Semi=weekly graphic., 1898-02-12

applause.
 Major Breckinridge expressed his appreciation of the reception. He said: s'It is difficult for me to reply to the kind and complimentary
 greeting which has just been voiced by both of the gentlemen who have
 preceded me, or to express my app
 preciation of the warm and cordial reception which has greeted my home coming after so long and so
 distant an absence. It is out of full heart that I thank you. have at all times remembered my friends and neighbors. There has never been a time when they were absent from my mind and heart. The as- sociations which endeared me to the people in this community, and to
 the people in this state. are not for gotton. They can never be for gotten.
 "In thanking you for your exceed ing kindness I must express my re- gret, hearty regret, that my better half, Mrs. Breckinridge, is not here also to participate in your kind re- |ception.
 During the brief period, and yet not so brief when we measure it by tine rayages of time, that have
 been your representative at the cap ital of Russia, many familiar faces
 have passed away, and am greeted by younger faces that I don't know. "I am out of office now and perhaps you would have me talk about hap
 penings and the state of affairs in the far East, the Turkish question, the Chinese question and the politics of the Orient. have not talked for 0 long time. I have been in a service which closely concerns the relations of two great powers. It would be difficult for me to entertain you if I confined myself simply to what I know of that service, and it is not considered q subject for very free dis cussion. But 1 suppose you would like for me to say something in re gard to the great empire where l have been Americans have always taken a great and friendly interest in the Russian Empire The empire covers a vast area of territory. It extends from the Western shores of Europe some seven thousand miles to the Pacific coast It's richest ter ritory is as yet uninhabited. The people are a kindly people; they are q religious people; they are a great people. I do not feel that we need look to them with jealous eye as regards tbeir great expanse of terri tory. Annex ation of people that cannot be assimilated with the ex- isting power is a means of weakness, not of strength.
 But you doubtless ask yourselves if there are any observations which I have made while abroad and in the service Of the public that would be applicable to ourselves.
 "There are some things which im- pressed me, and while shall not att tempt to detain you tonight with any long discussion of the subjects, there are one or two things which would impress upon the minds of my cOuntrymen.
 We are great power and I believe that if we were properly organized we would be the greatest power of the world. It seems to me when I look at the organization of foreign powers that the organization main- tained by the United States is vastly insufficient. Not that our standing army of % ,000 men is too small. But our reserve force, the militia, is not kept up to the requirements of a great nation. The regular army and the militia do not harmonize. They should be eneamped together and drilled together, so that if call to 1 arms was sounded the militia could l be placed in the field and each would l strengthen the other, making a strong moral army. In Germany the army is part of the education of every able-bodied young man, unless he IS the only support of q family 1 They serve a term in the army just 1 as Americans pay taxes. It is part | of the requirements of Q German citi- zen. The other nations of Europe l all maintain strong armies.
 'We boast of our American man hood, but if we are not disciplined in war we cannot maintain the respect l of other nations. If we wish to com pei respect for the Monroe Doctrine 1 and other principles enunciated by | sentiment, we must main tain an army that can command re- spect from foreign nations.
 Major Brecklnridged welt at some length upon the disparity of Ameri- can forces, as compared with foreign powers. He also called attention to the inferior equipment of the Ameri-