Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-11


treasury and resources.
WASHINGTON January 10.-[ Copyright
The little kingdom of Corea Is in greater
danger than ever of being swallowed up by
China. 1t is now said that the kingdom is
practically insolvent, and that the King,
tired of the plottings which surround his
throne, and disguised with the emptiness of
his treasury, has resolved to abdicate in
favor of Prince Min Yon TX, and that DR..
Allen, the American Secretary of the
Corean Legation at Washington, is now at
Hong Kong in conference with this Prince
at the instance of the King. The present
King is tired of his fight with Lii Hung
Chang, the viceroy of China.
For the past four or five years China has
been plotting through its agents at the
Corean court and otherwise to make Corea
a province of China. She already controls
its customs revenues, and all of the duties
of the ports are collected by Chinese Gus
toms officers under the control of Sir Robert
Hart, the head of the Foreign Customs of
China. All of the money which the King
gets from such sources thus passes through
tie hands of the Chinese, and China knows
to cent just what the country is worth.
TAXES DON'T YIELD ENOUGH.
There is a sort of system of taxation in
Corea; but little is known about it, and
where the Kings revenue comes from is un-
certain. That the funds of his treasury are
very low is well known, and the fact that
he has not been able to pay the American
officers, whom he employed to reorganize
the Corean army, has been made the subject
of complaint from Secretary Blaine. The
Corean Legation here has steadily fallen off
in numbers, and it is rumored that it is not
long before it will be wiped out entirely. 1t
is now only about eight years since Corea
was first opened to the world by the United
States.
Rear Admiral Shufeldt made the first in
dependent treaty with Cores, and he was
sent from the United States to China to ac-
complish this end. He spent some time at
Peking as a naval attache of the legation,
and then, taking a ship, he sailed to Corea,
and on June IA, 1882, consummated the
treaty at Chemulpo in the very house which
is now occupied by Mr.. Schonicke, the
Chinese customs officer.
A CLOSE FRIEND OF THE KING.
Admiral Shufeldt is great friend of the
present King of Corea He has lived for
some time in the Corean capital, and he
knows perhaps as much about Corea and
its affairs as any English-speaking man in
the world. He has just returned from
Japan to the United States, and called
upon him at his residence last night and
asked him as to the future of the country.
He said:
''The future of Corea as an independent
country hangs upon the United States, as
China has nothing to fear from the inter-
ference of either Germany, France or En-
gland. These countries are already tied
up in their business interests with China.
France has s., ,OOO,OOO contract to build |
an arsenal at Fort Arthur. England is |
indebted 20 China fors its release of its |
sovereignty over Burmah, and it has large |
business interests in every Chinese porT.
The Germans are trying to make business
deals with the Chinese, and they are cuI- |
tivating them. Italy has few interests in |
the far East, and the only other nations are |
Russia, Japan and the United States.
RUSSIA AND UNCLE SAM MIGHT.
Russia already has an independent
treaty with Corea, and she might object
to its being swallowed up by China, though
1 hardly think she will Japan is so much
in pushing herself to the front
as a modern civilized power that she does
not want to enter into war with the Chi
nese. The only nation left is our own.
80 far as l have seen, however, the State
Department does not appear to be bothering
itself about Eastern questions, and it looks |
as though the United States would lose the
chance she has now to make herself felt in
the far East, and to make connection with
Corea which might be invaluable to her 20 |
years from now. We lose every year by
failing to protect and push our interests
abroad. 1t was through Commodore Perry
and the United States that Japan was
opened to the world, and had we pushed
Dur trade and taken advantage of the situa-
lions presented to us we might control the
trade of Japan to-day. As it is, the Ger
mans, the French and English get all the
pig contracts given out by the japanese
Government, and America gets nothing but
compliments. These countries control its
which we get from Japan come in foreign
vessels"
THE CHEEK OF CHINA.
''Do you think that China has any right
10 claim Corea as one of its tributary prov
inces?"
81 do not, :" said Admiral Shufeldt. "The
United States, Russia and Japan have re-
,ognized COrea as an Independent kingdom,
and whenever Corea has gotten into trouble
IN the past, the Chinese have washed their
hands of its affairs and told other nations
hat they had nothing TO do with it. This
vas so at the time of the massacre of the
French missionaries in 1866. The Chinese
hen said COrea was free and that il must
ettle its own troubles. 1t was the same in
egard to the General Sherman affair with
is. but when made the treaty with Corea
he Chinese wanted me TO make il ont 70
hem as an independent Government of
Jhina. refused to do this, and Corea was
by us as an Independent
,ower Itwould be so acknowledged by the
Whole world to-day, if America demanded
ONLY A SIMPLE SAY so.
s-It would take no fighting, but merely
he assertion that we had recognized their
and proposed that the recog-
lition should be respected. The Chinese
would not dare to insist upon their demands.
They are not fighting nation, and are not
naval one. They have some good war
hips; but, as soon as a gun was fired at any
# their ships, all of their naval officers and
ail0rs would run ashore"
How about the present King of Corea?
Where do his revenues come from?"
mo one seems to know where they come
rom" said Admiral Shufeldt ''There is
ort of system of taxation in the country,
nd some Of the taxes are paid in kind and
ONE in copper cash. The King himself
las immense private estates, and doubt