The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-03-18
AN EXTRACT

 From a Private Letter from Korea to
 Prominent New Haven Resident.
 Seoul. Korea. Feb. 15,. 19O4-You will have been informed no doubt of the daily happenings of this remarkable week just closed,-the first week of war destined to be memorable on this side of the earth as marking the making or the running of Korea There IS cer- tainly some one with remarkable cere- hral development at the helm in Japan. The transporting and landing of their army in Chemulpo has gone on like clockWorl. Every needed article seems to have been thought of and prepared in advance, even to pontoon bridges for unloading horses and artillery. I am inclined to believe that the Russian minister spoke the truth when he re- marked here a week ago before we had heard of the declaration of war, (the wires were down} that there was no probability of war. It would seem that Russia had been playing the bully So long and so successfully that she was trusting to her greatness and Japan's smallness, and thought she could just bluff it through, and was hence quite unprepared for war. We hear that Alexieff suffers from nervous prostra- tion!' The events of the past week are certainly enough to make his nerves jingle. A whole fleet placed on the H. R. roll Cor perhaps Dis-H. R. would be better) with almost no damage to the Brownies.
 We had expected some fighting here in Seoul but the Japanese rule has been accepted by the king-that is as far as his words go for he is a reed accus- toned to bending before the veering winds. His secret attachment to Rus sia was discovered to-day by the cap ture of the messenger carrying the let~ ter to the Russians asking for assist ance. The king denies all knowledge of this, but the Japanese no doubt knew long ago his preference for Bear, for they could not expect any monarch to take very kindly the murder of his queen and his incarceration in his own palace while Russia's kindness at such a time he could not be expected to for get although he was taken in in more ways than the simple granting to him quarters in their legation upon his es- cape from durance vile. He was in ne- gotiation with the French asking to be taken in at their legation a few days ago, but the Japanese sent word to him that if he left the palace now he need never expect to return. So he conclu- ded to remain and take his chances, for he seems to be loath to relinquish his uneasy" pillow. Of all the heads that wear a crown" there are certainly fat t,r1 el,n Iys
 ship He has been aptly called piece of putty molded to fit the notion of the court favorites whose rule is of uncer- tain tenure, each getting the other out of the way as soon as possible. The Japanese have now assumed control by appointing two advisors to the king, who will be the figurehead as he has been hitherto It would be unwise for them to depose the king, as it would excite the people, and they can accom- plish their purposes just as well by all lowing him to continue the name of emperor. They have already told him that the practice of selling the offices to the highest bidder must be stopped, and if they accomplish nothing else this will be of inestimable value to the suf- fering people from whom the officials squeeze out the sum paid for their of- fees, with as much more as possible. The Japanese are looking about for men to put into office, and fear l will lose my literary assistant, who is graduate of the Japanese school. They are after him, and think he is fair timber but don't know what I will do without him. He realizes that Korean politics are rather uncertain, and I hope to be able to persuade him to wait until the war is over, as Russia's success would mean necessity of his leaving the country, perhaps, if he now sides with Japan A few high officials who ad- vised the king to seek aid from Russia