THE BLOOD-RED FLAG OF ENGLAND.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1
SIR,—Regarding the Red Ensign, I do not remember the year that I took the trouble to find out what is correct for one and all of us to "fly." I applied to the fountain-head of information and heraldic law on such points. Let us take one instance of a Union Jack that all passers to Gourock, or Greenock-, or to Glasgow can see displayed on the castle belonging to Lord Inverclyde, who flies the Union Tack as Lord Lieutenant of Dumbartonshire. It is a sign and symbol that he is the Lord Lieutenant. He is not likely to go wrong as to this matter. The White Ensign is the " man-of-war " flag, whieli none can fly save only the Royal Yacht Squadron Club, Cowes. The Blue Ensign denotes the Royal Naval Reserve. Lord Crewe, it is asserted, said in 1908 that the Union Jack can be flown on land by anyone. I dare say he may have said so—I can't help that. According to the Heralds it is not correct. Flying certain flags is punishable, I believe, and so it should be. Hundreds of thousands of flags of a cheap kind are manufactured that are incorrect. I cannot understand encouraging what is incorrect or in bad
Previous page
