Homer Lea: American Soldier of Fortune

5. The Imperial Reform Army

CHAPTER 5 THE IMPERIAL REFORM ARMY [A] great surprise is in store for those who may have looked upon the establishment of this school by Gen. Homer Lea as a burlesque. —Los Angeles Times Liang Ch’i-ch’ao’s visit to Los Angeles won useful publicity for the reform cause. After his departure, Lea seized the initiative to implement his own plans. He needed first to establish a mechanism for recruiting cadets, and then he must arrange to train them. He envisioned a reform military academy with branches throughout the United States. After much theorizing, talk, and wishful thinking, he moved into action, only to find the task more difficult than he had anticipated. Lea learned that George W. West, a local civil engineer and recent dropout from the West Point class of 1902, might be interested in a part-time job as his chief drill instructor. Lea met with West at the Angelus Hotel on December 19, 1903, to discuss his plans and offer West the job. West noted in his diary that “the meeting may mean worlds to me,” and he subsequently agreed to accept an Imperial Reform Army officer’s commission to help train reform cadets.1 The addition of West to Lea’s plans was an important step, but it would be several months before Lea was ready to call on him to begin training. In the interim Lea planned to establish his first two reform cadet companies, one in Los Angeles and one in San Francisco. He also sought several more drill instructors for each company before training could begin.2 On January 2, 1904, the reformers showed Lea their gratitude by 76 • Homer Lea awarding him a gold medal during dedication ceremonies of their new Los Angeles headquarters. The Los Angeles Times reported: The new quarters are at No. 417 North Los Angeles street, where dedication exercises were begun at noon. A native orchestra furnished music. Dr. Tom Leung, one of the leading Chinese citizens, read a dedication poem prepared for the occasion. A handsome gold medal was presented to Homer Lea, the young Angeleno who has taken such a prominent part in China, and here, in the reform movement instituted by Liang Chi Chao and associates. The presentation was made by Wong Ping, president of the local society, on behalf of the body as a whole. The medal is inscribed in Chinese to “Gen. Homer Lea, Commander-in-Chief of the reform forces of the Chinese Empire,” and refers to his valuable services rendered by him to the cause during the past five years.3 Lea’s plans for a reform army would have been far better off in the long run had he been aware that the reform party had another opportunistic general in its ranks. In San Francisco word of the reform party’s plans to establish a military training program prompted one of its members, Wong Kim, an Oakland postal employee, to organize a company of recruits. This was hardly organized when Richard Falkenberg attempted to use it in furthering his own ambitions. Remembering Governor Pardee’s promise to consider him for a future state military commission, Falkenberg believed that it was again time to act. He attempted to persuade Pardee to grant him a commission in the California National Guard by offering to organize Wong Kim’s recruits into a company for the guard. On February 17, 1904, he sent Pardee his request, explaining that Wong Kim had “35 Chinese in his company, who are all . . . willing to serve in the National Guard.”4 Although Pardee did not grant the request, Falkenberg kept close ties to Wong Kim’s military company, which soon began drawing public attention to the Pao Huang Hui’s military plans.5 On April 17, Wong Kim’s company made a brief public appearance during the visit of Prince Pu Lun, the emperor’s nephew, to San Francisco. During welcoming ceremonies at the dock, the company presented the prince with a large flower bouquet inscribed with the members’ names. The military contingent later created a minor sensation at the imperial Chinese Consulate when it paid its respects to The Imperial Reform Army • 77 the prince.6 Neither the prince nor the press knew quite what to make of the military company. In all probability it presented itself as the vanguard of a future loyal corps to the emperor. The San...