The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-08-09

ALL ~
within the past fifteen years. This
time the uprising occurred IN the
region around the capital itself, anu,
OF course, most OF the interests of the
| foreign element and the government
OF the easy-going and generally well
meaning King were directly menaced.
Then the Kings appeal TO China for
| troops and Japan's uuinvlted Occu-
I pancy OF the port of ChemulpO with
! sufficient force To make her mistress
OF the situation at the heart of Korea.
She did the same thing in lSS2 and
| loS4 and eXacted the most complete
reparation for injuries inflicted upon
| her subjects and their property in
| Korea. For centuries she has repeat
| eddy invaded the peninsula, and the
/ only excuse she has recently advanced
| for such proceedings is that her people
| have large financial interests in the
country. There was q time, long ago,
/ when Japan asserted that Korea was
| her vassal, but she has done nothing
| for ages TO make the claim valid. III
| fact, Korea has for hundreds OF years
| been one OF the vassal States of Cniua,
and, though Japan pretends to ignore
this relationship, she knows very well
| that it exists. 1t Is her present at
| TEN Dl ~ TIE lIdulllOldl
state Of things in Korea that may very
easily give rise TO complications of a
| formidable kind.
JAPAN TAKES A HAND.
Japan has now come forward with
| entirely new demands. She says she
| is tired of sending armies into Korea
| for the purpose of protecting her large
| interests there. There is no doubt that
| she is deeply concerned in the peace
| and prosperity of Korea. Her people
who live there in trade far Outnumber
| all the other foreigners put together
| They have absorbed nearly the entire
! export trade of the country. They
| control the mint, though it does not
appear that they have done much TO
| improve KOrea's circulating medium.
! They have established banking bus
| mess at the Capital and the amiable
| King Is a large borrower. He has,
very likely, forgotten the time when
| he and his Government were free from
| financial obligations to japanese mon
| ey-lenCers.
| But with all their active and prom
| iuent participation in the business Of
| the country, the japanese are most
unpopular. They treat the Koreans
As their interiors and are cordially
/ hated for their superciliOus and AFRO
CANT airs. Nobody, however, can
! blame Japan for trying to safeguard
| her interests; and it cannot be denied
| that, though China collects the Gus
! toms, is recognized 10y King Ii Hsi
| and his suzerain, receives the tribute
! that annually wendS its way from
! Seoul to Picking, maintains a resident
| at the Capital whose word II usually
| respected as royal mandate, and
always responds with her regiments
| to korea's appeal for military aid,
| Japan has valid and important inter-
ests in this country.
| \ few weeks ago Japan demanded
| that China join her in Imposing fiscal
reform upon the country, and in the
| correction of political abuses, so as TO
| do away with the periodical insurrec-
| tions that completely upset the coun-
! try and inflict great annoyance and
| damage upon all foreigners engaged
| there.
CHINA IS QUITE WARY.
This seems to be progressive and
| laudable idea, but conservative and
suspicious China has declined the pro-
| posal, with thanks. Her answer was
| that it is her traditional policy not to
| interfere forcibly in the internal affairs
of a vassal State. Thereupon Japan
! replied that if China would not help
| her reform the country she would un-
dertake the task herself. 1t is this
new phase of Korean affairs that may
| lead to ugly complications, and make
the Pacific border of Asia, for while,
an object of particular attention TO all
the nations.
At this point Russia thought it
| timely TO make few remarks. She
has warned Japan that she will not be
| permitted to acquire territorial rights
in Korea. This is what might have
| been expected. China and Japan,
long ago, would have been at odds
over the Hermit nation if both of
them had not feared that, if they
ouarreled, Russia would make the dis
turbance pretext for occupying ko-
rea. Russia longs to include this fine
| peninsula in her Asiatic domain.
Korea would give her the strategical
and commercial position on the Pa
cific which her ice-bound northern
coast does not afford.
The Koreans, in considerable num-
bers, are already living in the Car ;
Province of U>siri, and Russia finds
them hard working people, who are
helping to make the province field
| of fruitfulneSs. Some OF the finest
harbOrs in the world lie along Korea 5
coasts, and Russia, with only NIadi-
| vOstOck, ice bound nearly half the
year, looks lOngingly southwark 10
the splendid harbOrs of Gen-san and
Fou san. where her warshiPs might
safely ride at anchor in the most furI-
Gus gales, with no danger OF being
held captive by an ice blockade.
In many ways Russia Is constantly
. showing her deep interest in Korea.
OF late years her officers and agents
have been pushing their surveys far
and wide in Korean territory, and the
only decent map We have Of the coun-
try emanates from Russian sources.