Imperial Valley press., 1937-02-28
Pacbec0 C0zfeyy With Sum Yat-Seu Aud Homer Lea - =

Tokyo and other centerS, wit
constant communication betweeI
local leaders and Singapore.
tried to master the Butts Sinai
Arms" manual and Spike helpe,
to drill recruits. Plans seemed (,
be going well, until one night DR.
Sun called us together.
I'VE have been counting on tn,
men of the Bow Wong Tong
but after many meetings they
have decided the time is not ripe
The answer is this: others mus
be recruited to take their place.
Again Spike and I were offered
an opportunity to become organ
izers. But that didn't mean action
just lot of talking, persuading
Chinese that they should fight for
their liberty.
It's too tame for me-" Spike
said. I'VE might be organizing
for the next ten years" There
were new worlds waiting for us,
across the horizon. So long as I
went with Spike, it mattered little
where we sailed for, or on what
ship. We said goodbye to the good
Doctor and to Homer Lea.
We signed on general cargo
carrier to go round the Horn for
Wellington ;. to pick up copra
at New Guinea, touching at Wake
Island, Guam and the New Heb
rides-Spike, as Quartermaster;
1, as A. B.
One morning we dropped an
chor off Malaguana, British New
Guinea-tying up along the dock,
a place which was to give me the
biggest scare of my short life.
Il feel better, down here" Spike
said, cheerfully. Have a feeling
We'll run into things. Even if
there's no war about, still this
part of the world is strange and
crazy enough even for a Mexican
like you-"
We imbibed native liquors,
laughed and joked with the ma
tives. The air smelled of flowers,
the place was exotic and strange
to me. I wanted to stay.
Don't you know what happens
to white man in this country?"
demanded Spike. 1T takes all
your manhood. 1t breaks you. You
end up on the beach. You go broke
and can't ever get away E. until
damned soon you're a beach
comber, hating yourself for be-
ing alivel Don't be a damned fool!
All this color and fragrance is
nothing but temptation" This
was a long speech for Spike, but
I saw that day what he meant.
We dropped into the All Chez
Hotel for a farewell drink, and
Spike pointed to a worn individual
known as "Old Creig." An object
lesson who had gone native. No
one knew his real name. He was
another remittance man who
Spike had known in the past, but
Of whom he said little. Old Creig
was paid to stay away from Eng
land-his checks arrived on the
first of each month. From then
until the fifth he lived like a lord,
gambling, drinking, until his
money was spent. For the balance
of the month he slept in one of
Ah Chee's veranda chairs an
from a good family
gone to seed.
THE black-birders of New
Guinea were the "crimps" of
the South Pacific. Two of these
gentlemen drank with us at All
Chee's, and explained their un-
savory business. They seemed to
be twins, and one of them-"Black
Bill Gower-did the talking for
both.
ITS profitable" he explained.
You sign natives for two years
labor in copra. Take 'em from
the back lands and jungles. Sell
EN- to planters for IL pounds
about $50 American-an' live like
a king" There was a trick about
t. I'VE go to a village and ap-
proach native chief. Pull a shill-
ng, or mirror, or an egg from
natives grass patch fthe tuft
on top of their head); dig a small
hole in the ground-an bring out
a British sovereign They like
magic. Tell 'em If they follow you
you'll show 'em the trick"
But we didn't need money lust
then, SO passed up an invitation
10 join these profiteers. Instead,
wanted to visit some cannibals
N an outlying village, and Spike
agreed that to leave the country
seeing men who liked
'long-pig' would be unbearable.
We went into the jungle few
miles, taking handful of trinkets.
The luludi, a bedraggled old chief,
came to meet us-dressed in a
dirty breach cloth. He also had
a tail! About foot long.
Spike had picked up a few
and we were asked into
the Royal Hut, where the old man
decked himself in a pair of can
vas leggings. a German Huzzar