Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-03-11

q one knew that the queen, even though she might be slow and cautious, was 1 the most reliable and intelligent e1e-
 ment in the state and the best guaran-
 tee of such progress as was made. But the blunder was committed, and in twenty-four hours Japan's influence in Korea was dead. The king fled to the Russian legation, and the country passed without an effort on his part or
 the expenditure of one dollar or one
 life into the hands of the czar. And 50
 the eastern question, the most disturb
 ing and harassing question of the cen tury, rose up grimIy in the Land of the Morning Calm. For a time the
 wise and tolerant and honest course of the Russian minister in Seoul gave good premise that the question would
 not be freighted there with jealousies
 and conflicts and threats of strife. He
 gave the king temporary home, aid
 ed him in his course, discouraged him
 from injustice, advised the employ
 ment of an Enghshman as financial
 adviser of the treasury, with more
 power than he possessed for himself,
 dealt with f1rmness, moderation and
 self restraint toward all. MT. Weber
 was soon transferred to Mexico, how.
 ever, and the policy of Russia in Ko- req underwent a change.
 Japan had fought China to deliver Korea and recover her control of Ko- rea's future. The issue of 1t all had been simply the substitution of Russia for China! On June 8, 1896, a conven-
 cfn Al 4V aS4Hn
 formally recognized this.
 Two years later, on April 25, 1898, Russia having other business on hand and wishing to tie up Japan, the two governments made a further agree ment, by which they agreed not to in- terfere with Korea's independence, and in case Korea asked one of them for advice it was ts call in the other. Japan also was given the right to pro- ceed with It's commercial enterprises.
 It may be we'll to add brief sum- mary of the agreements between each power and Korea which have since en- tered into the situation
 Birst.-Between Russia and Korea:
 A special settlement at Masampo. April 20. 1900 A whale fishing arrangement which allows the Russians to try out the whales on the Korean coast at stations where & force of men and some buildings may be maintained and which might be construed to cover actual settlements. April 8, 1901, renewed and enlarged tim- Der concession, covering the watershed of the Yalu and Tumen rivers and practical ly giving to Russia the control of the northern frontier of Korea. A nonaiiena- tion clause covering the island of Kochci- do, near Masampo. A promise that no more mines will be granted to foreigners and that if any one Is intr q Aed with the operation of the Korean he.sehold mines (which include all the good mines of the country) such operator shall be a Rus- sian. An agreement that if capital is to be secured for the completion of the Northwestern railway, from Seoul to Wei chu, such capital shall be secured from Russia and the work be intrusted to Rus sian engineers.
 Second.-Between Japan and Korea:
 It may be noted that on Sept 8, 1888, concession was granted to a Japanese sym dicate for a railway to connect Seoul ana Fusan. Work was formally begun this road Aug. {, 1901. On Aug. 23, 1900. the Chtcksan mining concession was granted to Japanese firm. On Oct. 3. 1900. an ad- ditional fisheries convention was agreed to between Korea and Japan. On Dec. B. 1900, permission was granted to Japanese company to reclaim a portien of the fore- shore at Fusan. On May 20, 1901, a spe- cial Japanese settlement at Masampo was announced. With reference to the Seoul Chemulpo railway. 1t might be added that this line was begun by Americans in 1897, was on Dec. l, 1887, mortgAged to the Ja- pan Specie bank and on Dec. S1, 1898, formally taken over by Japanese syndi- cate headed by Baron Shtbusawa. The road was opened for traffic to the river near Seoul on Sept. s, 1888, and to Seoul on the completion of the bridge, July 8. 1900.
 The Japanese have seen that the sit uation is impossible, and the mass of the people have chafed continually at the conditions which eliminated China from her Korean problem only to re- place her by vastly more terrible competitor It has been the Manchu- rian question which has brought mat ters to a head. And it is to the credit of the Japanese that they have been able to view that question with sober ness and self restraint. The treaty of Shimohoseki, which terminated the Chino-Japanese war, not only settled the destiny of Korea, but also trans ferred to Japan the Liaotung penin- sula, embracing a great portion of Manchurta and including the ports of Port Arthur and Talienwan. It also opened four Manchurian ports to all foreign trade and assigned to the Japa- nese exclusive commercial advantages in the interior. These fruits of the war were all torn from Japan by Rus sin, Germany and France by treaty which they coerced Japan into signing and in which she relinquished the rights she had acquired in Manchuria. The cenfederates who had intervened to save China from Japan at once re- warded themselves by an immensely greater raid upon the helpless empire. Germany got foothold at Tientsin and Hankow and little later took France obtained addition ] al territory and privileges in the south, and Russia by several moves slipped into Manchuria and absorbed the very rights of which she had induced Ger l many and France to aid her in depriv- 1 inp JaDan Meanwhile She. haa n,1shed l