Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-03

gagfng in mortal combat passed In front Of
| the imperial loge and saluted
Exit the thus: "Morituri tie salutant''
| Kinr Those who are about to
| die salute you, Even so the
unfortunate emperor-king of Korea saiutes
his captors in Seoul as he makes his final
| exit from the arena Of nations.
The Russo-Japanese conflict was a con-
test first for Korea. The inefnciency of the
Russian army and navy, as we understand
1t now. but which Japan perhaps under
stood then. is an incident which has widen
| ed the horizon Of Japan's ambitions.
| Korea Is the price of the Russo-Japanese
| war, and this fact was made very clear by
Count White at Portsmouth In his almost
brutal summons to Baron Komura TO aban-
don all regeneration on that head. for
he was ready to abandon all idea of MAIN
tanning the integrity of Korea. To employ
q familiar picturesque Korean word, Korea.
or Chosen. is "upso." literally. is not has
| ceased to exist.
| The last act in the life Of this peculiar
| nation has neither been just nor gener-
GUS but humiliatlng The emperor-kIng
! was surrounded In his palace by numerous
Japanese soldiery; his ministers were
tempted by gold and yielded their assent to a
| sO-called treaty which Is only polite word
for abdication Only PAX Chusin adjured
the emperor to stand firm-his assent
! would be. "affront and outrage of all the
spirits of his imperial ancestors Where
| upon. says the cablegram. Secretary Ste
vens brought from the ministry of foreign
| affairs the official seal of that ministry.
which had been obtained by force. and at
1:3O o'clock am. the japanese placed the
| seal on the treaty.
| The exit of the Korean government is
| like its debut; 1t Is enforced, and against
| its will and consent The writer has never
member of civilized society, being little
] more than half savage. Besides, Korea has
| been source of veXation and expense; the
| maintenance of minister and legation
! in Seoul with It's personnel; the constant
recurring crimes Of palace OF collection of
debts necessitating the sending of ships and
landing of troops; the protection of mis-
| sionaries and their families have given the
! United States endless trouble. A CONNER
1 cial agency would have accomplished the
| ends of this government far better and its
| interests and dignity would have been guar
| anteed without meddlfng with what was In
| fact an interior question Of China.
Japan has not preserved decorum in taxi
| ing possession Of Korea, and this same
| spirit was manifested short time ago
| when the ridiculous little emperor-king be-
| ing assured from authentic sources that he
| was to be railroaded to TOXIC, appealed
most piteously to Europe and America for
protection.
X
The story in part of how the United
| States was made to pull the chestnuts out
| of the Korean fire for the
United States benefit of Russia may now
| u4;I;n.a be told, since Korea Is
| "upso," if for no other pur-
| pose than serve as note of warning to
| public and government the present gov
| eminent being in nowise responsible for a
| state of things which it did not create but
| inherited.
| The creation of the Korean legation at
| Washington was mainly the inspiration of
NJ Waeber. the intelligent charge aHalres
| of Russia. This gentleman's principal care
was to hold and maintain the acknowledged
| authority and predominance of Russia in
Korea, and over King Ii, until the compile
| ton of the Trans-siberian railway to Vladi-
vostok Was the port of Guensan on the
east coast of Korea the whole OF Russia
| ambition? Be that as 1t may, the writer
| affirms without fear of contradiction that
the establishment Of Korean legations in
| Washington and In Europe provoked hos
ttlities which led to the Chino-Japanese war
| in 1894. and that the results of China's de-
| feat, the forfeit Of Formosa and war in
demnity, assured the Russo-Japanese war
of 1904. which has resulted IN the predomi1
| nance of Japan in the orient, rendered all
the more redoubtable by the Anglo-Jap-
| anese treaty of 1903.
| China exercised unquestioned suzerainty
| over Korea until the interference OF Rus
STA and the United States in 1883. 1t is not
true as alleged that Korea desired to break
her relations with China. The queen dow
ager then living was distinctly pro-Chlnese
States was subordinate to Russia we
acted purely and simply as a buner for
Russian policy, a sort of warming pan, 10
keep the place warm for Russia until she
| might assert herself after the completion
| of the Trans-siberian railway. Thus NJ.
.Waeber suggested and supported the APP
| pointment of an American military ADVISER
| to the king; the appointment OF American
military instructors; the diplomatic missions
| to America and Europe; the appoantmeht
| of the American minister resident hlmseli,
| who actually resigned his post, under GER
| tain conditions which Mr.. Bayard refused
| to accept that he might be made the 1or-
eign adviser with the title OF pansa, large
salary, and the control OF CONCESSIONS ZOE
the exploitation or the VIGOROUSLY fich soiu
mines of Korea.
| Roth China and Japan looked on with
| Jealous regard at this interference CHINA
| It will be recalled was the
| Korean elder brother of Korea, and
| .... the latter was proud of the
title of Little Brother tC
| china" which she had borne for thou
| sand years C912) under the Wang dynasty
| Janan. too, had some claims upon Korea
loco defined. but In 1892 she had invaded
| Koras with two armies, 100000 strong, UNI
der Generals Kato Kiyamasi and honlcni
| Yukinaga, campaign that ended only IN
| 1615 with the cession of 1shushlma 70 ia
pan. The horrors of that war are sun re,
| caIled in Korean traditions The japanese
| are not loved by the Koreans
Taine Cho Pansa was designated as min
ister to Europe The Korean treasury al
| that time was habitually bare. Poor enc
awaited in vain at Hongkong the promises
| funds and was finally taken from the SAL
| ors' Roost," a fifth-class hotel where ne
| had been held up for arrears, by ms Irlehos
| and returned to Korea. Yuan-Sie kwal'
the chinese resident in Seoul it was sad
| had arranged the hold up In accord WIFI
| C,ho Pansa, who haG accepted the mission
| against his will
| pay Pansa was chosen for Washington
NJ Waeber had witnessed with chagrin the
| failure of the Korean mission to Europe
We advised that PAX should be taken to
Yokohama on a United States vessel or war
| Pal. had never been beyond the walls OF
| the capital The sea filled him with amaze
ment; the United States ship Omaha witt
| fear and dread. At the moment of gong
| aboard the officer of the deck playfuiiy blew
! the ship's whistle. 1t struck terror 10 The
| soul of the simple Korean AS the ecno
came from the adjacent hills it seemed to
| he the cry of the red dragon Pax Pansa
! bolted and halted only when seized by at