The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-22

other nations aid. But these facts do
not prevent the japanese diplomatists
from pushing forward in their own pc
culiar way. The story of the strangu-
| lation of Korean independence by the
japanese has been told to the world.
! That Japan is determined to use its
domination of Korea for its own pur-
poses and as a base for further ag-
erosion on the mainland of Asia is
clearly indicated by the trend of
events.
Korea Just now is the most fruitful
field of endeavor for Protestant mis-
sionaries in the world American mis-
sion boards are sending scores of men
and women into the country and they
are meeting with a measure of sue
cess unprecedented in the history of
modern missions. The Japanese atti-
tude toward these missions is that of
suspicion. At home they welcome the
missionaries for the gifts of education
they bring. But the Japanese know
that the American missionary is al
ways a partisan of the people among
whom he lives and works. Thus the
missionary in China is pro-Chinese, in
Japan he is pro-Japanese and in Korea
he is pro-Korean.
Prince Ito. Resident General in Kor-
ca. actual head of the Korean govern
ment and real head of the japanese
government, was asked what he
thought about the American mission
aries in Korea. He picked up a match
and placed it at arms length from
him on the table. Then he took two
other matches and placed them near
the edge of the table in parallel lines,
pointing toward the first match. ",Fhis
first match represents the bettermefft
of the condition of the common people
of Korea" said he. These two parallel
matches are the missionaries and my
self We are both working for the bet
terment of the Korean people, they
along religious lines and | along polit-
ical and economic lines AS long as
these lines are parallel there will be
no conflict. But if the missionaries
turn aside ever so slightly to interfere
in politics, then the time will come
when our paths will cross" continued
Prince Ito, moving the two matches in
Illustration. when that time comes
- the Elder Statesman fffcked the
missionary match from the table with
his fingernail.
But the world powers have signiffed
their acquiesence in the japanese oc-
cupatiOn of Korea and perhaps there
can be no objection to the japanese
methods there from a diplomatic point
Of view. Manchuria. however. is an
other story. The Russians occupied
this Chinese province just after the
Boxer trouble eight years ago. They
continually promised to get out. but re-
fused to go until the japanese army
drove them from the southern and
richest portion OF the territory The
japanese took possession and announc-
ed that the open door policy was in
force and that all nations might come
in and trade. Japan controlled the
South Manchurian railroad. and Of
course would keep enough soldiers
there to guard it. although ostensfb bly,
turning over civel authority to the Chi
nese government.
But notwithstanding this open
door," American trade in Manchuria
fell of and all merchants other than
japanese have since labored under
great disadvantages. Japanese mer-
chandise is shipped into Manchuria in
cases marked military supplies for
Japanese government" This means
that they come in practically free of
freight and entirely free Of custom
duty, while other nations must pay
heavy freight charges to the japanese
railroad and also must pay the, tariff
duties.
This device Of labelling all kinds of
goods military supplies" and thus
avoiding the customs laws cannot be