The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25
Does Not Know What to Do
With Insurgents After Sub.
DUNG Them.
THE LATEST RISING IN SEOUL.
Friends of Korea'S Murdered Queen
Sought in Vain to Avenge Her
Death.

order. A desultory resistance is still kept
up by scattered bands OF insurgents, who
probably prefer the chances of plunder to
the risks of surrender.
Japan is now thinking what she will do
with the Chinese in Formosa. They num-
Der 2,500, 900, and it is as certain as any
thing human can be that if they are suf-
fered to remain in the island they will
never really coalesce with the japanese
or loyalty aid in developing Formosan re-
sources. They will be what they have
been in America, a race apart, preserving
all their own evil habits and degraded
mode OF living, and bent only on amass-
ing money to carry home to China.
1t is strongly urged in several quarters
that Japan's best plan would be 10 have
fair valuation made Of all the real property
held by Chinese settlers in the island; to
offer payment of the appraised amounts
with public money, and to proclaim that
Cinnamon declining to accept the offer,
and remaining III Formosa after a certain
time, will be obliged to move into settle
ments where they will possess only the
status of Chinese subjects having treaty
access to japanese dominions. The
100000 of taels paid by China for the
recovery of Liaotung might be employed
to buy out the Chinese, after which Japan
csc capital and Japanese enterprise would
quickly be directed toward the island.
1t is uncertain what decision the Japa-
nese Cabinet will take. They have still
year and half to consider the matter, for
the Shmonoseki treaty provides that Chi
nese residing within territory coded TO ia
pan shall be allowed to years two dispose of
their property and remove to China, if
they please, ana that all remaining after
the expiration OF that time may be made
subjects of Japan al the option of the jap
anese Government.
The latest Korean emeute-that of No.
Der 28-may be briefly described as an
attempt primarily on the part of the Bin
faction-the faction of the late Queen-and
secondarily on that of other politicians
who found themselves deprived of infiu-
ence and position by the supremacy of the
Tai Won-kun, to avenge the murder of the
royal consort on October and to drive the
Tai Won-kun out of power.
American readers must be weary of de-
tails about these endless political souab-
bles in Korea. 1t will suffice TO say, there
fore, that the conspirators marched
against the palace in the dead of night,
expecting to find sympathizers among the
palace guards, but, being received by the
latter with hail of bullets, they fed incon-
tinently. leaving four of their ringleaders
in the hands of the guards Theirs is, how
ever. one feature that imparts special
interest to this affair, namely, the parti-
cipation of foreigners, chiefly citizens of
the United States. The unfortunate Queen
had many friends among foreigners. She
was on terms of close intimacy with Nine.
Waeber, the wife OF the Russian Charge
d'Affaires; she had given encouragement
and munificent support to American mis-
sionaries, whether as matter of convic-
ton or of policy, and she had won the re-
spect and esteem OF the American officers
charged with the duty of instructing the
Palace Guards.
On the other hand, the murder of her
Majesty had excited universal execration
among foreigners of all classes in Seoul.
Hence it is easy to understand that the
passive sympathy Of the whole community
would have been with any effort to punish
the authors of the brutal crime. and that
the active sympathy OF few may have
been enlisted. Among the latter are gen.
orally mentioned the names of the Rev.
Mr.. Underwood, whose wife, physician,
had medically attended the Queen, General
W. NICE. Dye and Colonel F. T. N. Men
stead, who are employed by the Korean
Government in the capacity of military
instructors, and General LIE Gendre. adviser
to the Home Office.
1t is further alleged that some of the
chief plotters Of the conspiracy were men
who, having escaped the coup d'etat of
October 8, found asylum in the legations
OF Russia and the United States, where
they planned the emeute. 1t is beyond
question that refuge was given in the
United States legation after the affair of
the 9Th of October to six Koreans of note,
but they were persons in danger of death,
and most assuredly the American
representative had no knowledge of any
such design as they afterward put into
practice. As for the Russian legation, the
charge against it appears to be totally
baseless. The japanese, however, were so
vehemently censured because some of
their people took part in the coup d'etat
Of October 8, that their desire to turn the
tables leads them, perhaps, to exaggerate
the participation of foreigners in the
emeute of the 2Sth.
| The Korean Government. at the instance
| of the foreign representatives, has restored
the late Queens rank, and given her
| State funeral.
japanese commercial enterprise con-
tinues to show remarkable activity, and
something like mania prevails in the
stock market. Manufacturing schemes of
various kinds are projected. The estab-
lishment OF spinning mill in
Shanghai has almost become an accom-
Pushed fact, site having been purchased
and the necessary capital subscribed.
There is rumor that the japanese Gov
eminent has entered into q provisionary
arrangement with Lord Armstrong & Co.,
the great English firm of ship-builders and
gunmakers, for the establishment OF a
dockyard and gun-factory liz Japan. The
japanese already possess dockyards, where
they can build men-of-war, importing the
armor.plates, etc., from Europe, and they
possess also arsenals where excellent
weapons and ammunition are manufac-
tured. But they are obliged to depend
on foreign countries for their steel, and