The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-23


"a ~ clusiveness and tnhospit-
able attitude toward the
outer world. Korea seems
destined to be the battle
ground for two world powers. A
fridge. as it were, between Japan on
the one hand and Russia's outposts in
liberia and Manchuria on the other.
Korea is indispensable to both. With
no power of initiative nor of self-de-
Tense, "unclosed Korea" is doomed not
only to lose what measure of indie
pendence she has possessed, but to be
thrown open to the "barbarians." The
country Is not coveted because Of any
great commercial advantages she pos
sesses, but chiefly because of naval
and military considerations. Russia
looks upon Korea as the natural
rounding off of her Asiatic possessions,
affording her much desired port
ice-free all the year around, and con-
Meeting vladivostok with Port Arthur.
This program. which would turn
Korea into Russian Gibraltar,
threatens the future existence Of Japan
and the balance Of power In the far
east. There Is the issue in q nutshell.
Now for some light on the country
people do not count in this contro-
versy.
Chosen. Not Korea.
First Of all, the name Of the coun-
try. It seems strange that all the
world should know a country by a
name almost unknown to the natives
themselves. Korea has a historical
justification, but the native and Of
fetal designation Of the country since
1892 A. D. has been Chosen, which
means literally Freshness or seren-
ity. of tho morning." poetic version
is 'The Land Of the Morning Calm, -
which in one sense Is truly descriptive
~P l4
have been well depicted as a race of
sturdy. apathetic sheep. stupid and
happy. indomitably patient and dumb
with the callousness of despair, and
stunned by the oppression Of ages out
OF all moral and mental vtgor!
An Anomalous Country.
Lord Curzon once said of Korea that
1t presented no counterpart in the
world, and he described 1t as a coun-
try possessing an antiquity contem-
poraneous with that of Thebes and
Babylon. but owning no ruins; boast
Ing separate If not an independent
national existence for centuries and
yet devoid of all external symptoms of
strength; retaining latest of all the
kingdoms Of the east the title to sue
cessful exclusion Of the foreigner and
yet animated by no real hostility to
aliens; containing beautiful natural
scenery still virgin to the travellers
feet; claiming to have given Japan her
letters, her science, her religion and
her art, and yet bereft Of almost all
yestiges Of these herself; inhabited by
a people Of physical vigor but moral
inertness; and we'll endowed with re-
sources, yet crippled for want Of funds.
Placed in an unfortunate geographical
position between China and Japan,
Korea has been like Issachar, the
strong ass crouching between two bur-
dens.
Physical characteristics.
In one respect the hermit king
dom''-another of Koreas fanciful
gnations-resembles Japan. It is
exceptionally mountainous, altho no.
where any very great heights are
reached. The range which passes
down the peninsula, like the Apen-
mines in Italy, runs rather near the
eastern side. From 1t are thrown off
numerous lateral ranges and spurs
which break up the country into a
chaos Of corrugated and precipitous
hills, gorges and valleys, each with its
turbulent perennial stream. In the
north there are large mountain groups
with definite centers. containing the
sources of the Yalu and Teumen. Amid
this tumble Of hills there are few
plains worthy Of the name. There are
fertile valleys. but these are largely
untitled by a native population which
does not number more than II, 900. 900.
Turnout the country the communica-
tons are atrocious. Roads are few,
and these Of such an Infamous descrtp-
ton as to be seldom fit for traffic of
any kind. Even the bullock carts Of