The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-02-01
liaeI@ Morsa, line HIernni6

OF Korea rose again. phoen5N- T
ike. ia the japanese soil some of the
most famous br0nzes and earthsnNare
in Japan were the product of Korean
skill. ana evidence of the hermit na-
TONS workmanship, wherever found IN
Japan, IS its superiority.
The trouble which has arisen IN re-
cent years with Korea IS dus 10 the
fact that she once paid tribute 10 emma
when thar empire extended We'll TITO
Siberia. bat since Russia had come -
near at NladiVostock, ana Japan nad
had ambitions 10 make Of her what
Britain has made Of Egypt, the plot
has thiekened.
In January. 1896. at the close Of the
war between China and Japan, the KING
of Korea took cath at the shrine or
his ancestors that only as ar inde-
PENDENT ruler can re make our coun-
try strong. From this time
forth we will no longer lean upon an
other state therefore, DO W
now make the fourteen great laws and
swear &c bring these to a successful IS
sue"
It was in 1861 that Korea. ceased to
be q. hermit natien. It was then that
Russia stepped up TO take a slice OF
China. From 1866 10 1875 there were ma
val engagements along NE coast which
involved various nations. In 1898 the
Korean empress was slain by revolu-
tionists. Following that some reforms
were accomplished by the japanese
Count Inouye. Previous 20 that the
emperor had been q figUTehead. seated
among clouds OF intrigue and tTrespoir'
sible rapacity.
Today Korea is free against her viii,
but she is without the means to adapt
herself to the new conditions or neF
national life. To whom shall she now
adopt tributary relations, Russia or
japan? The aim Of the latter is TO liD-
crate Korea. % civilize her and render
her strong and independent. II 1t had
not been for the Japanese she would &c
still the hermit kingdom
AL army of only 5,0e9 has been IN
/ creased to 1900: but. while the ko-
reans are good fighters, they do rot Ike
to drill Their theory is that If YOU
want to make machine fighters, why
not use fighting machines altogether,
while the government IS too poor TO
supply necessary ammunition for pfae,
tice. 4 Russian officer drilled q rOyaf
ibodyguard Of 900 men and armed then
with rifles obtained from Russia. and
since the Russian officers have retired
the drill has been maintained.
/ A pessinaistic view Of Korea is that
/ It is a poor place to fight fer; that there
1 is no property anywhere; that the
money is valueless; that the women are
/ beasts OF burden But Korea has to-
day great national resources, and ko-
reans are on good authority regarded
as susceptible to Improvement. That II
IS a fine country for colonizing IS ap-
lparently believed by the japanese, Tor
they have indicated 50 themselves by
going there IL large numbers
Seoul has large foreign colony,
made an of missionaries. doctors and
diplomats. Out of a population of near
ily 200.O there are 5000 japanese, and
1000 more of tltat nationality may be
found in the Japanese settlement OF
Fusan There are 5000 Chinamen II
Seoul. 800 Americans, 100 British and
numerous French, Russian and German
subjects. The American and English
missions have each established hospitals
there. and both of these natOnallties
4 are represented lin the royal schools by
teachers.
To SHOW the foreign interest existing
in Korea today il may be said whale
fishing IS carried on by one japanese
and two Russian companies with priv
ileges from the Korean government; al
American company IS working a goiC
mine at WgnsaW, under q CONCESSION
. granted a the close of the war in 1893
/ and similar grants have been mace L
! a Russian, Il German company
. French subject, and. in 1898. an Eng
fish company. besides several mines be
ing worked south OF seoul by the Jap
[ anese More of these enterprises ma
yet be under aiken, for copper, iron an
! coal are abundant in Korea.
The new railway through Korea
, which is to make the country more &C
I cessible to Europe, viii extend dis
lance Of 300 miles from seoul, the capt
Z tai to Fusan. near the southeastern
/ tip of the peninsula. At each en-
building has been started, but althoug
d. the concession was granted in 1885, tn
funds allotted for the purpose by IN
+ Korean government were SO small tina
!. work has made bat slow progress.
There is a bim0nthly steamer OF IN
j, japanese service, which includes on
r round trip from Kobe to NladivOstoe
a a visit at two Of the important Korea
f ports. Fusan is one OF these, and tn
r other is CSehsan, on the northern side {
p the peninsula. The trip occupies alto
q gether twenty-fOuT DAYS. though 1t ma
II be made from NagasaEi in seventeen.
f." There is now q street railway in Seol
d three miles long, and there the tell
I, graph system is such that all the line
n are IN communication with the capita
4 The telephone Is in operation in SEQ
and in Chemulpo, and win present
IS be brought into connection between Il
n two cities.
le A Korean postoffice has been esta'
y lished and letters can be sent TO al
1 part Of the country, but there is lit
- native correspondence, and that of 70
4 eigners is conducted mainly throus
~ the japanese p0stofices. Quite recen
= IL Korea has entered the information
postal union. There are two newSp
1e Ders in seoul. There has beer an effo
y To establish a gold standard. As y
~ the money I'm circulation is mostly ia
>. anese.- Boston Herald
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