The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-22
COREA 4 SUICIDE.
EvIdcnres ~ National RSttenncss Feuu
I'm the Hermit Kingdom Budget.

In the HerttihA NuhENuAN RuN~NN
An example OF national suicide" IL tho
wav Prof. Edwin MaXey describes Corea
In a recent number of the Forum. He
saws that Corca committed suicide and
was not Reloniously slain by Japan
To prove his point he submits a review
OF the Coreaa budget before Japan look
charge. Some OF the most startling Items
are appropriations OF Si,OOO.OOO Tor inc
funeral expenses of the Crown Princess ana
OF $3.50, 900 for burying the Queen Dowagef'
BY way OF contrast the sum OF S42r was
~appropriated for public works ana by I"s
same budget the Imperial Privy FurSH'
received 81, IO3. $50. The appropriation Tot
all the schools in the country, excepting
those at the capital, amounted to the sum
! Of S27, 7IS; but tiis was the year ne Princess
had to be buried, so OF course education nad
TO stand aside.
The navy got s45O,6O4 a year. At least
hat amount was appropriated. But asths
navy consisted Of ono old gunboat pernapS
the navy did not get the whole mount
Prof. Maxey declares that the Covers
ment might better have spent S450,OOO y
year on a wildcat, the latter being capable
of quite as much fighting as the navy.
Az for the army its portion was SS,OOO.OOO
a YelTe WNiGl WAo AbpNN
than IL was worth,
When the Pingyang regiment was ordered
to the front its Colonel assembled the
soldiers and asked all those who wished
to go to hold up their hands. Though
this unique method Of ordering troops to
the front possessed the advantage OF re-
ducin0 the regiment TO a size that wa no
longer unwieldy il does not appeal even
to civilians as being either practlcai or
evidence OF good military discipline and
there is little likelihood OF its receiving
the Endorsement of military men.
Yet strange as 10 may seem this Is not
an exceptional instance. IL IL a recog-
nized practice in the Corean army Tor the
soldiers to hold a mass meeting and vote
upon whether or not they will go where
they nave heen ordered.
Corea has a pension bureau TOO; but as
the bureau gets m appropriation OF SI,5S2
a year. while it pays out exactly. 81 1858 In
pensions there scents to be = case OF grating
with two fists. There are other ways also.
For instance, a courtisr proceeds to the
home Of n we'll to do Corean, and having
found the owner says: Il an delighted
TO be the bearer Of good news and a reward
OF merit. His Majesty the Emperor has
rracious!y deigned 20 bCstow upon you
the decoration Of the second class Of the
Order Of the Plum blossom and TO Q 1t
to YOU by NV unworthy hand"
Having thus manifested the interess
which his Majesty takes in his subjects
he informs the newly made knight of tISS
Order OF tho Plum Blossom that the OK
psnses connected with the bcstowal of this
high honor will be 5000. As this sum
would represent all the property he had
Sir Yong KO He concludes that he can not
afford the decoration upon These terms.
Such ingratitude forces from his Maiesty's
royal messenger the exclamation: Then
you scorn the imperial gift and insult his
Majesty by refusing to accept itl" And
without waiting for his righteous anger
20 abate. he proceeds to ave the sordid
migrate thrown into prison on a charge 81
Iese n1Giessf.
To secure a trial is out of the question.
His only alternative to remaining in prison
is accepting the terms offered and becoming
a penniless Plum Blossom Knight.