German merchant steam ships ordered to hoist merchant flag with iron cross according to the magazine Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Seewesens 1896 no. 9

An item referred to the Neue Preussische Kreuz-Zeitung which reported that the emperor ordered that the captains of the German merchant marine who also were naval reserve officers had to hoist on board of their ships a German merchant flag with an iron cross. The meaning was to increase the relation between the navy and the larger steamship shipping companies.