Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-08-09
JAPENESE START
KOREAN REFORM
IMPROVEMENT OF SCHOOLS AND
HOSPITALS BEING PUSHED
WITH ENERGY.
Resident-Gcneral of Hermit Kingdom
Issues Pamphlet TO Justify Occu-
pancy by Little Brown Men.


Eastern mails just arrived conAlins a
pamphlet issued from the Japanese
resident-general OF Korea entitled
Administrative Reforms In Korea"
designed to vindicate the work OF the
japanese in the Hermit Kingdom
under the authority conferred by the
Japanese-Korean agreement OF 1904,
whereby Japan was constituted ad-
wiser to Korea. The document treats
OF the financial difficulties that con-
fronted Marquis Ito at the outset,
owing to the inadequacy OF the Ko-
rean exchequer to bear the cost OF
reforms. He succeeded In raising a
loan from the Japanese Industrial
Bank Of 100000 yen. guaranteed
by the customs receipts, bearing in
terest at 6 " per cent and sold at 90
yen per 100 yen. The money realized
was distributed in the reconstruction
OF roads, In building water works.
establishing an educational system,
the creation of banks and erection of
hospitals. 1t is said the Korean roads
were totally UNIT for horse and car
riage travel. so that 1t became neces-
sary to allot 1900, 900 yen in laying
out four great roads to travers the
regions OF best promise and connect
the best harbors and railway centers.
Prior to the residency there was
In vogue Confucian educational
method. whereby a village dominic
called about him the children of the
neighborhood and taught them the
rudiments OF reading and writing.
There were 10000 of these schools
and at Seoul an institute Of higher
Confucian learning. A primary school
ordinance, promulgated In 1905, was
a dead letter, and the middle grade
schools In Seoul. with the exception
OF one In foreign languages, existed
In name only. An entirely new sys-
TEN has been established, first i'm
portance being given to disseminat-
ing common education under Japan
ese instructors. The existing hos
pitals, defective in management and
limited in accommodations and
equipment. have been consolidated
into the Great Korean Hospital. 4"
The police department, which had
really been in triplicate, has been
unified.
or the remarkable attempt at puri-
fication OF the imperial court the
pamphlet, after painting a striking
picture OF the corruption and cloth
that existed. describes the reform
measures adopted and says:
I'm court circles there were,
no boubt, some at first felt alarm
at this radical turn OF affairs. but
the sterling sincerity OF the resident
generals solicitude becoming gradu-
ally better known, the force OF re-
sentiment has since slackened, until
no voice is now heard in active oppo-
sltlon.
THE way in which justice had
been administered in Korea" it Is
stated. "is too revolving In all sense
OF decency to be told in detail"
The country has not yet attained
that stage when the executive and
judicial departments are important,
so the system OF justice is regarded
as u thing to be tarmed out, bribery
is general, innocent people are con-
victed and their property conhscated
and the guilty are liberated. All
this. says the pamphlet, is being re-
formed by the Japanese.
In conclusion the pamphlet says
the Japanese have provided the Ko-
reans with a code OF laws regulating
the development OF native mines, pro-
vidlng for the protection OF imml-
grants and encouraging the develop.
msnt OF productive industries.