Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-10
Japan's Efforts to Gain the Ascend
anCy.
The SKIRMISHING AT SEOUL
Part Being Taken in the Contro-
vesy by Russia.
CENSORSHIP OF THE PRESS

L
bringing advices up to July "a. The JAP
anese papers give a large number Of con-
hicting dispatches from Corea, but there is
| little news which has not been brought by
| the cable. Most of the information Is from
| japanese correspondents, who send i'm
| probable stories.
according to the dispatch as brought by
| the Toxic Marc. which left Vladivstock on
| July II. portion of the army were pre-
pairing for Corea, while at the port there
| were seven men-of-war and one transport
| RCmors were current among the foreigners
there that Japan and China had already
! commenced hostilities, though the Japanese
discredited it. The Russians are said to be
advocating an alliance with Japan At
| Gensan there are neither Japanese nor
Chinese troops and none of the Chinese
residents are making preparations to leave
| Japan papers publish a telegram from
| Seoul. dated July q, stating that the Ian
arese minister had urged the Corean gov
| ernment TO drive the Chinese soldiers from
Asan by force, If ii really wished to demon
strate that 1t was Independent state.
| me Japanese minister pressed the PENN
s s, government to abrogate the existing
| treaties between China and Corea. meet
| ing or the Corean cabinet was held I'm the
| presence of the king and passed resoIu-
ton applying for the assistance of China.
The following three proposals. were made
| py the japanese minister to the Corean
government:
| To accept the advice of Japan: to aban-
uon the dispatch Of an ambassador to
| China annually. and to drive the Chinese
soldiers from Asan
subsequently. under date Of July %, the
Japanese minister In Seoul sent the follow
| ing telegram to his government:
The Corean government has refused 70
| accept the proposals of the Japanese gov
eminent, and 1t does not appear likely that
| 1t Will reconsider the natter
| COroanS ed ha Ia lin
| lister to withdraw the Japanese troops from
| the country and also the proposals made
| by the Japanese government to the Corean
government, OH the ground that If Corea
adopts Sapan's proposals other powers will
| dispatch forces to the kingdom and make
similar demands. thereby embarrassing as
we'll as forcing the Corean government to
| do their bidding. Corea will make the
various international reforms only after the
departure Of the Japanese troops from
COrea, who Is undoubtedly instigated by
| China in this course.
The Fighting at seoul.
The Japan Gazette of July "a gives the
following details of the skirmish near the
| palace at Seoul:
Yesterday morning there was a skIrmish
| between Japanese and Corean troops out
side the royal palace at am, and, the
| Corean troops offering resistance, there
| was fight for twenty minutes, after
| which the Coreans were dispersed and fifty
| of their arms fell into the hands of the
| Japanese troops"
| Another account says:
| TO Mr.. Oteris second demand the
| Corean government returned an insolent
| reply, and the castle showed signs of great
disturbance. The minister placed himself
| under escort of japanese troops, and was
troops fired at him. The Japanese troops
responded and the fight was over in TWEEN
| ty minutes, and the minister went to the
palace"
| Still another x,arsiop followS.
The Corean government having given a
most insolent reply to the minister's Sec
ond demand. the minister saw the futility
of any longer negotiating with the Corean
| officials, and intended to go this morning
| to the palace to communicate directly with
| the king. Before this the king resolved 10
| call to his aid his father, Ia In Kun, and
| seek his counsel on the present lamentable
| condition of the country. On this being
| communicated to the kings father the lat
| ter hesitated, he feared that the Bin
| family would, on hearing of this, prevent
| him, by violence from going to the palace.
| The king was at length obliged to ask the
| japanese minister for an escort of Japa-
| nese troops when Ia In kun should come
| to the palace.
| Mr. Oteri sent an escort to Ia In Kun.
| and at o'clock troops, under the Bin fam
| ily's instructions. fired on the Japanese
| troops who returned the fire. The fight
| ceased in about twenty minutes. Ia In
| Kun went back to the castle in safety with
! Mr.. Oteri. They had an audience with the
| king, who backed the minister in connec-
| ton with his demands, and assured him
| that he had no intention of rejecting them.
| Ia In Kun was appointed the head of the
government He will remain at present in
| the palace. The Bin family, which is at the
bottom of the present trouble, through its
selfish ambition, will lose its power. as Ia
| In Kun is known to be ITS enemy. Por-
tuguese stopping at Kobe has been found
| to be spy for the Chinese government,
| and alJo negotiating for the purchase of
coal.
Working Chinese Powder Mills.
From Shanghai it is learned that the
| Kiang Ian powder mills are at work night
| and day.
1t is stated that they are turning out over
| 1000 pounds of the explosive daily, and the
COVER nment is urging them to make as
much as possible war is expected.
Vla6ivostock telegram announces that
preparations are being made for the dis
patch to Corea of three regiments of in
fantry and corps of engineers and "even
warships from Vladivostock, but it is not
known whether they are for the protection
| of Russians in Corea.
| At the meeting of foreign ministers on
July IL at Jinsen the proposal to make
Jinsen neutral in case of war was rejected.
The Chinese minister resident, Yuan Sic
Kali was excluded from this meeting, as in
| the foreign ministers opinion he had not
| the qualifications of an accredited minister.
The Kokumin correspondent comes to the
following conclusion on the feelings of Co
reanS:
1.-The majority of the Coreans are satisfied
with being independent of China. The CO.
reans believe that Japan and Corea cannot
act in conjunction. but deny that Japan is
friendly to Corea. They prefer being half
| or wholly dependent on another nation to
being independent.
The Tokakaouto are powerful enough to
crush the central government some day I'M
| less the latter is assisted by foreign troops
Appeal of COrea's Queen.
A Seoul telegram announces that Rus
sian flag IL to be seen on the Island of Get
subtle. 1t is surmised that Russia has
seized it.
The Queen Of Ccrea in concert with her
relations the Bin family, has appealed to
| the Russian minister for Russian protec-
| ton in case of emery ency and the min
| lister has consented.
| The Kokumin ShilE Bun gives an elab-
crate argument to show that now Is the
| best time for Japan to begin hostilities with
| China. The surplus revenue in the keeping
| of the treasury amounts to almost nine mil
| lion yen to which must be added another
| sum Of five million yen, accruing on the
| twenty-seventh fiscal year from the surplus
| for various expenditures. There is not any
pressing urgency for the local disbursement
| of these sums; they may be utilized as a
war fund, the two together representing
fourteen million yen ali of which the gov
bxyi Sc,,