SOUTH AFRICA: Coffin Flag

St. George was the Patron Saint of England, St. Andrew of Scotland and everyone knows about St. Patrick. When a flag for the United Kingdom was desired the three crosses peculiar to the three saints were ingeniously superimposed, forming the famed British “Union Jack.” Last week this same tried and tested formula of superimposition was carried to its ultimate conclusion with the unfurling of a new flag for that British Dominion called the Union of South Africa.

At Johannesburg and Cape Town, riots by native blacks accompanied the unfurling of the new flag. Misguided agents of the extreme pro-British faction, who wish to continue under the “Union Jack,” had still further misguided the Afric blacks into believing the absurd bit of blather that the new flag would mean their enslavement. Fired by this preposterous notion, the natives massed and howled protests against what they called the “coffin flag.” Shouting “Away with Slavery!” they tore down the new banner in numerous instances. Meanwhile 100% British Islanders drove through Johannesburg and Cape Town, waving the Union Jack and shouting: “We were born under this flag and we want no other!”

Amid so much furor, few South Africans had time to dissect and rationalize their new flag. Basically it is a horizontal tricolor, reading from top to bottom orange, white and blue. In the centre of the white stripe is superimposed the old Orange Free State flag, hanging vertically. Adjoining, on the white, is the Union Jack, spread toward the flagstaff. Lastly the old Transvaal vierkleur is superimposed upon the white, spreading away from the staff. Thus the new flag, which might be called the “Union Union Jack” is one big tricolor with three little flags stitched in a row on the centre of its centre stripe.