The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-05-16
Japan IS IN BAD HUMOR.
Americans In Korea Have Obtained
Nalua bic Conce ssionS.
MlKADO HAS TO SMILE AND BEAR IT
Though lie Counted on Them as IA
Part OF the sp"ils Gained
by Thrnshing China.

New York. May l5-The Herald today
publishes the following correspondence
from Seoul. Korea;
There Is no lit,le hard feeling at present
between Korea and Japan, and this for
two reasons. In the first place. the two
chief foreign counsellors OF the Korean
cabinet. General Charles Legendry and
former Consul General Greathousc-both
American citizens. by the way-have ad-
vised the cabinet to keep us far as pos
sible from any entanglement with either
Japan or a continental power-entangle-
ment in the sense OF over-hasty conces-
sions. contracts or the like.
| Tho result is that, after repeatedly half
promising Japan to let her build the first
railways in the kingdom. an American
syndicate. represented hy T. Coleman of
Denver, has not only obtained the contract
| for the railroad. and will practically own
| IL, but has commenced the work OF this
novel twenty 1--WE miles Of railway, and VIII
! finish 1t within the year
Moreover. It Is an open secret that this
Is merely the beginning. The syndicate
proposes to build altogether 900 TO 800
/ miles of line within the next 1--WE years,
| between the sea ports oi Fusan and Inch
| hon and the capital, then northward over
a very easy country to phyong- An-llo, the
most fertile and wealthlost of the Korean
provinces This has given great umMago
| 10 Jnpan. az one OF Count lnouye'- special
| missions was directed toward getting the
concession for these lines, II, fact, Japan
has made this concession in remlt,ing u
part OF Kcroa's old Indebtedness to her-
self. and IN making the mrs, loan OF 1000,
oo0 yen or sl,500000 United States goid.
II IL at the same tine understood that
Ianan can not give full vent to her fecl-
lnes because Of tho necessity of keeping
tho Inr.d States Ia good humor nj the
present moment. 1t seems quite cvtdent
that japan has lost control over Korea, ana
much of the main result OF her war with
China has thus been forfeited. =,
There is another factor IN this ieellhs "
dissatisfaction. The present Korean capi
net Is far and away the best over brought
together Its members are. without ~
oeutlon progressive and ardent advocate
| az the New Korea movement. The iorhe'
vice minister Of education and cohiinuHL'
cations minister, Sang Ho, who Was gNeu
| ,ust before his departure an honorary col
onelcv In tho ROYAL Guards--not YET ON
full regiment In strengths great IA
vorltc with the president OF the cablne
| an ono 81 tho lcAd;p: -.,ti-S - "" ~ "
popular reform agitation. lle. I've M
fellow thinkers. Is anything rather 'pal
pro -Japanese Nov Korea Is dssirons o
entering the postal union and ms SCI
Japan again views with dlsfayor. 1t Is sara
URGING that II would he both untiinell
and absurd There is nothing 10 be tcare'
on the part Of Japan in all this, ana IN
Koreans are iuhilant on the strength OF IL
| hut Grown Prince WILMA is still ON Jap
anese soil and finds unexpected obstacle
put IN his path whenever he thinks of re
, | turning, Loyal Koreans are most anNiou
10 sec this hone OF the progressive parl!
once aean In Seoul.