New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-13


twenty-five thousand japanese in COrea," he
tells US. and adds that ''the japanese settlement
is the curse OF every treaty port in Corea-" He
declares that IN their arrogance and conceit the
Japauese have acted In the most high handed
manner toward their neighhors. that their
conduct in Corea shows them TO be destitute OF
moral ana intellectual fibre" lie continues his
Indictment In this fashion:
Master and man alike terrorize the Coreans,
who 20 IN fear Ct their lives whenever they
have transactions with the japanese zero S3- :
played Itself 10 any great extent IN the CaL si
OF the Hermit kingdom. win the SuCSSse4N
conclusion OF that campaign however the JAP
anese became so aggressive IN their ueatAlleii1
Of the people that, had the choice OF tWo e.ils
been possible in view OF these eIehts= ~
Coreaus would have preferred the Chinese dNa
"A state Of dependence to the conditions Whlch
were then introduced. The universal adInlI atlon
aroused by the conduct Of the japanese uOOPS
in the North China campaign Of l9OOeol has
added FenSibly 10 the vanity and eGotlsIn o.
these Corean-Japanese. Convinced OF lhelr
innate superiority. their yioIehce OoNalu ny
Coreans goes on unchecked It threatens nov
to assume unparalleled dimensions II the re
lations between the powers are TO continue upon
a satisfactory footing in Corea, il VIII De neces-
s3rv for the japanese government 10 TedreSs
those abuses which foreigners. japanese anu
Coreans alike have combined TO denOunce
All this would augur 81 for the future OF the
Japanese in Corea II her fate in the future were
TO he a thing OF Corea's own choosing. or the
Russians in the kingdom Mr.. Hamilton has no
occasion 10 report such indiscretions as he cred
its TO the japanese but on the other hand he
paints them as shrewdly moving heaven and
earth to strengthen their position in the coun-
try. Russian industrial activities in Corea,
he saws. may be regarded as a cloak for poiti-
cal schemes" and he shows that the cloak has
already been used to some purpose. Abiding to
the other powers. he points out that with the
exception Of Great Britain they have been
stirred by the example Of the japanese TO a
certain activity. American trade in Corea he de-
scribes as undeniably important. composite in
IT'S character carefully considered. protected by
the influence Of the minister. supported by the
energies Of the American missionaries, and con-
trolIed by two firms whose knowledge OF the
wants Of Corea is just forty-eight hours ahead
Of the realization Of that want by the Corean-
IN Seoul the electric car company, the electric
light company and the water company have
all been created by American enterprise 1t was
IN American who secured the concession for
the Seoul-Chemulpo Railway, and subsequently
sold it to the japanese company, which is now
I'm control other illustrations Of the success OF
our countrymen in Corea are cited in this book.
The French and the Belgians are both active.
The German colony IS said 20 be small and in
significant The position Of the English is char
acterized as destitute az any great commercial
or rolitical Significance" Mr.. Hamilton plainly
finds il difficult 10 speak with patience OF British
policy as manifested in Corea- He notes. by
The way. that products from all the Western
countries are freely initiated in Japan for the
Corean trade. The country is flooded with
counterfeited imports. But with the powers
in general the author Of this book has small
concern. Japan and Russia are the only real
protaEonists on the Corean stage. In a long
introduction AIr. Hamilton discusses the mill
tary and naval resources Of both nations. and
while he wisely refrains from indulging in
prophecy as TO the outcome Of the struggle
which he foresaw as be sent his book to press
he offers some suggestive remarks which may
assist the reader in his speculations. OF course
he realizes the value to the japanese Of a sue
oessful naval campaign, observing that pro
vided the investment Of Port Arthur be salts
accomplished by sea and that Vladi-
vostok were enclosed by ice, the estuaries Of the
Yalu and Lico rivers enable an admirable posi-
ton 10 be taken up, from which the Russian 20
sition throughout Nanchuria may be very read
lily threatened" OF the other aspect Of the
question Mr. Hamilton says:
on land the immense superiority OF the re-
serve numbers Of the Russians reduces the az
vantages which would accrue 10 the japanese
If the fighting were confined to the sea. At the
same tine however. il should be remembered
that the Russian troops are slow movers. ana
they may exhibit magnificent endur-
arce. and although they may be relied upon to
fght well The lack OF individual initiative upon
the part Of the Russian officers robs the opera
tons Of that dash and address winch IS en-
bodied fin the spirit Of the japanese army.
Curi0usly enough, each side favors the Con-
tineutal school Of infantry and cavalry tactics,
the underlying principles in the training OF the
japanese revealing close adherence 10 Teu-
tonic methods. Neither side viii profit there
fore. by any degree OF indivisibility 10 which
they may have attained. The winter BTeatcOat
OF either army is very nearly identical IA color.
and for warm weather japanese and Russian
alike favor a white blouse. There has been
talk Of the japanese adopting q khaki tint;
upon the other hand, the blouse Of the Russian
soldier Is by courtesy equally white or khaki.
In the more important direction Of land trans
port. IL might appear that the Manchurian rail-
way would be a crowning triumph for the Rus
sian authorities. Unfortunately. this immense
length Of rail, badly laid and indinerenty
equipped, VIII impose q perpetual strain upon
the military resources. II the country popula-
ton could be relied upon to maintain a benevo-
lent neutrality toward telegraph poles and lines.
railway sleepers and rails, the stone pillars and
balzs Of the bridges. the possibility OF any seri
Gus interruption of traffic would be materially
lessened. Cnhappily for the Russians. the atti-
tude and acts Of the native population, who, In
a general way. viii lose no opportunity to harass
their enemy must impede the effective co-opera-
ton OF the Russian forces.
Against this instructive feeling OF animosity
there may he set the racial sympathy with the
which governs every Chinaman. In
NanchurIa particularly, the japanese enjoy
high reputation in the minds OF the populace.
while there IS remembered. above aught else,
that prompt redemption OF all obligations dur
ing the Chino-J apanese War which distin
gyufshed the policy Of the invaders toward local
Interests. This policy Of benevolence was eX-
hibited for the second time during the Boxer
crisis. and. Of course the striking example Of
fered by the japanese in comparison with the
Russians. was not lost upon the Chinese. These
things are recalled to-day IN Manchuria. and
they may be calculated 10 Offset any reactionary
sentiment which may take place IN Corea-