Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-03
fngs, which are now under construction
will not be finished for another year.
The Case q Minister Allen.

Tho GaS1 q Minister Allen.
DR.. Allen, the United States minister to
Korea, who occupies a position at Seoul
similar to that OF Mr.. Conger at Picking
and exercises a similar influence. is also
threatened with recall. This will be re-
GREETED by every American who has busi-
ness there, and especially by the Korean
government, which always appeals to him
when it is in q dilemma, because DR.: Allen
commands the confidence OF everybody, and
everybody In the country knows him to be
a wise, just and disinterested man. He
probably has a wider acquaintance among
the Koreans than any other foreigner: He
has represented our government at Seoul
for fifteen years, and was niedlcai mis-
sonary Of the Presbyterian board in the
same country for eight or ten years pre-
vious, so that he has spent more than half
OF his life there. He Is one OF the few
foreigners at Seoul who can speak the Ian
guage, which is very difficult to learn; he
has been the attending physician Of the
emperor and the imperial family for twenty
years, and thus has intimate acquafnt-
ance with them all.
He presided at the birth of all the en-
peror's children. He has saved the life of
the crown prince once and that Of the en-
peror on two different occasions There Is
on the part of the imperial family to him.
He has lived through stormy scenes with
out losing his hold upon the people. When
ever the emperor discovers a conspiracy
dBdiHSL the he always tleeS 10 tHc
American legation for protection. This has
occurred several times, DR.. Allen. is the
only member of the diplomatic corps in
Korea in whom his majesty has complete
confidence. 1t will be impossible to fill his
place.
Some Consular Changes.
Most of the consuls in China may be
changed without injury to the service and
a new set of men will be sent over imme-
diately after the 4th of March. General
Bragg of Wisconsin will be allowed to re-
main at Hong Kong. because of his eminent
military and political services although he
is beginning to feel his age and infirmities.
julius Lay, who made an excellent record
at Barcelona has already been sent to Can
ton, with confidence that he will be able to
resist the temptation to make money cor
ruptly to which so many of his predeces-
sors have yielded. John Goodnow of Min
neapolis will be recalled from Shanghai;
not under charges, but because in the
opinion of the President, he has been there
long enough. He went over Immediately
after the first inauguration of President
Mckinley. Volumes of charges have been
filed against him annually ever since he
went there; l believe there are now eighty
different accusations pending against him
In the department. He has been accused Of
every crime and vice of which a consul
could possibly be guilty. and a long cata-
logue of other offenses which are alleged to
have been committed before he was ap-
pointed. He has been investigated repeat
edly and has weathered every storm and
has usually succeeded in confounding his
aceusers. But this time he will have to
go.
Capt. Pershing's New Duties.
Captain John J. Pershng, who recently
married a daughter of Senator Warren of
Wyoming. has been sent to Tokyo as mill
tary attache of the United States legation
to succeed Colonel Wood, who has served
his term of four years When Captain
Pershing lands at Yokohama the people Of
Japan will have an opportunity of studying
one of the finest types of the American SOL
der, and they may accept Mrs. Pershng
as one of the ideals of American young
Womanhood. Captain Pershing is one Of
the few officers of the army who has had
ms name mentioned in message from the
used by President Roosevelt to il Istrate
the injustice of our present rigid system of
promotion by seniority compelling able
active useful officers to wait for dead
mems shoes. The President said:
In other words, ability energy, fidelity
and all other similar qualifications deter
mine the rank of a man year after year at
west Point, and his standing in the army
when he graduates from West Point but
from that time on all effort to find which
man Is best or worst. and reward or punish
MN accordingly. is Abandoned; no bril-
nancy no amount of hard work. no eager
ness IN the performance of duty can ad-
vance MIN, and no SlackneSS or Indifference
that falls short of a court-martiaI offense
can retard him. Until this system is chang
ed We cannot hope that our officers VIII he
Vi as nigh grade as we have a right to
expect, considering the material upon which
we have to draw Moreover when a NOV
renders such service as Captain Persbjnp
rendered last spring in the Moro cam
palgn II ought to be possible to reward him
of '' hr;aa at once jumping him to the grade