The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-28
WHITE. LEADER OF CHINESE.
REF'OHT-
" THE
FlrginiaD BY Birth and . Stanfo ord Grad.
uate-Heard From I'm China Later
Now In the Suite OF kang Yu Wei
After Trips All Over the World

After Trips All Over the World
When Rang Yu Wei landed in town yester.
day there war a figure in his retinue which
attracted more attention than the reforrner
and ex-Prime Minister of the Chinese En-.
pire himself.
1t was hunchtack in the full fatigue
uniform OF a General, with the Chinese
dragon worked on his cap His steel
blue eyes looked out through glasses and
his jaw had plenty Of bone in it. A. he
walked down the line. inspecting the Re-
form Association Cadets, his head came
about to the level Of their shoulders Yet
every Chinese, military and civilian. paid
him the greatest respect.
Homer Lea is his name He is general
OF the Chinese army Of reform in the United
States. and an International man of mystery
He has covered The whole world twice over
in the past six years, and he has cen in
places which no other white man has ever
seen; but his adventures and his purposes
are part OF the archives of very singular
reform movement.
Six years ago Homer Lea was II student
just where he blew in from no one knew
The fact hat he was Nirginian and that
he had independent means was the extent
OF public knowledge of him. When he
wasn't busy with his college work Lea was
studying military tactics.
! He was n student Of all things military
and the terror of the professors of history,
whom he was always confounding with
his intimate knowledge OF tho campaigns
o. Napoleon or the strategy of 'he Second
Punic War. He knew the battles of the
world down to the smallest strategic
detail
Anothe~ eccentricity was his knowledge
Of Chinese. He used to hold long CONVEX
the campus in their native dialect. good
fellow, the college called him, but queer.
Even his roommate did not pretend to I'M
derstand him
An attack Of smallpox kept him from
appearing with the class on graduation
day. The next any of his college mates |
saw Of him was in July of 1890, whom he was
sighted boarding liner for China.
Got business there he said, you'll /
hear about it later"
The Boxer disturbances followed in the
next year. Twice his classmates heard
from him in the two years that followed
The frs. news came in letter from n student
who had gone as missionary. Away
applied for lodging for the night at the
mission house. The young missionary had
gone over TO see him. 1t was Homer Lea.
Not word would he say about what ha
was doing in our corner of the world" said
the letter, land next morning he was gone.
What the blazes?"
Another, mining, engineer, driven
told how he had been in little Chinese
town just before trouble, commenced.
and there, installed as a guest, was this
He'd talk about anything but what
he was doing there" said the mining en-
glneer and there ] struck brick wall
What t'ell?"
1t was in 1901, after the Boxer troubles
we're over. that Homer Lea drifted back to
San Francisco, Some Of his classmates
met him at the Palace Hotel and dropped in
on him for talk, l
What are you DOING" they said. :
am Lieutenant General in the Chinese i
Reform Army" he said: Further he would i
not go, save to say that he had been through J.
Rob Roy look like the daily routine of v
country parson. Under pledge of secrecy O
ID to details, he offered commissions q
Q some of his old college friends, They
I'D not accept. and then Homer Lea hoated a
The year 1901 marked the beginnings of v
he Chinese Empire Reform Association, J
eally formidable movement This same c
long Yu Wei, exile, was in Vancouver, and s
ne Chu was hiding in San Francisco. with /
,prioe on his head. They started it; and
'herever a chapter of the association was
or !1 the young men began to organize
rill corps.
ITO the newspapers az head Of the Chinese c
eform army and leader Of a revolution a
hese reports haye come from lands az , Ell
istant as India. Every time Homer Lea b
obs up 1t is in an unexpected spot. In ! tt
act, slnce 1901 he has been in China again, re
az crossed the United States twice and p
as travelled through Canada. southern W
sia, and all Europe. About a year ago HI
2 Joined kang iu Wei on his travels and =
rev have been together ever since =.
1T is bosh to say that am at the head
revolution" said Gen. Lea last night.
! his is not a revolution, Quite the contrary.
e are drilling and teaching these young
zen to help the empire She needs above
l things an army if she is going to work
1t her own salvation.
1T may be ten years, it may not be In |
~ lifetime, but when China calls we will
, ready with body of native officers who
now something about military discipline
nd tactics: That's the game. That's all
lere IL to it,.
China cant make progress without an
my. She needs 1t to keep the Empire
tact. l think I scnow the Chinese now
bout Az we'll az any white man ever did,
I'D ! can say positively that the yellow
,ril Is a myth.
They are naturally a peaceful people,
10 spirit OF aggressive conquest is not In
em. They are az brave az the brayest |
Gordon found, but they fight naturally
,ly in defence.
is China awakening7 Wait few years
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