Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-21
JAP ANESE IN KOREA
How the Hermit Kingdom
Will Be Modernized.
ITS N EW M ASTE R S
REORGANIZATION OF THE MONEY
AND BANKING SYSTEM.
Americans in Korea and Their Valu-
able Holdings-Gold Mines
Worth Millions.
(Copyri 1905, by Frank G. Carpenter)

Copyright. 1905, by Frank G. Carpenter)
The second article of the Russian-J apa-
nese treaty practically gives Korea to
Japan. 1t stipulat ties that Russia must keep
It's hands off, and that the Mikado will do
as he pleases without let or hindrance. The
King of Korea is already under the thumb
of the Japanese emperor and this treaty
means the Japanization of the hermit king
dom. Japanzation means dissemination,
or as we call it, civilization.
The modern movement has already be-
gun. The japanese have been building
railroads during the war They have
completed the line from Fusan, the port at
the lower end of the peninsula just across
the strait from Japan, to Seoul, and have
extended this line on north to the Yalu
river at Wuji. Within a short time bridge
will be put across the Yalu, and the line
extended on to Mulkden to connect with the
new japanese railroads which have been
transferred to them by the Russians When
the Mukden-Yalu line is built there will be
a continuous railroad track from ST. Peters,
burg to Fusan, and one can go by land from
Paris to Fusan and, with only d few hours
steamship voyage, on to Japan.
Korea's Great Trunk Line.
The railroad from Fusan to the Yalu will
be the great trunk line of Korea. 1t will
tap the largest cities and will open up the
whole of the western and southern parts of
the island. l understand that the Japanese
have bought large tracts of land here and
there along it, and that they will establish
colonies. There are already thousands of
Japanese in Fusan and Seoul and from now
on the ships will be full of immigrants.
This railroad will altogether be about
five hundred miles long. The SEOUL usan
end is of the standard American gauge. 1t
is largely equipped with American rails
and the bridge work is American. It has
American locomotives and other American
rolling stock.
The line from Seoul to the Yalu was
Japanese government took charge of 1t
during the war and completed 1t in sloven-
ly military way. The result Is that the
rails are too light for a trunk limo and
the bridges are wooden. The track will
have to be relaid and 1t will take some
time to put 1t in commercial working order
Korea's First Railroad.
The first railroad in Korea was built by
Americans. 1t runs from the port of Che
muipo on the west coast twenty-six miles
inland to Seoul, the capital. The conces-
sion for this was secured in the latter part
Of the nineties by James R:'Morse, and the
road was built by Cochran and Bostwick.
American materials and American rolling
stock were used. AS soon the road was
completed 1t was sold to the Japanese, and
1t is now part Of the Seoul-Fusan system.
understand that road will be built from
Seoul to Gensan, on the opposite side of tho
peninsula, but whether thist will be done by
the Seoul Fusan Company do not know.
1 have Travelled considerably in Korea
and know something of its old means Of
transportation. When 1 first visited the
country, sixteen years ago, there was no
way of getting from Fusan to Seoul ex-
cept by ponies or by porteDs, and 1t would
have taken two or three weeks to have
made the trip. 1t can now be made In less
than day. I then landed at Fusan and
sailed around to Chemulpo. 1t took a whole
day to go from Chemulpo to Seoul, a dis
lance of twenty-six miles, and 1t is my re-
membrance that the cost was $25. / had
my wife with me and we were carried over
the mountains in chairs with eight men to
each chair, or sixteen in ALL The trip can
now be made at low cost, in little more
than an hour, and that In comfortable cars.
My next trip to Chemulpo was just be-
fore the Chinese-Japanese war, when the
peninsula was torn by rebellion. I then
went to Seoul up the Han river in little
Japanese steam launch, and was carried
from the river to the city In chair. Leav-
lag Seoul made my way over. the noun
tains OF Korea to the port OF GenSan, on
the east coast, along about the same route
that railroad Will have to take In cross
ing the peninsula. The distance r. ITS
niles, and It cost me between one and
two hundred Thousand cash, or, In Amer.
lean money, about one hundred dollars.
had to equip pack train and carry d guide,
cook and loQ6 and bedding Il took 4p0yt