New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-09

THE COREAN PORT WHICH hA"
BEEN OPENED TO THE WORLD boI
WHICH RUSSIA WANTS TO TURN
INTO AN EASTERN GIBRALTAR.

FAR East comes an item of commercial interest
which seems not related to the land-grapD'hs
oncrations now in progress on the feho" 'ea
VT which in fact has particularly direct anu
intimate connection with them. THIS IS 'ha' '"'
Corcan por of Mokpo has been thrown open u
foreign trade. !; is briefly explained 'ha' '"o
,,acc in question is in the southern part OF the
Land Of the Morning Calm. and has an iihpoi-
tant agricultural country back CT IT, ana IL -
expected to become an important centre Oh u's-
.rjbuticn as we'll ~ gateway or export sui"
explanation will be welcome to the aVerase
roaaor for he will look in vain in most books
~ reference and. indeed. on most mars lor inc
Mare in question This is matter for some little
vondcrmcnt. for Mokpo is a place of much I'M
portancc and i; has moreover. been open 10
foroiqn trade longer than might be supposed
from the Official announcement which has just
,cen made Ivy the United States Consu-General.
T,ue the formal proclamation Of is opening
was made only three months ago. but in fact the
port was 0pcrod fully a year ard halr ago
Still you will rot find il mentioned in gazet'eeTs
nor set down maps. not even II You search
publications e latest Gate.
Nokno is as stated in the southern part OF
the penirsua 1t is. indeed, al the southwestern
extremity Of it, at the mouth Of the fanS-San
Kang River. It possesses fire harbor or d'ep
water which never freezes. The entrance To IL
Is masked with numerous islands. all capable OF
fertilization. while at either side is a lof'y
hcadland The place could be made practically
impregrahlc Within, safely sheltered from at
tack Of foes and from storms could lie n fleet
OF thirty or forty OF the largest warshlps, IN
water from eight to eighteen fathoms deep
Along shore is room for all the deep water docks
and other works that could possibly be needed
~ he
thc shore would be beyond the reach Of at
tack until the entrance dcfcnces were carried
The tributary country, connected with Mokpo by
lard roads and the waterway Of the river Is by
far the richest Of all COrea-the Granary OF the
kingdom. il has well been called. Moreover. it
Is easily fortified the land side as well as
toward the sea that as naval station.
fortress or base of supplies II is uneGualled
b. any other place in the peninsula.
Now this is the very place which the eyes
OF Russia have been fastened for long time
rs the most suitable for her chief naval station
on the Pacific Coast Of Asia Its natural ad-
vantages are such that it could be transformed
into a vcritable Gibraltar. and it is free from
all the disadvantages which initiate against all
other ports in that region Nladivostock. the
Siberian port. is good enough for time But
Ifs harbor freezes over at the first OF December
Ice or is kept open only by the most vigorous
and incessant use Of those giant ice-brcaking
boats which are peculiar to Russian harbors
Russia once set her eyes upon Port Lazaren
and also upon Wonsan and Port Shcstakof. All
these are good harbors, but they are all upon
the eastern or outer. coast Of COrca, fronting
on the Sea Of Japan The latter is the disad-
yantagcous feature. Commerce from them 10
the Chinese coast would have to pass through
the Strait Of Corca. and the acquisition Of Port
Hamilton by Great Britain would shut that road
So would tn hostile occupation Of the japanese
island Of Sushima in the Strait. What Russia
wants is a port directly upon the yellow Sea-
and such is Mokpo.
About two years ago Russia began TO bring
pressure to bear upon the Coroan Government
for the ccssion Of this port. under the guise
OF a long lease. The japanese and the British
tried to prevent such Arrangement, and for
a time Diplomatic intrigues over this little
known seaport were many and intense But the
Russian cause steadily gained over the others
Great Britain was handicapped by the fact
that she had regularly accredited Minister in
Corea but transacted all her diplomatic bust
ness with that country through her Minister at
Peking just as before the war; and when Corca
was still under the suZeranty Of China. The
injudiciOus acts Of some OyerZealous japanese
caused a prejudice against that country and
weakened its influence which should have been
indisputably paramount. Russia. on the other
hand. was served by her Minister. Mr.. Waeber
who had been there for many years and was
loved and trusted by King and people other
foreigner ever was in that country. ard who.
therefore. exercised unique and unrivalled in
nucncc True. this accomplished diplomat was
singulary fair and generous and Loyalty sup