Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-05
AN ARMoRY WANTED

TN HE members Of the Legislature from
Los Angeles and Southern Cali
Il fornia should see to It that before
adjournment ample provision is made
by the state for the construction and
maintenance of a regimental armory
in this city.
A structure sufficiently large to ac-
commodate a regiment should be
erected by the state. In addition to &C
commodating this regiment, the same
structure will also be called upon toI
furnish quarters for cavalry troop, a
branch of the signal corps located here,
company of naval militia and bril-
gade headquarters as well.
That great statesman and honest and
able public servant who yesterday
voluntarily stepped out of the presi-
dents chair, when he might by merely
signifying his consent have had another
term. has endeavored most earnestly to
impress upon the people of his country
the Importance of being prepared for
was as the best possible guaranty for
continued peaceful relations with all the
world
Every thinking man upon the Pacific
coast has no doubt come to realize the
fact that this coast is inadequately pro-
tected from foreign invasion. There is
no more important function of govern
ment than to afford such protection
when needed.
The city and county of Los Angeles
and Southern California have become
the second center of wealth and popula
ton uron the Pacific coast, and If %
continues its present rate of advance
within a few years it will rank first
in those respects.
It is unthinkable that section offer
ing such a temptation to invasion by d
foreign nation at war with the United
States should remain unprotected as IL
is now.
We are urging the nation to provide
national defense in the form of forti-
fcations at San Pedro, but we must
rot forget that the state has a duty to
perform in providing for defense, and
that duty is best performed by raising
to the highest point of efficiency the
state militia known as the California
national guard, that portion of which
now located in Los Angeles and South
ern California is absolutely without
permanent headquarters.
The home that it now occupies it oc-
cupies upon sufferance and is liable to
be elected at any time. Such condl-
ton of affairs is a disgrace to the state,
and the present legislature should not
adjourn until it has made it's longer
continuance impossible.
The city of Los Angeles, with the
great accumulations of wealth which it
holds in its corporate limits and which
have gathered around it in other cities
that are it's suburbs, should be the cell
ter of a strong state military organiza-
ton composed of all the elements of
land and naval forces.
1t is a generally recognized fact that.
thanks to the efficiency of the officers
and men composing the regiment of
California national guards whose head
quarters are at Los Angeles, that regi-
ment is the best, in point of efficiency
in the whole organization Of state sell
diery.
It is a shame upon the state that
citizens who give their time, energy and
intelligence to preparing to defend their
state should find their organization
without a home.
We appeal to the members Of the
| legislature from this county to use
their utmost efforts to see that this
wrong is righted and that an appropri-
alton is made which will construct in
the city of Los Angeles an armory to
be the center of such state military
force as the Importance of our COM
munity and section demands shall be
maintained for it's protection.