Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-15
COCKPIT OF THE EAST
CoREA AS IT APPEARS TO THE
TRAVELLER.
A Country With an Inert Population
and Corrupt Government-Rus-
STA and Japan Seek Control.


When two dogs fight over bone, 1t Is
somewhat distressing for the bone. Foor'
long-suffering Corea seems for the second
time In ten years cast for the part or bone.
And such a bone! Scraped and gnawed
by invading armies and by rebels. robbed
by recklessly dishonest government, all
spirit and self-reSpect taken from the
people by a vicious caste system, mentally
fmpotent and physically degenerate. Here
is Mrs Bishops description of its principal
city and capital: Il shrink from describing
intra mural Seoul 1 thought it the foulest
city on earth till saw Picking. and 1t smells
the most odlous till l encountered those OF
Shoa-shing. For a great city and capital
its meanness is indescribable. Etiquette
forbids the erection of two-story houses,
consequently an estimated quarter of mil
lion people are living on the ground
chiefly fl labyrinthne alleys. many OF them
not wide enough for two loaded bullocks
to pass. indeed barely wide enough for
man to pass a loaded bull. and further mar
rowed by q series of vile holes or green,
Shiny bitches. which receive the solid and
liquid refuse of the houses, their foul and
fetid margins being the favortte resort of
half-naked children, begrimed with dirt.
and of big. NANCY, blear-eyed dogs, which
wallow in the slime or blink in the sum-
Lethargy of Coreans.
AS to the people. here is Mr.. w. H. Law
sons account of their spritless lethargy:
THE Coreans have resigned themselves to
their fate A Corean never runs unless he
be driven by the lash; he hardly walks; he
crawIs along the streets of his city or the
paths of his village circuit. If he be struck
he falls down and lies there, waiting to be
picked up In Seoul l constantly rode In
rickshaws drawn by Japanese coolies.
h.,,- trpl- lpliOht n
noning the natives in their walks abroad.
and would run shaft into any back that
presented itself In one alley OF the city.
close to the British legation there several
times did the coolies knock over an old
Corean gentleman slowly vending his way
to the main street. Every time he got IN
the way, every time he was knocked down.
He said nothing and did nothing; but he
was always in the same place and always
met with the same treatment. Corean
will saunter along before an electric car
(for Seoul now boasts an electric tramWay,
running out three miles to the late en-
press tomb in exactly the same nstiess
fashion. The conductor rings his bell loud
and often but only at the last moment does
he slowly walk pace or two to one side or
the other. To see the Corean workmen Dig
ging up the ground Is lesson as to how
things should be done. An enormous spade
is sunk into the soil by two or three coolies,
with an immense expenditure of groans.
and then two or three gradually pull 1t up
with ropes. at which they heave like
crew of sailors heaving up an anchor. It
naturally follows that each spadeful OF
earth takes as long to extract as If 1t were
q load of gold reef
As for the government, Japanese states
man who has spent years in the country
describes 1t thus:
Lax Tax Collection.
There are no tax laws. There are eight
districts in Corea presided over by ap-
pointed governors. When the central gov
eminent in Seoul wants money 1t draws
upon the various districts for the required
amount. The local authorities collect the
money in any way that pleaseS them.
Crops are seized and divided, nouseholders
are imprisoned If they fail to deliver on
demand; everybody is squeezed and OPP
pressed. and the draft of the Seoul people is
honored. The surplus-and 1t Is always
large-goes into the pockets of the local
agents. Under this system there is no in
centive to the farmer to labor and no hope
for the artisan If he achieves anything. If
q man accumulateS little wealth he lives
in a howell lest he should be suspected and
despoiled AS result there is everywhere
lamentable ignorance. restitution and cry
ing discomfort. AS for corruption. that Is
boundless and appalling. The poor people
themselves. though filled with misery have
Ike the cells, become so accustomed to be-
Ing skinned that they neither know nor
care to be relieved. There car be no con-
ception of the hopeless ignorance and
wretchedness of Corea. There is no way of
telling in Seoul what the receipts and ex-
penditures or resources of the government
are. No account is kept. There are no
governmental statistics of any kind. When
the royal household requires money it
sends to the local authorities and demands
IL, and the money is raised by pillage and
force. as mentioned. 1t Is expended with
out record
The accounts of the Corean government
are simply like that of the American land
lord who wrote in his book at the end Of
each year. All paid In and all paid ont
There Is no financial responsibility whatso-
ever"
Why. then, should Japan and Russia be
constantly showing their angry teeth over
this spoiled and worthless country willing
to waste blood and treasure for the nos
session of it? A country's people may be
spiritiess and degenerate. It's government
vicious, and It's cities unkempt and dirty
anu yet there may be possibilities of wealth
In II for ambitious, growing nations such
as seem now about to fight for 1t.
The Peninsula.
Corea is a peninsula of much the same
Shape and size as Florida, jutting out of
eastern Asia. 1t is the nearest land to
Japan, whose islands form a rough crescent
inciosing 1t. On the other hand IT lies be-
tween Siberia and the sea, forming what
would be most desirable coast-line for the
covetous bear. For centuries there was a
relation Of suzerainty between Corea and
China. Japan long disputed this suzerainty.
ana In 1884 proved her contention in the
test of arms. The Chinese gateway near
Seoul, at which the kings of Corea had for
centuries done obeisance to China's am
bassador, was torn down and a handsome
modern structure erected named Independ-
ence arch. A few miles from Seoul there
Is a celebrated stone tortoise, one of the
several works of art set up in Corea to
symbolic Chinese dominion. 1t was held
That so long as this enormous tortoise re-
NAMED right side up the rule of China in
Corea would be undisturbed. AS soon as
the Mongolians disappeared down the hori-
Zon, under the active stimulation, of Japan-
csc bullets, the victors went out and f1op-
PED TINS igneous testudian over like a fan
jack lie now lies with his toes turned To-
ward the blue heavens. a Inundated Wit
ness or the fact that the Monaghan is do
Ing no visible governmental business in
Corea at this writing. And what is more
The Japanese, in order to prevent any mis-
Understanding as to the Significance of this
DouieVerSement. keep a soldier on guard nv
his side day and night Thereafter COrea
mas been nominally independent but Jan
anese influence has been constantly gaining
dominance in all the subtle WAYS that could
haNl sZd