<p src=Homer Lea (He Mali) in Chinese attire, c. 1904
San Francisco, California
Courtesy of the Joshua Powers Collection, Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University, Box 5, Envelope C

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Homer Lea (He Mali) in Chinese attire, c. 1904
San Francisco, California
Courtesy of the Joshua Powers Collection, Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University, Box 5, Envelope C

<p src=Training Chinese troops, 1904
Los Angeles, California
Courtesy of the Joshua Powers Collection, Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University, Box 5, Folder B

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Training Chinese troops, 1904
Los Angeles, California
Courtesy of the Joshua Powers Collection, Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University, Box 5, Folder B

In 1900, adventurer Homer Lea traveled to China at the invitation of the Baohuanghui (Protect the Emperor Society), which bestowed the rank of general on the young American. After Lea returned to California, he began a covert military training program throughout the United States for Chinese recruits. He later became a confidential advisor to Dr. Sun Yat-sen and his revolutionary forces.

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