The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-08
PREPAREDNESS|S DOMINANT THEME OF BULL MOOSE CREED Tentative Draft of Platform Is Made Public-Record
 for Brevity
FAVORS A STANDING
 ARMY 25O,OOO STRONG
Declares for Equal Suffrage and Uni versal Opportunity for Military Training at Expense of the Gov
 ernment-Issue of Men

Chicago, June 7.-National preparedness fin spirit arms and industry is the dominant theme of the progressive partys platform, of which tentative draft was completed tonight by the resolutions com mittee. appointed at today's session of the convention. It breaks party conven- tion platform records for brevity and con- sists of a broad statement of conditions facing and remedies needed by the tion rather than the usual formidable array of separate blanks.
 As to preparedness the platform de- clares for a navy second in the worlds armadas standing army of 25oOoo men and universal opportunity for military training under federal supervision" So- cial and economic reforms and social justice features of the 1912 platform are reaffirmed, full political suffrage is in dorsed, a permanent, expert tariff com mission, high protective tariff regula- tion of industries conservation and de- velopment of natural resources are urged.
 The platform declares that the present situation makes issue of men rather than words and closes with the declara-
 
 party who sees the nations needs and puts forward a leader fit to meet it.
 TEXT OF DRAFT
 Following is the text of the tentative platform draft:
 This is the year of decision for the nations future. As we now decide, so we shall go forward in righteousness and power, or backward in degradation and weakness
 "Of necessity we deal now with the foundations of our national life We are facing elemental facts of force. or right and wrong, of extreme national peril. Our present choice of paths will be ir- revocable The tradition of isolation has been ended. The United States is now part of a world system of civilization. We stand or fall as we prepare to take our part in peace or war and hold our own therein
 ''As members of an international com munty, we are subject to certain basic duties:
 ''To secure the rights of citizens at home and abroad;
 ITO guard the honor and uphold the just influence of our nation;
 ITO maintain the integrity of interna- tional law. These are the corner stones of civilization. We must be strong to defend them.
 :. 'Tae present war shows that it is the supreme duty of civilization to create conditions which will make peace per v manent. Our country must be able and ready to take it's part in that work. The peace which we desire for our country is not the peace of submission and cow ardice, but the peace of justice. War and it's evils will not be done away with by suffering injustice ito ourselves or , others. nor by pledging ourselves to dras- tic action for international right if we do not prepare the force which would sustain such action. We can perform our rightful part in promoting perma- nent international peace only by a willing ness and preparedness to defend our own rights and the rights of other na- tions We earnestly desire to keep the peace. But there are higher things that we must keep as Washington and Lin coin kept them for us.
 PREPAREDNESS NEEDS
 Adequate provision for the common de- fense has become the task of foremost national concern. We must be ready in spirit, arms and industry. Preparation in arms requires:
 "A navy once more second in battle efficiency.
 "A regular army of 25OOO0 men, fully armed and trained, as first line of land defense
 "A system of military training adequate to organize with promptness, behind that Ilrst line or the army and navy, citi- zen soldiery, supplied armed and con- trolled by the national government.
 "(ao In our democracy every male citi- zen is charged with the duty of defend- ing his country. This duty is not new. It has existed from the foundation of the government. Under modern cond- tions it cannot be performed without military training. It is not necessary that this training should be so extensive as to interfere with the ordinary pursuits of the citizen, but it should be systematic, efficient, universal and obligatory; proper provision being made for other kinds of public service by those with honest con- scieItious scruples or physical disabilities. A voluntary system in effect gives op- portunity for military training only to those who are well to do. We would have the son of the workman and the son of the rich man trained side by side. A universal system under the control of the federal government will provide adequate ly for our defense promote efficiency in time of peace and develop. as nothing else can, that essential of good citizenship, the ideal of personal service for national ends.
 "(b) In our democracy every male citi- zen is charged with the duty of defending his country. This duty is not new. It has existed from the foundation of the government Under modern conditions it cannot be performed without military training. We should, therefore, give to every citizen the opportunity to obtain at the expense of the federal government sufficient training to perform this duty with efficiency.
 STAND FOR PEACE
 we stand for peace, not war. We be- lieve in preparedness for defense, not for aggression. We should not sacrifice the
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