The evening times., 1900-04-13
STATUS OF THE ORIENT.
Russia Watching Japan Across the
Korean Mountains.

| Korean Mountains.
NEW YORK, April 13.-Former Senator
j. Sloat Fassett, of Elmira, after triI
! last year, is at the WaIdorf-Astoria. with
/ his secretary, A. B. Sitter, doctoring a
! hard cold taken in Paris. He spent the
| greater part of his time abroad at gold
mine in Korea. in which he is partner
| and he made the acquaintance OF the EN-
peror and Empress of Korea and a mum
Der of the leading men OF the nation
! His mining venture has proved profitable.
! Seventy-five white men and three thousand
| coolies are now employed. He is convinced
/ that Americans can dominate commerce In
! the East.
| Mr.. Fassett Started from San Francisco
accompanied by his family, and visited
! Honolulu, Korea. Japan. China, India,
| Egypt, Greece, and Italy. His family is
now in Rome He will go to his home IN
/ Elmira In a week or ten days and then re-
| turn to this city.
Korea seems good way from here,
and it s," said Mr.. Fassett last night,
| but we can ship a ton of freight from
New York to our mines, near the Yaloo
River, as cheaply as the same ton can be
sent to the tains of Idaho and just
about as quickly. too. We have been IN
. terested in mining for five years now on a
concession covering one thousand square
miles. Our lease has twenty years
to run. We have the right TO mine any
mineral, but we have confined our atten-
tion TO gold alone. All of our machinery
is of American manufacture, as this coun-
try makes the best mining machinery In
the world.
Korea at the present time is in an in
teresting if not a precarious situation. She
is in the situation of a buffer state. She
hangs down from Manchuria, which Is IN
possessions of the Russians. and at the
same time she is almost within sight OF
Japan These two nations are watching
each other across the mountains OF ko-
rea.
There is no telling what the outcome
of the present strained relations between
Russia and Japan will be. II would De
wisdom If the nations interested in the
open door on the Asiatic coast would
guarantee the political autonomy OF ko-
rea and make her buffer state, as nature
designed her to be.
Korea has about three thousand miles
of coastlines. which would be expensive
for either Russia or Japan TO control,
guard, or protect. Russia would never reel
safe with Japan in full possession of ko-
rea because that would bring Japan 10
the YalOO River, which glance at the
map will show to be strategically between
! Port Arthur and Vladivostock. On the
other hand Japan would always feel men
ID Sr1 SION of
for you almost see the shores OF Japan
from the southern point OF Korea.
There would be no compensation TO
either power adequate to the enormous
outlay il would take to seize. hold, govern
and guard Korea whereas if the 'integTi y
Of Korea could be guaranteed nature has
fitted her TO be an ideal buffer state, and
her integrity would be large and import
ant factor in maintaining the peace OF the
East. The Koreans are not politically
aggressive They are ideally fitted to tie
the inhabitants of a buffer State. and ut
would seem to be TO the best interests
Of the nations most concerned in the peace
OF China and Asia to have Korea neutral
lied. with a similar guarantee as that
which protects Switzerland.
1T seems TO me that the situation offers
a most promising opportunity for AmeTi-
can diplomats TO gain victory full of the
Orient II is no secret that the relations
between the overshadowing power of Rus
sia on the north and the restless, magnih-
Gently compact strength of Japan on the
south are at a point of hfgh tension
Korea" continued Mr.. Fassett, lis pic
turesque beautiful fertile. with an ex
cellent climate and an Industrious and
agreeable people. Al our mines we EN-
ploy seventyfve white men and 5000 COO
lies Our venture has been and is an in
teresting experiment. We are the pio-
neers there, and we had to overcome all
the obstacles in a new and in most res
poets a wild country. There are many
gold fields in Korea as the country pos
sesses a continuation of the gold bearing
outcrops of Siberia and Manchuria. both
of which are bound 10 be great gold pro-
ducers. The Koreans have been mining
with crude methods for many centuries,
and they are still at it, Korea like all
the East by which indefinite term may be
embraced most of the Asiatic seaboard, is
awakening to new industrial and CONNER
cial life There is an immense opening
for enterprise and capital which will un-
doubtedly be supplied as soon as it is un-
derstood that the United States Govern
ment will protect its citizens in all legti-
mate foreign enterprises.
The Orientals are kindly disposed to-
ward Americans for many reasons. but
chiefly because they recognize that Ameri-
cans are not seeking political empire. and
they feel that from them they can receive
the most desirable assistance in industrial
and commercial improvement. The con-
suming capacity of these great populations
in the Orient is not understood fully.
Neither is their ability to pay. We Ameri
cans take their breath away by our rapid
methods, but Americans in the Orient
are contract keepers. and this is recogniz-
ed by the Asiatics. Civilization has swept
around the globe. moving westward until
il has again reached its ancient seats, and
it is now taking hold of opportunities in the
new old East with all the increased wis
dom and experience Of all its centuries of
progress. The enterprises which are now
starting over there are bewildering. But
it is hardly poor mans country. The
opportunity is favorable for associated
capital in large amounts skillfully direct
ed. but not for individuals"