Changing The Flag

New Yokk, July 22. - The rearrangement of the stars in the blue field of the American eusign made necessary by the admission of Idaho into the Union and the increase of the stars to forty-throe, has been decided upon by the War and Navy departments. The delay in this rearrangement was caused by certain formal proceedings of an official agreement between the two departments. In anticipation of this the signal quartermasters of the navy sliips in cotnmission and the equipment department at the navy-yard have boen cutting out white stars for the blue field, ready to be put on when the new design shoulil be approved. There were three different designs suggested, but two only carne uuder any serious consideration. One of these suggested flve rows of stars - the first, third and flfth rows to have nine stars and the second and fourth rows eight stars each. But this arrangement of the stars was nut symmetrical, inasmucli as it would make the blue field of bad proportion in connection with the rest of the flag. The design adopted is the one prepared by the Bureau Equipment of the Navy Department and incorporates the present arrangement of six rows of seven stars each and adds the forty-third, or Idaho's star, to the upper row at the left hand. Aï the law provides that the change in the field of the flag "Shall be made on Indepondence day following the admission of a new State in the Union," the star to represent Wyoming will not be added until July 4 next But the symmetry of the arrangement of the stars will be observed by the addition of the other star to the lower row.