JUNE 14 thousands of Americans will, as a part of the annual celebration of Flag day, repeat this sen- tence: “I pledge al leglance to the flag of the United States and to the Republic for which {it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” It has been sald that “The Pledge to the Flag” has been repeated more than any other quotation from modern lit. erature, For that reason the man who wrote it and the circumstances under which it was written deserve to be remembered. It is singularly appropriate that this pledge, which has been repeat. ed so many times by so many thou- sands of school children, should have been written by a member of the editorial staff of the publication which for so many years was Young America's favorite magazine—the Youth's Companion. Francis M. Bellamy was his name, and at the time of his death on August 28, 1031, the memory of his greatest claim to distinction was revived by his widow who gave an interest ing account of the origin of the pledge. A little group of men, who in 1801 believed the flame of patriotism was dying out because of momentous de velopments in industrial and polit- ical circles, sought to “fan the spark Into new life,” she explained, This effort resulted in President Benjamin Harrison proclaiming Oec- tober 12, 1802, as the first nations) holiday In honor of the discovery of America. Delegated to write a proclamation as part of the orig- inal ceremony, Bellamy produced a 27-word pledge that stood the test of time, “Chief among the leaders of the movement,” said Mrs. Bellamy, “were President t Harrison, James B. Upham, publisher; William T. Har ris, federal co issloner of educa- tion; and Mr. Bellamy, a member of the editorial staff of the Youth's Companion. “ir. I onceived the idea of a revivy iotism at a time when material things occupied the attention of most His first plan was to place an American flag As a re sult, 25000 flags waved on as many school buildings. ‘hen the suggestion was adopt- ed for a national holiday. Com- mittees were formed, public men were interviewed. This handful of men virtually consecrated thelr lives to the task of obtaining gov- ernmental recognition of Columbus day. “Mr. Bellamy saw congressmen, senators and others in the public eye. He Interviewed President Harrison and Grover Cleveland among others. “Afterwards he aroused Interest among congressmen by Inducing them to give interviews endorsing people. over every schoolhouse, WOODROW WILSON the project, to newspapers. It wasn't long before senate and house passed a Jolot resolution giv- ing the President authority to pro claim the holiday, with standard exercises In public schools, “At last everything was com pleted except the opening proclama- tion. The secretary of state asked Mr, Bellamy to do that. Mr. Bel) amy nominated Mr. Upham, but the latter refused. After many long weary hours over the draft, my hus band produced the pledge that has remained unchanged since then, “And that's all,” she concluded. “All except that Mr. Bellamy's health was imperiled In his work to rediscover America 400 years aft. er Columbus landed.” ¥ Although the United States is one of the youngest members in the sis Rs as TR-— terhood of nations of the world, her flag is one of the oldest in the world. Aside from the swallow- tailed, Savoy colors of Denmark, adopted In 1219, and the flag of Switzerland, which dates from the Seventeenth century, history re- cords no national flag with a longer continuous life than ours. When the Second Continental congress on June 14, 1777, adopted a resolution which read: “Resolved, That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, that the union be thir teen stars, white in a blue fleld, representing a new constellation,” the French tri-color had not yet come Into existence. The present British flag dates only from 1801, Germany changed its flag after the fall of the empire In 1018, but even the flag used during the World war was less than 50 years old Bx MM Ra Mm a The American flag has three gymbolic Stars and Stripes, the Star-Spangled Banner and Old Glory. The name names—the Stars and dates, of course, from its very be- Stripes ginning, and is based upon the de scription of the banner In the flag resolution of June 14, 1777. The Star-Spangled Banner dates from the War of 1812. Orators may have called our flag by that name before that time, but it remained for Francis Scott Key, a young Maryland lawyer who was detained on a British warship during the bombardment of Fort McHenry on the night of September 12, 1814, and who saw “by the dawn's early ght” of September 13 “that our flag was still there,” to express his Joy in a poem which was later set to music and whi try by storm, The name Od 1531. On August a crowd had wharves of Salem, ness the departure Charles Daggett, to set out on took the coun cruise, gett was Capt. William noted for his sturdy and his deep love for his country’s Master of the Charles Dag- Driver, Americanism flag. So his 1 bors had brought him a fine American flag to to the masthead of the brig. ‘hen the new banner had been run up its place and rip pled in the breeze in all its beauty of red and white and blue, Cap tain Driver, looking aloft, had a sudden Inspiration. “I'll call her Old Glory, boys, Old Glory!" And thus was another symbolical name for our flag born. Be NO Mm Ea Ry Eg Flag day has been the Inspiration for a number of memorable tributes to our national banner. In a Flag day address during the World war President Wilson said: “This flag which we honor and under which we serve Is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as 8 nation. . . . It Is fitting that we celebrate the day of Its birth; and from its birth un. til now it has witnessed a great history, has floated on high the symbol of great events, of a great plan of life worked out by a great people” On Flag day In 1914, Franklin K. Lane, secretary of the Interior in President Wilson's eabinet, speaking before employees of his department, delivered a eulogy which has become something of a classic In the literature of the flag. It is the following: THE MAKERS OF THE FLAG This morning, as 1 passed into the land office, the flag dropped me a most cordial salutation, and from its rippling folds I heard it say: “Good morning, Mr. Flag Maker.” “I beg your pardon, Old Glory,” I said, “aren't you mistaken? I am not the President of the United States, nor a member of congress, nor even a general In the army. 1 am only a government clerk.” “1 greet you again, Mr. Flag Maker,” replied the gay voice; “I know you well, You are the man who worked in the swelter of yes terday straightening out the tangle of that farmer's homestead in Idaho, or perhaps you found the mistake In that Indian contract in Oklahoman, or helped to clear that patent for the hopeful Inventor In New York, or pushed the opening of that new ditch in Colorado, or made that mine in Illinois more safe, or brought relief to the old soldier In Wyoming. No matter; whichever one of these beneficent individuals you may happen to be, be hoisted CENTRE HALL, PA. I give you Maker.” I was abou} to pass on, when the flag stopped me with these words: “Yesterday the President spoke & word that made happler the fu- ture of 10,000,000 peons In Mexico; but that act looms no larger on the flag than the struggle which the boy In Georgla Is making to win the corn club prize this summer. “Yesterday we made a new law to prevent financial panics, and yes- terday, maybe, a school teacher in Ohlo taught his first letters to a greeting, Mr. Flag FRANCIS SCOTT KEY boy who will one day write a song that will give cheer to the of our race. We are all the flag.” “But,” peop 3a the “The work that we ing of the flag. “I am not am but Its shadow, *1 am whatever noth 1 T am Ye flag; iam strong with pride, wher 1 flo an honest work, fittin he rails together truly. "S for then } pur pose has gone m me, and cynl cally I play th oward. “Sometimes and full of Judgment. “But always I am all that you hope to be and have the courage to try for “1 am the Constituti courts, tatutes and the statute makers, ie and dreadoaught, drayman and street sweep, cook, counselor and clerk. “I am the battle of yesterday and the mistake of tomorrow. “1 am the mystery of the men who do without knowing why. “lI am the clutch of an idea and the r#asoned purpose of resolution. “I am no more than what you be- lleve me to be and I am all that you believe that I can be. “I am what you make me; noth ing more. “I swing before your eyes hs a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself, the pictured suggestion of that big thing which makes this nation. My stars and my stripes are your dream and your labors, They are bright with cheer, bril- liant with courage, firm with faith, because you have made them so out of your hearts; for you are the makers of the flag, and It 1s well that you glory In the making” We owe our official celebration of Flag day to President Woodrow Wilson. On May 13, 1018, he is sued a proclamation designating June 14 of each year as Flag day, and it has been so observed since that time. As for the honor of being the “originator” of Flag day, it would be difficult to award that title to any one person, since several Amor leans contributed to the idea, One of them Is a woman, Mrs. Laura B. Prisk, widely known as the “Mother of Flag day.” During President Wilson's administration she was editor of the Patriotic In- stiuctor In New York and In that publication suggested setting aside June 14 as Flag day. Her sugges tion was forwarded by the Daugh- ters of the American Revolution In New York to the President, and his proclamation of May 18, 1016, fol lowed soon afterwards, Another who seems to have a Just claim to the title of “origina. tor” Is Benjamin Altheimer of New York. Under the title of “Flag-Day Man” the New Yorker magazine in its issue of June 14, 1080, told his story as follows: If the lady on your left tires of your more ponderous dinner topics, you might tell her about Benjamin Altheimer. “Benjamin Altheimer” you might say, “is responsible for Flag day; did you know that? To prove that you are not just trying to be funny, you can give her the facts about Mr. Altheimer, and how he thought up Flag day. Here they are: He is a real person well, and lives right In old New York. Although eighty, he can still get about spryly, No one in the world gets a greater 14 than he does. After all, he put mine and Lord & Taylor's ane body else's, Mr. Alt aside a spec! Banner, back 8 Visit to watched with Ane nag Houston pressed ) about sixty then, and a great pa- triol in a quiet way, a lover of the flag Betsy Ross tradi tion, of the United States of Amer- 1every- rot ren retreat ica generally (oddly enough born in Germany.) He came to America as a young min, plunged into banking and brokerage out In St Louis and. In no time, made millions of dollars. His gratitude for the quick success that he, a foreign-born Jew, had In gave to hospitals, found aided government projec charities, led off campaigns relief of victims of fire, ployment, great reader teenth. The Second Presbyterian church of St. Louls respond-in 1011 synagogues, and Other churches, FRANCIS M. BELLAMY line. Mr. Altheimer soon had to go into the flag-purchasing and pre senting business on a big scale, with secretaries and others helping him to meet the demand. Since he was retired from banking, he could give all of his time to it. In 1012 Bt Louls, as a municipality, celebrated Flag day. Flags were everywhere, All traffic stopped for a full min- ute at a given time. Mr. Altheimer was happy. He was happier yet when, In 1917, he got to President Wilson in person, and Flag day was made a national occasion. In 1027, the one-hundred-and-fiftieth anni. versary of the adoption of the flag, the United States Flag association invited Mr. Althelmer, along with Lindbergh, to attend its celebration in Washington. He couldn't go, becanse of illness, but the associa tion sent him a cross of honor and a citation, signed by Coolidge, “for having planted the true apprecia- tion of the flag in the hearts of the American people” © by Western Newspaper Union have no plaster, which simplicity Is courted even to the verge of erudity. Those who en Joy summering In cottages of this sort shoulq keep in mind the ing ous devices they have seen, for 1 may prove helpful, The ideas pre sented today are fas i development and have proved prac tical, To suit the decoratl ing, and instill { through simplicity requl ciation of beauty In power to convert ns ato 4 ornamental acce In old settle by virtue of was wrested from at hand, To stalks, so It cis nishings. business 16 t ned decorator, t devise unusual ways and means produce these effects The quick eye of one trained cam er discovered a good use for sn bent brapches, onverted ther He sel which rmed acute o ight angl The brand screwed the these Sound Production Not Uncommon With Fishes but not t he watched the sapling grow until it wis just the right size to be used for the tree trunk. This table was mnde long years ago, by Plymouth A modern ingenious use of white birch saplings is found in one coun- w in the liv- n has one apling for a curtain rings are birch tre eolor ings do ut then for ily the A Few Drops Every Night and Morning Will Promote a Clean, Healthy Condition! At All Drug Stores Write Marine Co. Dpt. W Chicago for Free Book PARKER'S HAIR BALSAM Bemoves Datu Huir Falling a a and Beauty to Gray and Faded Hair Ge and 51.00 at Druggists hon Wis Patrbogus NY for use in L Makes the or ut drug. Paichogoe, NX. ITCHING IRRITATION Even in persistent cases where parts are sore and tender—comfort follows R the soothing touch of 1 Lost 37 Pounds With Kruschen Friends Lost Fat, Too 3 get s Jom nany physicians od the world over ss the to reduce. FAMOUS RADIO ANNOUNCER says: ‘I'l announce to the world that THE EDISON is a great Hotel” , Baltimore's EE Foremost ROOMS (Table d"Hote and 2 le Carte Service) CAFETERIA GARAGE SERVICE
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers