SOLDIER OF FORTUNE

Hokitika Guardian, 21 November 1925, Page 4

SOLDIER OF FORTUNE

SOME AMAZING ADVENTURES

Six feet high in liis stocking feet. Frank Sutton, one of the most romantie soldiers of fortune in history, is a general commanding an army of 500,000 men in China. After leaving Eton, ho fought in Mexico, France, Gallipoli, Russia and China. Lie owes his present position of Chinese War Lord to his martial qualities and his knowledge of the trench mortar. On the outbreak of the European War, Mr Sutton joined the Royal Engineers, and in association with Mr Stokes, of Stokes mortar fame he did a great deal to perfect the weapon. Alter service at Gallipoli, where he lost a hand and gained the Military Cross, General Sutton was the man chosen to equip America’s arsenal with machinery for the manufacture of the Stokes mortar. The European war supplied adventure enough, but (Jalli|K>li apparently merely stirred Mr Sutton’s longing foi excitement. ,\u ex-captain of the engineers. he rushed off to dredge for gold in the Amur province of Russia, but he iiret of Russia and went to China. IIIS GUN RAT ENT. He intended to oiler his gun pateni to General Wit Rei-i'u, but double deal ing by a junior officer brought the no gotialions to nothing, a fact which 1m: probably writlen something in tin pages of tlie modern history of China General Vang Sen. a Tuehaii ot See (huan, eventually secured the English man’s service. Over 1000 miles up tin River Yantzo went Mr Sutton to hel] the hard-lighting Yang Sen. who lnu been fighting several rivals for a yea or two past. AVitli the manufacture of some mot tars Vang Sen’s army went into th field with glee, and more than held it own. The trench mortar is a weapon whir the Chinese can easily use—and on which tliev simply won’t face. ARMY MEED UR 15V A l-lAXDFUI. For six days and nights General Silt ton and - il)(j men held up the entir Third Chinese Army, a ucll-equippe force of 40.000 men. Sutton’s men were ensconced in th Szechuan mint, and though escape l w: impossible, they held out. In the end the Third Army sent messenger with a white ting, to pn pose peace terms, and General Suite and an interpreter went to the enemy headquarters to parley. The two wei conducted to a room in which waitc the opposing general, the main riv of Yang Sen.

The interpreter became nervous, ‘•they say they are going to shoot us,” he whispered. But it was too late to retreat.

Taking a Isold front General Sutton demanded that the guard which was present unlix bayonets. Without waiting for the general’s order the guard commenced to unfix bayonets. A TREACHEROUS GENERAL. Swiftly the general opened a drawer of the table at which he was sitting, and presented a revolver at Sutton s head. Lie Lived twice at a distance of six feet, but in bis nervousness he missed. Sutton’s first shot struck him below the heart. Straight through the door ran the Englishman and not a shot <u the volley tired by tltc guard striicn him. Fortunately, darkness aided him and he won fbo two and a hall mile race back to the mint fairly easily. To pitch the machine guns and trench mortars into the river was the work of a moment, and as the survivors ol his ;;iK> scattered for safety General Sutton sped dow n the A anize in a mo-tor-boat. Emm the. river hanks came a hail ol bullets: hut luck was again with him. and he got through without a scratch. General Sutton then joined Chang Tso-lin. MAXUF \CTEKFD MORTARS. It was a difficult matier to get tut interview with the Mukden V» ar l.ord. hut again Sutton’s proverbial luck held good. One of the Chinese officers was impressed by his size, and on the principle that siz.' counts for something gained an interview for the Englishman.

fn a few short months. General Sutton reorganised the Mukden aresnal. and began turning out mortars in large numbers. In the war of last autumn AYu Pei-tu was the better tactician, hut the superior equipment of the Manchurian army eventually enabled (hang Tso-lin t-> break through the defence system widen ran alongside the Great M all ol China. And while 3!>0.0*10 men were fighting

at Shnnknikiinn. a little China nnuv ran round the raccenudse at Shanghai and netted General Sutton C‘2s,!)d:>. KEEN ON SPORT.

To-day General Sutton is prncti. ally in charge of the army of f.O'.LCCO men. and is the artillery and engineering expert . I.ike all Englishmen. General Sutton is a keen sportsman, lie made a whole regiment laugh when he (.allied his gob clubs u. Gallipoli. A Turkish shell smashed item. Vie stiil play: :; good game, swinging the clubs with

one hand, lie plays an average game of tennis, occasionally turns our for the Tient-s.in Rugby Football Club, and is a wonderful fisherman.