The Colorado statesman., 1907-07-20
KOREA TOTTERS
CABINET MINISTER'S RESIGN AND
WALK OUT IN BODY.
RULER REFUSES TOABDkCATE
He Says He Occupies Position Through
Ancestral Rights and Will
Not Be Ousted.


minister, have resigned. 1t is reported
that the Emperor was very angry at
his ministers on account of their hav
ing advised him to abdicate.
He said to them that he occupied
the throne by right inherited from his
| ancestors and that his subjects had no
authority to advise his dethronement,
much less to do SO with the support OF
| foreigners.
Marquis Ito, in compliance with the
Emperor's urgent desire to see him.
even for a short time, proceeded to the
| palace this afternoon.
PAX Yong Ho, who was recently par
doned and who, upon his return from
| Japan was appointed minister of the
| imperial household, has reported that
| the Emperor of Korea emphatically
protests his ignorance regarding the
| dispatch of the deputation to The
Hague and says his abdication would
| only tend to confirm his relation
| thereto. For this reason he will not
| abdicate.
The Emperor he says, will prove Oh
| durate in resisting his dethronement.
I The Emperor's loss of the loyal ad-
herence of large portion of his sub
| jects will, it is believed, result in the
| gradual development of his ma1esty's S
policy to always play one minister or
| faction against another, so as to pre-
vent the concentration of power in any
single body, the result of this is that
none will faithfully support him at the
| risk of life.
The Emperor himself is constantly
Il nnI
haunted with the fear of an attempt
upon his life. Consequently boiled rice
| is served him at each meal in a locked
silver bowl which he opens with key
always kept about his person.
| Patriotic Koreans condemn his pol
| lev as sacrificing the national inter
| est to his personal benefit and well
fare.
| The II Ching Hoi, a progressive as
sociation claiming a membership OF l.
| 700, is now openly hostile to the
| Emperor and it is doubtful even if the
few now standing by him will continue
their support until the last. A sufficient
| inducement is likely to make them de-
| sert the Emperor, who is now in the
most pitiable predicament.
Placards were posted in one of the
thoroughfares calling for the death Of
| all Japanese officials in Seoul.
| The ministers are strongly guarded
| and every precaution has been taken
| to prevent riots and attacks upon Of
| ficials.
The Emperor is reported to be too
worried to take food or sleep, but this
| report is considered to be one of his
| usual maneuvers to enlist tie sympa.
thy of his people.
Actuated by Patriotism.
Tokio-As result of urgent repre-
| en.ation by the ministers, 1t was
thought probable that the Emperor OF
Korea would abdicate in favor of the
| crown prince as the first step toward
reform in Korea This would have
most likely been followed by the call
| ing of a new convention, which, while
Ike eping Korea's national existence in
tact, would limit the sovereign power
| in such a way that the ruler could ex-
| ercise his powers only with the con-
sent and approval of the Japanese res
| ident general.
| The present ministers in Seoul say
| they are actuated by true patriotism
| and are determined to place the Ko-
| rean government upon a firm basis,
| free from court intrigues and selfish
plots.
The report from Seoul that the EN-
| peror attempted to seek refuge in a
certain consulate is officially discred.
| ited but it is thought that evidently
| intriguers are at work on plan to re-
move the Emperor from the palace.
A rumor that the Emperor has pri-
vately ordered the palace guards, 100
strong, to shoot any suspicious per-
sons, is causing dismay to those not
concerned in the plot.
First Son An Idiot.
F! The Hague.-Ex-Premier vi Sang
Sui, the only member of the Korean
delegation still here, declares that he
does not believe the Emperor will alb.
dicate. He said:
"Such reports are always spread by
| the Japanese as threat when they
wish to impress Seoul in order to OBJ
| tain what they DESIRE"
Keiroku Tzuzuki, head of the Jap
anese delegation, also disbelieves the
report, regarding the Emperor's abdi-
cation. He thinks that the Emperor,
who is very astute, understanding that
| Viscount Hayashi's visit might mean
| that Japan had some punishment in
| store for him for the troubles he had
caused Japan at The Hague, is en-
| deavoring to avert the storm by an
nouncing that he is ready to abdicate.
Certainly something must be done.'
said the japanese delegate, ito pro-
tect ourselves against any further Ko-
rean incident like that at The Hague"
M. Tzuzuki believes that even If the
Emperor does abdicate, his successor
will not be his first son, who is prac-
tically an idiot, but his second son,
whose mother was a concubine, thus
1