New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-13
RUSSIA WATCHING JAPAN.
mo TELLING WHAT THE OUTCOME OF
THE STRAINED RELATIONS WILL BE-
J. sLOAT FAssETT ON CONDITIONS IN THE
EAST-COREA HE THINKS, SHOULD
BE A BUFFER STATE.


There ~ telling what the outcome of the
present strained relations between Russia
and japan will Those nations
wutchinG each other the mountains
of COrca. would be wisdom IL the nations
interested in the open door the AsIntic
coast would guarantee political nutOn-
omy of Corea md make her n buffer state
ms Nature designed her be.-(J Sloat Fassett
to Tribune the Waldorf last night
Ex-senator ]. Sloat Fassett of Elmira after a
trip around the world begun in February of last
year. is at the Waldorf-AstOria, with his secre
tary a. B. Sitter doctoring hard cold taken in
Paris. He spent the greater part OF his time
abroad at a gold mine in which he Is a partner
and he made the acquaintance of the Emperor
and Empress of COrea and a number Of the lead
ing Of the nation. His mining venture has
proved profitable. Seventy white men and
three thousand coolies now employed. He is
convinced that Americans can dominate com
merce in the East.
Mr.. Fassett started from San Francisco.
companied by his family. and visited Honolulu.
Corea, Japan, China, India. Egypt, Greece and
italy His family is in Rome. He will go
to his home, in Elmira. in a week or ten days
and then return to this city.
"Corea seems good way from here, and 1t is,
said Mr.. Fassett last night. but ship
ton of freight from New-York to our mines, near
the Yaloo River. as cheaply as the same ton
be sent to the mountains of Idaho, and just
about quickly, too. We have been interested
in mining for five years concession
covering one thousand square miles. Our lease
has twenty-five years to run. We have the
right TO mine any mineral, but we have con-
fined attention TO gold alone. All OF our
machinery is of American manufacture, as this
country makes the best mining machinery IN the
world.
THE SITUATION NOW.
"Corea at the present time is in an interesting
il not precarious situation. She is in the situa-
ton of a buffer State She hangs down from
Manchuria, which Is IN possession Of the Rus
slams, and at the same time she is almost within
sight of Japan These two nations are watching
each other across the mountains Of Corea-"
Then Mr.. Fassett expressed the views given IN
the paragraph at the head of this article giving
his reasons follows
"Corea has about three thousand miles Of
coastlines which would be expensive for either
Russia or Japan to control, guard protect
Russia would never feel safe with Japan in full
possession of Corea. because that would bring
Japan TO the Yaloo River. which glance at the
map will show be strategically between Port
Arthur and Vladivostok. On the other hand
Japan would always feel nnenaced if Russia were
in possession of Corea, for you can almost see
the shores of Japan from the southern point Of
either Power adequate to the enormous outlay it
would take to seize hold. govern and guard
Corea whereas If the integrity of Corea could be
guaranteed nature has fitted her to be an ideal
buffer State. and her integrity would be large
and important factor in maintaining the peace of
the East. The Coreans are not politically ag
gressive They are ideally fitted to be the in
habitants of buffer State. and it would seem 10
be TO the best interests Of the nations most con-
IN, +|a Of md ASia n haV
Corea neutralized. with similar guarantee as
that which protects Switzerland.
A PROMISING OPPORTUNITY
ut seems TO me that the situation offers
most promising opportunity for American diplo-
mats to gain a victory full of the fruits Of peace
and prosperity in the Orient II is no secret that
the relations between the overshadowing power
Of Russia on the north and the restless. magnif-
Gently compact strength Of japan on the south
are at point of high tension.
"COrea" continued Mr.. Fassett. rs pict-
uresque beautiful. fertile. with excellent
climate and an industrious and agreeable peo-
pie. At our mines we employ seventy-fve white
men and three thousand coolies Our venture
has been and is interesting experiment. We
are the pioneers there and we had to overcome
all the obstacles in a and in most respects
a wild country. There are many gold fields in
Corea as the country possesses a continuation
of the gold bearing outcrops of Siberia and Man
churia both of which bound 10 be great
gold producers. The Coreans have been mining
with crude methods for many centuries. and
they are still at il. Corea, like all the East by
which indefinite term may be embraced most
Of the Asiatic sea board. is awakening to new
industrial and commercial life. There is an i'm
mense opening for enterprise and capital which
will undoubtedly be supplied as soon it is
understood that the United States Government
will protect its citizens in all legitimate foreign
enterprises The Orientals kindly disposed
toward Americans for many reasons, but chiefly
because they recognize that Americans are not
seeking political empire and they feel that from
them they receive the most desirable as
sistance in Industrial and commercial improve
ment. The consuming capacity of these great
populations in the Orient is not understood fully
Neither is their ability to pay We Americans
take their breath away by our rapid methods.
but Americans in the Orient contract keep
ers, and this is recognized by the AsiatiCs.
Civilization has swept around the globe, moving
westward till il has again reached its ancient
seats, and IL is taking hold of Opportuui-
ties in the new old East with all the Increased
wisdom and experience of ali its centuries of
progress The enterprises which are now start
ing there bewildering. But il is hardly
poor mans country. The opportunity is IA
vorable for associated capital in large amounts
skilfully directed but not for individuals.
NOW WORLD POWER
"A good deal OF credit is due to Secretary Hay
and the admirable Administration OF President
Mckinley for the peaceful and significant tri-
urnph of diplomacy concerning the so-caIed
open door Of China. There may be people who
regret the fact. but the fact remains, emphatic
and unavoidable. that the United States has
become in a new and significant sense, more
than ever world Power, with all the response
bilitieS and opportunities of a world Power. IL