The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-03-31
TWO OF COREA'S SEAPORTS
Masampho and Fusan and Their I'M
portance as Commercial and
War Centers.

DR.. William B. Scranton, of East
Hartford, who was for II years mis-
sionary in Corea, talks interestingly
about the strategic Importance OF sea-
ports in the southern extremity of the
Hermit empire, says the Hartford
Times.
In the south of Corea, the port Of
Fusan, he said, has been occupied more
Or less by the Japanese for trading pur-
poses and political intercourse for more
than a century, and for several CEN
turtles imperial affairs of Japan, such
as the death of a Shotgun or the cleo
ton of his successor, have been deemed
Of sufficient Importance for communi-
cation to the neighboring country OF
Corea and this has been done by the
route of Tsushima and Fusan.
Tsushima, or Twin Islands, lie mid
way in the Corean strait between ia
pan and Corea. They are TWO beauti-
full islands, with abrupt and precipi-
tous shores, beautiful in the flora pecu-
liar to Japan, and having a harbor.
These islands, or Tsushima, are used
for strategic purposes and have been
extensively fortified by the Japanese
with the purpose of controlling the
straits of Corea, and in time of war
the very approach of the enemy's ships
to Japan itself.
A few years since some dissatisfac-
ton arose in regard to the port OF Flu
san, which, although it is excellent
in itself as a port and for shipping,
yet has no near river of entrance into
the country for the purpose of traffic.
Hence the port of Masampho, lying
further west along The southern shore
line of Corea, has been chosen, having
some features in common with Port
Arthur as a place easily fortified and
near the mouth of a river leading to
the interior.
The place was, therefore, selected as
an open port, the land divided up into
lots and, as is customary, auctioned off.
In one way or another it turned out
that the Russians obtained in this way
the greater part of the port, to the ex-
clusion of the traders of other ma
tons. The Russians were obliged to
yield up their possessions in favor of
general traffic at that point as against
special ownership of the port on the
part of Russians Ever since this time
the Russian government has tried re-
peatedly to gain in some legal way a
foothold in that port. asking first
for the concession of the island
in the mouth of the port and for sufi-
cient land for coaling station In all
these attempts Japan has opposed Rus
STA and prevented her entrance there
up to the present time
For the Russians to occupy Masam-
pho, as a coaling station even. would
probably be followed by Notifications
of some sort and these would be con-
slant menace to the Japanese control
of the Corean strait, but more particu-
larly to Tsushima itself, which is with
in gunshot from Masampho 70 make
the Importance of Tsushima and Ma
sampho little more evident it is only
necessary to state that when sailing
from Nagaski, Japan, to the Corean
port, Fusan, on a clear day, one can
detect both the coasts of Japan and
Tsushima easily when midway between
them; and in sailing from Tsushima
to Fusan both coasts are all the time
in view. The distance from Masampho
to Tsushima is only slightly greater
than that to Fusan.