Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-07-19
MAY BIZ A BLUNDER
Secretary Gresham Said to
Have Made 1t,
DIPLOMATS ARE SHOCKED.
Unnecessary Interference in
the Corean Trouble.
An omcIaI Dispatch sent to the Jn-
pan Government In which IL Was
Said the unitcd States Was
Much ID .nsed.

&3,@s
Washington, Jul, ~. terest
was aroused in ON, r. M:a>c ere
today by the publicatiL o. ing
statement purporting to con i ex-
tract from n dispatch sent b, secre-
tary Gresham to the Japanese gov
eminent, saying that the United States
views with regret the levying of an
unjust war by Japan upon weak,
defenseless nation like Corea. Imme-
diately efforts were made to confirm
this story, for 1t was assumed that II
the secretary was correctly quoted he
had gone to an extreme length In thus
addressing the japanese government,
and that the result would be a Sc
rious diplomatic complication. as the
Japanese would be sure to resent the
secretary's expression as an unwar-
ranted interference. 1t happened ,that
Secretary Gresham was indlsposed to-
day and kept to his room In the Ar
lington, but he was induced to send
word that he Gould not at this time
say anything either In denial or af-
firmatlon Of the publication, as the
correspondence is stlll in progress, and
to make partial voluntary publica-
ton would violate diplomatic prac-
tice. Since the subject has attracted
SO much attention, however, it is all
most certain that the senate will adopt
a resolution calling for the correspond
ence, and in that case the secretarys
scruples would be strained In making
full and complete response.
The officials of the state department
when approached with inquiries stood
mute or declared they were not in
formed upon the subject There is rea-
son to believe that when the CORE
spondence is made public 1t will be
found that the secretarys language
has been perhaps unintentIonally mis-
quoted and that the error, though APP
parently slight, really places the sec
rotary In a position substantially diff
ferent from that assumed by him.
Aside from the particular dispatch
which forms the substance of this
mornings publication the preceding
facts as to the negotiations We're OBJ
talned here. The history OF the incl
dent begins with the Corean rebellion.
NHtHt upon ine hppllCdllOn OF lne hlnBt
the United States sent the warship
Baltimore to Chemulpo. Almost stimuli
taneously the Japanese and Chinese
governments sent military forces to
aid the king in his efforts TO stamp
out the rebellion. They We're success
full, and when quiet was restored the
Coreans proffered their thanks and
suggested withdrawal of the foreign
forces. This was not SO easily to be
accomplished
A government official made an ex-
PLANTATION as follows of the situation in
| Corea and of the attitude and course
| of this government: 1.-THE Chinese and
| Japanese have always been at odds
whenever Corea was concerned, for eacn
\ had long cherished designs upon the
| autonomy of the country. However,
the Chinese were willing to withdraw
| If the Japanese would do likewise, but
the latter country discovered that she
had number of grievances against
! the Coreans on account OF maladmlnis-
tration, and making a series Of de-
mands. some of which touched the very
existence of Corea as an independent
nation. Japan announced that her
| troops would not be withdrawn until
| these conditions were met. At this
| point the attention and interest Of
other nations was strongly aroused,
for 1t was seen that the peace of north
ern Asia was in jeopardy. and the
powers that had great interests there
began to consider what should be done
TO dissuade Japan from pursuing
| course that promised to break down
| the integrity of the little nation that
had served as a buffer beween the two
| great Asiatlc nations. Great Britain
and Russia and France interpo7ed with
pacific remcnstranres, but these were
UNDECIDED by Japan. the present gov
ernment of which II is intimated was
a.. aaH.IAf Il
that IL felt Obliged to excite the ma
tional feeling as means Of preserva-
tion Then the United States was
drawn into the matter. We have large
interests In China and Japan and pros
pects OF greatly enlarging our trade
relations. and when United States Min
lister Dunn at Toxic represented the
conditions TO the state department IL
was felt 10 be not only in our interest.
lint for the good OF all concerned TO re-
inforce the efforts OF the great Euro
pean powers to prevent conflict that
would surely be disastrous 70 both
sides Such a course has been taken
hefo-e by the United States. notably
In The case Of the small republics OF
Central America We have succeeded
IN nretenting wars. and in doing go
have earned the gratitude and thanks
OF our neighbors and the esteem and
admiration Of the whole worlu.
Al the CoTSan tt.At-s.i, - -
Of the dispatch alleged 70 nave pesn
sant was shown 10 the minister, but he
roIitelv referred the reporter TO the
dpensriment OF state for information and
infImated that he could not with pro,
, priety talk Of the matter. Il was said
shnt no recent dispatches have been
rceeiyed from corea. A copy OF me
paper containing me olspn,en ,.,ho
isar,r 10 the Japanese minister, VINO
sn n.',, ,,roYnntly returned a reply that Ae
49,, 49, r,,ofhing al all Of such message
snd had no oficlal information that II
a snS n haer sent. He said; The Japan
s ese Government IS perfectly, ss 8, .ae a
With the attitude Of the o1lant maj Il
IessAt.a.,.ns...S ~ sentiments Of Justice
,o,sard both China and Japan. ane .