetic emissary to his
American colleague, and behaved him
self for the rest of his stay. The Inci
dent is described by Admiral Dewey in
his autobiography. World's Work.
Hovr Germany Saves Food.
New Republic.
The Prussian Minister for the In
terior issues books and pamphlets ad
dressed to housewives, telling them in
homely phrase how to save food as
they have hitherto saved money. The
German, so the housewife is told, eats
two-fifths more than Is necessary. One
may want to eat and yet not really be
hungry. Germany, she must remember,
has not too much of any food except
sugar. Potatoes should be cooked in
their skins; to cook meat with potatoes
and vegetables, though it requires more
time and care, is more economical. .A
mass of such literature, a flood of
Open Letters to German Women" of
"Hints on War Economics," of "War
Cook Books" point the same lesson.
Women are instructed how to cook
most economically, and school children,
especially girls, are taught to save food.
Against the excessive eating of cakes,
Germany carries on a campaign like
that - which Great Britain directs
against drunkenness. It is a struggle
of a united nation drawing upon all
its resources of patriotism.
Tfce Loyalty ( Canada.
New Republic.
Canadian loyalty is not only a mem
ory, but an aspiration. It is not only
grateful for the protection which the
empire has afforded it. but it believes
that It has great allies time and un
limited natural resources which will
eventually help it to become the dom
inant partner in the empire. If the part
which the blood-tie plays in Canadian
loyalty is not emphasized here, it Is be
cause affection is less characteristic of
that commodity than pride. To tiio
thinking Canadian, the 20th century Is
Canada's century and the British em
pire is Canada's opportunity.