Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-07-20
DECLARES KOREANS
ARE BADLY TREATED
EDUCATIONAL WORKER SAYS
PRoTEcToRATE is ILLEGAL
Japan Is Trying to Drive America ana
BrItalh from the Country is
Announcement of II. 3.
HuIburt

BY Associated Press.
NEW YORK, July 19.-Declaring that
the Japauese control over Korea is de-
bauching the Koreans and fast tending
to the complete eradication of Korea as
state. Homer B. Hulburt, for many years
engaged in educational work in Korea, is
here TODAY on a mission from Korea to
bring to the attention of the United
States government and the people OF this
country the condition of the people IN
Korea under the Japanese protectorate.
Mr.. Hurlburt arrived today upon the
steamship Deutschland with his family,
after a two months journey from Seoul.
He said the sending of the Korean dele
CATION to The Hague had been made
pretext by Japan to force abdication OF
the emperor, and so gain further control
over Korea.
Mr.. Hurlburt went to Korea over twen-
ty years ago to engage in educational
work at the request of the Korean gov
eminent
Korea Outraged
"Korea is thoroughly outraged" said
Mr.. Hurlburt, lover the injustices Which
the Japanese are heaping upon her, ana
the Koreans are angered beyond words.
''Still they feel the dread hopelessness
of their position.
."The Koreans look upon the Japanese
as savages.
.oThey are insulted and debauched, but
can do nothing.
81 have seen a Japanese boy rush out
into the street and belabor a Korean gen.
tleman with a stick and laugh.
THE Korean could do nothing, for pro-
tests to the Japanese would avail moth
ing.
"The Japanese have seized their salt
works, driven away the Korean fisher
men from their fishing grounds and taken
every form of profitable industry in the
country for themselves.
1.-THE Koreans will tell you that the
Japanese are striving to drive them from
the country, that they may occupy 1t
themselves.
Japan wants Korea for herself, and
while the government at Toxic is openly
declaring that Korea is open for the
trade of the world, she is seeking by
every possible secret act to aid her mer-
chants by creating conditions which will
drive every foreign merchant out Of the
country.
Sell Koreans Morphine
Japan is debauching the morals of the
Koreans, by selling them morphine in
great quantities. Especially is this true
in northern Korea"
Mr.. Hurlburt said that the accession of
the crown prince to the throne would
mean no change for the better in the in
tolerable conditions.
Despair reigns at the emperor's palace
in Seoul and while the emperor, who has
now abdicated, desired to create improved
conditions for his people, he knew that
he was utterly unable to do anything.
Mr.. Hurlburt said the emperor's last
almost despairing attempt was sending a
delegation to The Hague to protest to the
nations that the Japanese protectorate
over Korea was illegal and that Korea
had never acquiesced in her seizure two
years ago.
The crown prince, who now succeeds to
the throne, Mr.. Hurlburt said, is a per-
| feet prototype of his father, man OF
| good education and a disposition to be
| fair, and interested in the material well
being of his people, but somewhat lack.
ing in those qualities of resoluteness ant
executive ability that differentiates nat
ural ruler of men and the complacent
head of the state whose only qualifica-
ton for office Is the right of birth
Wanted to Protest
Korea never consented to the Japan
csc taking control of her territory" con-
| tinued Mr.. Hurlburt.
1.-THE Japanese caused it to be reported
to the powers that Korea had acquiesced
to the protectorate, but that is not the
facts, and it was to protest against this
that the emperor sent delegation to The
Hague. This led to Japan bringing about
| the abdication.
1.-THE treaty between the United States
and Korea. which Japan guaranteed tc
preserve. will not stand in the way OF
Japan's ambition to gain exclusive com.
mercial mastery over Korea.
Japan will effect a customs union witt
| Korea unless she is checked that will
shut out all industrial competition. The
aim of Japan today is to drive out Amer.
lean and British trade in horea."