Arrest of a Hero

There was a young man out of Higginsville, Mo. some 30 years ago who was willing to try anything once or maybe twice. He had a thin-lipped, reckless mouth, downslanting 'possum eyes, the name of Bert Hall and the makings of a hero. After a few years on Mississippi steamboats, he became a dare-devil automobile racer, drifted to France. There with Aviation Pioneers Henri and Maurice Farman and Louis Bleriot he learned to fly. In the Balkan War of 1913 he received $100 a day as pilot first for the Turks, then the Bulgarians. In the World War he was one of the eight original U. S. members of the Escadrille Lafayette. He got into 40 dogfights, brought down nine German planes.

When Revolution came to Russia, Ace Hall escorted a Tsarist General's wife and her fortune in jewels out of the country. His wartime decorations include the British Cross of St. George, French Medaille Militaire and Croix de Guerre (three palms) and Russian Cross of St. Vladimir. As a salesman and scout for U. S. aviation companies he went to China, wangled a job as instructor of the air force of the Nanking Government and took the name of General Chan. Two years ago he deserted with seven pilots to the Southern Canton Government, proclaimed, "Our Canton air force is superior to Nanking's!"

Men who make a living out of heroism become cynical. Graft-ridden China was too tempting for Hero Hall. Soon Chinese officials sued him in San Francisco for $100,000 they claimed they had given him to buy airplanes. After the suit was withdrawn, Hall returned to China to engage in further elaborate dealings with his fellow Chinese generals. Last fortnight he left hastily for Japan. At the port he was refused entry to Japan and sent back to Tientsin where last week he was arrested. Nanking's Chief of Ordnance General Ho Chu-kuo charged that "General Chan" once cashed a $10,000 check intended as payment for German pistols that were never delivered. Since U. S. citizens enjoy extraterritorial rights in China, the arrest was not made until the U. S. consul had formally charged General Chan Hall with "engaging in illegal import of firearms."

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