Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-07

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thodghful consideration of all citizens who
have the welfare of our city at heart. In
the short time Mr. Robinson has been
studying the situation it is out of the
question for him to have touched on all
the plans which might be presented, or
portions of the city which could be i'm
proved and made more attractive
Mr.. Robinson's diagram of boulevards
--Figueroa street and Vermont avenue
lead south directly to Agricultural pars.
What shall be said of this park? 1t could
be made one of tho show places of the
city. as we'll as utilized in a most practi.
cal manner. Los Angeles is sadly in need
OF better accommodations for the various
national guard organizations stationed
here. Many cities in eastern states with
only one-third the population of Los An
geles have very fine armory buildings
and no city of it's size has such poor
quarters for it's citizen soldiers.
At Agricultural park adequate quarters
for officers and men could be erected
with space enough for a large parade
would make a veritable beauty spot to
say nothing of providing unquestionably
the finest national guard reservation to be
found In any city in the United States
To be of any practical value the ma
tional guard of any state must have men;
these men must be trained-for without
training 100000 men would be absolutely
of no use in the time Of war. This train
ing must be had in armories and summer
encampments. To citizen looking in
any week night at. the companies drilling
in the cramped quarters at the armory
building it will at once be apparent what
the guard of California needs in the way
of armories.
At the park there is space enough for a
gymnasium, plunge and rifle range, as
well as a storehouse, stables, quarters
for officers and men, and large building
for indoor maneuvers-this building to be
large enough to accommodate at least a
regiment With such an outfit Los An
geles would have an armory worthy of
the name and one of the finest IL not the
finest national guard reservation in the
United States 1t goes without saying
that with gymnasium, plunge and
other athletic features at their disposal
the young men of the city would join
the guard and take much more interest
than can be expected under existing con-
ditions.
large increase in the number of men
would naturally result in providing ath-
letic features. Besides the gymnasium
and plunge there could be baseball field
tennis, courts, handball courts, and, in
short, place could be provided where
young men would find healthful exeScise
coupled with the schooling for the sterner
art of war;
Men in office must have exercise. If
they have use of the apparatus at the
armory what young man would not be
willing to serve in the guard? Very few
people appreciate the position of the
guard. 1t is ridiculed on every side,
laughed at and derided; yet men will
come to the armory''-so-called, night
after night to learn what they can in the
way of war. Some men can look ahead
far enough to see the need of trained
men and a lot of them, il not to assert
the demands of our nation, at least to
prevent war. Foreign nations knowing
that we can put two or three hundred
thousand men in the field will hesitate
long time before bringing on war. The
best way to prevent war is to be abso-
lutely prepared in every particular.
With Agricultural park as a base with
stores of all kinds on hand, and with a
spur track to the storehouse within the
it would be a matter of q
few hours at most to put about 600 men
on the train and ready to go from the
city.
Let the thinking citizen. the practical,
peace loving citizen do some
then visit the present armory
terview some state assemblyman and
help in pushing to a successful issue this
most important matter.
Los Angeles needs Agricultural park
for her national guard. The city needs 1t
as a picture place. In a word, it is i'm
perative that the park be utilized as a
drill ground with barracks and all neces-
sary buildings for an up-to-date military
post. e. M. VAUGHAN.