Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-13
k0REA'S BEST FRIEND
Japan's Administration Proves
Beneficial.
MATERIAL PROGRESS NOTED
Comments on the Situation by DR.. w.
B. Scranton.
NEW SPIRIT IN EVIDENCE
Korea Long Way in Advance of
Year Ago-Ignorance and
Inertia Yielding.
NEW SPIRIT IN EVIDENCE

| conditions In the far east is extensive:
ITO the Editor of The Star: l find this
| letter from Seoul in recent number of the
| Japan Daily Mail of Yokohama.
| DIR. Scranton is medical missionary of
more than twenty years residence in Seoul,
| where he and his mother and other mem
| bers of a remarkable family have built
| maintained at their own expense and per-
| manently endowed schools and hospitals
| Whatever he writes may be accepted as
| absolutely the true and just statement
| so much of malicious and exaggerated
| criticism Of Japanese rule in Korea has
| been printed In the last year that | wish
you might find space to print this very
| sober and satisfactory account of Korean
| events by sane and reliable witness.
| ELIZA r. SCIDMORE."
| Straws in the Wind.
| The article by DR.. W. B. Scranton, print
ed in the Japan Mail under the heading
| ''StraWs,' is as follows:
| when the wind blows the straws fly
and there is little commotion in the straw
| world unless the wind does blow. Two
| blind men occupied the attention of the
| writer the other day while he witnessed
| their anxious attempts to get safely
| through the great south gate of the city.
| There was time, not so very far back,
| either, when 1t would not have been so diff
| ficult as 1t was on this particular and
| cent day. But even blind men can see the
difference between the present hustle on all
| the streets of Seoul and the sleepy days of
J old. indications of prosperity are on every
| side, and even blind men take cognizance
| Of them unless it is one of those blind men
| from the west who come with a bias and
| get their Information from inside (of
| room) sources, and not from vital touch
| and actual knowledge of what was before
| their visit. In the good old times when you
could walk the streets without fear of
| harm and Only thing hammered a a
| time, and that at rare intervals. But now the
sun is said to rise a half hour earlier than
| before in Korea, and yet it is with diff
Guilty that can accomplish all that
| needs to be done in one short day.
1T only needs short trip to Fusan or to
Pyenyang to see for ones self what would
| be evident to any but a blind man-in-
| creased trade; the busy little towns start
| Ing up about the comparatively new sta
! lions; the schoolboy with his school cap
| and bag of books; forest culture, so neces-
| sary in this land Of clean-shaven hills: ex
! perimental farms. where are worked out
| problems for the people and their benefit,
| which the average farmer of the west could
not solve. This last sight. good for the
| eyes Of conscientious observers, is enough
| to gladden. any but a chronic grumbler and
stop the cavling of some who ask and
never look to see what Is being done for
| Korea by her neighbors.
Getting What She Needs.
Exact and practical teaching is what
Korea needs most. and it is just what she
| is getting from Japan.
1T is required that somebody should tell
| the Koreans just what will make and keep
| up prosperity, and give good wages, and
longer life to enjoy things, and better
| houses to live in. and justice to protect
| them in their rights while they stay here.
And these are just the lines Japan Is fol-
! lowing in Korea today. She is taking the
| things which have only so recently been
found practical In Japan, and is teaching
| and developing these here in Korea. The
| westerner naturally and first, perhaps.
| thinks of colleges and universities but
Japan thinks Of the work shop, industries
and the farm. justice In the courts, good
roads to facilitate the transportation of
commodities to the markets while not for
getting schools as far they concern the
growing youth of the country.
1T is perhaps in the way of justice that
Japan is comforting conspicuous and last
ing benefit. In the old days where could
one find it. and today where would one find
it were it not for the fostering, not to say
the enforcing, OF it at the hands of our
friends from across the straits? One of the
most conspicuous results of their occupa-
ton and reform is the protection that is
gradually being evolved by the new courts,
and affording the Korean people protection
! against one another In fact the japanese
seem to be set at the present time to pro-
tect Koreans interests. and are being
called upon to do this daily.
i Raising a Dust Cloud.
1T is unfortunate that just at this time,
when the Japanese government is at the
point, and we'll able to point out some of
the fruitage of It's occupation, that so
much dust mot real obstruction) is set fly
ing, stirred up by selfish or short-sghted
motives. 1t stands to reason that the ko-
reans do not want to be managed. That
they do not want some one from the out
side to come in and right their internal
| affairs. 1t was said of certain well-known
| master of Elton, by one Of his pupils, that
he was "a beast, but a just beast" Teach
ers If effective always looked upon by
! their pupils with more or less dread or dis
affection. Today here in Korea there are
on every hand the signs of new life, begin
ming prosperity and stability as against
previous uncertainty, pitiable poverty and
worse hope. Seoul was a city of officials
and Office seekers and hangers-on. Today
II Is a city of students business hustle and
enterprise. What Korea could not do be-
fore, at her own initiative, and would not
do at the advice of her friends is now be-
ing done for her, before her very eyes In
her own land and by a neighbor. They re-
| fused to lead. They now have the privilege
of following. FrictiOnS that were inevitable
| under such unusual circums ances are daily
growing less. the tension is giving way in
the consciousness that something is being
evolved. and the two peoples are getting
acquainted with one another. Ignorance and
inertia are gradually giving way before
such display of intelligence and energy,
and both peoples are being benefited, to
say nothing OF the whole far east. Korea
is a long way in advance of what she was
a year ago even. and the conditions then,
even the adverse stories which were rife,
have become out of date. Even in two
years the straws show what is the real
rent. and The patient and energetic efforts
which the Koreans could not understand.
and too often objected to, are now bearing
open fruit be fore their eyes"