The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-12
TAFT COVERS
 HALF OF TRIP Visits Sister At Los An
 geles. INSPEcTS SAN PEDRO HARB0R Expresses Interest In Building 0i
 Breastworks. School Children and Veterans of Two Wars Do Special Honor to
 Noted Guest of
[NSPECTS SAN PEDRO HARB0R

 Taft arrived in the hospitable flower land of Southern California today and ! received an enthusiastic greeting. He visited first the deep waterway and in. ner harbors of San Pedro below the city. and had a sail of an hour and g half inside the big government break water.
 Returning to Los Angeles at o'clock. he was taken for an automo- bile ride of two hours through the crowded streets.
 The President passed in review oi the school children and made an ad- dress to them, in which he sought to inculcate lesson on patriotism, by catechising them as to the meaning of the flag and their idea of liberty which 1t represents.
 This evening Mir. Taft was the guest of honor at a banquet at the Shriners Auditorium, which, iD point of number and lavishness of decoration, proved to be one of the distinctive features of his trip.
 The Presidents visit to Los Angeles primarily was arranged that he might spend a day or two with his sister Mrs W. A. Edwards Mir Taft rested at his sisters home for time during the late afternoon and spent the night there.
 Tomorrow the President will be ta- ken for an automobile ride to Pasa- dena and through the orange districts of Riverside. He will be entertained al luncheon at Pasadena and at dinner al Riverside. Late tomorrow night he will start for the East on the latter half of his long trip. and both in point of time and In mileage. his journey will be half completed.
 Goes to San Pedro.
 The President reached Los Angeles at 7:45 a. m., and his train was imme' dlately switched to tracks leading to the harbor of San Pedro. Arriving there at g o'clock the President was taken aboard a launch for a trip along the water front. He was escorted first into the inner harbor to be given g glimpse of the gigantic task of dredg- ing out a basin that will permit tht | docking of vessels within twelve mile. | of the city proper.
 | Mr. Taft surprised the committee that had set out to explain the harbo I works to him by his intimate knowl edge of the plan of the Los Angele people to make their harbor one of thu finest in the world
 The President later in the day, wher he was made a member of the Los An geles Association of California Pioneers and was formally welcomed at aos An geles, declared that his first acquaint- ance with this city dated back to 1891 which he said amid cheers. entitled him to take precedence over many of the enthusiastic residents in the weicom- ing committee.
 Before leaving San Pedro Mir. Taft was shown the site of the fortiications that are to be constructed on high hill of Point Firmin, to protect the Los Angeles harbor. He spent fully fifteen minutes on the heights listening to q detailed explanation of the plan. Il was at the tropical park near the Ar rade Railroad station that the Presi- dent, allght ting from his private car was officially welcomed to the city bS Mayor Alexander and a large commit tee of citizens. It was l.. this park also that he was made tat sight' aI honorary member of the Pioneers As sociation.
 When these brief ceremonies hat ended. Mr. Taft entered an automo bile. a mass of yellow chrysanthemums and at the head of twenty-five otheI cars, his party and the committee O welcome were driven through the dowI town residence section of the city. Banquet fla PergOia. At a banquet in his honor tonight the President dined beneath Spanish l pergola laden with flowers and fruit The entire au0ltOTluHl Hdu pcSh tiohS formed into a bower of roses. chrysan themums and other blossoms of thu season. Electric bulbs glowing in tn, ceiling and twining about pillars II the decorative scheme. added thei touch of color to the scene. Eight hun dred banqueters rose to greet the Pres ldent as he entered
 Six MeXicans, arrested in this citl last night for public utterances in de nunciation of Presidents Taft and Dlai were held by the authorities today ant may be kept in custody until after Mir Taft's visit to Fl Paso and Juarez. Mex leo, next Saturday.
 The President stopped two or thre' minutes each at Wilmington and Comp ton on the way from San Pedro to Loi Angeles, and Mir. Taft spoke a few words to the throngs at the stations. It was learned today that as tho Presidents train approached Bakers field last night amid a welcome of Ire works. some of the rockets, badly aim ed. whizzed along the ground and ont broke within fifty feet of the PTesi' dent The incident caused the secre service men considerable worry.