The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-08-01
RUSSIA SUPREME In EAST
Corea the Storm Center and Russia
Holds Upper Hand.


New York, July 3o.-A special to
the Tribune from Washington says:
The government at Washington has
come into possession of important
views upon the sweeping develop
ments now occurring in the far east.
as entertained by one of its trust
ed agents at present in Gilman
official who has spent much of the
last twenty years there and in Korea
and Japan. From this confidential
to make the following verbatim ex-
tracts:
"Corea is the storm center, if there
is one just now. The government of
the emperor, who is a greedy, cruel
and rapacious person, is a. despotism,
and Russia is playing with the terri
tory as cat does with q mouse She
is perfecting her railway system in
Siberia and Manchuria and when she
is ready she will come down through
the Corean peninsula and plant her
military and commercial establish
ments in the magnificent harbor of
Masanpho, in the southeast, whence
she can descend upon Japan, which
lies between the British interests i'll
the north and the base to Hong Kong.
10 this end Russia seeks to control,
or build and control, railway from
the northwestern frontier of Corea.
near Mullden to Masanpho, but her
agreement with Japan forbids her
seeking such concessions in Corea and
fhernfnra Ero OF II
The effort to dispIace j. McLeavey
Brown, though made on a side issue
to which he lent himself with absurd
stupidity, was for the purpose of get
ting the pledge of the customs reve-
nue. for the loan. For the purpose of
protecting her credit, Corea placed
her customs revenue under the con-
troll of foreigner, and without his
consent it cannot be pledged. Mr..
Brown was dismissed for refusing to
vacate some public offices, but under
pressure was We-instated, and the
matter is in allegiance for the mo-
ment. Russia views the opposition
with tolerant amusement and
will win. When the real purpors o,
the McLeavey Brown incident became
evident Japan was much alarmed, and
with good reason. Her finances can
not stand the stress of her arma-
ments and the cabinet has gone to
pieces on the financial issue. A fee
BILE, stop-gap ministry can hardly he
said to be in power and the country
is drifting, possibly into war with
Russia, it will insure her having to
ever the temporary success Japan
may have, if she goes to war with
Russia lit will insure her having to
fight for her very existence in her
own islands, and that before many
years.
Great Britain could not stop Rus
STA if she would, and if she could,
she would not, for she does not care
to accelerate The Russian advance TO-
ward the Persian mnif, which already
threatens India. The Russians hold
the great port of New Chwang, with
out there being anywhere visible or
in effect single spread of pretense
of Chinese authority, and an official
tells me that he was astonished to
allowed to overhaul the British
steamer, on board which he was trav-
cling. New Chwang, mind you, was
an open treaty port.
Germany is also as helpless as
Great Britain. owing to her eastern
frontier and her position between
the French hammer and the Russian
anvil, who takes no initiative at Pc
king where Russia is concerned.
Frances fear and hatred of Ger
many are strong motives for the soil
darity of the Russian-Frenchp policy