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From Wednesday^ Dally.» * ■ ■ m MM ■ m i mt +■ m ..... ■! 1 11 1 1 11 1 ► fth* • •’ I • •* • .'/-.the American flag. '• * * * •. - ? It 5 5: interesting to . note that, al-thoagh. the American iiag, in much the same /forni as at present, was ■adopted: by. act of. congress in 1777, it was: hot tor many years afterward that it was carried on the field of .battle, by bur forces.According to a writer in the San Antonio Express, the first use of our flag as a battle flag was in 1S34, when it was permitted to be used bythe artillery, the infantry and cav* airy' still carrying wliat were known then ''as “national standards, and are now known as regimental flags —a bine or yellow flag bearing in the center the United States ooat of Arms,'-Not natil the war with Mexico .was onr. present flag, differing only in. the' number o? stars on. the field, ear-• i # . • I. tied by otir troops in “battle- From then, on all “arras” of the service .Parried both the American flag and the. regimental colors,. The ■. etiquette of the flag demands tftat 'it be raised at sunrise and lowered; at sunset at each post where Aferfcan soldiers are stationed. This rule 3« ordinary times also applies to public buildings, although at present it seems to be the desire of many to raise their flag and “let it stay there,”Many will remember the order of General Dix; “If any man attempts to haul .down the .American £lug. shoot him on the 3pot.,T And It will not be advisable for anyone to at* tempt such a foolish act o£ bravado, for there are many who will take St upon them selves to puiiSsh sucli acts.The salute to the flag has taught our school children a reverence for the national standard which few foreigners understand. To die foreigner the national flag uf his country merely represetits the power of the ntllng house, and consequently it In not associated in Is to mind with his own. rights or privileges—only bin duties to hie monarch.There are few flags in Ouy world which have the immmng that in embodied in the American flag. The flag* of most of the European nations are merely the family flags of the rulers, or urn body the coats of arras of past ruler*. The American flag represents thu people, their freedom, their aspirations and their Ideals. It m the first flu a that was adopted by a free people to typify their tude*pemJenc* and their rights.U la one of the oldest ftasrs In the iwarld,.. JTho .HrtOgk. miuiujack. wtrwfttG WvrtxUn fhf-K.Kalian and the German are all of orach I«ier dafe than Old Glory, Thu German fteg i« one of the newest flags that, file?, sand U merely the livery colors of the king of Prussia, with ttu* Pru^inn eagle ml tied for empfcaafc.The UVwri flap contahiB the coal of jinns of the house of Savoy, The ftaflgian Has? i?? very modern and f*a I wo per 5»o pal, while the British ninn J-vric date? from a period later thuu mir war of IS*Lb The rewrn1d«m.4e of many flags nfthe republic* of the world f.o our ownis easily nvplahiod by the stntenimifc HinI onr? wna the model from which they were drawn. Thn flags of Cuba, of Chile, of Co?in Pica, of Salvador.of Panama, of Paraguay—nr many oMiors, ft 11 have the same colors, andthe stars and rd ripen figure largely in their designs.And tho flag of the ijniPn! States; is the cariost recoznixed in all partsof thn world, japan called It the flowery flag.” before her ownmodern flag with the conventionalized chrysanthemum was adopted.Other nations have lung recognized our flag as the emblem of freedom, of refuge for the oppressed, of religious and poHtfea! liberty, and ofequal opportunity.The first thing many immigrants do when they reach our shores is ft) supply themselves with an American flag, and in f.hn trenches of the warring European nations many former United States residents have treasured a tiny American flag, as representing the country to which they, expect to return when the wrar Is! over.Ar*lt;i our motto should be: Oneflag and one country, now and for-fact, it may to some extent relieve their necessities,• But the thousands of tons of grain,the millions of-pounds of flour and meat, the vast amount*of hospital dressings and medicines and other field necessities must henceforth be devoted to the needs of our own soldiers.• Our Red Cross has done a noble work during the conduct of the present war. Its services have been offered regardless of nationality, political or religious creed. The wounded of all nations have been tenderly; cared for, and many thousands of the soldiers in . the field and base hospitals have received luxuries which they never knew before the arrival, of the American hospital supplies. \.. It may, be that;: we • shall -not' for u time actively enter into hostilities. | There may be few wounded Ameri-i van soldiers to care for, and.our Red! Cross detachments may not-, be need -! ed at the present moment. But it should be remembered that everyarticle . sent abroad , depletes ourstore of necessities for our own men. when the time comes.. ;We are not fighting for revenge.; We are not carrying on a campaign! of aggression for the sake of acquiring territory or securing an advantage over trade rivals. We are fighting the battle of humanity against oppression and wrong, and the' fight; Is as much for tbe benefit of the buM fering millions of .Europe as it is for that of our own people.The war has shown that everything that can be gathered for the relief of sick and wounded soldiers, for tbe feeding of great armies and for the maintenance of needy civilians should be hoarded as a miser hoards his gold. Not because it represents Intrinsic value, but because It Jb of use tu prosecuting the war to a successful conclusion.There is 110 use in going into the war unless we have a hope af bringing It to a speedy conclusion. To drag out the war for months or even years would defeat the very purpose for which it was declared.And unless wc husband every re-jujurce. wo shall find ourselves doom-or! to a long and bluer struggle, -with the end doubtful. Tt in for this reason that wo should devote our enor-fUes in lt;bc future to our own armies,1to our own people. jWhen the people of America are! called upon to relieve Buffering in j any part of the world they always] respond generously. They have not j shown Hie fdiEhletti inclination fo| hold back their charity during the pn'jLejiy- -**lt;?£: r* and they cannot he vrUh ‘ rtolflSbllftStrit they now j devoir* their gifts to their own poo-J pie. for every American enMler fight-ring against Tbe common enemy of the world ja n soldier of the allied cause.Wg feel cmnpasrioh for the woe* of others. Wg have shown our com-par-rirm in practical ways, We have been sorry to the extent *if mill tom* of dollars contributed, much labor expended and a great deni of per-Fiona I service rendered.Got ur now begin fo do nonudhing for our fj’vtn rogrctflng that the present demands of the European sufferers cannot bo met while wo have de-inlands ol onr own to respond to.Germans and Mexican-German*must now stay in either one country or the other. In this way. if they lie* come persona non gram in eil her country, it will not be hard to get, hold of them. They have been too much like Paddy’s flea: Pegorra.when I put me hand un him hr wasn't thorn at. all!*’Coh Ilnosovoil.'s plan for raising ;» rJivision for foreign service h;*^ not ye I been formally accepted. Vot if There is one place where tbe former Rough Rider would he of moM service in bin country i{ would be inthe field. And if he wants to go to Europe, why not let Mm?—■ — ■ ■»- ————Brazil's hostility toward Germany might result In cheaper coffee for this country. So by nil means lot/s encourage if. If Brazil demdofi to confiscate the German coffee plantations around Sao Paulo we should rejoice in the results.
Newspaper Details
Laredo Times
Laredo, Texas, US
Sun, Apr 15, 1917
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Aureo V.
