Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-05

her advance on Corea will be made with
her eyes wide open. Not only has she
promised Great Britain that she will not
seize any Corean territory, but Japan's at
titude in this matter has never admitted Of
the slightest misconception. The assur-
ances Of Japanese statesmen that If Russia
interferes in Corea war will result. admit Of
no eQuivocation "Corea," said one of
these, lis like an arrow with the point
aimed at our hearts. 1t must be either
Russian or Japanese, and to make 1T the
latter every one Of Japans soldiers will die
If need be, to achieve the victory for his
emperor. And after all our soldiers are
gone the nation itself, man, woman and
child, will battle, forty millions of U.S. until
the last yen is expended and the last life
yielded. 1t is with us the settled purpose
and the burning passion of a people,
Russia Provokes War.
There Is no possibility Of ignoring such
an attitude as this and If war comes now
Russia will have deliberately provoked 1t.
That Russia appreciates the position Is evil
dent from the recent observations of
prominent Muscovite at Port Arthur, NJ
Levitoff, editor Of Viceroy Alexeier's Of
fetal organ, the MOI Krai "Japan' he
says, needs territory for its quickly in
creasing population. and has already shift
ed the keystone OF it's policy to Corea
Until now the Straits of Corea have for
Russia the Importance of Yellow Ros-
phorus. If this Yellow Bosphorus falls
into the hands of either Great Britain or
Japan, then there will be an end to the
importance of Vladivostock as a trading
port. But If Russia held the Straits of
Corea, she would become the leading naval
power in the Far Eastr' A franker eX-
position Of Muscovite ambition it would be
impossible to wish for.
In pursuance of this plan Russia put up a.
merchant OF Vladivostock to obtain tim
ber-fellfng concession across the Yalu This
was in 1886. Since then, although this wood
cutting permit was only made to private
individual. and was confined to the banks
of the Yalu and Teumen rivers and the
Island of Ul-Lyang, the Russian govern
ment, without any rafson detre whatever
have stepped in and laid hands upon Yon-
gampho, in the neighborhood of which no
trees are to be found. This has all been
done by utilizing their Chinese wood-cutting
employees who were provided with money to
purchase the land in their own names Rus
sia's next step in May Of the present year
was to send ununiformed soldiers across the
Yalu to this place, followed shortly by their
wives and families, and totally ignoring the
protests Of the Corean government proceed
ed to erect stone factory buildings. Then a
fort was built and armed while soldiers
openly went about in Russian uniforms.
Corean Traditions.
Meantime the wood-cutting people had
trespassed far beyond their original conces-
sion and attacked the trees on the sacred
mountain Of Paiang-ma, concerning which
the legend runs that when the last tree falls
the independence Of Corea shall depart. In
reply to this evident insertion of the wedge
of Russian aggression Japan demanded the
opening Of WIFI, the port of the Yalu river.
Corea replied that it was willing, but that
Russia objected. Muscovite effrontery has,
in effect, already gone the length of closing
q part Of Corea to outside trade
AS a potential battle ground. the physical
features of Corea will present very great
difficulty in the way Of effective military
operations In one respect the hermit
kingdom resembles Japan 1t is exception
ally mountainous, although nowhere any
very great heights are reached. The range
which passes down the peninsula, like the
Apennines in Italy. runs rather nearer the
eastern side. From 1t are thrown off nu-
merous lateral ranges and spurs, which