Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-16
THE TROUBLE IN COREA
How Japan. China and Russia Are Inter
ested in It.
The Chinese Susernfnty-Commer
Supremacy of the Japanese on
the Peninsula.

the Peninsula.
The mountainous peninsula Of Corea, says
a writer in the Philadelphia Times. jutting
out into the sea until Il almost overshadovs
Japan. occupies strategically n most preg-
nant and important position. and this 10
one reason why Russia has a consuming
desire to get hold OF K The people outside
the governing class, are wretchedly poor
and the whole country is a conspicuous OBJ
tect lesson, proving that a naturally itch
land may be kept almost a bowling wilder
ness by evil and corrupt government The
great burden under which the country stag
gers is that IL Is taxed to death to support
a vicious official class.
In theory the offices are the need OF those
who have won literary distraction in COM
petitive examinations. In practice the ex-
aminations are a farce. ana the offices go
to those who pay most for them. There are
officials without nunber. from the kings
councillors to the governors OF provinces and
the magnates OF the villages and hamlets,
and their chief business in life is to wiring
from the common people all the taxes they
can pay. A large part of this money cllngs
TO their own fingers. as the reward OF Offices
that are purchased. and though the country
.
VIGOROUSLY inpecunlous.
This genteei Office holding class, while
agreeing that the common people must sup
port them without work. are divided into
the fiercest OF factions on some other ques-
lions. There happen TO be more genteel
people than there are offices. ana the party
OF the outs have for long time been led
by the father of the king, an unamiable old
gentleman, who ruled the country as re-
gent during the minority OF his son ami was
guilty OF all sorts Of atrocities. His perse-
cution Of the Christians and of all foreign
ers at last brought the warships into Cor
can harbors and resulted In the treaties
that opened Corean ports 10 commerce Dis
contented politicians of the ex-regents
party stirred up the recent insurrection.
The Insorrccsion.
Hating all foreigners and particularly the
japanese. who are the predominating for
elgn element the secret agitators employed
the double shibboleth OF Down with the
Turn out the foreigners. who make all the
money, while we remain poor" The Corean
peasant though long suffering. is quick
tempered and Is apt TO explode at short
notice when adroit politicians infiame his
mind with the contemplation OF his wrongs.
This has occurred three times within the
past nfteen years. This time the uprising
occurred In the region around the capital
Itself. and of course most of the interests
Of the foreign element and the government
OF the king were directly menacei. Then
came the kings appeal to China for troops
and Japan.s unlimited occupancy OF the
capital and the port Of Chemulpo with sum-
cient force to make her master OF the situ-
alton at the heart Of Corea-
She did the same thing In 1850 and In
1854. and exacted the most complete repair
alton for injuries Inflicted upon her subjects
and their property In Corea- For centuries
she has repeatedly invaded the peninsula
The only excuse that she can give for such
proceedings is that her people have large
financial N 10 m
sure. Japan claimed. centuries ago, that
Corea was her vasxal. but she has done
nothing for ages to make the claim valid
and for hundreds Of years Corea has ac-
tually been one Of the vassal states OF
China, and though Japan pretends TO ig-
more this relationship she knows well
enough that IL exists. IL is her present at
tempt to revolutionize the traditional state
Of things in Corca that may very easily
give rise to complications OF formidable
kind.
Japan's Demands.
Japan has come forward with entirely
new demands. She says she is tired OF
sending armies into Corea for the purpose
OF protecting her large interests there.
What are her interests? Her people en-
gagged there IN trade far outnumber sn the
other foreigners put together. They have
absorbed nearly the entire export trade
OF the country. They control the mint
though IL does not appear that they have
done much TO Improve Corea's circulating
medium. They have Established q banking
business at the capital and the amiabls
king Is large borrower. Very likely he
has forgotten the time when he ana his
government were free from financial obli-
cations to japanese money-ienders. With
all their active and prominent t,articipa-
ton in the business OF the country, the
japanese are most unpopular. They treat
the Coreans as their interiors and are cor
daily hated for their supercilious and ar
rogant airs. But IL cannot be denied that
though China collects the customs is recoC-
nized by King Ii Hsi as his suzerain re-
ceires the tribute that annually wends its
way from Seoul to Pekin. maintains a resi-
dent at the capital whose word Is PRACTICAL
ly law, and always responds with soldiers
to Corea's appeals for aid. Japan has valid
ana important interests In the country and
nobody can blame her for trying 10 safe-
guard them.
Japan demanded that China Join her I'm
imposing ficsal reform upon the country
ana the correction OF political abuses so an
20 DO away with the periodical insurrec-
lions that completely upset the land and
innict great annoyance and damage upon
all foreigners engaged there. This seems
to be progressive and laudabie idea but
conservative and suspicious China has de-
ciined the proposal with thanks. Her an
swer was that IL was her traditional policy
not to interfere forcibly In the Internal az
fairs OF vassal state Thereupon japan
replied that II China would not .Ielp her
reform the country she would undertake the
task herself. IL Is this new phase cf Coreau
affairs that may lead TO ugly complications
and make the Pacific border OF Asia an
object OF interest for awhile, TO all the
nations.
Russfa's Part I'm It.
At this point Russia has made a few r.
marks. She has warned Japan that STE
will not be permitted 10 acquire territorial
rights in Cores- There If no doubt that
China and Japan would long ago have l.een
at odds over COrea II II had not been for
their mutual fear that Russia would seizs
upon any International disturbance as n
pretext for occupying corea- Next to India
Russia would like to include this tine penin-
sula In her Aslatic domain. Ii would give
her the strategical and commercial pCsi-
ton ON the Pacific which her ice-bGund
northern coast does not aforl The Cor
cans. in very considerable numbers are al
ready living in her Amur province OF U.s.
surf. and Russia finds them a hard-workina
people, who are helping to make the PROV.
ince field of fruitfulness. There ave a
number Of the finest harbors in the world
along the Corean coasts, AMI Rassia with
only Nladiyostock. ice-bound half tine wear.
looks with longing eyes at the splendid
h2rbors OF Gensan ana Fou-san. where her
warships might ride safely at anchor IN the