Iff 



Photograph by Paul Thompson 

 THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ON BOARD A BARGE WHICH FLIES HIS FLAG 

 AT THE BOW WHILE TAKING HIM FROM THE "MAYFLOWER" TO 

 THE FLAGSHIP (SEE ALSO PAGE 324) 



The President's flag (No. 2, page 310) is one of the most difficult flags to make, requir- 

 ing the labor of a skilled seamstress for an entire month. Every detail of the eagle, each 

 feather and each scale, must be carefully embroidered. On two days of the year the ships of 

 the American Navy are "full dressed," as are the battleships shown here. Those occasions 

 are the Fourth of July, the birthday of the nation itself, and the Twenty-second of February, 

 the birthday of him who will ever remain first in the hearts of his countrymen. To "full- 

 dress ship" is also permissible as a matter of international courtesy, when in foreign ports, 

 upon the occasion of the visited country's national holidays or in honor of the presence of 

 their men-of-war. 



standing and appreciating the motives, the 

 traditions, and the sentiments which have 

 given birth to these various symbols of 

 sovereignty, the National Geographic 

 Magazine presents this issue, devoted to 

 the flags of all countries. 



In the present world struggle, in which 

 the United States of America is now en- 

 gaged, we of this land hold to the ideals 

 represented in the history and the promise 

 of the Stars and Stripes — the ideals of 

 life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness 

 safeguarded for all mankind. 



And though many must fall in the 

 achievement of those ideals, a noble and 

 imperishable good will endure as a monu- 

 ment to their sacrifice. History can be- 

 stow upon such soldiers no higher en- 



comium than that of Defenders of the 

 Flag. 



In the presentation of 1,197 flags in 

 their accurate colors and design, the Na- 

 tional Geographic Magazine issues the 

 most expensive as well as the most in- 

 structive and beautiful number in the 

 whole history of periodical literature. 



THE BIG TASK OF MAKING THE FLAG 

 NUMBER 



In assembling the flags of the world, in 

 choosing the correct from the spurious 

 designs, and in mobilizing, so to speak, 

 the flag lore of our own America, as well 

 as in the research which has made it pos- 

 sible to present here many flags pregnant 

 with historic associations, the National 



283 



