Tale of Two Cities

Editorial from the Los Angeles "Express"

The literary pork-and-beaners are at it again. The co.ultr-y is_ being flooded and nervspaper shop- swamped with the old tale of "war between San Francisco and Los Angeles."

Na-ming the_big German-built Zeppelin for this city gave the antlquated story a netv lease of life, and writers who having nothing to say, yet must write so they may eat, are making the most of the opportunity to aiquire a meal ticket. They pour -forth the yarn a6out uncbmpromising rivalry, deadly enmity, unyiel<iing hatred between the tw6 great cities of California. And many newspapers in the east, and some in the west, forgetful that they have pub- lished the same tale several times before, run it again. And so it goes out, in intimation at least, that becausJ the airship was called Los Angeles instead of San Francisco the.people of_ San Francisco have declared war of reprisal on Los Angeles.

Of course, those who know the two cities know the absurdity of the -tale. There is rivalry, naturally. One city bften wants what the other has set its heart on. But the sportsmanship_ in both cities is too good to let a disap- pointment rankle.

When the airship decision was made in favor of Los Angqles, instead of grouching about it and declaring war, Sdn Francisco produced a laugh that went as good frere as up north, when some wit there said nothing could be more-appropriate than to name the biggest gas bag in the world for Los Angeles.

We in Los Angeles may sometimes be irritatingly pa- tronizing towards the city by the Golden Gate. without malice. It is like the attitude of the brother suddenly grown head and shoulders taller favorite elder sister. He teases, but he loves and her.

But it is younger than his fespects

And in San Francisco they sometimes have their fun about the middle west moving to Los Angeles. But they come here to invest their money. and thousands of the more than million population of 'Los Angeles are former San Franciscans.

No enmity exists, only friendly rivalry: But so long as the old story of "war" between the cities will bring the price of a plate of soup it will be told and retold-by writers who have nothing to say.

A. J. RUSSELL ATTENDS SHTNGLE CONGRESS

A. J. Russell, manager of the Santa Fe Lumber Co., San Francisco, is in the Northlvest where he attended the Annual Shingle Congress at Seattle, Washington, on December 1l and 12. The Shingle Congress was held this year in the New Olympic Hotel. While in the Northwest, he will stop at Portland for a few days, where he will be a visitor at the ofifices of the Dollar-Portland Lumber Co. He also plans to spend a few days at Aberdeert, the headquarters of the Saginaw Timber Co., the well known shingle manufacturers. The Santa Fe Lumber Co. represent these two large Northwest concerns in California.