The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-05-20
THE OPENING OF China.
Japanese Merchants Open Wig
/. orous Commercial Campaign.
TRoUBLoUs TIMES IN 0oRBA

Greatest Severity Used In SURPRISING the
Cruel and Relentless warfare-coren
Wanted Indemnity from China.
WASHINGTON, May 2o.-The latest
budgets of mail received at the Japanese,
= Chinese and Corean legations at Washing.
ton give much space as to the changed
conditions resulting from the war. Lord
Ii, son Of Ii Hung Chang Is expected to
be the new Chinese minister to Japan.
The peace settlement will soon be followed
by q restoration of diplomatic relations.
Mr.. Otori, now a member OF the Japanese
privy council, Is mentioned as a probable
minister to China. He was formerly min
lister to China and knows the country
thoroughly.
In an interview Mr.. Otori tslls the Jap
anese that having acquired commercial
access to Chinait will need much tact to
carry on trade with the Chinese. He says
British merchants have already pretty
well occupied southern China, which Is the
best field, SO that the Japanese had better
turn their attention to the northern coun-
try, where the markets are comparatively
untouched, although they supply millions
Of natives. He gives all the details OF
Chinese trade, showing among other
things that the natives never pay cash for
goods. They are scrupulously honest,
and have three pay days, on May 8, July
10 and Dec. 30. The talk in Japan shows
thatssthe conquests of the armies are to be
followed by an equally vigorous CONNER
cial campaign by the merchants.
Corea has passed through troublous
times of late. The foreign ministers feared
an outbreak, and armed guards were sta
toned at all the legations. There were
thirty United States marines with United
States Minister Sill at Seoul. Quiet has
been restored, and the armed guards have
been withdrawn The trouble followed
the rebellion Of the Tong Haks. In sup
pressing them the government used great
severity. A traveller that lately returned
from the disturbed district reports that
wherever he went he saw houses burned
down, corpses Of people murdered, and
towns desolated and abandoned. This
brought on mob agitation which threat
ened Seoul and led to the armed defense Of
the legations. Tho authorities at Seoul
are now trying the rlngleaders, and there
is a liability that they will be decapitated.
The influence which Japan is now ex-
erting in the undermining Of Corea is in
dictated by the formation of a court coun-
ell to look after those suffering from the
recent outbreak On this council of six
members there are three Coreans and three
Japanese.
The Corean government recently de-
vised a unique means of raising much
needed revenue. Observing that Japan
was making heavy demands on China,
and that China was not in condition to
resist, the acting minister Of public works
OF Corea suggested to Count Inoy, the
Japanese envoy, that Corea should also
put in a claim for damages against China.
He argued that China's arbitrary course
had brought on the war, and Corea had
suffered many calamities therefrom. He
urged also that he should personally I'M
dertake the duty OF negotiating and Of
meeting Ii Hung Chang at Shimonoseki,
where the Japan China terms were then
being arranged Count Inoy discouraged
the project, and 1t was not executed.
The loan of three million yen which
Japan made to Corea in order to put the
country on its feet, has begun to be paid.
Half million was turned over the first Of
last month, and the remaining two and a
half million is subject to call by Corea.
The Japanese are looking over the pos
sessions they have recently acquired. A
large force OF expert surveyors are at work
In ana around Port Arthur, with the pur-
pose of finishing the survey by July, al.
though these plans may be altered now
that the permanent possession of Port Ar
thur has been given up as result Of the
| protest of the European powers. The in
vestigations as to the value of the Island
| of Pescadores has not been encouraging
Formosa gives better prospects, and al
ready capital is being invested to put III
large sugar reflneries, which will, 1t IL
said, add new element to the world &
sugar production.