The morning call., 1894-08-20
THE THEATER OF WAR.

Beyond all comparison the best accounts
which are appearing of the theater of war
in Korea are those which are written by
Frank G. Carpenter and published In
The CALL. One of them, containing a
graphic description of Seoul and Che
mulpo, appeared in Sundays CALL.
Mr.. Carpenter is an ideal newspaper
correspondent. Nearly a year ago be
foresaw the existing complication in
Eastern Asia. and he took ship for China.
Ascending the Yang-tse-Kiang for a
thousand miles from its mouth, he in
SpecIed the Chinese forts and gun fac
tories, and was present at reviews of the
Chinese armies. Returning to Tientsin
he was Hospitality received by Ii Hung
Chang, who granted him several inter
views, accounts of which have appeared
in the papers. Through his aid he was
enabled to visit Picking and the great Chi
nese wall, and thence TO sail to Korea,
which was evidently to become q scene of
stirring events. He had audiences with
the King and Crown Prince, and was
shown the barracks, the prisons and the
mines. From Korea he travelled to Vladi-
vostok, where he inspected the Russian
works and the navy which was collected
in that roadstead in anticipation of the
current struggle. Thence he returned to
Japan. landing at Nagasaki, and worked
his way slowly through the empire 10
Toxic, being everywhere treated with
civility and attention by the japanese au-
thorities. From Japan he returned home,
having in the last six months of his travels
covered % 900 miles and having taken full
notes Of all he saw. Few newspaper cor
respondents OF our day have had such
opportunities, or have made such use of
those which they had.
The picture which he draws of Seoul in
Sundays CALL is so graphic that the
reader can see the city. 1t is one of the
most curious places in the world, a town
of one-stOry matched buildings, covering
an area Of 1000 acres, and housing 100000
people in a hollow surrounded by hills
from which it is separated by a wall thirty
or forty feet high There are no pave
ments in the streets, no street lights, no
drains, 10 closets. no water works. There
are no hotels. and strangers VINO have no
letters of Introduction must sleep IN the
streets The girls are mere bundles of
clothes, through which one eye. appears
through hole; their legs and feet are
wrapped in wadded stockings, over which
ShiltS dHO UIdWSlS uduR III NOluml0OuS
folds The men wear ali manner of cos
tunes. Every rank has its own uniform,
and this changes with each function the
weaIer has to perform. In the wall OF the
city there are gates. and before shutdown
bell rings. which signifies that the gates
are going to be closed. after which people
who are out cannot get in, and people who
are in cannot get out. The captain of each
gate must lodge the keys in the Kings
palace; if he fail. off goes his head. But
the royal authority, potent as it is nomin-
ally, is not formidable in practice: when
the Japanese, disguised at the Kings
shilly-shallying, resolved to make him
prisoner, they had to hunt all over the
palace for him, and finally found him hid
ing in an Clubhouse with his father. who,
like himself, was bathed in tears.
Twenty-siX miles from Seoul and con-
nected with it bv the River Han, which
runs through gorge in the mountains, is
the seaport of Chemulpo on the west,
place Of about 5000 people, nearly half of
whom are Japanese. There are 1000 Chi
nese there, four Americans. sixteen Ger
mans and five EnglishmeD. In the har-
Dor, which is securely land-locked by ISL
ands, there are now men-of-war OF all
nations. besides trading vessels. Korea
makes no attempt to assert lis sovereignty
over the port, and goods contraband of
war are landed indiscrminately for all the
belligerents. The Chinese merchants are
driving lively trade in arms and provi-
sions. At intervals the foreign consuls at
Seoul send to the warshps of their re-
spective nations for force of marines to
protect the embassies and compounds.
Thus the road from Chemulpo to Seoul is
constantly blockaded by Japanese, Ameri-
can. English and German detachments on
their way 10 the capital. 1t seems to be
understood that the belligerents are to re-
gard Chemulpo as neutral ground The
fighting will take place in the vicinity of
Seoul.