Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-22
CHANCE OF WAR;
WOULD WELCOME SAILORS

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 21.-TEditor
Herald: 1t may or not be true, as
stated in your leading article today,
that the war talk now so general is
absurd" and that excited newspaper
correspondents have allowed their i'm
aginations to run away with them IN
reporting the actions of Japanese
spies in this country, but 1t is an OLD
saying that where there is smoke there
is always fire, and it seems to me I'M
possible to suppose that our govern
ment should be making the extensive
preparations that are now going on
without having good reasons. Quite
apart from the fact that 1t Is sendlng
to this coast what / understand to be
the largest fleet that has ever been
raised in times of peace, the dis
patches bring us from day TO day
news of the most extensive prepara-
tons which, as it seems to me, must
have a very definite object. Immense
stores of ammunition, we, are told,
have been recently sent to the Philip
pines, and it was only last sunday
that we were told that rush orders mad
been placed for the immediate manu-
facture of 3,500000 pounds of powder,
an amount that, as we were INFORMED
on the authority of experts, exceeded
all records, even those Of the time OF
the SDanlSn-AIlleIlCdA WAL
neousiy with all this some the per-
petual reports of hurried arming on
the part of Japan, and, as l have said
already, it seems to, me that these ex-
traordinary steps that our govern
ment is taking must have good reason
Iehind them, which, for purposes OF
state, are at present kept from the
public.
l also notice an editorial in your pa
per today in which you speak of the
low wages that are paid to our sailors,
and we are constantly hearing of the
difficulty that the government meets
with in procuring army and navy re-
cruits. | am always of the opinion
that If a thing is worth doing at all 1t
Is worth doing well, and since / feel
convinced that there is a good cause
for the fleet being sent to this coast
l trust that the people OF TINS city
will show themselves at one with our
government by extending to its seamen
when they arrive here a welcome that
may, to some extent, compensate them
for the arduous voyage they have I'M
dertaken and the small remuneration
they receive. Our mayor acted with
most commendable promptitude, call
ing on Los Angeles to celebrate the
starting of the fleet the moment news
of it's departure was received. Since
then L nave seen HollcSS VI ihocSiii %
being held by civic bodies to make
preparation for a proper reception. but
/ fail as yet to note any signs of ac--
tivity on the part of the people at
large, and time slips rapidly away.
We are in the habit of making ar
rangements long beforehand for the
celebration of Fiesta, for the reception
of such bodies as the knights Templar
and similar events that are OF a semi
private character. The coming OF the
fleet is essentially a matter of public
interest an occasion when the eyes
of the world at large will be fixee on
this city, and this would seem to call
for more extensive preparations. AS
matter that concerns every citizen, !
presume that there will be an appro-
priatio;. from the public funds of the
city that will ENABLE Los Angeles 10
maintain her we'll established reputa-
ton for hospitality. Respectfully,
w. S. CUMMINGS.