Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-07
INDUSTRIES IN KOREA.
Effect of the Present War on the Her

NIT Kingdom.
The Russo-Japanese war has not proved
an unmiXed blessing to the hermit king
dom of Korea. Reporting to the State
Department on the commerce and industries
of Korea, U. S. Consul General Paddock
at Seoul says in part:
''The war has had a varied effect on Ko-
rean trade and industries. Large numbers
OF troops to be fed and large railway and
other undertakings being pushed forward
have distributed much money throughout
the country. The Korean laborer has often
had more ready money than it was ever his
lot to enjoy before. On the other hand,
the effect has been to paralyze certain
other industries and through requisition
of coolies for transportation purposes and
railway work, at time when crops were
tc be harvested, agriculture has to a GER
tain extent suffered. 1t is most worthy of
note. however, that from the orderly man
ner in which the campaign in Korea has
been conducted the regular routine has
been disturbed remarkably little. For eX-
ample, the operators at the American
mines which region was successfully in the
occupation of the Russian and the Japan
csc troops, have no fault to find with
either, and except for difficulty in getting
supplies through lack of transportation ia
cilitieS and in losing some native laborers
principally because of the attraction of
war wages, but little inconvenience has
been suffered, and mining operations have
gone on much as usual
Certain branches of trade seem now to
be reviving in greater strength than be-
fore. Following the advance of the army
there has been an enormous immigration
of Japanese, mostly. laborers and small
merchants, and much of the available land
in the treaty-ports, notably Fusan, Che
nampo and Chemulpo, and the cities of
Seoul and Pyengeang, has been bought
up by Japanese. Improvements of the har-
Of nlI no, r1rrn n,1I
Struction of terminal facilities for the
railways in Fusan, Seoul, and Pyengyang
have called for an unprecedented impor-
tation of building materials, tiles, ETC.
Though 1t is at present impossible to OBJ
tain complete returns, figures available
seem to show a wonderfully healthy condi-
ton of ordinary trade. No information is,
of course, obtainable concerning imports for
military purposes, including materials for
construction of railways by the military;
ports a substantial increase is already
shown in kerosene and in cigarettes.
LAS to the development of American
trade it is believed that comparatively lit
tie can be accomplished under existing con-
ditions, except by representation on the
spot. 1t must be remembered, too, that
Korea's American and European popuIa-
ton is insignificant yet, and that there
is Therefore, but very limited market
for such articles as might be termed those
of luxury. The country is thus far mainly
an agricultural one, but it Is doubtless in
transition period. What It's future will
be- however, depends much ON the turn of
events. In any case it's much larger de-
Velopment would seem to be promised, and
with that must come further opportuni-
ties for foreign trade, Of which Americans
seem thus far to have well awaited them
selves. 1t is an undoubted fact that Amer
lean commercial interests In Korea today
are greater than those of any one Euro
pean nation.