The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-19
COREAN EMPEROR ADVOCATES
TRIUMPH FOR JAPANEsE PUB
Lie CEREMONY TO-DAH.

Hsyashi Was ON His Way to Seoul 70 Rcmen-
strste Because Of Corean Deiesasen
sent 20 Hague Couference-successio
In Doubt -People Greatly Excited.
spectci Cable Dssposh 10 THs SUN.
TOXIC, July is.-Private kilograms from
Seoul state that in consequence OF the
action Of the Council Of State and Senior
Statesmen last night the Emperor Of Corea.
Yi-Hyeung. has decided to ~relinquish the
throne.
The ceremony OF abdication will take
place this morning.
Earlier dispatches from Seoul were Il
the effect hat the Emperor sent for Marquis
Ito. The audience was set for the afternoon
and 1t Is believed that IL was at that time
that the Emperor announced his decision.
In the afternoon the Ministry offered its
resignation to the Emperor. 1t had an
last evening after the conference with
Marquis Ito.
The Japanese State Council determined
on July 10 the Governments Corean policy.
The approval Of the Government at st.
Petersburg was obtained before despatching
Foreign Minister Hayashi TO Seoul.
In an interview at s~himonoeeki Minister
Hayashi said that he hoped an amicable
settlement Of the Corean trouble would be
reached. He intimated that should the
Corean Emperor wish to come to Toxic
to apologize for sending a delegation to The
Hague be would accompany him.
Seoul rep orts great commotion in court
circles. For nine hours the Cabine was in
council at the palace on Wednesday. during
which the Emperor summoned Marquis
Ito. which order the latter declined TO obey.
After this. preparations were discovered
that the Emperor had planned TO take refuge
in the Russian consulate.
Corean politicians apparently regard a
change Of rulers as inevitable. The Ilchinhoi,
a pro-Japsnese party. has issued a mani
festo declaring hat it is more important
to uphold the Imperial House than the
Emperor.
IL lie. however. practically a triangular
contest. as the line Of succession must be
either the imbeoile Crown Prince, the dissi-
pated Prince Wihua or an eleven year old
Prince. The most powerful faction backs
the imbecile Prince.
In the meantime Seoul Ia placarded with
posters demanding the humiliation OF the
Japanese. and ~snti-Japanese meetings are
being held in the provinces. Crowds are
pouring into Seoul.
Yi-Hyeung succeeded King Tohyel-tione
on January I, 1894. and was King until he
proclaimed himself Emperor on October ~.
1897. He was born in 1852 and was married
in 1894 to a daughter Of Prince Min Tchirok.
who was murdered in 1895. His successor
would regularly he his son. Yi-Syek, who
was born in 1874.
The Emperor's abdication is actually
the result of Japan's eh ort to limit the
sovereign power in some form whereby
the ruler can exercise his powers only with
the consent and approval OF the Japan
ese resident general. IL was fastened by
the appearance Of a Core an deputation at
the Hague peace conference.
Yi-Hyeung has protested his ignorance
Of this move and has hitherto refused to
take the advice Of his Ministers and sur
render the throne. on the ground hat IL
would tend to confirm his relation thereto.
But viscount Hayashi. the Japanese Min
lister OF Foreign Affairs, Ii on his way to
Seoul, with the design, IL Ia supposed, TO
serve on the Emperor the ultlmatum that
he either abdicate or apologize for The
Hague dele CATION and acknowledge the
treaty Of November II last, which VI
Hyeung says he never signed.
At the Emperor's palace Japanese police
recently replaced Coreans in anticipation
Of the present turn Of affairs. The II Ching
Hoi. a progressive pro-Japanese party in
Corea. with a membership Of more than a
million. has been openly hostile to the EN-
peror. He is reported as having been
too worried Of late either to eat or sleep.
He has always been exceedingly dis
t~rustful Of those about him. Az each meal
he had his boiled rice served in a locked
silver bowl. Of which he always kept the
key.
In 1895 Queen Min, the consort Of VI
Hyeung. was sssassinated and her body
was cremated in the royal palace at Seoul
by Japanese rufians. For q time after
that the Emperor slept by day and held
his Cabinet meetings az night. 1t is said
that his two greatest fears since then have
been assassination and the return from
Japan of Corean mobiles who had been ex-
lied.
The Emperor personally has been de-
scribed as a pleasant gentleman The
Crown Prince studied in Japan and was
tutored by the scholarly Amer lean mis-
sionary the Rev. James 8, Grsle. who did
an unabridged dictionary into the Corean
tongue. The Prince has forsaken Corean
dress for tight Western costume.
The danger point In Corea has been a
corrupt court dominated by eunuohs and
soothsayers. But Marquis Ito has insisted
upon a firm but kindly policy OF education
and industrial development supported 10y a
wise religious and moral propaganda which
would. he hoped. finally react upon court
circles.