THE UNION JACK.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 64, 15 March 1919, Page 12

THE UNION JACK.

cTi- the T?ii»or.i Sir, —A Soldier's Father writes' "At iaet there is one City Council that is not afraid to insist that the Hibernians shall not 'be allowed to march without the glorious Union Jack being well in evidence." Permit mc to ask. What does the Empire flag consist of? Have we got an Empire flap embracing all the . component parts of our Empire? We have not got such a flag. Is the Irish flag not a glorious flag? If anyone denies it, study the war just concluded, and all pre-wars in the interests of the Empire and see if the Irish flag was ! missing. The occasion of a sectional i holiday is not a national holiday, and it would be as sound in logic to compel Scotchmen to carry the Irish flag on their festival day as that suggested by A Soldier's Father. If flag waving is a test of loyalty, what about the numbers of Germans who bedecked themselves •with the Union Jack when peace rumours were around? Doep it denote loyalty when we see those who "rooked" the soldiers' relatives in profiteering, whilst they were absent, and who waved Union Jacks and sang, " They are Jolly Good Follows" on their ' return froln the front ? The flag of Erin does not cover a gang of iiypocrites, and it is time that we had an Empire fiag to carry which would not be degraded when placed in the hands of Hibernians to protect, and be in truth an emblem of freedom, and not be a cover for hypocritical and spurious loyalty.—l am i etc., ,A VOLUNTEER SOLDIER'S UNCLE.