The San Francisco call., 1896-03-20
Sovereignty Exists Only Under
the Shadow of a Foreign
Flag.
CONTROLLED BY THE RUSSIANS
The Political Crisis in Japan Caused
by the Coup d'Etat Narrowly
Averted.

TOXIC, JAPAN, March Sat no time
since the opening of Korea to foreign in
tercourse have her domestic affairs been in
such disorder as at present. The Viceroy
Ii, who, in his days of greatness, used to
be virtually King of the peninsula. in
tended, when he introduced her to the
outer world, that she should find safety in
a conflict of interests. He did not foresee
that the interests of two powers. Japan
and Russia, must ultimately dominate all
others and that the little kingdom would
become the arena of their rivalry. There
is no reason to doubt that had japan been
left in undisturbed possession of the posi-
ton OF vantage won by her in war she
would have introduced order into the af-
fairs of Korea and led the Koreans def
nitely into the paths of progress.
But Russia. Germany and France ousted
her from that position, explicitly because
her tenure of it would render the inde-
pendence of the peninsular kingdom illu-
sorry. Thenceforth not only did the three
European powers become the declared
guardians of Korean independence, but
Japan was morally and practically Grip
pied for the task she had undertaken-the
task of educating the Korean nation in the
essentials of self-defense. From every act
of Japan the Koreans knew that high
court of appeal existed in Europe, and the
agents of the chief Judge of that court,
Russia, were never idle in turning the les
son to good account. TIE result is that
Korea has suffered from all the confusion
of reform without reaping any of its bene-
fits
To-day the sovereignty of her sovereign
exists only under the shadow of foreign
flag; her Ministers dare not carry on their
functions outside the Russian legation;
her Government has no troops that it can
safely employ either for its own pro-
lection or to auell instructions that
devastate the provinces; her new admin
istrators see no hope of safety for them
selves except by exterminating the most
prominent of their official opponents: /:
local rioters, encouraged by the injudicious
language of royal proclamations, seize and
slay every partisan of progress upon whom
they can lay hands; the Russian legation
is the seat of government, while the dis
orders in the interior are quelled by Jap
anese troops only; the finances of the
kingdom, on the eve of being regulated by
Japanese experts, have again fallen into a
state of insolvency; and, on the whole, the
unhappy kingdom may be said to have
drifted into series of political vendettas.
which, commencing in 1881, eliminated
on February II, 1896, and will certainly be
continued in the near future unless some
strong hand interferes.
The responsibility rests now on Europe,
Japan having been incapacitated by the
action of Russia, France and Germany.
The Japanese statesmen will try to bring
about an agreement of Western powers,
with the object of neutralizing the penin-
suIa and having the conduct of essential
reforms entrusted to some one state. Un-
less that can be effected, the alternative is
plain-an understanding between Russia
and Japan to the exclusion of all others.
Mrs. DR.. Underwood, the wife of a very
able American missionary who is now
prominent figure in the fields both of
Korean propagandism and Korean poll
tics, has addressed to English local Jour-
that not foreigner in Seoul has any feel
ing toward the Japanese except one of
detestation. This statement is strongly
denied by other missionaries in the Korean
capital, who aver that such an assertion is
the outcome of prejudice and emotional
want of discernment. Mrs. DR.. Under
wood was friend and warm admirer of
the murdered Queen. Naturally she en-
tertains keen resentment against every one
connected with the murder.
An instance of the strange fearlessness
of the Japanese was furnished during the
disturbances in Seoul on the 11th of Feb
ruary. While an infuriated mob was
savagely mutilating the naked corpses of
the two Cabinet Ministers assassinated by
the police a solitary Japanese interfered
and endeavored to save the bodies from
further indignity. He was Immediately
stoned and dubbed to death.
Eleven peaceful Japanese subjects, in
- -