Evening star., 1918-06-02

IA1SA0, may SSs AS1o.
E1HIs story opens the climax
chapter in the history of one
man who sums up the Amer
lean spirit of adventure.
Part of that story Is known to
every one in the United States. Min
nesota knows 1t because it is his ma
tive state: New York. because after
fighting as brigadier general and
captain. he enlisted there as private
In aviation: Texas. because. once
again a major, he commanded an
aviation field near Fort Worth. and
all the other states because either in
fact or in fiction he himself. or the
hero embodying his adventures. has
commanded men and interest for a
quarter of a century.
South America and Cuba, the
Philippines, China and the South seas
know him also. for there is no part
Of the world in which he has not
fought or hunted or explored, and
and native rulers in Siberia.
Today he is in France. where the
dominating love of action has taken
him. and, Of course, he is in the
American Army. and, naturally. he is
in the aviation section. But here in
france, for the first time in his col
orful history, he must go into battle.
struggle and fight anonymously, for
such is the rule of the great game
the Army and Navy are playing to-
day.
Yet there may be some satisfac-
tion for those thousands of readers
of the tales of Richard Harding Da-
Wis in knowing that this famous SOL
asr Of MaeHn aGFtane hs Mso% eean me- Sass sasa
American lad. who stumbled into the
midst of wars and rebellions in South
America and came through straight
and with glory. is once again IN
service of his own country.
He Is no longer the youth leading a
Honduran revolution and making and
unmaking governments. nor the jungle
fighter Of the Philippines, but he him.
self feels that the privilege of the
greatest adventure has been given
him by the War Department in the
commission as head of flying unit
which will help win the war against
Germany. He has come into his own
again.
This morning he was in a hotel in
Paris, packing his baggage for anoth-
sion about which much will be writ
ten at another time. He spoke with
difficulty because his throat and lungs
were raw" He had been gassed at
the front.
Sure as fate. he had been in the
midst of the first days of the great
German offensive. His good or evil
genius which has thrown him into a
thousand desperate places and always
guarded his life SO that he might risk
ii again, for some cause or fancy, had
not deprived him of share of the
supreme battle on the western front.
Sheiled by heavy guns and bombed
continually by aeroplanes. Maj. R
went about work Of Withdrawing GER
tain advanced American aviation
units and materials from the zones
under attack. 1t was dangerous
escape without casualties. Finally a
gas attack completed the offensive in
this region, and Maj. R was one of
the victims. His chauffeur. an aviation
machine gunner, was SO badly stun
ned by bursting bombs that his hear
Ing was gone for several days.
"Just my luck-rotten luck-which
has followed me from the cradle"
said the one time Captain Macklin."
trying to keep his voice from getting
out Of control. shrill or a whisper. He
was walking about. and alertness
characterized everything he said or
did. Soldier, rancher. planter and
traveller since he was seventeen, he
il arrow straight in his new khaki,
his face is sharp and his eyes are
sharp. and 1t is not necessary to know
his romantic and daring past to
realize that he is every foot a soldier.
well. we got most of our stuff out,
anyway he said. We've got to
thank the Royal Flying Corps for
Iart of that. Let me tell you, there
IS no finer bunch of gentlemen and
fighters in the world than in that
r. F. C. And they're for us, too.
Why. right there at x. where the
ioche was coming through with
civision jumping over division. and
iombs and shells and gas and liquid
f:"e burning up heaven and hell and
earth in front of them. these British
/: :,;;,tion officers. who had all this bat
to in front of them. were good
enough to send a dispatch rider
through to little village where some
: of our boys were. A mere handful of
r.en lost in the battle of millions. but
they were warned. and they got out
in time"
In the hour in which we talked avi-
iation Maj. R paused frequently