The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-01-11

+ This is the simple truth concernin
; Homer LEAFS motive in going to China
Alone and without backing Of an
sort save his private resources and hi
unlimited confidence in his own ability
the American boy presented himsel
to the Premier and offered his sery
ices. Kong Yu Wei listened in amaze
ment, but was so deeply impressed
that he took Lea to a council ATTENDED
by several Chinese officers who wer,
pledged to the revolutionary cause
One old man looked at the diminutivt
American and shook his head.
Boy" said he, you are very younl
to aspire to the command of troops.
Homer LEAFS answer was character
istic of the man:
Il am as old as Napoleon was al
RivoH."
Kong Yu Wei gave him a commission
and ordered Lea to proceed to the
Province Of Shen-Se, there to take
command Of body of troops. "For-
eign devils" were not popular in China
just then, but General Lea set out in
a palanquin, accompanied only by his
bearers and two servants. The troops
were five hundred miles inland. and
when within one hundred miles of his
destination a runner brought news of
disaster. The viceroy of Shen-Se had
lured the officers of the revolutionary
rorce into his palace under pretext
or surrendering the province to them.
ana the next morning their heads ap-
peared in a CHASTITY row along the pal
ace wall. General Lea sent the run
ner back with message to the troons
bidding them retreat into the noun
tains and wait his coming. It was NOT
until the next day that he learned that
the soldiers, left leaderless, had
thrown down their arms and dispersed
Lea started back for the coast. On
tne way he learned that the Shen.Se
disaster was no more than the begin
nlng Of trouble. The craft old Dowager
Empress had discovered Kong Yu
Wers plot, and but for a whispered
warning the Premier himself would
never have left the Forbidden City
alive. He fed in the night. and MANY
or the officers implicated with him
were beheaded. At the same time
reward of $4,000 was offered for the
head of the foreign devil" Lea.
How he managed to make his way
through five hundred miles of hostile
-errltory is a wonderful story in It.
self. The country swarmed with Box.
FRS and imperial troops and a meet.
ng with either force would have been
atal, but luck was with Lea. and he
arrived In Hong Kong, where friends
II the revolutionary party gave him
METER There was in Hong Kong at
nat time man whom Lea had never
cen and with whom his future was
be linked. Doctor Sun Vat Sen has
escribed his first meeting with HON.
Lea in these words:
1T was now that another important
vent happened to me. was speak.
Is to company of my followers when
~ eye fell on a young man Of slight
nyslque. He was under five feet high,
bout my own age; his face was pale
I'D he looked delicate. Afterward he
lme to me and said:
I would like to throw in my lot
18th you. I would like to help YOU.
believe your propaganda will sue
ed
His accent told me that he was an
merlcan. He held out his hand. l Il
ok 1t and thanked him, wondering
no he was. thought he was a mis- F
onary or student. After he had h
ne I said to friend: Z
Who was that little hunchback?' Fl
: That" said he, is Homer Lea, one a
the most brilliant-perhaps THE t,
'st brilliant genius now alive. He h
perfect master of modern warfare. k
1 almost gasped in establishment O
And he has just offered to throw n,
his lot with me- w
The next morning l called on HON. re
Lea, now General Lea and the fam st
author of 1.-THE valor of Ignor. ba
'e." / told him that in case should pa
coed and my countrymen gave me
power to do SO, would make him ce
chief military adviser" NJ
n Sun was right. 1t was an i'm st
tant meeting for both men. Sun
the firebrand, preaching modern tai
revolution; Lea the student, deep
ker, and military genius. The
ndship was a lasting one. When :
eral Lea escaped from Chinese ter vii
" he went Immediately to Japan, It's
re he snant aevera1 Y,oontbs x,sth Tn