Semi=weekly graphic., 1898-02-16

broad or accurate to enable me to do this as we'll as others, and besides, it is a somewhat delicate subject and consequently am not disposed to enter upon it.
 ssAs for ourselves, we have not ad- vanced upon these lines since the Civil War anything like asrapidly or as far as the great foreign powers, and relatively our position is said to be weaker than it was prior to 1860. But we have made reasonable prog ress with our navy, and it cannot be doubted that so proud, Independent and brave nation as ours, with great interests, continually be- coming greater, as well as with it's honor and dignity to safeguard, can long delay needing the admonitions which our military men continue to address to it.
 "Our commanding general. Gen. Miles, has recently witnessed the | mics of Europe. With his quick eye and large experience he can judge at glance of their efficiency. His thorough military training, hislarge experience in war upon the grandest scale, and his intimate Knowledge of the proper organization and efficient command of both regular and volunteer troops, qualify him to speak with great wisdom, as he will always do with patriotism, about the methods and measures best suit ed for our own country. l look to General Miles and the officers of the regular army to take the lead in this matter. and l hope our people, will warmly and steadily support all judicious measures looking to our improvement in this essential particular"
 twill there be war in the Orient?"
 "That is q question for prophet and I am not good at prophesying. It is question that believe many people would like to have q settled conviction about. in lieu of their present dobuts. All can say is that so far as I know the eastern ques tion, commonly called thefar eastern question, IS considered by the best informed people abroad as q ques- tion that has come to stay, at least for loag time They consider that there will be consider able tension and possible grave dan ger at occasional iunctures. But l the interests areso diversified and the consequences of a conflict would be so great that most probably, for at least quite q period to come, these differences will be settled by confer ence and diplomatic action. 1t is, however, as one can see, a question of probabilities and not of certainty"
 What are the relations between Russia and the other great Europ- can powers?'
 "I know nothing more than ap. pears upon the surface, and that, oi course, is asfamiliar to you and your reafArs as it is to me-"
 l What of the-.z ss p.a.ao,, II believe that Russia has Q grcds future before her. She has a great past, she is greater now than she was in the past, and she will be still greater in the future. l believe she will achieve great things for her self and for the human family. Rus sia is actuated by high aspirations and good purposes. She will have her experience to meet like every other great country. But you can see from the present course ofevents, and from the course of events fur a long teme past, that the policies of hussia arc in the main wisely and benevolently directed. The Emperor
 ms happy faculty q calling very aa eFeu]qslg b|Ia hsSs afI'sia.als g. a