New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-30
OPPORTUNITIES IN CORE1.
OPENINGS FOR FOREIGN CAPITAL IN
AGRICULTURE AND MINES.
WHAT THE JAPANESE AND CHINESE HAVE DONE
THERE-SMAIL INFLUENCE on NATIVE
TRADE OR INDUSTRIES UNDEvEL-
OPED MANUFACTURES THAT
WHAT THE JAP.

Shanghai MAY % (SpeciaD.The threatened
strained relations between China and Japan
the murder of the conspirator Kim In THIS CITY,
and the fears OF conflict in Corea because of RI
valrv between Chinese and japanese for suprem-
acy make interesting any new facts about the For
hidden Land. 1t IS difficult to get any trustworthy
information about the country Immediately
surrounding Seoul or Chemulpo. but the Imperial
Chinese customs service has just issued bulky
decennial report on the Corean ports open to for
egn commerce for the years 1921 which con
to,,s n mass OF valuable and hitherto ungathered
information. showing that even in this remote
country with It's slender resources the stimulus OF
foreign trade is making itself felt In remarkable
way All that Corea appears 10 need Is system
OF government which will furnish some incentive
10 the people TO be industrious and saving. The
land is rich: il adapted to wheat beans. tobac-
CO. rice and many other products; the people are
good workers and sober: but all these advan-
tages are OF no avail when the country districts
are absolutely under the control Of greedy manda-
rims who squeeze any farmer showing signs Of pros
per,ty There is no object In Corean planting
more crops than ne needs for his own use. as the
village magistrate will be call around at
harvest time and demand the lions share OF the
WELD In the way II he saves any or MS
harvest the Corean farmer cannot market It. a..
II he lives only twenty miles from the capital. h
may have to pay toll at four or five gates on the
road and thus reach market with a mere frag-
ment OF his ginal load. In Ike fashion every
new industry : stamped out at It's beginning. The
country makes paper Of the inner bark OF the
paper mulberry tree In process % preparation II
is mixed with gesamum OIL SO that Il defes tearing
Yet there is only steam paper mill In the king
dom SILK fully equal to the best Chinese silk may
be made but no one produces much. for there Is
no profit In the manufacture; al the income goes
to the collector.
The japanese have been IN Corea for 200 years
They invaded the country in 1892 and seized
milo % h.
walled city Of Fusan The first colonies Of Japan
comprised mainly Of fishermen. and u
was not until 1883 when the main ports were open
70 western trade. that the japanese reaped any
profit from their Corean colonies. In all these
years the japanese maintained military station
near Fusan but they dd nothing to improve the
country. or 70 make transportation easier. Even
the main highway between Flsan ana Seoul.
the capital is almost impossible Tor animals. while
there Is not n road IN the country on which
wheeled vehicle could 20 in safety FOR I've miles
When opened by treaty IN 1870 the japanese s"i-
Element In Fusan numbered l.ijO In $3.50 Il had
increased 400. and IN 1891 TO 52,5 Resides this.
there Is floating population OF 500 Japanese
fishermen. These figures have been largely In
creased within he last three years. tho influx OF
japanese merchants and agents 81 firms who buy
up the rice and other crops being so great as TO
arouse the alarm both OF the Coreans and the
Chinese
The japanese have done nothing to provif' n
/ suitable currency
Is the only coin known outside the japanese settle
| ment Before 1884 the japanese First National
! Bank secured the privilege Of issuing five million
cash" worth OF notes FOR sums ~ from 1000 20
5000 cash each. that duties might be- paid with
| out carrying the cash In a whecharrow; bu; these
notes which still circulate inadequate for the
purposes OF trade. and substitute has yet been
! devised. These cash mainly the small coins
| OF which 800 usually quoted worth only
dollar. They are made OF "A mixture Of copper.
lead tin and zinc. The better class have little
silver: the poorer none. The coins badly made
and II is difficult to why a local company
desired to manufacture them. for the proht on
segniorage would be large. The value OF the cash
nuctuates greatly. In 1852 24 cash were quoted as
worth a dollar while in 1889 the value had depre-
ciated that a dollar worth 30 cash This
/ latter appreciation was que 10 siut OF Japanese
money brought into the country for purposes OF
| trade.
| The japanese have shown much energy. however
In developing Corean trade. They control larg"
number Of farms along the rivers. They purchase
| rice and bean fields. paying In advance Tor part
OF the crop in order 10 tide the native farmer over
! the season harvest. and then paying the re
mainder when the crop is delivered. Other farmers
ing ali the expenses. These japanese merchants
transport their produce by river and thus escape
the tolls which are collected on all the roads ON
the Naktung River in a distance OF twenty nvc
miles, there are four stations on The banks where
toll Is collected OF natives. and within a ten mile
! radius OF FusaD there are no less than ten similar
toll gates, whore the native producer or merchant
In their settlement the japanese merchants have
| established
ing rice. They also have large establishments for
| trying whale oil. the preparation OF shark hns
large amount Of suke. or rice brandy 49,. ,.u
been watched with Jealous eyes by the japanese.
The Chinese are far shrewder in trade than the
also pouring into the country, and entering into
competition with the natives In all kinds Of rough
work o Soos BmSpo o I'm ss hSd 60
Chinese against 400 Japanese but during the las;
three years the Chinese have poured in so that
| now they nearly equal the Japanese In numbers
The same f. true Of seoul ne capita me AM.
in both cities. and they are also absorbing the
Everything in the way Of government and cere-
monial is established on "A Chinese model IT Is
espG saera G over ' cors for
! China has = consistent record on this point which
Other foreigners nave had little influence the
trade Of Corea What the result OF the lncrgaSed
IL is difficult say. 1t ought to make Corea one
the soil is remarkably fertile and the cost Of grow
ing wheat. barley and rice Is very low as 10" AZ
best 'h xmas or of tobacco can be grown nearly
parts Of the kingdom but hitherto nothing has
Of tobacco is grown but It is all consumed at home.
as every corean Of both sexes uses the weed from
An attempt was made in 1854 to Introduce the
nnev and %, large plantation Of 10000 mulberry
trees started: but in some way ne men VINO h
| project and II abandoned just when success
was nearly assured The native six IS inferior TO
,S Of c ea@9p 1 lack o Kin and care no
Corean paper ought to have w1rid.%ioe re rpIII
! shed water like rubber. Hence II IL used Tor ram
| coats umbrellas. hat-covers etc. ana IL ~ also
emp Dyed as cover for the kang. or earthenware
| i'm Of the stove. which forms the bed or the %
| roam family Fans. screens and mats OF STRAW ar.
made of excellent materials and In good style; put
| the Coreans turn out no more than they neen ioi
| ,h.ir own use Yet any OF these manufactures,
~ carried out on European principles, would yieii
| iarge profits Foreigners have had hard luck III
Lifting manufactures In Corea. one company Pshh
r. ,nanufacture OF matches In 1855 but inc enter
n az, has languished for some unknown reason
~ pr,tish company tried to develop rich 8alena
,nes in the Interior. and though the ore was as
I'M q renorted the company found so many diin-
rlcn as occurring labor and In arranging Tor
cuties zion that the expensive plant was abhn-