Executive Order 2390

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”, approved on the 4th of April, 1818, reading as follows:


 * ‘‘ Be it enacted, etc., That from and after the fourth day of July next, the flag of the United States be thirteen horizontal strips, alternate red and white; that the union have twenty stars, white in a blue field.


 * ‘‘ 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 succeeding such admission.’’

fails to establish proportions; and

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 the national flags and union jacks for all departments of the Government, with the exception noted under (a), shall conform to the following proportions:


 * (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 exception of colors under note  (a), the sizes of flags manufactured or purchased for the Government departments will be limited to those with the following hoists:

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 Government 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.


 * 29th May, 1916.

Attachment to (and part of) the order:

The colors prescribed for the President's flag are as follows:

Field of the flag, blue. All stars, large and small, white. The thirteen clouds, white with black stitching. Motto ribbon, white with black letters and stitching. Rays, gold stitching. Eagles beak, yellow. Feathers, white with black stitching. Legs and feet, yellow. Nails, white with black stitching. Olive branch, leaves green, olives light green. Arrows, white with black stitching. Shield, chief blue, strips alternate white and red, beginning with white on the outside.