The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-12-23
LOST SOLDIER OF
FORTUNE FIGHTING
IN british ARMY
Harry Allan Dixon Has
Fought All Over World
and Is Dissatisfied
THINKS GREAT WAR
TOO MACHINE-LIKE
Offers No Chance to the Fellow Who
Wants to Fight 1t Out Man
to Man
BY GILBERT sELDEs

London, November Zl.-tSpeciai
Correspondence 1.-The last of the SOL
diers of fortune has just come up 10
get his commission in the British
army. The friend of Royal Macklin'
Richard Harding Davis immortal nero
himself a filibusterer, a gun runner,
a lieutenant general in one army,
captain in another, adventurer, tight
ing man, hero of romance, Harry Al
Ian Dixon is on the way to become
q second lieutenant in the Canadian
forces. With him TIE last of the race
leaves the ranks. When he retires
from the army the soldiers of fortune
will be no more.
1t is hard to believe this true, but
there can be no doubt of the matter.
In third-class compartment of a
London to Glasgow train man in
khaki, bronzed of face, with small
blue eyes and a notable scar from
the top of his nose to where the hair
Legins to grow, said something to his
companions about Arras. Another in
Khaki spoke of something in German
East which is in Africa. And as usual
when two or three in khaki are gath
cred together cigarettes were passed
and names mentioned. Presently one
of the men, the one with the scar,
offered to show a picture he had found
on the battlefield. AS he took out his
wallet another piece of paper fell out.
1t was an honorable discharge from
the army of the United States.
''Hows that?" / inquired.
my first scrap said the man. Il
suppose I'm the only man here who
ever taught the art of war. l got my
schooling in a military academy in
Virginia, and graduated just too late
to get into the campaign in Cuba But
entered the American army, for al
though 1 was born in the midlands OF
England 1 lived most of my life In
the states, and got out to the Philip
pines"
/ read the discharge papers of Harry
Allan Dixon, a private, with the hne
words written about his character AID
ability. Then 1 asked about the scar.
Was it from bolo?"
Funny, a Dutchman gave me that.
Not German, you understand. but a
Dutchman, a renegade of some sort
who was fighting with the natives.
We had a hand-to-hand one and he
landed at the same time I did. never
found out what hoppened to him. Say,
did you know Lee Christmas or Johnny
Poe or Billy Buck?"
HIS STORY BEGAN
i y
fortune began. Dicky Davis ought to
have sat beside him and made notes,
because Harry Dixon was Davis friend
although they had never met In Mex
leo he had come across chap who
was always called Captain Macklin,
fighting with Francisco Villa when
that eminent robber was being high
ly praised as Robin Hood and great
emancipation rolled into one. Out Of
his magic wallet Dixon drew slip
of paper a telegraphc order signed iii
the name Of Pancho Villa, commander
in chief of the liberating armies, and
addressed to Royal MaclSlin. Who was
Macklin? No one ever bothered to
find out his real name, because he
was the hero of Davis soldiers of
fortune, and had gone by the name
of Royal Macklin ever since the book
was written.
In between the affair in the Philip
pines and the brush in Mexico which
preceded Dixons enlistment in the
Canadian army, came = series OF adj
ventures which would fill many books
and some day Dix2n may write them,
if he gets time and the world quietS
down enough, so that he isn't being
continually dragged from one corner
of the earth to another to join in the
next scrap. When he left the Amer
lean army Dixon taught military tao
ties for a time, but he was too in
terested in the thing to content him
self with theory. He drifted south
ward in the good days that was, when
bit of gun running was hazard
Gus and Joyous occupation. In New Or
leans he fell in with Lee Christmas.
the daredevil Of the Caribbean, and
took part in the wild adventure which
sent a ferryboat laden with guns
careering through the Mexican gulf,
init 10
cross. Almost without willing it, he
followed the southern trail
He landed in Honduras and was on
the side of the government; he went
farther, fighting as became his trade.
now on one side now on another. out
always putting up good scrap. In
Honduras he was made captain; even:
in Argentina, where no rebellions were
stirring, he had. something to do with
the regular army and got commits
sion. And then suddenly he found him
self in China.
WITH CHINESE SOLDIERS
Out in California once he had met
Homer Lea and had watched the en-
pertinent Lea made with Chinese SOL
derS.
AT the university the Chinese students
had previously taken no part in mil
itary training. Lea raised battalion
among them, and the next year it was
recognized Immediately it won first fol-
all-round fitness. The experiment had
impressed the Chinese and LEAFS friends
began to import his ideas into China.
Dixon went with them. He was in China
when the republic was first set up, and
he has a diploma as big as a shirt
to prove it, He has also letter signed
by Sun Vat Sen, expressing the highest
praise of Dixons work and asking him
to accept the commission of lieutenant
general in command of the school of
equitation' But Dixon Is foot soldier,
so he did not go.
He went, instead, to Mexico, fighting
on what seemed to be the side of law
and order. And when the great war
broke out, he Joined up at once. At the
same time Johnny Poe and Billy Buck
went in, one into the Canadian ranks,
the other into the Foreign Legion.
Poe. The Princeton football player,
s'the great Poe" fell on the Somme in
July, 1916. Billy Buck. who established
the republic of Lower California, was
killed at Verdun. Dixon alone remains.
Adventures fall on him. and good
luck. He was prowling around Aarras
one day, when dossier caught his eye.
He picked it up and carried it to his bill
let. When he looked inside he saw that
it contained records of transactions dat
ing as far back as the 1700s. Some of
the manuscripts, in fine state, are beau
tifully written, some are hand printed.
Through them Dixon has traced the his
tory of France, from the ancient regime
through the revolution Cat which time
all the documents refer to Citizen x,
instead of giving hiss title), through the
time OF Napoleon aid to the present
day. Autographs ara souvenirs Of as