Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-05
SET HERSELF TASK OF ESTAH'
LISTING STABLE CONDITIONS
japanese Ambassador TO United
States Writes Appreciation OF
Character of Stevens

of periodically advancing the interests ~
his own country. of aiding in the fashion
ing of the deStinles Of another and Of As
sSi ing in the regeneration of a third. Dur
ham White Stevens was one Of these tow
cring figures. and n his life the world
has example of high patr OF ism. of I'M
usual service and loyalty and of broad
humanitarianism which is worthy of uni
versal commendation and better still. Of
future emulation.
] am able to write of Mr.. Stevens i'll TWO
charaCters-that Of official of my gov
ernment and that of his friend In both
capacities, putting aside the natural feel
ing of grief and indignation which his
assassination inspired. | am struck by
the sheer wantonness of the crime. III
had no Justification from any act of his
life. He never knowingly did any one an
injury; on the other hand il was his ma
ture unSelfishly 10 Serv, others. Ii was
absolutely useless. for. in the scheme of
life. one instrument however imperfect,
replaces another. 1t without conse-
auences or the possibility of them. Japan
las set her hand 10 the plough in estab-
fishing stable conditions in Korea and
cannot relinquish it until the work IS fin
fshed 1t was perpetrated by an obscure
and insignificant Korean criminal thus
carrying out that ineXplicable and to me
mysterious Will which puts the life of the
highest In the hands OF the most lowly.
Admitting that the crime inspired by
perverted patriot sm. il aroused the
keenest regret among the enlightened of
the assassin's count ymen. for they felt
the blot which thereby had been placed
upon them. AID realized how great was
the horror caused the American nation
al having its soil redeemed with the blood
of one of its blameless citizens. And. be-
yond this. they recognized that in the
death of this man Korea had lost one of
its trueSt and wiSest friends.
Assassination a Practice.
1t is hardly necessary for me to recite
the facts connected with the murder of
Mr.. Stevens: but think it important to
remind the American people that assas-
sinatiOn is the traditional practice of the
Koreans, and they would continue to OBJ
serve IL if permitted to remain in the
backward state in which they live. Their
history is dotted with these black crimes.
They arc In that unfortunate condition of
medievaiism. similar to that in other I'M
developed lands. wherein the knife and
poison and the modern bullet are directed
not merely against the agents of the gov
eminent which is endedvOrins to provide
them with peace and order and to lead
them To modern civilization. but against
themselves During the spring of 1907
Tour attempts were made to aSSaSsinate
members of the Korean ministry Two of
the ministry now in power-the prime
minister and the minister of agriculture
arc marked for death I'VE must do our
OF the leader of the sO-called General Ko-
rean Righteous Army. Ito kill all Jap
anese. their spies. allies and barbarous
soldiers. The purpose thus proclaimed
cannot possibly deter Japan from contin-
uing what is her manifest duty. not only
40 herself. but to the Koreans and the
WQrld at large. 1t arouses. I'm thinking
uoAnds. not SO much condemnation as pity
for the ignorance 1t displays For SUCH
crimes as 1t cOntemplates, especially when
committed upon men of the high type Mr..
stevens represented. can only react upon
those responsible for them and the cause
however purpOSeleSS, they advocate.
1t is not my intention in this article to
dwell upon the unwiSe and improvident
policy OF the rulers of Korea. which pro-
duced internal conditions unsatisfactory
and even fntOlerable for it's own people
and out of which doomed the menace of
danger to the peace of the far east. This
feature of the matter can be perhaps best
disposed of by merely stating that In
some respects Korea occupies the same
relation to Japan that Cuba does to the
United States. The American people felt
disorder at their door. and went to war
TO stop 1t They liberated Cuba. but were
compelled by events to re-enter upon It's
government. Japan's course with respect
40 Korea is almost parallel. We went to
war to maintain Korean independence and
were obliged to fight another war. part
~ because of Korea. And now. in order
10 to,, a9a,e a nuisance that could only be
ing to provide the people of that coun-
try with a stable government, under
which they may enjoy tranquility and
the prosperity which follows i'm its
train.
This policy has dominated everything
Japan has done. 1t was the policy Mr..
Stevens pursued during the time he
served adviser to the Emperor of
Korea When he first arrived at Seoul
and assumed his delicate duty Mr.
Stevens found himself an object of sus-
picion and every step he advised sub
Jected to the most jealous scrutiny
Here his tact and Judgment were shown
and reinforced by his honesty. and ii
was not long before he enjoyed the
complete confidence and trust of the
emperor and his supporters and he
worked hard hand in hand with them
TO put into effect the reforms which the
interests Of the people absolutely re-
work applaud it. and this includes not
merely Japanese. but foreigners and
Koreans, and some day. I predict, the
Korean people. as a unit. will glorify
him for it,
Stevens Work In Korea.
But his work in Korea. after ALL was
merely one feature of Mr. Stevens ca
Ieer. Its beginning is craven upon
American history. After his gradua-
ton from OberliD College and from the
Columbian Law School in Washington
ne was appointed secretary of the
American legation in Toxic. His ap-
pointment resulted from his contact
with American public men in the course
of his work journalist. which he
performed while studying law. In this
profession Mr. Stevens displayed high
ability, and he was known throughout
the capital as an energetic. accurate re-
porter. reliable and dependable. Tn
Guestionably the work quickened his ma
tive judgment OF men and events and
= tto~ oil tHtn
style which is found in all the diplo-
snatic notes he prepared. He came to
Japan at the period of our transition,
and, sympathiZing with us in eff
fort to adOpte modern methods of
government and civilization. became the
trusted friend OF our statesmen of that
time. He studied the Japanese language
and soon acquired it. He possessed a ca
pacious mind. and he stored ii with our
customs and traditions. our literature and
our history. So great was the impression
ne made upon the officials of my govern
ment that in 1881. after a service OF ten
years in the American legation. Mr.. Ste
VEINS was induced To enter the employ of
the Japanese government.
! first met Mr.. Stevens in Toxic in 1871.
hut il was not until lss3 that / enjoy d
those intimate relations with him which
true friendship insures. Mr. stevens first
assignment was TO Washington. He came
TN the suite OF the new Japanese minis