[Illustration: NATIONAL PENNANT] [Illustration: ADMIRAL VICE ADMIRAL REAR ADMIRAL] [Illustration: JAPAN ENSIGN MERCHANT] [Illustration: MINISTER OF THE NAVY ADMIRAL] [Illustration: VICE ADMIRAL REAR ADMIRAL] [Illustration: PENNANT ENSIGNS, FLAGS AND PENNANTS.] _The Naval Reserve Flag._—This flag is a “swallow-tailed” pennant of blue bunting bearing a design in the center consisting of two crossed anchors surcharged by a shield of the United States and surmounted by a spread eagle, the design being in white, the thirteen stars on the shield being blue and the bars on the shield being alternate white and red. This flag may be flown as an insignia on private vessels or vessels of the merchant service commanded by officers of the Naval Reserve Force, but shall not be flown in lieu of the national ensign. _The Naval Militia Flag._—This flag is flown as a distinguishing flag by ships of the Naval Militia of the several States and territories when not in the service of the United States. It has a blue field with a yellow diamond in the center and a blue vertical foul anchor in the center of the diamond. These ships of the Naval Militia also fly a pennant at the mainmast, the part next the mast being white with the yellow diamond and blue foul anchor design upon it and the remainder of the pennant is divided longitudinally into two equal stripes of blue and yellow. _The Shipping Board Flag._—This flag is flown as a distinguishing flag, or “house flag,” by the merchant ships operated under the United States Shipping Board, and consists of a white flag bearing a shield of the United States in the center supported by a blue anchor with the letters “U. S. A.” above the design and the letters “S. B.” below it. The shield has a blue field with thirteen white stars and the thirteen stripes are alternate white and red. The National Ensign carried by each regiment of United States troops is 4 feet 4 inches in height and 5 feet 6 inches long, on a pike or staff 9 feet long, with the edges trimmed with knotted yellow silk fringe 2½ inches wide and a cord and two tassels of red, white and blue silk strands. In addition to the National Ensign each regiment carries a Regimental Standard of the same dimensions as the National Flag, this standard being of the distinctive color for the arm of the service to which the regiment belongs, and bearing the corps insignia and the number of the regiment. In the Army the Regimental Standards are as follows: _Regiments of Engineers_, of scarlet silk having embroidered upon it in proper colors the Coat of Arms of the United States, with below it the insignia of the Corps of Engineers and a scroll bearing the inscription “5 U. S. ENGINEERS” (the number being that of the regiment) embroidered in white silk, trimmed around the edges with white silk fringe and having a cord and tassels of white and scarlet silk strands.