Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-10-03
Letter from Korea.
SEOUL, KOREA, Aug. |

promised to write you something about
Korea, will proceed to do so. What
ever else Korea may or may not have,
she possesses most important strategic
position.
For thousands of years she has stood as
a buffer state between Japan and China.
When the Mongol hordes under Genghis
Khan tried to invade Japan by way of
Korea they were wrecked on the Korean
rock, and when the japanese hordes un-
der Hideyosh attempted to invade China
in 1892 by way of Korea they were I'M
able to get safely through Korea. So
it seems that Korea has borne the
brunt of many fights that were not her
own. And now she seems as likely as ever
to be the scene of contest, for she is all
that intervenes between Russia and
Japan. The strategic position of Korea
is very unfortunate for herself for she
has no power to uphold her own indie
pendence and must depend upon the pre-
carious policy of pitting her neighbors
against each other. To Japan the auton-
omy of Korea is a matter Of life and
death. Japan is rapidly changing
from an agricultural country to an
industrial country, and while her area
Is about the same as that of Korea
her population is four times as great.
She is therefore in more senses than one
the England of the Pacific and must find
] hnr
Korea is the natural food supply of Jap
an. The enormous surplus of rice In
Korea finds its way to Japan and with
out it Japan would have to depend upon
Aunum for rice. Korea also furnishes
Japan with raw material for manufac-
lures. Korean wheat becomes japanese
flour. Korean hides become Japanese
leather and various other minor Korean
products are handled in the Japanese
mills. This shows the economic depend
ence of Japan upon Korea; but there is
another side of the question. Korea at
its southern extremity is almost within
sight of the mainland of Japan, and the
possession of Korea by Russia would
command the Straits of Korea and con-
stitute dangerous menace to Japan. Ia
the Far East it is generally understood
that the absorption of Korea by Russia
would be the death signal for Japan.
For this reason it is confidently believed
that Japan would fight to the last ditch
to preserve the autonomy of Korea
But, on the other hand, what does
Korea mean to Russia? Russia has an
outlet on the Pacific at Nladivostock Just
north of Korea on the east coast and in
the Yellow Sea she has the magnificent
harbor of Port Arthur; but Korea lies
directly between these two ports, and
they can communicate with each other
by sea only by passing around the south
ern point of Korea and through the
Straits of Korea. This might be made
very difficult by Japan. for in the middle
of the straits lie the Japanese islands of
Tsushima. which practically dominate
the straits. Hong Kong has been called
the Gibraltar of the Far East, but the
islands of Tsushima are much better de-
serving of the term. This fact accounts
for the attempts that Russia has made to
secure foothold on the southern coast
of Korea at Masaupo. which experts
have declared to be one of the three FIN
est harbors in the world. In this she
has been checkmated by Japan and her
ambition to clear the seapath between
Vladivostock and Port Arthur has been
frustrated
which complicates the problem. Japan
has been giving hostages to fortune by
making many heavy permanent invest
ments in Korea. The only railroad in
the country, between Seoul and the port
of Chemulpo, belongs to the japanese,
and another railroad, three hundred
miles long is being built by them
from Seoul to the southern eXtrem
. ity of the peninsula. In addition to thi;
, there are 10000 japanese in Korea, most
: ly engaged in mercantile pursuits
. These interests would all be sacrificed il
! case of the absorption of Korea by Rus
, sia
1t is true that Russia has made prom
ises TO evacuate Manchuria, but it is saf'
E to say that such a REIMBURSEMENT would
be merely nominal. She has reserved
the right to guard the Manchurial
e branch of the Siberian railway, and thi
will prove a large enough loophol
whereby to escape the actual fulfllmen
of the promise. Russia never gave VI
= anything that she WAS not forced to Civ
r. up, and there is no power or combination
d of powers today that could force her on
Y of Manchuria. The result is that sh
. STAYS. Her southwark march has bee
o effectually stopped at the great wall o
: China, and there remains only the PENN
= sula of Korea to absorb in order 10 roun
p out her Asiatic possessions and render hel
, self absolute master of northeastern a STA
a Even small things indicate which wa
. the wind blows. couple of years az
i the Russian minister In Seoul boaste
a that he would drive the Americans on
. of Korea. He did not do it. nor is sue
n the probable wish of Russia at present
- but there can be no doubt that ever
success achieved by Americans in kore
is clog to the wheels of Russia. FC
: instance, an American gold mining con
= pany has opened up rich deposit
= gold in northern Korea, and the lare
- vested interests at that place form oil
~ amongst many barriers to Russian amb
- ton in Korea.
u Those who believe that war is inevIt
- BILE between Japan and Russia, base II
. belief upon the fact that the virtual pc
u session of Korea is essential to the int
ests Of both powers. There seems TO
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