zen until 1923. Great credit is, therefore, due the American Legion for their efforts in bringing about a meeting of many of the leading patriotic, fraternal, and civic organizations, for the purpose of devising a civilian flag code.

The call for this meeting was issued by the National Americanism Commission of the American Legion, Garland W. Powell chairman. Sixty-eight organizations responded, their representatives meeting in Washington, D. C., on Flag Day, June 14, 1923.

The conference convened in Memorial Continental Hall with Gridley Adams, of the Sons of the American Revolution, presiding. President Warren G. Harding opened the conference with a forty minute address, saying in part, "I hope that you will succeed in formulating a code that will be welcomed by all Americans, and that every patriotic and educational society in the Republic will commit itself to the indorsement and observance and purposes of the code that you adopt here today."

Reports were delivered by various speakers on practically all disputed matters concerning flag usage; the council evolved and completed a comprehensive and concise civilian flag code, which has awakened Nation-wide interest and approval and has been unofficially accepted by the people of the United States as the ultimate authority on the many and much-disputed matters concerning the display, honors, and respect due the Flag of the United States, by the citizens thereof.

The conference closed with John L. Riley, chairman of the American Legion Committee on Americanism, Department of New York, presiding. They had appointed a permanent committee with Garland W. Powell as its chairman, to handle such matters as might come up until the next session, and adjourned to meet again on Flag Day, 1924. The National Flag Conference thus became a permanent organization.

The second National Flag Conference met on the day appointed in Washington and approved a revised Flag Code, which is now being followed by 113 organizations, including the original sixty-eight which took part in the first conference. In addition, the public school authorities in a majority of the States have given assurances that these rules, for the correct display of the Flag, will be taught in the schools. Texas and New York have enacted laws to provide for instruction, in the schools of the standard flag code.

THE AMERICAN'S CREED, by William Tyler Page, is symbolic of the United States Flag: "I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to

love it; to support its constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its flag; and to defend it against all enemies."

FLAG CODE OF THE NATIONAL

FLAG CONFERENCE

There are certain fundamental rules of heraldry which, if understood generally, would indicate the proper method of displaying the flag. The matter becomes a very simple one if it is kept in mind that the flag represents a living Nation and is itself considered a living symbol.

The union of the flag is the honor point; the right arm is the sword arm and therefore the point of danger and hence the place of honor.

The flag of the United States has thirteen horizontal stripes-seven red and six white-the red and white alternating, and a union, which consists of

white stars of five points on a blue field, placed in the upper quarter next the staff and extending to the lower edge of the fourth red stripe from the top. The number of stars is the same as the number of States in the Union. The canton or union now contains forty-eight stars arranged in six horizontal and eight vertical rows, each star with one point upward.

On the admission of a new State into the Union a star will be added to the union of the flag, such addition to take effect on the fourth of July next succeeding such admission.

The executive order issued, by President Taft, October 29, 1912, prescribing the proportions and standardizing twelve sizes of flags for the army and navy, gives the following equations, the width always being the basic factor:

E-Hoist (width) of each stripe........
F-Diameter of each star...-----------------

1/13

.0616

Note:-By diameter of star, is meant the diameter of an imaginary circle to which the points of the star would tie.

The basic factor given below is the sizes of the twelve standard flags, in feet and decimals of a foot. Numbers 1, 5 and 8 are army, the others, navy flags.

1. The flag should be displayed only from sunrise to sunset, or between such hours as may be designated by proper authority. It should be hoisted briskly but should be lowered slowly and ceremoniously. The flag should be displayed on National and State holidays and on historic and special occasions. However, being the emblem of our country, it ought to fly from every flag-pole every day throughout the year, weather permitting.