Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1904-02-13
THE IMBROGLIO
IN THE ORIENT
Conditions That Have Led
Up to Present Trouble
Korea the Bone Of COntentiOn---Its
Control Means Commercial
Supremacy Of Asia.

In view of the fact that war has
begun between Japan and Russia,
and that it promises to be a struggle
of long duration and may involve the
leading nations of the world, the
subjects Of Japan, Russia andkorea
matters Of more than passing note.
The following article, therefore, which
extracted in part from a paper is
written by J. Sloat Fassetto of Elmira,
New York, for the American Review
of Reviews for February gives as
lucid and comprehensive an idea OF
Korea and her people and the con-
ditions that prevail in the far east as
any that have been published, and it
no doubt will be read with interest:
"That the relations between Rus
STA and Japan are highly strained,
there is no room for doubt. Both
nations are highly DESTROYS of the
good win of the United States. Both
nations are extremely sensitive to
the attitude of American opinion.
Each is extremely jealous lest the
United States should, in spite of
maintaining theoretically a strong
neutrality, give the assistance of its
sympathy and moral support to the
other. This article is not intended
to be either pro-Japanese or pro-
Slav. 1t is intended as a sketch of
the general situation as it presents
itself just now.
''The exciting causes of war are
Manchuria and Korea, and the rela-
tions of Japan and Russia to these
countries. Manchuria is one of the
richest provinces Of China. It is
three times as large as the island
empire of Japan. 1t has an excel
lent climate, a fertile soil, ant
abounds Ia rich mines of gold anC
coal, and iron and copper. 1t has
fine harbors, which are, however
not ice-free. The larger portion o
Manchuria was overrun and con
quered by the Japanese in the war 0
I894.95.
"Korea, however, is the bone G
contention. 1t is the key to tn
present situation in the East. TIL
strategic Importance of Kore
arouse a great interest in herse.
and her people, aud in her relation
to China and Russia and Japan.
"Korea (Which should be spelle
with a "K"), is a small peninsul
projecting from the Southeastern
coast of Asia southwark from Mar
churia. 1t is bounded on the east b
the waters of the Japan sea, and 0
the west by the waters of the Yello.
sea. From its southern coasts tn
islands Of Tsushima are visible, an
from Tsushima the coasts Of Japa
are visible. Roughly speaking, Kore
is from north to south 900 miles lons
and from east to west it has an ave-
age width Of 1875 miles. II contain
80, 1000 square miles, or almost exac
ly the are of our state Of Kansa
being nearly twice as large as IL
state of New York, and one-thi
larger than all Of New Englan,
The population is estimated as 10
as 5000, 600 and as high as Is, 600
600.
''The people Of Korea are not ia
anese, and they are not Chimes
They are Mongolian, and have a pol.
syllable language with a phonetic a
phabet. They have a recordt
history, of disputed authenticit
which claims for them a continuol
existence as a Korean people of abol
five thousand years, the earliest pa.
of which, OF course, is shrouded
the mists of tradition and fable. 4
early as three centuries ago, Il
Koreans had made great progre
in the arts.
HThe people may be described ge
orally as robust, amiable, industriou
pleasure-loving, and given rather
the arts of peace than to the ardo
of a They are agricultural rath
than commercial. They are kind
and generous. They have no nation