Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-01

consideration with regard TO the men III
the army and National Guard who did re
ceive proper rife training. and that IS
that nearly 20 per cent of the men IN the
ranks are turned back annually into pri-
waite life to forget all they ever knew OF
this important training.
Rifle clubs could be used as a means OF
keeping these men in touch with their
former military service. 1t is probable
that rife shooting is one part of military
service that really appeals to young men
and most of them would be pleased to
continue their rifle shooting in clubs
when they have finished their military du-
ties. If properly worked ont. this would
partially solve the question of 4 reserve
of trained men in this country Canada
mas Il similar reserve composed al rine
clubs but She goes still further by hay
ing a law which automatically turns these
rifle CLUES into infantry companies on the
outbreak of war.
The interest Assistant Secretary Breck
inridge has IN stimulating rife practice
in the country means TO make
stronger the national defense IS not the
interest of a new civilian officer OF the
government growing enthusiastic over
something that appeals 10 MS unframed
mind as novel A soldier himself. the son
of a soldier scion of n race of soldiers,
reared in the army. military problems and
problems OF national defense are no new
things to him. He is not an amateur
playing. as with q toy. with the vast ma
chinery of that portion of the War De-
partment which he directs. 1t is ma
chinery which he has contemplated al
close range all his life
Lack of trained riiiemen in the country
he regards as a real menace, and so his
efforts to remedy that condition. He
formed his opinions on the subject long
before coming into the department.
Youth, his distinguished lineage. his
spectacular rise in politics. all conspire
to make this young assistant secretary
of war one of the most interesting char
acters of the present national admins
tration. 1t seems almost certain that IL
he takes hold Of this plan of his for in
creasing rifle shooting in the country
with the same energy and organizing
ability he displayed in the Woodrow VIII
son campaign in Kentucky in 1912 1t will
not be long before rifle firing will be-
come one of the leading national sports.
That campaign put him on the political
map To understand. one; must go back
a bit. OF course every one knows about
the Breckinridges of Kentucky: they
have been in American public life ever
since there was an American public life.
The ereat-grandfather of this particular
Breckenridge was Jeffersons Attorney
General Every one knows, too how the
family split at the time of the civil war
There was Robert j. Breckenridge, for
one, grandfather of the present assistant
secretary of war. He supported the
Union and became a republican. OF Rob
ert Us sons two became officers of the
Confederate army and two officers OF the
Union army. OF these latter two one,
Joseph c.. is father of Henry Breckin-
ridge.
1t was while Gen. Joseph c. Breckin-
ridge was serving at Chicago as inspector
general of the Department of the Lakes
in 1886 that Henry born there. Later
the family removed to Washington, where
the general served long as inspector gen