The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-12
School Children Are Reviewed
 and a Speech Made
GUEST AT GREAT BANQUET
Taft Visits the Fortifications to Pro- tect the Harbor and Shows That He Knows a Great Deal
 About Such Matters.

Los Angeles, October 11.-President Taft arrived in the hospitable flower land of southern California today and received an enthusiastic greeting. He visited first the deep waterway and inner harbors of San Pedro, below the city. and had a sail of an hour and a half inside the big govern ment brea1water.
 Returning to Los Angeles at 1 o'clock he was taken for automobile ride of two hours through the crowded streets.
 The President passed in review of the school children and made an address to them, in which he sought to inculcate lesson on patriotism. by catechizing them as to the meaning of the flag and their idea of the liberty which it represents.
 This evening MT. Taft was the guest of honor at a banquet at the Shriners' audi torium, which, in point of number and layishness of decoration, proved to be one of the distinctive features of his trip.
 The Presidents visit to Los Angeles prl- marily was arranged that he might spend a day or two with his sister, Mrs. w. A. Edwards. MT. Taft rested at his sister s home for a time during the late after noon and spent the night there.
 Auto Ride Scheduled.
 Tomorrow the President will be taken for an automobile ride to Pasadena and through the orange districts of Riverside. He will be entertained at luncheon at Pasadena and at dinner at 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.
 The President reached Los Angeles at 7:45 a. m., and his train was immediate ly switched to tracks leading to the har- bor of San Pedro. Arriving there at g o'clock the President was taken aboard a launch for trip along the water front. He was escorted first inIp the inner har- bor to be given a g'ifs SC Of the gigantic task of dredging oct t basin iilat will per init the docking of vessels within 12 miles of the city proper
 Mir. Taft surprised the committee that had sent out to explain the harbor works to him by his intimate knowledge of the plan of the Los Angeles people to make their harbor one of the finest in the world
 Officially Welcomed.
 The President later in the day, when he was made a member of the Los An geles Association of California Pioneers and was officially welcomed at Los An geles declared that his first acquaintance with this city dated back to 1891, which he said, amid cheers. entitled him to take precedence over many of the enthusias- tic residents in the welcoming commit tee.
 Before leaving San Pedro MT. Taft was shown the site of the Qualifications that are to be constructed on high hill of Point F1rmin, to protect the Los Angeles harbor. He spent fully 15 minutes on the heights listening to a detailed explana- ton of the plan. It was in the tropical park near the arcade railroad station that the President alighting from his private car. was officially welcomed to the city by Mayor Alexander and a large committee of citizens. It was in this park also that he was made "at sight an honorary member of the Pioneers as- sociation When these brief ceremonies had ended MT. Taft entered an automo- bile, mass of yellow chrysanthemums, and at the head of % other cars, his party and the committee of welcome were driven through the downtown residence section of the city
 Taft at Banquet.
 At banquet in his honor tonight the President dined beneath Spanish per gola laden with flowers and fruit. The entire auditorium had been transformed into a bower of roses, chrysanthemums and other blossoms of the season. Elec- tric bulbs glowing in the ceiling and twining about pillars in the decorative scheme, added their touch of color to the scene. Eight hundred banqueters rose to greet the President as he entered.
 Six Mexicans arrested in this city last night for public utterances in denuncia- tion of Presidents Taft and Diaz wero held by the authorities today and may be kept in custody until after MT Tafts visit to Fl Paso and Jaurez, Mexico, next Saturday.
 The President stopped two or three minutes each at Wilmington and Comp ton on the way from San Pedro to Los Angeles, and MT. Taft spoke few words to the throngs at the stations.