The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-10-17
MR.. Y0ON
IN EARNEST


jects of Korea in this Territory. for
the announced purpose of having
memorial in behalf of Korean indie
pendenee presented to the Portsmouth
peace conference, was more in dead
earnest than was at the time generally
conceded.
There was even a diplomatic sort of
disclaimer of such purpose on the
part of Mr.. Yoon himself before his
departure, after the Advertiser had
given the news of his projected mis-
zion. 1t was rightly enough conjec
tured that neither of the high con-
tracing parties, Japan and Russia,
would tolerate any representation Of
Korea in the conference. Yet word
came back, after Mr.. Yoon . arrival
in the East, that he had actually had
an interview with President Roose.
welt at Oyster Bay, proving that SO far
as the intent went the Hawaiian
Korean mission was just what the Ad-
TertIser represented.
Now the Washington Star of Octo,
Der ! comes with an account of most
strenuous effort by Mr.. Yoon, aided by
a eollegian named Rhee, to induce the
Korean Embassy at Washington TO
endorse and promote the memorial
from the Koreans,in Hawaii. There Is
also mentiopp<in the same article of
the booSess visit to President Roose-
rslt.
IT. Would appear that the interviews
at the Korean legation ended in
warm episode Also there is the init
nation of possibility that Messrs.
Yoon and Rhee will make further eff
forts in Washington on behalf of the
independence of their country. Fol
lowing is the Washington Stars ar
ticle:
''Will the return of President
Roosevelt to the White House be fol-
lowed by another attempt on the part
of the anti-Japanese party of Korea,
now in the United States, to present
their memorial of protest against Jap
auese domination in the hermit king
doml
''This is question which, when pro-
pounded at the Korean legation, 18th
street and Iowa circle northwest, yes
terday, was greeted with an expressive
shrug of the shoulders from Mr.. Yung
Chung Kim of the legation, as its most
~, Z. L..
inability to forecast the movements of
another, though that person was his
erstwhile friend, Mr.. Seuman Rhee.
Behind this seeming mystery lies
story filed with oriental ambition
meeting bitter defeat, with hysterical
effort to reach the desired end, and
finally with manifestation of hatred
and threats, Seuman Rhee is forbidden
to cross the threshold OF the Korean
legation.
"Just when this attempt at intrigue
had its birth probably no one but those
most interested know. At any rate,
the movement seems to have gathered
the sympathies of small, numerically,
but enthusiastic band of Korean sub
jects. When Seuman Rhee became an
advocate of the doctrine of free Korea
only he and his most intimate friends
are aware. The text of the memorial,
even the memorial itself, can be quoted
by no one save those advocating its
precepts. 1t is known that the one
salient point of the whole embodies a
protest against the continuation of
Japanese influence over the govern
ment of Korea.
EFFORTS TO GAIN RECOGNITION
GAS has been minated, previous
efforts to gain recognition of their
cause by certain Koreans in the
United States failed. They tried to
have President Roosevelt receive the
document personally at his summer
home at Oyster Bay, it is said, and the
probability of another effort being
made to interest the chief executive,
now that he has returned to Washing
ton, hinges principally on the hypothe-
sis that the advocates of what is prac-
tically independence for Korea will
not give up without one more attempt,
and also that the Korean advocates
may be tempted to the test by the be-
lief that in official life the President
may DO more accessible than at his
swn home.
''On their previous effort-made
when the iron was seemingly at white
heat, and when events leading up to
the then impending peace conference
at Portsmouth promised greatest hope
of success-the advocates of 'Korea
for the Koreans were referred by the
President to their own legation in
Washington. Mr.. Rhee and colleague
DR.. P. X. Yoon, native missionary
among his people in Hawaii, came tc
this city, and were received at the
Korean legation by Mr.. Kim. The lat
ter heard their story and read the
memorial, but as soon as he saw it,
drift he declared to the two that moth
ing in the line of presenting such g
document to the State Departn ent OF
the United States government could
be done without advices to that effect
from the home government. Time anG
again the advocates urged their plea
but always to the same end. FINAL,
Mr.. Kim advised them to send a cable
gram to Seoul, and when this sugges
tion was not kindly received, he ad
vised that DR.. Yoon and Mr.. Rhe
speak no more of the subject upol