Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-04-06
TWO OF coREA's sEAPoRTs
Nasampho 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 century, and for several GEN.
turtles imperial affairs of Japan, sucl
as the death of Shotgun or the cleo
ton of his successor, have been deemed
of sufficient Importance for commune
cation to the neighboring country @
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
! itself as a port and for shipping.
vet has no near river of entrance into
he country for the purpose Of traffic.
Hence the port of MasamphO, lying
urther west along the southern shore
inc of Corea, has been chosen, having
some features in common with Port
Arthur as a place easily fortified and
near the mouth of river leading to
he interior.
The place was, therefore. selected as
IN open port, the land divided up into
OTIS and, as is customary, auctioned off
n one way or another it turned out
hat the Russians obtained in this way
he greater part of the port, to the ex-
,lusion of. the traders Of other ma
ions. The Russians were obliged tc
Yield up their possessions in favor Of
general traffic at that point as against
!
part of Russians. Ever since this time
the Russian government has tried re
peatedly to gain in some legal way {
foothold in that port. asking frs
for the concession of the islant
in the mouth of the port and for sufh
cient land for a coaling station. In al
these attempts Japan has opposed Rus
STA and prevented her entrance Their
up to the present time.
For the Russians to occupy Masam
pho, as a coaling station even. woult
probably be followed by fertilization
of some sort and these would be a con
slant menace to the Japanese contrC
Of the COrean strait but more particu
larly to Tsushima itself, which is with
in gunshot from Masampho. To max
the importance of Tsushima and Ma
sampho little more evident it is onl
necessary to state that when sailin
, from Nagaski, Japan, to the Corea
port. Fusan, on clear day, one ca
detect both the coasts of Japan an
{ Tsushima easily when midway betwee
} them; and in sailing from Tsushim
to Fusan both coasts are all the tim
in view. The distance from Masamph
= to Tsushima is only slightly create
q than that to Fusan.