Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-11
SOUNDS THE NOTE
FOR PR0GRESS|VES
Col. Roosevelt Sets Forth
Need for Preparedness of
Soul and Spirit"
MESSAGE is APPLAUDED
BY NATIONAL Committee
Body Begins Meeting in Chicago to
Arrange for Convention Of
Party in June.

rarity IN June.
CHICAGO. ILL.,. January 11.-Whep the
progressive national committee was called
to order today telegram of greeting
from Theodore Roosevelt. standard bearer
OF the party in the 1912 election, was
read. In it Col Roosevelt emphasized
the need CT preparedness. not alone in ma
terial ways, but of the soul and spirit
of the citizens of the nation.
The message was received with ap-
plause by the committeeman and was fol-
lowed by the reading of messages from
other leaders. including Hiram johnson,
Governor of California. and Albert J.
Beveridge. former senator from Indiana.
Greeting From Oyster Bay.
The message from Col Roosevelt fol-
lows:
Il send You my hearty greetings. We,
as a country. are facing a great world
crisis in which for the last eighteen
months this nation has fallen far short
of its duty, both to its own people and
to the law-abiding and justice-loving ma
tons of mankind
There is crying need that we shall
cast aside all purely partisan consider
ations and disregard all but the vital
issues affecting the national life. and
shall strive intellectually for a sound
Americanism which shall insist that
every man who is within our borders
shall be an American and nothing else.
Preparedness of the Soul"
1--WE must do justice to our people at
home; we must insist that they have
justice when abroad.
I'VE must insist upon the most
thorough going preparedness to pro-
tect our rights against all possible at
tacks by any aggressors. Such pre-
paredness is the best guarantee of any
honorable peace.
we must ever remember that there
cannot be such preparedness in things
material unless there is also that pre-
paredness Of soul and spirit which alone
renders nation fit to perform its high
and difficult duties in national and in
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Chicago City Most Favored.
Chicago. where the birth of the party
occurred in 1912. appeared early today
to be the unanimous choice for the
place for holding the convention, and
the week of June Z. when the repub-
lican national convention will be in
session. was favored by majority of
the committeeman as the date for CALL
Ing the national gathering.
Progressive party leaders have made
reservations for 500 hotel rooms and
have options on the Auditorium The
ater and Orchestra Hall for the week of
June z. This was disclosed in connec-
tion with the plan to hold the party's
national convention simultaneously
with the republican convention.
Forty-six of the forty-eight states are
represented and $50 leaders of the party
are here to attend the COMMITTEES meet
ing and conference.
Chairman Perkins Address.
George W. Perkins. chairman of the
executive committee of the progressive
party. who was host last night at a
banquet to members of the committee.
asserted in an address that the leaders
of the republican party ARE speeches.
in our country's crisis" and that the
democratic party has utterly failed in
vision, in courage and in patriotism"
]. W. McGrath. secretary to Col. Theo-
dore Roosevelt. Is here. and was in con-
ference with party leaders before the
committee went into session.
Gov. Johnson's Greeting.
In his message to the committeeman
Gov. Hiram W. Johnson of California
said:
"Progressivism has won a great VIC
tory. 1t has gripped the minds of in
dividual voters. has quickened the ma
tional conscience and has been indeli-
bly, impressed upon every forward
looking stage.
The men and the party unafraid
have exercised a most wholesome in
fuence on the nations political life
All candidates and all ne RI
hemently protest they are progress
sive and progressivism thus has part
~ done its work"
The telegram from former Senator
Albert j. Beveridge said:
Hearty greetings. The progressive
party stands for principles which mean
national safety. permanent business
prosperity. better living for the masses
and orderly control by the people Of
their own government.
Program of National Well Being.
These principles, together with a
neutrality like that which Washington
first established without partially to
any nation and with equal friendship
for all countries. constitute a program
OF national well being. for which Amer
leans can fight with a clean con-
science"
Another telegram to which the COM
mitteemen listened was from Charles
Sumner Bird Of Massachusetts, who
said:
Welfare and security of the country
hrst. Party advantage and personal
feeling second.
TO accomplish that we ought to put
the responsibility up to the republican
leaders. / am for a third ticket rather
than for reactionary or second-rate
candidate. Ny regards"
Messages from Arthur N Sager of
New York. John NJ. Parker of New Or
leans and Oscar S. Straus of New York
were also read when the committee
convened.
Session Informal and Open.
The session this morning was in
formal and open. Discussion of the
time and place for holding the national
convention of the party developed prac-
tically unanimous opinion that 1t should
be convened in Chicago
There was some difference of opinion
however. as to the date. William AL
len White of Kansas favored June T.
which would make the copvantto, -.