Executive Order No. 2390
Establishing Sizes and Proportions of the American Flag and the President's Flag
THE WHITE HOUSE, May 29, 1916.
The Executive Order of October 29, 1912, is hereby revoked, and for it is substituted the following:--
Whereas, "An Act to Establish the Flag of the United States," ap- proved on the 4th of April, 1818, reading as follows:--
"Section 1. Be it enacted, etc., That from and after the fourth day of
July next, the flag of the United States be thirteen horizontal stripes, alter- nate red and white; that the union be twenty stars, white in a blue field.
"Section 2. And be it further enacted, That on the admission of every
new State into the Union, one star be added to the union of the flag; and that such addition shall take effect on the fourth of July then next succeed- ing such admission."
fails to establish proportions;
Whereas, investigation shows some sixty-six different sizes of National flags, and of varying proportions, in use in the Executive Departments;
It is hereby ordered that National Flags and Union Jacks for all Departments of the Government, with the exception noted under (a), shall conform to the following proportions:--
Hoist (width) of Flag.... 1 Fly (length) of Union.... .76 Fly (length) of Flag..... 1.9
Hoist (width) of Union... 7/13Width of each stripe..... 1/13
(a) Exception: The colors carried by troops, and camp colors, shall be the sizes prescribed for the Military Service (Army and Navy).
Limitation of the number of sizes: With the exception of colors under note (a), the sizes of flags manufactured or purchased for the Govern- ment Departments will be limited to those with the following hoists:
(1) ............... 20 feet (7) ............... 5.14 feet (2) .....(Standard) 19 feet (8) ............... 5 feet (3) ............... 14.35 feet (9) ............... 3.52 feet (4) ............... 12.19 feet (10) ............... 2.90 feet (5) ............... 10 feet (11) ............... 2.37 feet (6) ............... 8.94 feet (12)................ 1.31 feet
Union Jacks: The size of the Jack shall be the size of the Union of
the National Flag with which it is flown.
Position and Size of Stars: The position and size of each star for the Union of the flag shall be as indicated on a plan which will be furnished to the Departments by the Navy Department. From this plan can be determined the location and size of stars for flags of any dimensions. Extra blue-prints of this plan will be furnished upon application to the Navy Department.
Order effective: All National Flags and Union Jacks now on hand or for which contracts have been awarded shall be continued in use until unserviceable, but all those manufactured or purchased for Gov- ernment use after the date of this order shall conform strictly to the dimensions and proportions herein prescribed.
President's Flag: The President's flag shall be in accordance with the plan accompanying and forming a part of this order. In case sizes are needed other than the two sizes shown on the plan, they shall be manufactured in the same proportions as those shown.
WOODROW WILSON.
[NOTE.--This order was accompanied with illustration (in color) and design of the President's flag, showing solid blue field with eagle in centre bearing shield with read bars; white star at each corner; legend: E Pluribus Unum.]
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